I have an 84 deville and the transmisson shifts horribly. It was supposedly rebuilt 25,000 miles ago but the same guy did the motor and it only lasted 12,000 miles (4.1) :rolleyes2 Anyways, in first gear i will start driving like normal than when it shifts it seems as if the gear disengages (motor rpm stays the same) than after about 3/4 of a second it slams back into second gear sometimes with a heavy "klunk". the same thing happens with 2-3. 3-4 is fine and so is overdrive or "converter lock up" whatever you want to call it.
i know on mustangs there is a cable called the tv cable that you can adjust for more tranny pressure and i was wondering if there was something like that on a caddy. (there is enough tranny fluid). thanks for any help. :hmm: :)

There is such an adjustment, I would also suggest for you to change the fluid as it does wear out.

I will change my tranny fluid tomorow. Will the adjustment help my shifting? is this something i can do myself? thanks

The TV cable, as the Throttle Valve cables yes? This is next to the carb or near the gas pedal.

For a connection at the transmission...I know not of one. The cable that is there is for your odometer.

I find that changing your transmission fluid, and the filter etc etc will definately help.

do you know the fluid capacity of the transmission? also how do you safely jack up the front of the car? i can put my jack stands under the rear axle if i needed to look at the rear but where do i put them up front?

Near the driver and passenger door hinges...under the car I'd say right under. There should be two holes where you can put your jack. It fits in nicely and you jack the car up. That's on my 1986 at least, if your 88 is different, simply jack it up on part of the frame where it's flat and level.

To change the transmission fluid on just jacks is a chore, your arms will get VERY tired. It's certainly nice to have it as high as possible. You'll put blocks under your rear wheels, and make sure you put blocks to support your jacks on the front as they could fail.

You'll need about five quarts.

Remember to follow the proper tightening sequence when you're taking it off and putting it on.

There is also a bar blocking you, you'll have to remove the bolt closest to the front, and basically pull it down to make room...

Fun is going to be had...bring paper towel.

thanks for the reply. i dropped the pan, changed the fluid and changed the filter. it shifts just as bad as it did before. there was a good many pieces of metal in the pan and some of them were quite big.

Oh dear, in that case your transmission may sadly be buggered. If there are small shavings, our transmissions are tough enough to go on, but large shavings is very bad. You are looking at a rebuild for your transmission then.

I don't know the price of a rebuild for our cars, or you could even try to purchase a whole new one. The transmission (TH200r4) was popular on many GM makes and models.

Large chunks is not a good sign. Probably some of the hard parts have failed i.e. gear teeth. You might want to think twice about a rebuild because when the transmission shop has your tranny on the floor all taken apart and tell you that you need costly parts replaced, not just the clutches. That can be more expensive than just a tranny purchased separatly. And you still have to pay for the teardown whether you get another tranny or not. I'd look into a unit from a reputable transmission shop and just have it replaced.

ok. thanks for all the replys. im not sure what i am going to do yet.

I had my tranny rebuilt about 6 mos ago. I didn't find any trannys any cheaper from reputable shops around here. Definitely didn't want to chance buying one from the yard you know! I paid $937 for my rebuild with 12 mos/ 12000 mi warranty. Bad news is, they had to go back in it about 2 mos ago and rebuild it again. Luckily it was still under warranty. I don't think they rebuilt it the first time. It wouldn't go in reverse and after the first alleged rebuild, I had the same problem again. I think they just replaced the reverse clutches and/or pump and charged me for the rebuild. I can really tell the difference now. She pulls like a champ. It set me back a little, but I'm pleased with the results and feel pretty confident about it. By the way, my 89 has a 240b (at least thats what I was told).