Trouble With Tranny When Hot?

Hello, I just bought a 1991 Buick Century with the 2.5L 4 cylinder. It has a 3 speed automatic. I have a problem. When I bought the vehicle, the guy said that when the car gets hot, it will stall when you come to a stop or slow down. He said if you pull over, let it cool down, you can be on your way with no problems until it warms up again. He said his mechanic said it was either the 02 sensor or heat sensor. My cousin who is pretty good with cars, thinks it has to do with the tranny. When the car gets hot/warms up, it will stall when you slow down or come to a stop. When in Neutral or park, it will be fine, but as soon as you put it in drive or reverse, its sputters and then stalls. Could anyone tell me what they think it is, and how hard it is to get to the part? My cousin said something about a coil pack or ICC, and isnt sure if the tranny will have to be dropped to get to it. Thanks guys for your time.

Your cousin is correct.

Save your money. You do not need a new part at this time. Look down on the drivers side on the front of the tranny. You will see a plug. Disconnect this plug. You have a sticking Torque Converter Clutch Solenoid. These are a very common problem on GM Cars as they age. You may notice a slight reduction in gas mileage. Most people lose less than 1% so you may not notice it. If you want to replace it the part is only about $40. You do have to remove the valve body cover on the drivers side of the tranny. This involves removal of the drive axle. Once you remove this plug you can drive as normal, only the torque converter will not lock up and you will get a Service Engine Light. Many people, including one of my own cars have been driving like this for years. Good Luck.

Thanks for the help..

Since it has to do with age, shouldnt it be replaced or is it one of those parts you can work completely fine without? I was looking to resell this car sometime soon (that was the whole reason in buying it) and I dont think the new owner would feel comfortable with a check engine light on. Since it looks like Ill be replacing the part, could you tell me how hard it is? I took the transmission out of another car I had (was also a Buick Century, 3.3L, 3 speed) to replace it, and it was a major pain. Is replacing the part you mentioned as hard as removing the tranny? If so, the new owner will have to be happy with the check engine light on, lol. Thanks again!

Ryan

Also, since it has to do with locking up when the tranny gets hot, wouldnt the tranny overheat from not having this part to lock it up? I am new to the A body, but I love them. I have never heard of this problem before, but will watch out for it in the future.

Is this a carb?

No its TBI.

No damage is done driving without the TCC. Most torque converters didn't have the ability to lock up until 1988 or so. Manufactures started doing this to eliminate slippage at speeds over 45 to improve gas mileage. It is easier to repair than removing a tranny. You pull the drivers side wheel, strut and drive axle out. Remove the valve body cover and there it is. You can unplug it as a way of testing it. But your symptoms say this is the problem. When it malfunctions your engine is mechanically locked to the wheels, so when you slow down it sputters, when you stop so does the engine.
Good Luck.

Maximagirl. No, this car is fuel injected.

Wow public, thanks for the help. You are a very knowledgable person!

Hey one other thing Public...I hear the 2.8L and 4 tech engines in the a-bodies were junk. My cousin and a few other people have had 2.8L and blew them all. My 1988 Olds Ciera has a 2.8L engine, and I am kind of worried. I take pretty good care of the car, so I dont think I should have problems, but you have the knowledge, I figured I would ask. As for the 4 tech, I hear stories about those engines just being junk. Thanks alot.

Most car problems are related to one, yes one part failing.
Drum roll please.......

A loose nut behind the wheel :-)

I have not seen or experienced anything bad about the 2.8L.

Blew them is not a very precise diagnosis. Find out what issues they had, did they overheat and blow a head gasket? Did they never change the oil and seize a cam bearing? Maybe they just needed plug wires and were backfiring and upseting children and old ladies????

91: Did it work?!

91: Did it work?!

I tried this for my '91 century exhibiting these same symtoms, and it seemed to work for a couple of days. But after letting the car sit in the sun for a couple of days it started doing the same things again.

So, seems that there must be another solution out there. Temperature seems to be a variable which must be considered.

I'd like to thank you Public, for helping me net a sweet deal on a century. Some of my parents friends were getting rid of their 89 century because of the described problem, after researching on here i decided to go for it and shell out the 300 bucks they were asking for it. I bought the car two weeks ago, unhooked that harness and have since put 2,000 miles on her without a hitch, but i did notice a gas mileage decrease. I went one trip with malfunctioning tcc solenoid and netted 39.5 mpg, since then i've only been getting 37/38 but that might be due to the recently hotter weather we've gotten.....
/endless rambling

Glad to be of some help.

Seems that my engine is the 6 cylnder, 3300. I was told by the dealer that the transmission could be ruined by unplugging the TCC in this 4-speed. Since this resolution to my stalling problem did not work anyway it was no big deal. Instead, the dealer found cracked plugs which were arcing and causing a diminishment in power when the transmission was calling for more. I have not stalled since these plugs were replaced last Friday. I am crossing my fingers. But, the caveat remains: know your engine and what you are doing before taking advice on something.You may be worse off for doing it. :nono:

Yes I would agree. I made the mistake of assuming that the basics had been covered. Spark plugs and wires can be very temperature sensitive. As for the 4T60 tranny. I unplugged several over the years for folks who could not afford to have the repairs. I never had any come back. But it is always best to repair it properly, but sometimes it is not an option. Glad to hear that yours was OK, plugs are much cheaper.