6.8
fairly significantTypical Repair Cost:
$650.00
Average Mileage:
80,200 miles
Total Complaints:
5 complaints
Most common solutions:
- not sure (3 reports)
- well-known failure of the pressure control solenoid (2 reports)
transmission problem
This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Chevrolet dealer.
Helpful Websites About 2002 Chevrolet Monte Carlo clunking into gear
2009Jan 25
Monte Carlo SS 3.8L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 60,000 miles
Ok well you would think that a 7 year old car would not have tranny problems. I'm hoping it just needs to be flushed, so I made an appointment to get the fluid flushed and I'll see if that helps the problem, if not, I don't know what I'm going to do..don't have the money to fix or replace a tranny. It only starts to shift hard after the car is warm.
2007Jun 10
Monte Carlo SS 3.8L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 103,000 miles
For anyone who comes here looking for help with the Monte Carlo or similar GM vehicle which "Bangs" "Clunks" or "Slams" into gears ( you may have noticed your transmission shifts ok for the first few minutes after you start it) :
This is caused by the failure of the PSC or Pressure Control Solenoid. This solenoid resides inside the transmission and regulates "Line Pressure". When this solenoid goes bad, the computer notices the transmission is not shifting right and defaults to what is known as "Max Adapt / Long Shift" mode in which the line pressure is maxed out. This is what causes the harsh shifts and this is why the car will drive smoothly for a few miles after you start it and then shift harshly.
Our car did this on the initial drive home (bought this car with 103K) and I followed up on it right away. Be AWARE -- any shop that does not have a GM SPECIFIC code scanner will NOT SEE THIS COMPUTER CODE (P1811) and you will NOT get the proper diagnosis. This happened initially to me because I bought this car from a Ford dealer - I knew this ahead of time and explained it to the service manager and the car was sent to a GM dealer where it was accurately diagnosed. This was the only way this car would have ever been fixed right!!!!!
This repair requires removal of an access cover which is not easy to get at. The charge for this job is around $600, with most of this cost due to the labor involved. After this job was done, the car has been great! No problems at all in the last 20K, and we did get a local garage to do a Chemical Flush of the transmission. Again, no problems, but if your trans fluid is dark, smells burnt, or has gritty bits in it, it may be too far gone to fix like this.
Good Luck everybody! And email me at jeffsherry@charter.net if you need any more help. We love Monte Carlos, from 1970 to today(I am partial to the RWD cars).
2008Apr 01
Monte Carlo SS 3.8L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 75,000 miles
The transmission clunks into gear..took it to an authorized Chevy dealer (Mr. Goodwrench my butt), reported the problem, followed their recommendations and had the transmission serviced and flushed. Needless to say it didn't work and I still have the problem. Mr. Goodwrench then offers his only option...replace the transmission at more than $3,000. Guess what? I'm still driving a 2002 Monte SS with a clunking transmission.
2007Nov 21
Monte Carlo SS Intimidator 3.8L
- Automatic transmission
- 107,000 miles
Had Trans flush twice. Car is great, except for the trans clunking. First started in third gear, now in first and second. Worse when engine is warmed up. Who would think that a 6 year old CHEVROLET would have trans problems! I cannot find any GM Recall on this problem..
Had a mechanic run codes on it, I have the print out and will take it to the Chevy dealer where I bought the car. The car is maintained faithfully with oil changes, filters, plugs and wires. Also had to replace the oxygen sensor - at a cost of $278. This, all of course happened after my extended warranty ended. Currently have 107,000 miles. Remember when Chevys were KING?
We have partnered with JustAnswer to offer online auto repair help and advice from expert professional automotive technicians. You describe your transmission problem or ask your question and they try to help you figure it out. The fee is typically $9 to $15, but you can offer to pay more for really tough questions. You will usually receive an answer in 10 minutes or less, and you do not have to pay anything unless you accept the answer.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2009Jun 25
Monte Carlo SS 3.8L V6
Warranty just up of course! at 56000 miles you wouldn't think that you would have to replace a transmission or even part of a transmission!
Paula H.
Green Bay, WI, USA
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