Anyone have a problem with the trans behind their 3.8 engine?

This past saturday it was very hot and humid here. (Close to 90)

We were at a car show all morning. Took the '03 Pace car and '86 LS Montes. About 2pm we decided to leave and hit another cruise-in we like to attend. Instead of sweating like pigs in my '86 (no working A/C) we decided to drive the Pace car.

Abour 5 miles from this other event (this is going uphill mind you) I happened to notice the trans not shifting normal. It was taking longer then usual.

After the engine/trans cooled a bit (if possible in 90 degree heat, setting on blacktop) the trip home the transmission seemed to be itself again.

We did take the car to my doctor's appointment yesterday in Dayton and it seemed to be okay.

Has anyone experienced something like this on a hot day, while using the A/C?

 

Are we sure it's the trans and not the Cat?

But yes I have experienced that problem a lot with my old transmission and it was the shift solenoid for 1-2 on me. But I also had a lot of other tranny problems at the same time so I went with a new one.

 

my 03 3.8 had this issue and it turned out to be a restricted Cat and after it got replaced with a high flow (under 200 dollars about 30 for labor) it acts fine now and its been 105 here

 

because you mentioned it was uphill I lean toward it being the cat.

 

I know other's have complained about the restricted catalytic converters on their cars.

Is this a mileage thing like on high mileage cars or does this matter at all?

Right now the Pace car is about 71,200 miles on it.

 

I didn't notice mine until 12x,xxx and drove with it for 2 years. Like you said it was only when the tranny was hot and that wasn't much.

Then it started to get really bad, and I got the new tranny and the downpipe and it's gone. Honestly though, were you thinking about the downpipe EVER? because it would be a good reason to get one, even if it's not the 304 stainless, just to keep costs down and if it's the cause then you saved yourself tranny work, and if it's not you have the new downpipe anyway and the u-bend delete.

 

I've wanted to replace the U-bend pipe ever since we got the car.

Doesn't ZZP or someone sell a pipe w/converter?

 

They call it the downpipe, I'm sure you saw that word thrown around a lot.

https://www.zzperformance.com/grand_...=551&catid=110

get the 2.5" 304 stainless steel bolt-in with cat.

With how clean and well kept you keep your car it should be a breeze for you to do your own install (it's only 4 bolts, mine were just tooo seized to get)

 

Cool.

Thanks for doing my research for me.

 

If you want to save some money and not get the 304 you can, but it will get that ugly surface rust, so I don't know how much you care about that or not :P

Personally I don't think it's much more for the better steel... but to each their own.

and you're welcome