The Adventures of Transmission Man - As seen in Gears Magazine

The other day, we got a 93 Saturn into the shop. The original complaint was a delay in reverse when it got hot. The car was left in my parking lot the night before, so when I road tested it, everything seemed to work fine. Even though they've been around for quite a few years, I haven't had that many Saturns in the shop, so other than books and service bulletins, I had very little actual experience with them. I road tested the car again, this time with my Scan Tool attached. There were no codes present, and since I had no previous data to compare to, I captured several "movies" of sensor data to download into my computer database. The first when the engine was still cold, and the problem was not present, and then another after the engine warmed up and the delay in reverse was very obvious. The data in the movies did not show anything unusual. In fact, they were almost identical regardless of temperature.

We had just recently gone to a technical seminar, and there was a bulletin in the handbook that described this exact problem. To confirm the problem, a pressure test was recommended, and in order to perform the test, the LP Actuator Fuse had to be removed from the fuse box to induce high line pressure. At idle, there should be no less than 175 psi with the fuse removed. There was 175 at first, but as it warmed up, the pressure went down to around 80 psi. I contacted my customer, and explained that our tests had confirmed an internal problem. My customer depends on this car for his livelihood, and considering the amount of mileage on the car, he decided to have the trans rebuilt.

I am very pleased to say that I have two "Top Notch Techs" (TNT) working for me at this time. And it's a good thing too, because I haven't been able to contact Transmission Man in months. News of the dreadful destruction of his childhood home, planet Annulus, sent him into a spiral of alcoholic depression. He was last seen slumped over the bar, unconscious, at the Asteroid, an Interstellar watering hole for old washed up super heroes, retired space degenerates and other assorted outcasts.

Having worked on a few Saturns previously, both of my TNT's had no problem taking on this job. In record time, my lift man removed the trans without a hitch. My rebuilder tore down the unit and pin pointed the problem. Just as the bulletin suggested, the Line Pressure Cushion Spring was broken, and the Pressure Regulator Bore in the Valve Body was worn out. I got an Overhaul Kit, Clutches, Filters and a Converter from my local parts supplier, and the Saturn Dealer was going to deliver the Upper Valve Body Kit the following morning.

It's always comforting to know that the actual cause of the problem has been discovered and cured. It gives you the confidence that the job will go out and stay out without fear of an embarrassing and often costly comeback. There is nothing worse than that queasy feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you "can't find anything wrong". In the famous last words category, "it must be the torque converter" has to be right at the top of the list. Or worse yet, getting a long distance call at ten to five on a Friday from the guy whose trans you rebuilt two weeks ago, that's, "doing the same thing it did before". I wonder if any other shops out there have experienced this sort of thing. No, it's probably just me.

But we had nothing to worry about this time. The technical bulletin had hit the nail right on the head. As my lift man finished installing the trans, and lowered it off the lift, my rebuilder mentioned to me that the last couple Saturns he did had a very harsh shift at first, but straightened out as it began to "relearn". With Scan Tool "armed", I backed the car out of the bay. I paused momentarily when my rebuilder asked, "Did you put the fuse back in ?", but when my lift man replied "Yes", I continued on my way.

I was about halfway to the corner when the trans made the first 1-2 shift. It was a little harsh all right, the words "Slam" and "Bang" come to mind. And the 2-3 was even worse. It was such a neck breaker, I was forced to back off the gas for fear of whiplash. I gave it a little time, but the quality of the shifts didn't seem to get any better. How long could it take for this trans to relearn? Then, the check engine light came on and a code 68 - Line circuit open or grounded, appeared. I pushed the button to capture the sensor data, and when it was finished, I pulled over and turned the key off. When I started it up again, the light went off, but it came back on two or three more times before I finally made it back to the shop.

I was gone for quite some time, the sun went down, and the guys were probably more than half way home by this time. I knew I was in trouble. I knew practically nothing about this Saturn, and there was no one around too ask. I looked up code 68 for some trouble shooting tips, and one of the first things they say to do is check the fuses. Sure, with the fuse out, the trans has high line pressure. But they said they put the fuse back in. Maybe the fuse just blew out. I wasn't sure which fuse they pulled to do the pressure test, and I didn't know what happened to that bulletin we had. So I checked the fuses for continuity with my volt meter, but they were all good. I wasn't sure what to do next. Out of desperation, I fired up the "Tranny Beam" in hopes that Transmission Man might see it and come to my rescue. But there was little hope of that, besides in his inebriated condition, he wouldn't be much help anyway.

Looking at the fuse box, there were about 25 or 30 fuses in all, and there were about a half dozen empty spaces. There was one fuse marked TRSLP, and there was an empty space adjacent to it. The fuse label was in between the two slots, and it was hard to tell which slot it was referring to. On a hunch, I popped the fuse out of the first row, and put it into the empty slot right next to it in the second row. I cleared the codes and went for another ride. That was it. The trans shifted perfect every time from that point on. And there was much rejoicing. Relieved that the problem was solved, I made note of the importance of the TRSLP fuse not only being intact, but that it be in the proper location as well.

Repulsed by the smell of his own breath, stay tuned next time when Transmission Man is convinced to go "on the wagon" in the next spine tingling episode of "The Adventures of Transmission Man".