why wont my transmission shift out of first gear?

10

Asked by rlsdesign Jul 30, 2023 at 04:40 PM about the 1990 Buick Reatta Convertible FWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

my 1990 buick reatta wont shift out of first gear, the speeometer stays at zero going forward and rises in reverse. I replaced the vacuum modulator to no avail?

2 Answers

202,345

Well, that auto has been working for 32 years and maybe it just now needs Social Security & Medicare.... First & reverse are one thing; higher gears are another. If the transmission has problems shifting to second and higher gears, it's likely a shift solenoid problem that was caused by lack of servicing the transmission. You'll probably find fluid that's low, dirty, or even burned, and if you have a filter, it's clogged. This can cause a transmission with even new shift solenoids to malfunction. Or it might be the old seals that are causing the transmission to leak pressure between gears Replace the fluid, don't flush, and see if that fixes it.

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