I have an 03 monte carlo ls with a 3.4 liter.as i start to pull away from a stop sign or red light the tranny seems to slip and then grab as i take off. Just did a fluid and filter change with no help to the problem. No check engine light is on.does anybody have any ideas about it. The tranny shifts good in all gears and motor has all kinds of power.any help would be great!!!

 

The transmissions in these cars are a point of failure. Sadly, they have some weak parts.

What you described sounds like it's ONLY doing this from a dead stop. This is what my Monte has done since I bought it in '08 with 52K on it (now has about 70K). But it's intermittent when it happens. My wife's '05 Impala also does the same thing. One car is a 3.8, the other a 3.4, both the same transmission. I've read a couple others on this forum have shared this experience too.

I noticed when I had my PCM tuned and my shift firmness increased, the problem almost went away all together. I also noticed it decreased even MORE with putting in the solid front radiator mounts. Not sure if it's coincidence, if I just don't notice it as much OR if it really made a difference.

 

My tranny used to hesitate and slip in between gears, but I just did a PCM upgrade as well, and it is shifting much better now. I still worry about it, though, since I have never changed the fluid or filter since I bought it. I bought it with 70k miles on it, and now it's got 123k miles on it. I'm planning on doing it soon, just waiting for the weather to get a bit better. Western PA winters suck

 

I just turned 106K on my '04 Monte and I think she's holding-up OK.
The Speedo don't work when its freezing out.
The Temp Gauge is dead.
I get a Small Evap Leak code at least once a month.
Just got my first P1811 (Shift duration) code the other day.
My Turn Signals don't come-on sometimes, until I press the Flasher Button.
The 1811 Code worries me.
She still gets and ****s, though!

 

Remember, you should do a pan drop and filter change ONLY (no trans flushing). Also, you really should not go past 100K miles for a trans fluid/filter change.

Many people claim they will NEVER change the trans fluid/filter on a car because that's when they began having trans problems. BUT, when they tell you they finally changed the fluid/filter, it was WAY past when they should have changed it (like 150K+ miles). It's tough to blame the fluid/filter change causing your trans to fail when the reality is you neglected proper service.

 

You're absolutely right. I just havent had the money to get it done, but with the new job I recently got, I plan on doing it with a friend of mine the next nice weather weekend we get here. You know how it is, im sure being from Mentor. I'm just across the border in Farrell, PA.

 

I know exactly how it is. In the cold days, if it doesn't need to be done, it gets put off (hence why the bent laterals on my winter car are still bent, pending replacement in the spring once the Monte is out).
I make every reasonable effort to tackle any maintenance/repair items before snow flies (and it stinks when I loose that battle and something pops up in the middle of winter unexpectedly).
I made sure to change the trans fluid and filter during the fall on the Grand Am (which I just bought in August I believe) so I knew it was done and set to go.

 

My 2003 3.4 did the exact same thing, would slip at stoplights and stop signs. Only on first gear, became annoying, it didn't happen everytime. Before it got worse I went ahead and got it rebuilt, at about 156k. Can not believe how much better it shifts now. I had that code everyone else gets too, the delayed shift code.

 

my 2000 ss trans is shuttering and then catching from take off about 70% of the time. and get harder shifts once in a while, but its fine if i manually start off in first. i have 82000 on it thinking bout fluid and filter change and using type f fuid for no slipping. Ive used this fuid in the past in my novas th350 and th400 also in a 99 bravada and 91 firebird and they shift like new.

 

mine was rebuild at about 130,000,,
to me which is about max mileage youll get before you have to have it rebuilt....