I have a 1996 Buick Regal. Until recently, it’s ran fine. And then, this past Sunday (as of the time of this post), the RPMs began to shoot up to 5 and 6 and the car lost acceleration. I thought it needed more transmission fluid, but today I found out that I had put too much in it. So my dad and I drained the pan and refilled it, but the car refused to go into gear. Let me rephrase — it would go into gear, but it wouldn’t go anywhere. I found several posts on various sites about how it might be a transmission pump or a transmission lockup solenoid, but the results upon testing them were still the same — no acceleration at all. Does anyone know how this can be fixed without the need for a mechanic?
RESPONSE
If the fluid was burnt looking it will need rebuilt. If you hear a whining noise it is the pump. If the fluid was pretty new looking then it is most likely an electronic solenoid sticking. This will generally set a code. The check engine light will not illuminate as it has to do with the transmission and not the engine. You will need a scan tool in order to pull the transmission codes. The codes will help point you in the right direction. Not much to do without the codes. Feel free to post them below if you have further questions related to this issue.