Ok i have a 2000 pontiac grand am. when you put the car in reverse and back up, then put it in drive, and press the gas it hesitates and the rpm's rev up high. i have no idea why. i just took it today and had the fluid and filter changed but it still does it. what are some possibilities and how much is this going to cost me? :)

Yea, i also have this same problem. Do you race it alot? i do, and i think that may be the reason, also another reason for it is your not completly stopping before going from reverse to drive, because that tends to fuck up your gears. So always make sure ur at a complete stop cuz your cars an automatic(well mine is, i assume yours is). You may need a new transmission soon im looking at one my self, just cant find an aftermarket one(not trying to have the same problems as the stock transmission).

yeah it is an automatic . no i dont race it . i do stop all the way so i dont know. im going to take it and have it taken apart and rebuilt. they put it on the computer and came up with nothing. it kinda sucks because labor alone is a flat 400. and it could be simple or complex, who knows.

Check your Fluid Level again. Even after filling the transmission fluid, when you drive it a couple of miles, the transmission fluid may need to be added again. Make sure the engine is running and engine hot when you check the transmission fluid level.

i cant check it. pontiac grand am year 2000 has no dipstick. only way to check is to drain it then measure. thanks though. :)

I had/have the same problem on my Gt, I still haven't figured out what causes it. at one point i was having MAJOR tranny problems... A pontiac dealer finally fixed that mess, which the gear hesitation stopped among the other problems that i was having. Now it's all starting to come back again... so I'm truely stumped. I doubt it's the same part, what's the chance in that happening again. if anything have a pontiac dealer inspect it. they my charge you a 50$ inspection fee but if they find something it'll be worth it. Some won't even charge you. Good luck..

when they fixed it the first time what was wrong with it?

----Tina

No you can check it. There is a plug on the RH bottom side(passenger side), near the axle shaft. When you pull the plugout some fluid should come out. if none comes out remove the fill cap, on top, and add some fluid untill it comes out. Engine has to be running and trans in park or neutra;.

thanks. and by the way sephiroth i love final fantasy.

Not a problem. Yeah Final Fantasy is the best. Which one did you like the best?

My problem was the Catalytic Converter was clogged or something to that effect. It caused the car to hesitate from r to d as well as not shift at all so i would be driving in first gear at 5000 rpm at 15 mph before it would shift.... it was a big mess. I thought my trans was gone... until a dealer found the problem.


I'm just worried since it's starting to come back again. The same early symptoms as before. rough shift from 3-4 around 35-40 mph, hesitation between r - d, hesistation between shifts, this is how it started out in my car (before it got worse)... but the only good thing is if it's the converter again it's covered by warranty!

grfnkl hey that sounds exactly like what my car is doing. do you think i should have that checked or first? before they take apart my transmission. i know nothing about cars so i am trying to learn. so thank you! :)

sephiroth i think it was vii. i havent played it in a long time. but it is my favorite and when i do play i cant quit. i end up staying up all night.

grfnkl hey what is so rare about the 87 grand am?

:banghead:
same shit going on with my 99 GA - mine does it mostly if I have let it set and idle for a few minutes - maybe 10 min or so and especially if it is warm or hot outside. Sometimes it will even slip just a little bit until its in like 2nd or so and then no prob til the next - whenever that will be.

Hey, I'm Tina too!

I am actually having the same probs as Kitty. I have been reading from the message boards and I have a good sense of what might be the problem. I'm hoping it's not the transmission. I'm taking it in on Tuesday to get it inspected.

I will update soon. Thank God I still have my manual, twin cam, 94 Saturn, it's an extra car and runs strong!

Hi Tina too! lol and hi gebster. i am supposed to have my transmission looked at next thursday. but i think i might try to see if the catalytic convertor is clogged first like the other guy said. hopefully it wont be too bad. its just really freaking annoying everytime you go to back up and go into drive and it hesitates. im starting to park on the side of the road to avoid it! but it still does it some when i put it in drive.

If you are having the same symptoms that i had, have it checked out... there's also an update for the pcm for the trans, or at least that's what the dealer tried on my car first... before the cat. conv. was found to be the problem. that may also help out, especially before you have the trans ripped apart to find out that was not the problem. The dealer has also told me there is a plug on the trans and if that becomes loose and doesn't make proper contact it could also create similiar symptoms, hopefully this will help out...

87 grand am's are rare in the sense their are less on the road... but the one i refer to is my fathers, since it's basically custom built from the factory, I have not been able to find a single one like it... even Pontiac parts dept. can't find the paint color and some other items on the car... in my signature there's a link, if you go there the car is posted on the last page, it's only one pic at the moment.

You could have a back pressure test done to see if it is the Cat, or any other part in the exhaust, but normaly when a cat plugs it lacks power and wont rev. but anything is possible.
Yeah 7 was really good, but my all time fav is 3, I am the same way once you start you can't stop.

Get one of this. http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/TA-33600.html

Just remove the oxygen sensor (O2) and screw in that exhaust back pressure tester and start the engine.

Reading this article and scroll down to the "Restricted exhaust: diagnosing the problem".

http://www.aircarecolorado.com/repair/acnews/apr97.htm