Dear Motor Medics,
I listen to your show faithfully and would like your advice concerning my 1991 Silverado with a 350 V8 and automatic transmission. My truck has been sort of hovering in one gear longer than normal and revving up very high before shifting into the next gear much harder than usual. Another issue is when I shift from neutral to drive it engages very hard. I checked the transmission fluid and it was a little low but bright red and I’m wondering if anything else simple could be the problem. Also, one more symptom is that when I’m coasting my torque converter is slipping and feels as though I’m in neutral because the engine just revs and only feel a pull of the motor once my RPM’s match my speed. I’ve learned a lot from your advice.
Dave in Canton, Texas
Dear Dave,
I think I have an idea that you can do at home yourself. In older GM vehicles before days of electronic shift control there was a cable running from the throttle body down to the transmission. This cable was used to change the internal pressure of the transmission to improve performance and longevity. When under heavy throttle the transmission needs more pressure so the clutches won’t slip and under light throttle less pressure for a smooth shift. It sounds like your cable is out of adjustment. Follow the service manual procedures for adjustment and hopefully your problem will be solved.
Take care, the Motor Medics
Dear Motor Medics,
I have a question about my door chime. It’s so loud it is about to drive me out of the car. It’s a 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. I have 90,000 miles on the car and as long as I remember it has been this loud. The chime seems to come from the driver’s side door speaker. Is that where it comes from or is there a separate speaker in there for the chime. Is there a way to adjust the volume on the speaker like a radio or a way to disconnect it so I don’t go crazy? Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Danielle in Manhattan, Kansas
Dear Danielle,
We’re sorry your car is so uncomfortable but we may have a fix for you. You are correct in thinking the chime comes from the driver’s door speaker. The door chime is fed into the radio by the body control module and can override the radio in order to warn you when needed. As the operator of the vehicle there is no way that you can adjust the volume but the professionals can do it fairly easily. There should be a reprogram option available from dealers and service providers who have a factory type programming system that will cut the volume of the chime considerably and make it more driver friendly. The procedure takes about 30 minutes to perform and should not break the budget. Thanks for the question.
Take care, the Motor Medics
