Tell me more ×
Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for mechanics and DIY enthusiast owners of cars, trucks, and motorcycles. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 4 down vote favorite

I have a 2003 chevy impala. When I hit the gas (whether it be a light tap or hit it pretty hard), my car kind of waits a second, jerks and then takes off (revs go kinda high when it's waiting). To me it kind of feels like the first gear is waiting to catch and then it catches and it jerks. This only happens when going from being stopped (ie at a stop light). Does anyone have any idea what this could be?

It's been doing this for a long while now. Been meaning to have it looked at, just haven't had time or money.

share|improve this question
How smoothly are you pressing on the gas pedal after taking off? Tapping or hitting it hard doesn't sound like a "smooth" application of the throttle. That may simply be the reason why the car is hesitating. – Dude318is Jun 1 '11 at 17:18
smooth. by tap i mean barely touching the gas to get it to go. no matter how smooth i push the gas it'll jerk – DForck42 Jun 1 '11 at 17:56
Hmmm, maybe tranny is slipping. How many miles on the car? Maybe a tranny fluid flush will cure the problem. – Dude318is Jun 1 '11 at 20:33
@Dude318is, ~130k. – DForck42 Jun 1 '11 at 21:00
Sounds like about the right time for a tranny flush. – Iszi Jun 4 '11 at 17:00
show 3 more comments

3 Answers

up vote 2 down vote accepted

The Chevy Impala's 4T65E transmission was said to feature an updated Pressure Control Solenoid starting in 2003. This was a major issue in the 2000-2002 model years. But, there are still many people with the 2003MY vehicles that are experiencing the same issue as you. The vehicle may or may not already have illuminated a Check Engine Light due to the issue. Even if not, it most likely still has stored a fault that could verify that the Pressure Control Solenoid is faulty. The trouble code for this would be P1811 (max adapt, long shift).

The component is located behind the side cover of the transmission and should take ~5 hours for a quality mechanic to complete. It is a rather big job and involves lowing the front cradle to gain access. If you're not 100% comfortable with a job of this magnitude this then get the vehicle to a well known transmission shop.

Below: Pressure Switch Assembly (It is possible that the you can get the switch separate from the entire assembly. That's something you or your mechanic can look into)

enter image description here

share|improve this answer
up vote 2 down vote

This problem sounds like one I saw in BMW 7 series. There was a rubber disc that sat between the transmission and the drive shaft(assuming RWD), and when the bolt holes became damaged the cars would do this. It was basically the thing would spin, and then catch up and hit. Once the disc was replaced, problem went away. Look at the drive train connection first, and see if the problem is simple.

share|improve this answer
it's front wheel drive – DForck42 Oct 4 '11 at 21:21
1  
For future reference the rubber disc is called a Flex Disc. – cinelli Mar 29 at 4:25
up vote 0 down vote

It is the valave body, there is a valve that wears out and does not seal properly all the time, causeing low pressure which causes the slip, then the valve seals causing it to take off. It is a known propblem in the impala transmissions, but GM wont do a recall

share|improve this answer
1  
It would be good to paste a link to a resource used explaining the common issue. Or a photo of assembly showing the location of the component / part kit if available. – cinelli Mar 28 at 22:26

Your Answer

 
discard

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.