Hard shifting

What gears does it have a firm shift into? Also how firm is the shift into each gear? Is there a delay into reverse or a delay bang into reverse? It is not going to be a valve body or line pressure actuator most likely.

I will test drive tomorrow and get answers to these questions. Thank you! I will be getting the SL2 just too good of a car. I am so excited to have found it.

I have a 1999 Saturn Sl2 I have had it ten years now.

OK so not only did I test drive it, I purchased it! so here go's going in to reverse it has a 3 second delay with a kick to it doesn't jump but im sure it would if the break wasn't held. In drive mode shifts a hard going into second, going into 3rd it shifts harder with a slight kick, 4th is smother. Now in performance mode foot to the floor it about red lines in 3rd & 4th that is with switching the switch to the right of the gear shift. Now with all that said this was a dealer trade in, not sure if that matter s or not.

Also it dose have a bang into reverse not very loud but you can still hear it

It sounds like a bad valve body but without a line pressure test and a step pressure and when I have the valve body off I would air check all the clutches and air check the reverse servo piston

Ok thanks ill, Google how to check that stuff

You need a air compressor to do the air check the clutches and air check the reverse servo piston.Also to do the pressure test you need a transmission fluid pressure tester it.With that you do a high and low pressure test.But to do the step pressure tester you would need a scan tool with those abilities.

Thanks, we'll I will be calling some to do the test. If it's the valve body I know I can change it

Keep me posted.

Saturntech9, Check this out!!! OK OK, so I was looking into changing the valve body however when I went to pick up the car I decided to drive it for the next week really get a feel for it, plus I have always had a love for Saturn since it was the first new car I bought. Anyways the battery that was in it was bad I mean bad so I put in a used battery & ***here is the thing*** it wasn't shifting as hard, still had a slight bump/kick but not as hard now from 3rd gear to 4th or 2nd to 3rd the car seemed to be confused also let me say that the car had a high idle 1200 rpm this was normal at this point with a chatter to it (sounds like timing chain has slack in it) ok so I drive it when it had a hard time shifting from 3rd to 4th etc it would run around 4000 rpm so one day I shut the car off in N of course wait then restate placed in D while driving & dang it she is running perfect & smooth!

Now I do this a few times over the next few days, remember the used batter, LOL well I got a new one today put it in no difference in idle driving just the same, then about 15 minutes into my 25 minute drive home I put in N shut it off do the dance OK were good, I come to a Stop sign the car sounds like she is going to die. I get on the gas & she again shifts perfect & running the same. I pull into the driveway & she is idling around 800 rpm no chain clatter etc. Still was shifting a little hard but things improved with the new battery. I am wondering if maybe the computer got reset or something. I am really looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Also I am going to chaining the timing chain, gears, valve gasket, full tune up with all new fluids etc. in about 2 weeks.

The transmission computer learns shifting so if there is a problem with the transmission and the repair is made it still shift the same way it was shifting.Because it has something call learned adaptives.If you reset those adaptives with a scan tool after the repair it will shift good again.Otherwise after the repair thru driving it you can relearn the correct adaptives.So with a bad battery the adaptives could have gotten messed up.