PontiacBonnevilleClub.com

At first I thought it was the bearings in the motor, but now I'm leaning towards the trans because A) you can't hear it much at all at idle, B) oil pressure is never below 40 psi and is acting the same way it always has, and C) that's where the noise is coming from.

I have three vids. I just ran this about 8 miles, so it's completely warmed up, and after I shut it off for a few mins and turned it back on, you couldn't hear it. Listen to these vids, they were taken over a span of about three minutes until you could really start to hear it again. Ignore the fact you can't hear anything, just know that whenever the camera is in the engine compartment, it's being held directly above the vacuum line into the vac modulator.







In a way, it's a bittersweet moment. This means I can do an L67 swap because that's what I told myself I would do if either component were to fail. The negative part, however, is school just started back up and I'm not in a financial position to be able to afford an L67 + 4t65e combo.

Anyone have a cheap L67 + tranny combo they'd like to sell me?

Should I back off the vac modulator a bit? Could I have destroyed the fluid pump with that?

P.S. I just remembered this. I was on the highway today doing about 85 doing a quick pass to get around a truck before an exit ramp and 3>4 shift under 50-75% throttle took like an entire two seconds to complete, it felt like the clutches weren't grabbing. I guess I just solved my own prob, eh? Fluid Pump ie another (this will be my 4th or 5th salvage) trans?

I think I've read a few times about a whiny transmission = fluid pump.

This may be way out in left field but what if the bendix on the starter was bad? I have had this happen on a totally different vehicle but I think it is worth a mention. If you are not sure what I am talking about the gear in the starter is kicked out to engage the flywheel and if it hangs out or sticks out it could make that noise. That 3rd video is the one that makes me make this assumption. However I am not an expert and it's just the first thing that came to mind.

Eh it's the fluid pump. It's slipped a few times and made some very very strange noises/feelings. I'm scrapping the last GM vehicle I buy by either buying a trans and selling it or parting it. Getting a foxbody mustang or similar.

when the transmission has been replaced was the Trans cooler flushed? If not this can destroy every trans you install... There is a reason you have been through soo many transmissions... The Pump does sound like its on its way out..

I asked them that question every time after I had a problem with the freshly installed trans, and they always claimed to have flushed the trans cooler. I've always flushed the cooler on my own when I've done tranny swaps on other vehicles. I'm less than 100 miles out of warranty and they won't do a *dang* thing, even though I had them look at the car before the warranty was up including the rough shifts in the trans and they just replied 'it's normal'. It's so hard to work with them.

For now, I'm driving my fiance's 3.5L 03 Maxima . Doesn't quite drive like the Bonneville in the sense that the tires don't really grip whatsoever in first gear lol.

I just have no idea why you have soo many issues with the transmission in that car.. I have 183,000 Miles on mine and its still kicking..

Like I tell some people... If you were closer we could fix that problem...lol

Hey... by 115k my car got its 3rd transmission in its lifetime It happens!

I used to get an odd whine at the top of first and second from 1800-2000rpm right before a shift. And on occasion revving in neutral. It went away with the trans rebuild. Pretty sure it was the fluid pump.

Yeah... There is usually a reason for the pump to fail as well.. And the pumps will handle 6000 Rpms with reliability.. Starving the pump can cause damage...

Its rare to be on your 4th by 115k.. But then I have Large coolers on all of mine.. Keeping them cool is what has saved them..LOL

Both of you should be closer...we could change out a trans like its velcro

I'm down lol. But yeah distance seems to be a problem.

Only two things I can think of may have contributed to this. First thing is if I stopped fast enough (ceramic pads and what not), the trans would fall out of gear for a second or two. Second thing is, about three weeks ago I accidentally bumped the shifter somehow exactly between neutral and drive. I didn't notice that it moved the gearshift and it was still driving. I went to get on it a little to pass around someone turning and it fell out of gear and made a pretty bad noise. I didn't think that could cause that kind of damage though...

I've got my trans swap time down to like 5 hours with no prybar and two floor jacks being my main tools haha. Not that that's quick, but first time took two days (in my garage, with a lift I've done a swap in 3 hours in a 97 Lesabre.)

I just think I kind of outgrew the reason I bought this car, for comfort and travel. Now that my fiance has a new Maxima, we can use that go to on vacation and to MI every year. Instead of me keeping it and fixing it and just running it hard, I'll buy the fox body and drive it the way it was designed.

Jrs3800 wrote:Yeah... There is usually a reason for the pump to fail as well.. And the pumps will handle 6000 Rpms with reliability.. Starving the pump can cause damage...

Its rare to be on your 4th by 115k.. But then I have Large coolers on all of mine.. Keeping them cool is what has saved them..LOL

Both of you should be closer...we could change out a trans like its velcro

Oh for sure Don.. I'd love to be closer to hot and sunny Florida

The 2nd trans was a Goodwrench rebuild as per the tag on it, but according to the 3800/GP guys who rebuilt it this time, they say that the diff is generally not touched, which was my main issue. So I guess you could say 3rd transmission, 2nd differential

I too had a GM Goodwrench rebuild start to chatter and slip on me in my 95 I had. I am having issues with trusting the one my 98 I just picked up.