Q: High rpms and no acceleration

asked by on December 12, 2016

I was driving my sonoma home yesterday. And i slowed for a yield sign and then turned and then accelerated and then all of a sudden my rpms shot up and then it was just rolling as if in neutral but it was in drive and my foot was pushing the gas pedal and it wasnt going up to speed anymore...i put it in neutral and pushed it to a nearby street and let it sit in neutral for several minutes, and then put it back to drive and it ran good the rest of the way home... Any solutions?

My car has 184524 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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What you are describing may be a result of a faulty speed sensor, potentially low transmission fluid or a even a faulty transmission control solenoid. As your vehicle travels down the road, the computer analyzes data being sent by vehicle speed sensors and engine speed sensors. Based on this information, the Engine Control Unit (ECU), or the Transmission Control Unit (TCM), executes the appropriate upshifts and downshifts by sending a signal to one of several shift solenoids. These transmission solenoids have spring-loaded plungers inside them, which are wrapped with wire. When this coil of wire receives an electrical charge from the TCM / ECU, it causes these plungers to open, allowing transmission fluid to flow into the valve body and pressurize the desired clutches and bands. When this happens, the transmission changes gears and you continue down the road. The computer controls the transmission solenoid in several ways. If the vehicle is equipped with a dedicated Transmission Control Unit, it can open or close the hydraulic circuit using a direct 12v signal. In some cases, the Engine Control Unit (ECU) can control the solenoid’s plunger by turning the ground circuit on and off. When this is not working properly, this can cause a jerking reaction, a delay in shifting or in some cases may cause the transmission to hesitate in shifting gears. I would recommend having a professional from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and inspect your transmission.

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