hard shift into reverse

Hi, I been having this problem ever since I bought this car. Sometimes the car shifts really hard into reverse. It was happening quite a bit (1 or 2 times a day). I brought it into a transmission shop and they diagnosed a sensor that they had to pull the transmission to replace it. At the time, my check engine light came on everytime the car shifted hard into reverse. After they replaced the sensor, the check engine light never comes on and it shfts hard maybe a couple times a month (rather than 1 or 2 times a day). I was talking to someone today and he said he thinks it might be my motor mounts are bad. He said the engine would sag after being parked for a while and the "gears" (I am not sure what the correct name for this part is) that connect the engine to the transmission wouldn't match up completely right because the engine wasn't seating correctly. Does this make sense that the motor mounts would cause my car to shift hard? It only shifts hard when sitting for quite a while which would make sense it is the motor mounts. Or does anyone have any other ideas? (By the way, the check engine light never comes on anymore.)

Thanks for any help you can provide,

David

it sounds like your having a common problem with the shift selenoids. i have seen a lot of information on this in the aurora forums on edmunds.com. check there for more info.

Hello my fellow driver:

I have this happen only in the mornings when the car starts up.
Usually, I let it warm upfor 10 minutes and wait tillthe RFP does down to normal.

Or a trick I use, start it for a few minutes, the turn off the engine.Then restart, this turns down the RPM down and will shift smoothly.

Good luck,

"Driving along in my Oldsmobile":smokin:

I get the 1-2 times a month bit myself- always have for years now. I dunno about the motor mounts, though mine isn't only when it's been sitting exclusively (just most of time). My SES light is on when I start it and that happens. It goes out after I drive forward even very briefly. My mechanic never did figure it out, partially since it was so aggrivatingly intermittent. He eventaully stopped charging me labor if I'd just be nearby and have it do it. He just really wanted to figure it out. I drove it to him in reverse for about 12 blocks one afternoon :)

I have found that shifting from park into neutral and then into gear transforms the problem from a loud clunk into gear into a slight lurch. It works both for R and D.