Pontiac Tempest Car is hard to shift Inspection at your home or office.

Our certified mobile mechanics come to you 7 days a week between 7 AM and 9 PM.

Estimate price near me

Service Location

Customer Ratings

(3)

How A Diagnostic Works

Instantly book a certified mobile mechanic to come to you

Mechanic diagnoses the problem and quotes necessary repairs

Your vehicle is ready to go

Fair, upfront & transparent pricing for all services

Our certified mobile mechanics can come to you now.

Customer Ratings

(3)

Car is hard to shift Inspection Service

How much does a Car is hard to shift Inspection cost?

On average, the cost for a Pontiac Tempest Car is hard to shift Inspection is $95 with $0 for parts and $95 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

CarServiceEstimateShop/Dealer Price
1965 Pontiac TempestV8-5.3LService typeCar is hard to shift InspectionEstimate$114.99Shop/Dealer Price$124.99 - $132.49
1988 Pontiac TempestV6-2.8LService typeCar is hard to shift InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.01 - $112.52
1963 Pontiac TempestL4-3.2LService typeCar is hard to shift InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.01 - $112.52
1965 Pontiac TempestL6-3.8LService typeCar is hard to shift InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$104.99 - $112.48
1966 Pontiac TempestV8-5.3LService typeCar is hard to shift InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.02 - $112.55
1991 Pontiac TempestL4-2.2LService typeCar is hard to shift InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.01 - $112.52
1963 Pontiac TempestV8-5.3LService typeCar is hard to shift InspectionEstimate$99.99Shop/Dealer Price$109.87 - $117.28
1965 Pontiac TempestL6-3.5LService typeCar is hard to shift InspectionEstimate$99.99Shop/Dealer Price$110.24 - $117.94
Show example Pontiac Tempest Car is hard to shift Inspection prices

A car that is shifting hard can be very unpleasant to drive. Regardless of whether it is an automatic or a manual, a transmission that is not shifting correctly can cause serious problems out on the road and under the hood.

A car that refuses to shift or go into gear easily is trying to tell you something is wrong and in most cases the culprit is the clutch or transmission. Transmissions are very complicated and have many moving parts, ignoring a hard to shift issue can quickly spiral into a very expensive transmission repair.

How this system works:

Automatic transmissions use a planetary system of gears that transfers power using different gear ratios. A planetary gear set has a central gear, known as the sun gear, an outer ring that has internal gear teeth which is called the ring gear and two or three other gears which are called planet gears and allow the gear ratio to change as the vehicle accelerates.

The vehicle drive train is coupled to a torque converter that acts like a clutch between the transmission and drivetrain. The transmission changes gears as the vehicle accelerates or slows downs.

In a manual transmission, a flywheel is attached to the engine crankshaft and spins with it. A clutch disk is located between the pressure plate and the flywheel, which is held against the flywheel due to pressure from the pressure plate. When the clutch is engaged the flywheel spins the clutch plate and the transmission, moving the car. When the clutch is depressed, the pressure plate stops applying pressure to the clutch disk allowing the gear to be changed without damaging the transmission.

Most modern cars with a manual transmission have 5 or 6 gears.

Common reasons for this to happen:

  • Transmission Fluid Leak: Transmissions are a sealed system so leaking fluid indicates a serious problem. Leaks can occur in the pan gasket as well as other areas of the transmission. Transmission fluid is bright red or brown, as it gets older. If there is fluid under the car it should be inspected immediately. Transmission fluid is essential for the proper operation of the transmission and low fluid levels due to a leak can cause the transmission to basically self-destruct, which will result in a very expensive repair.

  • Failing Transmission Solenoids: Transmission Solenoids control the flow of transmission fluid around the transmission. Trouble shifting is a common indicator that the solenoids are failing.

  • Dirty or Contaminated Transmission Fluid: Transmission fluid gets dirty and contaminated over time and must be replaced. Difficulty in shifting can indicate that it is time to change the fluid. Transmission fluid should be flushed and replace roughly every 100,000 miles.

  • Failing Transmission: Over time, especially as a vehicle goes over the 100,000 mile mark, parts and gears inside the transmission simply wear out. This process can be dramatically accelerated if the car is driven with low levels of transmission fluid. The transmission will have to be rebuilt or replaced which is a very expensive repair. Symptoms of a failing transmission include hard shifting, humming, clunking or grinding.

  • Bad Shifter Cable: Some vehicles use a cable to link the shifter handle to the transmission. Typically an automatic transmission will have one cable while a manual transmission will have two. Over time the cable can stretch or break. A stretched cable can make the vehicle hard to shift into gear and the indictor needle may not line up with the gear the vehicle is actually in.

  • Worn Out Clutch: Over time a clutch will wear out. The lifespan of a clutch can vary depending on the how the car is driven. Symptoms of a failing clutch not only include hard shifting but also a spongy feel to the clutch and a possible burning smell.

What to expect:

A top-rated mobile mechanic will come to your home or office to determine the source and cause of the Car is hard to shift issue, ​and will then provide a detailed inspection report that includes the scope and cost of the necessary repairs.

How it's done:

A mechanic will inspect your car's transmission and other important components. This will include your transmission fluid for leaks and contamination, failing solenoids, shifter cable and clutch. This will allow your mechanic to provide you with an accurate diagnosis of your hard shifting transmission.

How important is this service?

Transmission repairs can range from a simple and inexpensive adjustment to a major rebuild that can be very expensive. A car that is hard to shift is signaling that something is malfunctioning in the transmission or clutch and ignoring the problem will most likely lead to further damage, which can dramatically increase the cost of the repair.

Fast and easy service at your home or office

Backed by 12-month, 12.000-mile guarantee


Meet some of our expert Pontiac mechanics

Real customer reviews from Pontiac owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(3)

Rating Summary
2
1
0
0
0
2
1
0
0
0

H

26 years of experience
828 reviews
H
26 years of experience
Pontiac Tempest L6-3.8L - Brakes, Steering and Suspension Inspection - Los Altos, California
On time. A true gentleman. Skilled with cars that date over many years. He knows older cars including many classics. Younger mechanics probably would know know a thing about a 4BBL Carburetor. One can see that he has a true love of cars & the work he does. This is only one experience so I would hope to see him back when needed.

Chris

22 years of experience
2258 reviews
Chris
22 years of experience
Pontiac Tempest V8-5.3L - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Laguna Niguel, California
Chris did a great job inspecting the vehicle, I live in GA and wanted to purchase a car in CA so I needed an unbiased third party to look at it for me. My primary concern was that the car was represented accurately in the online ad (there are a lot of scams online now), which he did, we had a great conversation after the inspection which did a lot to comfort my concerns. This was a "project" car and needed to be evaluated accordingly, it was something that I had planned on doing a restoration on so I knew it needed some work. My only critique is that when the car was delivered there was a little more rust than I had expected, I wish that he had pointed that out, I accept some of the responsibility for not asking enough questions during our conversation. Overall I am extremely happy with the inspection service and would highly recommend Chris .

Benjamin

11 years of experience
92 reviews
Benjamin
11 years of experience
Pontiac Grand Prix V6-3.8L - Car is hard to shift - Dallas, Texas
What a great service. ..the convenience of having a mobile service with a trusted LOCAL business is what makes America Strong and our community wealthy I wI'll always reach out to my mobile hands first Because I trust them and they respect me as a female customer Thanks Benjamin with the coolest last name

Walter

46 years of experience
356 reviews
Walter
46 years of experience
Pontiac GTO V8-6.6L - Car is hard to shift - Claremore, Oklahoma
A great mechanic! Polite and professional. He showed up on time and fixed the problem right away. I highly recommend this gentleman to anyone needing a knowledgeable mechanic.

Excellent Rating

(3)

Rating Summary
2
1
0
0
0
2
1
0
0
0
Number of Pontiac Car is hard to shift Inspection services completed
33+
services done by our mechanics
TOTAL NUMBER OF EXPERT Pontiac MECHANICS
800+
experts on our platform

Recent articles & questions

Symptoms of a Bad or Failing Oil Pressure Sensor
Common signs include the Oil Pressure Light coming on or blinking constantly despite oil levels being fine or the oil pressure gauge reading zero.
How Long Does an AC Condenser Fan Last?
The The AC condenser fan in your car works to convert refrigerant into a liquid form. Essentially, it takes heat away from your air conditioning system by delivering air to the condenser. In removing heat from the AC system, it...
Why Replacing a Strut Can Be Tricky
When fixing a car strut, the proper tools should be used. The whole unit should be replaced, including the shock absorber, spring, and camber block.

My 95 Honda Civic is only running on 3 cylinders.

Any time you have a misfiring cylinder the easiest thing to do is to replace the spark plugs and check the plug wires to see if valve cover leaks oil onto plug wires in spark plug holes. If it does...

No hot air inside the cabinet ? Unbalanced air temperature comes from outlets 2010 Toyota Prius

Hi - your symptoms suggest the air blend doors (https://www.yourmechanic.com/question/blend-doors-not-working-properly) in the heater air control box are not selecting the right proportion of heated air. This may possibly be aggravated by an engine that is not completely up to running...

Car loses rpms and stalls

Hi There, The sloshing sound you are hearing is likely your radiator low on coolant. I would suggest having it flushed (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/cooling-system-flush) to be sure there are no air pockets in it. The stalling you are referring to is likely...

How can we help?

Our service team is available 7 days a week, Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM PST, Saturday - Sunday 7 AM - 4 PM PST.

1 (844) 997-3624 · hi@yourmechanic.com