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My brother has been working on an 1983 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight Regency with about 54,000 miles on it. He has purchased it yet from his friend but, has been getting it ready for cruising. It out of no where started to not want to shift out of first gear unless your rev it up and are going about 35 MPH. It has been sitting for the past year. It was running and driving fine for the past three weeks. I just put new brake lines and got it inspected. The fluid is full and looks decent. I’m sure it has never been changed. It has the 4 speed over drive transmission and the engine is the a 307 V8. Any help would be very appreciated
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Did you mean 98 Regency? The 88s were Delta 88, Royale, and Royale Brougham. The 98s were LS, Regency and Regency Brougham. The difference is important because they used different transmissions. The 88s used THM200C 3-speed, and the 98s used THM200R4 4-speed. Either way, this condition is usually caused by an improperly adjusted throttle valve (TV) cable. Try resetting the cable.
Hello.. Thanks for replying so fast! It has the 4-speed over drive. My brother said he was at the car wash last night and sprayed the high pressure hose underneath the car and after that started to idle kind of high and shifts felt delayed. Today it won’t shift out of 1st until 35mph. He messed with the TV cable and made no difference. Its dark and too late to look under it now but I’m thinking he knocked the vacuum module out or its hose. Any thoughts. Im going to attach a picture of it for you. Its in great shape for being a PA car!
I waned to update you guys and give you some more information. The transmission is the GM 200R-4 Hydramatic with over drive. It doesn’t appear to have a vacuum modular. My brother adjusted the TV cable in and all the way out and drive it and made no difference. Still takes it until 35 MPH before shifting out of 1st gear. I assume he shouldn’t by this car now? It’s a shame because he already paid to have it inspected, did the brake lines and filled the gas tank.
No disrespect meant to your brother, but that isn’t how to adjust the TV cable. The trans is picky about the setting, because it directly controls line pressure used for shifting.
To properly set the cable, watch THIS VIDEO (ignore the first 12 seconds):
See if that makes a difference. If the TV cable is too loose or too tight it will not shift properly. This cable must be adjusted as I just laid it out before any further troubleshooting can take place.
Hello and thanks again for all the info. I will have to look at the car myself since I am a little better with cars than my brother. I also wanted to add that when I was doing the brake lines I noticed that what appeared to be the torque converter wires were cut off and someone put glue over the plug. I assume this is the torque converter. It’s located on the driver side of the transmission on the case right above the pan. Really stinks he is having this issue since the car was running and driving fine for the past few weeks but, it did sit for a year without being driven until now. I really need to find time to go over to where the car is and look it over myself. I have been working on my own cars and cars for friends for about years in my driveway but, I am actually better with the newer cars. Thanks again!
No problem. The 200R4 TV cable is a different thing than the kickdown cable used on the 200C and other 3-speed transmissions. The kickdown cable causes a forced downshift from 3rd to 2nd and is what people refer to as “passing gear” where the throttle valve (TV) cable on the 4-speeds is completely different and actually operates a hydraulic pressure valve (the “throttle valve”) inside the trans to regulate hydraulic pressure used for shifting based on the throttle position. This was the mechanical equivalent to what we know as the “transmission computer” in newer cars with electronically controlled transmissions. While the two types of cables look similar and are adjusted in a similar manner, their purpose and operation is completely different. The vacuum modulators were on different transmissions, such as the TH350 and TH400, but not on the TH200C or TH200R4. If the connector you are referring to on the driver’s side is square with 4 terminals, then this is not the original transmission as that connector is for a later model car with an electronic lockup controller. The original trans for this car was 100% mechanical except for the torque converter lockup solenoid (and is on the passenger side) and its 4th gear pressure switch.
I edited my previous post to include a video of proper TV setting. It may be easier to understand when watching it being done. If the TV cable turns out not to be the issue after all (but it is the first thing that has to be checked and set properly), then the next suspect is the governor.
Thanks again for all of your info! I wanted to update you all. The Olds now shifts after my brother adjusted the TV cable. Coming out of 1st still feels a little mushy or labored when actually shifting. Not as productive as before. I also attached two pictures of that wire that is cut and someone put glue over the plug. Thanks again,
Good deal getting the TV cable adjusted. That may be as good as it gets. The friction material on the clutches may be burned a little from running the trans with a poorly adjusted cable. The glued-up plug is definitely the one I referred to in a previous reply. That is for a later model vehicle with an electronic lockup controller. Your model year didn’t use it, so this is definitely a replacement transmission. The lockup on your vehicle is controlled by the 4th gear pressure switch (on the other side of the trans) and the brake pedal switch.
Thanks again! So final thoughts… My brother loves the car and I would have to agree it rides like a charm and is in really good shape for the age. I drove it myself and I have been working on cars for several years (backyard mechanic haha) and I am a little nerves about that first shift. It feels softer and less productive but shifts when it’s supposed to now with the TV cable adjusted. It is even worse when you drive it a little harder on start out. Should we still buy the car? Do you think a fluid change will help or a bad idea at this point? The fluid is a old and darker. It doesn’t smell burnt just looks old. My brother doesn’t want to buy it and in two weeks have to drop a Transmission into it. He understands that soon he may need to though. All the other gears feel ok. I don’t feel overdrive is there because of the electrical connecter from being a different tranny.
Leave fluid and put Lucas? Thanks again!
Whether to buy it or not because of the tranny depends on how good you feel about the price. Those are very common trans and you could probably put the correct year-model unit from a junkyard in there for a couple hundred at some point later on. A fluid and filter change cannot hurt, and will give you an indication of the health of the trans from looking at the debris film on the pan and sludge on the magnet. I wouldn’t put a lot of work on it if you don’t own it yet, though. I wouldn’t put any additives in the trans, just a new filter and ATF. Depending on the asking price, maybe the trans issue would be able to get the price reduced a little bit if you are going to have to change it out. As for the overdrive, as I mentioned before, it’s controlled by a 4th gear pressure switch on the passenger side and the brake pedal switch. If the pressure switch is present and connected, it should be working. On the newer trans with the electronic lockup controller, the function of that 4th gear pressure switch and brake wasn’t replaced and were still included on the trans. Without the electronic controller, such as the original for this vehicle, the trans would only go into OD in 4th gear. With the electronic controller, newer models could go into OD in 2nd or 3rd also, depending on certain conditions. The trans should operate perfectly normally for your model year without that controller, so it’s no big deal, providing the rest of the trans is working properly. If the OD is not working, perhaps there is a fault with the pressure switch or TC solenoid.
Sounds great and thanks again! My brother is buying it on Wednesday. Buying it from friends for $1,500. Like I said before its in amazing shape. Very solid for being a PA car. Just passed inspection too. We will drop the pan and replace filter and fluid. My only concern about flushing is of the clutches are a little worn and I remove the old fluid with the friction material in it will it start having more issue? Obviously not holding your advice against you haha. I’m just looking for your opinion on that. Thanks and I’ll keep ya posted on any further progress.
1) It’s not the original tranny so you don’t know how many miles are on it, but it is a newer model tranny, so it may have less miles than the body.
2) The fluid is brown, which means it is not working properly due to being broken down and dirty.
3) You need to see the condition of the inside of the pan.
Change the fluid and filter. We aren’t talking about a flush, just a pan drop and refill. If the tranny is in bad enough shape that a drain and refill will hurt it, it isn’t going to last very long anyway.
Here is a video I made of the car if you would like to see? I also talk about the transmission and how I dropped the pan and replaced the fluid, filter and gasket. Looked good inside the tranny and not a lot of friction material.
As blazerguy1983 brother the owner of the car wanted to post more information as update. After flush there was a slight improvement. At this point when you start the car cold, go through warm up, then drive the first few times of shifting to second is perfect. However once you get about a mile or two or the more stop and starts it acts up. Also noted that if you just slowly take off it shifts fine. However if you try to accelerate to merge or pull out onto a main highway it will hang onto the shift and pound into second. Also noticed that if the AC is running which raises the idle it seems to shift almost normal with only slight delay under extreme acceleration or load such as pulling out onto a hill and having to get up to speed quickly. Almost feels like a vacuum issue to me but I am not an expert.
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