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Posted on Jul 04, 2009

2002 Saturn SL1 - Losing reverse and second gear

Losing reverse and second gear. This problem developed very suddenly.

What I hear and feel: Huge clunk-lurch when the car shifts into reverse or into 2nd gear. Moving from second to third gear , the car seems to want to stick in second. Other that that, the car runs great.

I replaced trans. fluid and filter, plus added additional lube that I thought might help. It didn't.

Any suggestions?

2 Answers

Anonymous

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  • Posted on Aug 25, 2009
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The simple answer is that there are two loose nuts in the transmission.

The output shaft nuts are loose. The are behind a cover that you can see through the driver's side wheel well.

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  • Posted on Mar 10, 2016
James Schnacky
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I have had 3 SL's saturns over 14 years my 95 sl1 with 5 speed manuall, with121, 000 supreme car lost by getting hit by a druck driver...than i bought my 2002 SL1 with 39,000 it also had a 5 speed manual this car i had 9 years and it had 347, 000 when i got hit by again or it would of made it to 500,000 miles easy, those 2 saturns never had any major mechanical problems except for normal wear n tear, like brakes, tires plugs, THAN! I bought this 2000 SL2 with a. Automatic, i have about 2000 dollars in it already and have had it just over a year. I have put in the new valve body for the transmission already, and am about to tear into input n output shaft Nuts.. these automatics in all the SL's r the same. Problem those shaft nuts mainly INPUT loosen up and they have to b replaced and retorqued to112 ft. Lbs.that.will take care of your reverse LOSS with your 2nd gear SLAM. Why? Because 2nd gear and reverse like, us men and women, Use each other, known as a planatary gear. If. U r still having problems get the valve body replaced because that was the other issue known to these automatics....GoodLuck!

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