Ok, so if anyone has read some of my previous posts, I used to own a 2000 Grand Prix GTP. I sold it and later needed a car and picked up a 1999 3.8L Camaro. I've gotten it checked out at several locations, but not until today did I have someone fully inspect it. They said the engine, transmission, and everything were fine and that they scanned it and no codes came up.

I brought the car in because I felt that the transmission didn't shift as smoothly as I would have hoped and that the engine sounded..well I can't explain it but pretty much I feel like when I hit the gas (not flooring it, just standard driving) that it doesn't respond like it should. I've never driven any other v6 Camaros so I only have my GTP to compare it to. Now I know only the GT's had the 3800 Series II engine, but I would've thought it'd be somewhat similar to the GTP. My GTP had 113,000 miles on it when I sold it and ran so smoothly, even without the performance shift. This Camaro only has 57k miles on it and I just still think something may be wrong with it.

Has anyone else driven some Grand Prix's they can compare a Camaro to? I'm just trying to make sure the transmission isn't going to go bad on me or anything like that anytime soon. I don't trust too many people. Auto Shops - even less. I'm in the Northern Suburbs of Chicago. Does anyone know someone who knows a lot about these cars in the area?

 

I think your supercharged GTP may have spoiled you just a little. An extra 40 horses and 55 lb-ft of torque added to a 200 h.p. engine (apples to apples 3.8) would make a noticeable difference. It's also hard to compare the feel of a front wheel drive to rear wheel car.
I can't tell you what you're experiencing with the trans and what you mean by "didn't shift as smoothly"? Does the Camaro shift crisper, and the G.P. felt slushy?
Northern suburbs, where about?

 

Well I'm not expecting the torque or speed of a GTP, I'm simply talking ride quality. I wish I knew about cars so I could explain what I mean with the engine sound. Its not like a sound that makes me think something is majorly wrong, but it just feels like when i'm driving the engine sounds weak almost like theres a lot of air and not a lot of fuel going through. The pedal even feels off to me when I'm feeding it gas. Or how about when I'm just trying to go 0-20 at a normal pace...it feels like it wants to rev up to 3,000 when I'm trying to keep it at 1.5.

I'm in Vernon Hills. How about you?

 

Maybe you should go "test drive" a couple of cars. Don't take your camaro

 

LOL Gorn...Yeah I've been debating that. My neighbor actually owns the same car as me but convertible. I've never talked to him more than a simple Hi so I'm still deciding if it'd be odd to ask him to drive his car around the neighborhood for comparison.

 

the shift is going to be a bit firmer feeling in the camaro over the gtp because its more of a sports car, and the drivetrain setup also transfer more of that feeling to the driver. what speeds and rpms is it shifting at? there is a common issue with the 4l60e that can cause a hard shift, and after a while, a p1870 code will show up

 

I'll have to pay attention to the shiftpoints more, but what you're saying about the hard shifting is probably 1 of my issues. No codes yet. What happens if that code does come up eventually?

 

The hard shifts will probably only turn up if you're going 45mph+ for a long time and it's hot out. Micro is referring to what my car does. I have a valve body issue which throws a P1870 and has a hard shift from 1-2 only. It only happens with those conditions though. I just clear the code and then it's fine. I have to save a little bit of money first before getting it fixed (about $200 at a trans shop). Hopefully within a month it will be addressed.

 

Well I mainly notice these shifts "hard shifts" whatever you want to call them from gears 1 to 2 also. So I tell the guy whos looking at my car to drive it and tell me what he thinks and he said it shifts well, but then I saw his 90's Nissan Sentra in front of the shop and thought everything is probably a smooth shifter compared to that. Like I said, this doesn't seem like a major issue, but I would like for it to be NO issue, especially because I'm still undecided as to what I will do with this car in the spring. If I want to resell it, I want to make sure I'm getting top dollar - I don't need the buyer noticing problems I didn't know about and try to lowball me.

I'd rather find out I have a problem and have it cost me $200 than to think everything is fine and end up having a much more expensive fix. Thanks all for your input.

 

And it all could be "just normal" shifting that you're feeling too. When you mash the pedal, does it feel like the rpm's are climbing steady with the car's speed, or going too high like it's slipping?
Or if you're cruising along, let off the gas, and get right back on, do the rpm's climb more than they should without it feeling like the trans is grabbing?
I remember my old 96 didn't shift hard at all between gears, it just would kinda glide into each gear. That was until I reprogrammed the trans, then it hit it a bit harder.
My Vette has a noticeably firmer shift, but that's the way those are purposely set up using the "Corvette servo".
And I'm in Cary btw, which is west of Barrington, south of McHenry.