This is the original automatic transmission in my '88 Camaro (see sig).

It's actually had this problem for as long as I've had it, but it's now getting progressively worse. Basically, if the car is cold and I shift directly into OD from park, it will seem like it's in neutral and go nowhere. So, what I've always had to do is shift into drive first, drive it around to warm everything up, and then go into OD. After it's warm, I can go directly into OD from park (although it takes a while for it to kick into gear). And even when I do that, it will be like it's "partially" in gear for a few seconds (I'll give it some gas and it will go very slowly), and then it will "kick" into gear out of nowhere. What's been getting worse is that, where the car had to merely be "warm" in order to go into OD in the past (mabye had to drive it for a few blocks), now it seems like it has to be at least at operating temperature, or else going into OD (even from drive) is like going into neutral.

Another new thing that I notice is... Let's say that I have been able to get the shifter to stay in overdrive. Generally, my car likes to go into OD at 40MPH. So I'm approaching 40MPH (in 3rd gear), the tach is reading about 2250RPM, and then as it's about to shift into OD. What will happen is the tach will spike for a few seconds (like it went into neutral), and after that it will go into OD. It's pretty much fine after that.

The fluid and filter has been changed recently, and there didn't seem to be anything abnormal about the fluid.

You're probably going to tell me "TV adjustment"... If that's the case, then I need to know where this "D-shaped" tab is... I think I found it, but I certainly cannot press it. If it's not that, then let me know that's wrong and what I need to do.

Thanks!

 

If it always goes right into gear when you select D but not OD then it sounds like there is a problem with the Input Sprag or your Fwd have a leak. When you select D the Overruns come on and help those things out. If you MUST select Man1 to get it then it sounds like the Low Roller Clutch has a problem as the Low/Rev Clutches come on in Man1 and help those out.

 

Thanks for the reply!

Unfourtinately, I'm not very well versed in the ways of transmission mechanics/vocabulary...

Would you mine defining for me the following so that I might be able to have some idea of what you just said?

Input Sprag
Fwd
Overruns
Man1

While I'm being educated--just because I've been curious about this--what does that four-wire plug that goes into the transmission do? I've got that on my '88 Camaro with a V6 and on my '89 IROC with the 350 . Does that lead me to believe that the computer controls the shift-points? Or does that simply report vehicle speed to the ECM?

Please excuse my ignorance!

Thanks

 

BTW -- I don't know if this helps support what you're saying or not, but... It seems like the lower the gear that I put the car into (when it's cold), the quicker it will actually kick into gear (and the whole car does actually "kick" into gear). Like I said, the problem with the OD thing has been degenerative... Almost to the point where going directly into drive was like going into OD a few months back. Sometimes I'll have to wait a few seconds before it actually kicks into gear even in drive now. And sometimes, even after it seems like it has gone into gear, I'll give the engine some gas, roll a little bit, and thin it will kick into gear. It's not like it's completely in neutral when that happens--it's like if I had a standard and barely engaged the clutch while giving it gas, and then just dropping the clutch out of nowhere.

Hope I'm not sounding redundant here--it's just a very specific problem...

 

What he is saying is that more than likely the input sprag (aka "foward sprag") is shot. Its a mechanical device that locks in one direction and free spins the other direction. When these go bad, they either lock in both directions, or spin in both directions. If it will not lock, you will not have foward movement.
This means that the sprag is being locked via clutches. There are a pair of overrun clutches that will lock the sprag to prevent it from spining in either direction. This is what causes engine braking. The fact that the clutches are applying and locking the sprag is the reason that you can now pull foward. These clutches will not apply in the OD position, but automaticly apply in Drive, 2nd and 1st.

 

If you have even been on the highway and punched the gas enough to make it downshift into 3rd and it felt like nuetral, good chance its the sprag as well.