New Eclipse Owner, Transmission Issues :(

[96eclipselovr]

Hello, Im new here, and i know guys in forums r kinda harsh sometimes, as i know from my previous cars ive owned, but im gunna start by saying, ive ALWAYS wanted an eclipse and i JUST bought one yesterday, and everything seemed fine with my transmission when i bought it. But now (2nd day of owning it), I'm having issues!!

Ok, So i have a 96 Eclipse, nothing special, except for the fact its the cutest lil car! haha (ive always wanted one, and finally after years of stupid cars ive owned, i got one!!!)

Ok, so I just bought this Eclipse yesterday, and i barely know much about cars, took auto for 2 years in high school, but Im not too bright. ANYWAYS... i took my Dad and boyfriend with me to look at this car i found on craigslist, and it was 1800, but after the guy talked to my dad on the phone for a lil while, he told my dad i know ## gunna talk me down, lowest ill go is 1600, and he was an older guy, so i figured he cant be racing this thing around, ### i always been afraid to buy one because i thought it'd b too beat up, but it was an older guy, evrything seemed legit, and my dad test drove it, transmission shifted fine, the car had a couple lil sounds n shit, but no big deals, my dad knew wutevr was wrong with it and said they were simple fixes, so we paid the dude, went n got my plates, did all that fun stuff, so i drove it to olive garden last night (3 miles away), and then this morning, i drove it to walmart and then back home, also not far, so then i had to get to work, not far, again, drove back to pick up my son from my bfs, and we went to auto zone, so i can buy all my cute hello kitty stuff for my interior, hehe, and then went to portillos, all not far. we decided before going back to my bfs to just cruise around for a lil so my son would fall asleep, we cruised maybe like 15 miles, and i was going about 40-45 mph and my car felt like it just went into neutral and reved a bunch, but barely would go, so right away, i pull ovr and my bf looks at the engine, under the car to see if anything was leaking, he checked all the fluids, everything was fine, so i figured maybe one of us bumped it into neutral accidentally or something, so we turn around to go back toward home, and it WONT SHIFT!! i was going maybe 30-40 mph and it was going like 3-3.5 rpms and it still WOULDNT SHIFT!!! so of course i pulled over yet again, shut the car off, called my dad, he said take it out of over drive, i did, i let it cool off for like 10 min, and headed back home, still wouldnt shift, so i stayed going slow (between 15-30 mph), and got back home, so BASICALLY all my trying to say is, it seems like it basically wont shift outta first, and idk wut to do. i dont have the money for a new tranny, i dont trust shops too much, and i just dont know what to do! can someone pls help me!

 

[bombDSM]

If it is an auto it could be the tcu. Mine went out and my car went into limp mode where the transmission wouldn't shift.

 

[jasjasbinks]

not much of a car guru myself but what is the condition of the transmission fluid? it should be reddish in color. also check if there is a delay when shifting from neutral to drive, there shouldn't be a delay of more than 1 second. your profile says you have a N/A engine and installed a turbo is that correct? i'm not sure how much power can the stock n/a transmission handle, but if the previous owner boosted more than what it is capable of... i'm afraid it is bad news

 

[96eclipselovr]

If it is an auto it could be the tcu. Mine went out and my car went into limp mode where the transmission wouldn't shift.

it is auto. so sorry, im not a huge car person, but how would i know, can i take it somewhere to find out?

and if that is the problem, how do i fix it? :/ will it cost alot? all i know is trannys can b super expensive. :/

not much of a car guru myself but what is the condition of the transmission fluid? it should be reddish in color. also check if there is a delay when shifting from neutral to drive, there shouldn't be a delay of more than 1 second. your profile says you have a N/A engine and installed a turbo is that correct? i'm not sure how much power can the stock n/a transmission handle, but if the previous owner boosted more than what it is capable of... i'm afraid it is bad news

it is red, and no turbo, idk how to use these forums too well, so i didnt know how to do the profile so well, sorry about that.
its non-turbo front wheel drive automatic... sorry if my profile is confusing :/
and i dont think theres a delay, all my other stuff works, R, N, all that stuff, and idk wut the 2 and L r, so idk if they work, but yeah, idk. im sorry, im a dumb girl who wanted a cute car, and i only have like $500 i can put into it, and idk wut to dooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. ((

 

[bombDSM]

Try disconnecting the battery for awhile then hook it back up and see if it works. This used to work on my old NT which could be an indication of tcu(transmission computer) It would be much easier if it was just a tcu problem and not the actual transmission you could just get a used one if it is.

 

[ezspooling]

Sounds like its sticking to me. Some times a filter and fluid change will suffice. If that does not help there is a solenoid in the transmission that will more then likely need to be replaced. It is a simple task that most shops can do. Look and ask around for a reputable shop in your area.

 

[josh408]

When you say it won't shift, you mean it will not go into gear at all? It's not hard to search the forums, a video may help as well to see what your talking about. Does it make a grinding sound? I don't know much about N/A motors but my guess is it's not the tranny because if one thing messed up the entire tranny would be messed up. Just run simple checks like the solenoid, drain the tranny fluid and check spark plugs. If you were low on the tranny fluid thats BAD. It's easier then it sounds. Maybe grab a chilton manual and you can learn and some spare time. I personally don't trust shops anymore unless I REALLY have to. Also the avatar isn't suppose to be a picture of you it's suppose to be your car. Just saying

Edit: strike the shifting thing. Just realized its an auto. My guess is fluid, solenoid or spark plugs not allowing you to go over a certain rpm.

 

[NHerron]

Try disconnecting the battery for awhile then hook it back up and see if it works. This used to work on my old NT which could be an indication of tcu(transmission computer) It would be much easier if it was just a tcu problem and not the actual transmission you could just get a used one if it is.

Agreed on this, just disconnect the ground (negative) cable for a minute or so and reconnect it. I noticed you said the RPM's were at 3-3.5k and wouldn't shift, does that mean that's as high the RPM's would go even with petal to the metal? Generally that sounds like limp mode to protect the car as it has detected something it doesn't like. Is the check engine light on? If so, you can go to most any auto parts store, get the code read for free and possibly clear the code for the car to run normal again temporarily. Just call in advance to make sure they have one available (OBD scanner). Welcome to the forums, by the way.

 

[96eclipselovr]

thank u all for replying, this is such a help to me! thank u thank u thank u!!!

ok so im gunna disconnect the battery in the morning, and then reconnect it, haha, thats something im sure i can figure out. and if it is the tsu, how much do u think that would cost? i mean i have a buncha junk yards around here, but u never know with junk yards either. :/ but i mean, if i were to buy one from like auto zone or somewhere, how much do u estimate that would cost ish? if thats the problem, i def wouldnt have a problem paying a couple hundred for it ((### this is my dream car)), but if its not the problem, its just gunna b a waste, so i hope it wont b too much?

and i will get the fluids changed n stuff (shit, maybe ill try it myself?) haha. and my bf had a problem with one of his solenoids on his honda (eww), so maybe he can somehow help me out. haha but he dont like these kinda cars too much, so idk how much he'll wanna help, so maybe i can try this stuff myself... hehe.

and wen i say it wont shift, i mean it wont shift outta 1st gear, it does go into gear, R, D and P all work. just wen im driving, it wont shift out of 1st. so i can like take a video and post it? will that help u guys out? i will do that tomorrow, should i focus the camera on the cluster, like the RPMs and the MPH? or would u like me to show the engine at idle? ((### obviously i cant record the engine while im driving, )) oh and no grinding sounds. im not low on tranny fluid, my bf checked it (### im clueless on that) and he said its fine. so ill take a video and post it on here tomorrow to show u guys. and oh, i dont have any sexy pics of my car yet ### i jus got her, so as soon as i do, ill make it my avatar.

oh and my bf says i can take it to like o'riellys or auto zone and see if its throwing ne codes?? should i do that?

again, thank u guys SO MUCH!!! ### wen this happened all i could do was cry, but then i remembered theres forums with nice guys like all of u who can help me out! thank u thank u thank u!! im not so upset ne more. u guys rock!!!

Agreed on this, just disconnect the ground (negative) cable for a minute or so and reconnect it. I noticed you said the RPM's were at 3-3.5k and wouldn't shift, does that mean that's as high the RPM's would go even with petal to the metal? Generally that sounds like limp mode to protect the car as it has detected something it doesn't like. Is the check engine light on? If so, you can go to most any auto parts store, get the code read for free and possibly clear the code for the car to run normal again temporarily. Just call in advance to make sure they have one available (OBD scanner). Welcome to the forums, by the way.

i didnt put the "petal to the metal" ### i didnt wanna break it or something, ya know? but im sure the RPMs would have went higher, i just didnt wanna try. and the check engine like isnt on, but my bf says i can try and go in anyways and see if its throwing a code anyways, ya know? and thank u for the welcome.

oh my goodness, some of the words i use on here like c u z come out as number signs ( # ) so im sorry. . i dont type very proper, i text alot, haha. so im used to typing that way, so sorry that some of my words come out as number signs, im going to try and type better so it doesnt come out in a silly way. .

 

[josh408]

Ha your too much. But yea you can take it to an autozone or someplace. Nothing better than free but start with a list of things to do like
1. Disconnect the negative to see if it's the TCU if that fails then so on and so forth.
Maybe 2. Check the solenoid?
3. Check spark plugs? When my car wouldn't go passed 3.5k rpm I changed the spark plugs and it worked fine but then again I don't know if there's a difference with the N/A's. Before you make decisions to drop money on something. Search around the forums first or post another question if you don't find what your looking for. The video isn't really necessary but I would record how it starts, idles and if your driving I'd show the rpm and make sure nothing else is playing (like the stereo) so we can hear how it sounds to. Also show what's under the hood so we can see if there's any mods or not.

 

[ezspooling]

That's what we're here for . And ya checking to see if it threw a code wouldn't be a bad idea.

 

[96eclipselovr]

hehe, thank u for the list, im writing it down now actually. and im just going crazy because i have such problems with all my cars, so now that i got one that i LOVE, im having problems on the 2nd day, and it freaks me out!! so sorry im kinda all over the place.

u guys rock!! i wish i was smart about all this stuff like u guys! but im def gunna try n figure this stuff out, and maybe learn a lil bit, hehe. and maybe ill be able to help someone out sometime, hopefully. i wish i could give u guys a bunch of hugs! because i was all sad n crying and u guys r making me all happy, and not so worried anymore!! Thank u sooooo much!!! im glad to be on this forum, u guys r nicer then the meanies on honda forums! ((i used to have icky hondas, and those guys were such mean guys!!))

THANK U!!! oh, and im gunna take pics of my car and post them so u guys can see my new baby! hehe, i love her so much!!!

 

[NHerron]

If the check engine light isn't on, then you don't have any trouble codes. Unless- the guy you bought the car from drove around with the light on for months and it eventually burnt out. 2 & L on the gearshift you don't need to worry about unless you go down steep mountain grades a lot which can help save your regular brakes by using engine braking. NP

 

[josh408]

Well we try and keep the DSM's alive since they are getting harder to find. But I think we can all understand how you feel. These cars are high maintenance and not as easy to work on like honduhs are. Maybe that's why your bf doesn't wanna work on it ha. But they do make for a great commuter

 

[96eclipselovr]

Well we try and keep the DSM's alive since they are getting harder to find. But I think we can all understand how you feel. These cars are high maintenance and not as easy to work on like honduhs are. Maybe that's why your bf doesn't wanna work on it ha. But they do make for a great commuter

, "honduh"!! and i been looking for one of these for years, so i know wut u mean!! i love my baby, even tho shes giving me problems already. and by high maintenance, do u mean ill be working on her alot? ### its cold outside! haha... so i kinda dont wanna! haha.

ANYWAYS... thanks a bunch u guys!! its like almost 4 am over here, so i think im gunna go to bed so i can wake up early and take care of my beautiful car! ill let u all know how it goes! again, u guys rock! thank u!!!

If the check engine light isn't on, then you don't have any trouble codes. Unless- the guy you bought the car from drove around with the light on for months and it eventually burnt out. 2 & L on the gearshift you don't need to worry about unless you go down steep mountain grades a lot which can help save your regular brakes by using engine braking. NP

oops, sorry, i didnt see this one b4, and goodness, i never heard of a check engine light burning out, thats silly. i think my bf is jus telling me to do this so he seems like hes helping me or something... haha. maybe i can check ne ways? i think he just wants to seem like hes helping bc he knows im on here talking to guys about my car problems, and he says "i could have told u all the same things they're saying" .
oh and we got no mountains or hills around here, so i dont needa worry about those ones, huh? .

 

[josh408]

Sorry if the high maintenance thing scared you. If you just keep it stock. And just do the basic tune up stuff it'll be fine. (motor wise of course, you can go crazy with the hello kitty stuff)
But I'm only learning about the 4G63 motor so anyone who knows more about N/A's please chime in.
Speed, Reliability, Low Cost
Pick any two.

 

[NHerron]

Haha, no normally you don't. Yes there is a very small light bulb behind the instrument cluster that illuminates the check engine light and if you ride around with it on for months on end it will eventually burn out. But you can still have trouble codes waiting to be read from the cars computer even though the light bulb is burnt out on the dash.

One case is from our old Suburban, tried fixing the trouble code for years and never could so we just let the light go and one day it didn't come on anymore. Trouble code is still there but the bulb burnt out. Still drives fine, just idles like crap. Anyone have an idea shoot me a PM me

 

[jasjasbinks]

I'm not sure if this applies for all dsm automatic transmissions but the a/t that i have will downshift on its own (like going downhill) and will not shift up for a while. however if it is still not shifting after a while, even on level roads, it could be on limp mode. i've read it here that this is a safety feature of the transmission to prevent further damage internally. best thing to do since you just got the car is do the basic maintenance to the engine and transmission (like change atf and filter). then let us start from there, hopefully it is not anything major. hope you'll still love dsm as much as we do.

 

[96eclipselovr]

thanx guys! i havent tried anything yet, because my boyfriend is still sleeping, im going to try disconnecting the battery first thing, but i kind of dont know how. :/ typical girl. but if he doesnt wake up in a few, im going to just go wing it! haha. and what is limp mode? i kind of dont get what u mean by that. :/ and whats a aft? and a filter on the tranny? or where? im really probably just going to spend like $30 on a book on it, and try and figure all of this out. my dad hates these kind of cars (i had "handuhs" , and he hated working on those, he had to do the timing and shit on one, and it took him a week to figure out, and it never got timed right ((one of the reasons i dont like hondas anymore)). but my dad even liked this car and said it was great when i got it, and he dont like these, thats why i figured it must be good if even a classic american car guy likes the car, ya know? but i think if my boyfriend doesnt wake up within the next 10 min, im going to go out there and try and figure that out. im glad u guys are so helpful! its great. maybe ill start it and kinda show u guys what its doing. and so if the battery thing fixes the problem temporarily, does that mean its probably the TCU?

haha, sorry, im trying to type proper or whatever, because the forum says to, so im sorry, im trying, sorry if im hard to understand.

 

[josh408]

It's not hard to disconnect a battery just find something to loosen the terminal (the piece that goes over the thing stick out of the battery) then once it's loose pull up and move it away from anything metal. Then put it back on. Pretty simple enough. When I started learning it's just the terms you have to learn. When I had a buddy show me how to work on the DSM I was like seriously. That's all I had to do? So don't be afraid by the fancy words we say, it's easy for the most part.

 

[96eclipselovr]

ok guys, i have a little bit to tell you...

ok, so i went out to disconnect the battery but i figured i'd better drive it again and see if its still acting up, i drove it, it finally shifted at 4k rpms, when i was going about 40 MPH, so i was a little confused... then i was going down a side street and I stopped because its easier for me to tell how its running and shifting when i make a complete stop first, so i stopped for a second, kept it in drive, went to accerate, and it kind of jerked up and then drove, then after that, wouldnt shift again. We took it to the O'Reillys to get it tested real quick, we did that, it threw a code, saying shift solenoid A or something. the guy there said that the guy could have cleared the code before selling it to me. we asked if they had one in stock, they had 4-5 different ones. they had one solenoid A/B, and a couple others. the one they had in stock, im not sure what it was called, but its $183, and i dont know if thats what it is, or one of the others, so i dont know if i should buy that one, but i figured i'd check with you guys first and see what u think. does anyone know which one it might be?

oh also i have a few pics now

 

[josh408]

Hm. Beats me. Can anyone else chime in? If anything I'd say take out your old one and try and match it or get another from the dealership (I know it's expensive but they are usually on point with the specific parts) just curious, how much did you pay for the car?

 

[NHerron]

What exactly was the code number. There's people here who can tell you exactly what the code is responsible for and can much better diagnose than part store scanners

 

[96eclipselovr]

ok, well i paid 1600 for it, :/ i love the car tho.

and the code number or whatever was po755 or po750. It told us Shift Solenoid A.

ok, my bf told me its probably not po755, he said its probably po750. hes a dumb dumb and doesnt remember stuff, and i didnt think to ask him that. sorry. :/

 

[josh408]

PO 750 is shift solenoid A. 755 is shift solenoid B.
But I'd still take out your old solenoid and try and eye it as best as you can. Is this a timely matter?