hi all....i've been away for a few weeks but have a problem. the other day, i was going along around 30 mph when someone cut me off. i had to slam the brakes and come to an abrupt stop. i was in DRIVE. after giving the other driver the middle finger i proceeded to continue on. however, when i accelerated, the car didn't move for a second or two, then jumped forward - almost like the car was being held back and then quickly released. ok, so what am i looking at here?

 

Adrea, I would be looking at most likely a low tranny fluid level. I am assuming you have an automatic. I guess the bigger question is whether the engine RPMs came up just a little bit or if they came up a lot. What I mean by this, when you stepped on the gas, did they come up about 500 RPM or was it more like 3,000 RPM. If they only came up a little bit, then you are looking at something getting caught up in the driveline (brakes stuck to the rotor, accidentally still had your foot on the brake, binding of the rear driveshaft, etc). If the RPMs came up a lot, then you are looking at low fluid level in the tranny.

Without having the car in front of us, it is really hard to say what happened. I know my pads have a tendency to stick to the rotors if it has rained and the e-brake has been applied for over 12 hours while parked. As long as the car is functioning correctly now, keep an eye on the car for any new leaks or noises and go from there.

 

cant recall the rpm level because i was too busy flipping the bird to the guy who cut me off - lol. but the car is running fine. i do have a qt. of the jatco tranny fluid. would you recommend that i pour it in or do i run the risk of overfilling?

 

Adreasx,
The way to check for auto fluid level is:
1) bring operating temp of the transmission upto 100 deg F - in other words warm to touch
2) while engine is running run through each gear then put transmission in PARK but leave engine running. Open up the level check plug at the bottom of the transmission
3) if no fluid come out, then add 1/2 quart and recheck. If fluid come out, let it until it does not at which point the level is correct

Those are the basic steps. Official method involve plugging diagnostic tool to assure correct temperature of the trans fluid before checking. Since the fluid expands when hot and contracts when cold, just make sure it's warmed up but not hot to touch.

The checking plug is on the bottom side, front left(driver side) corner of the transmission and behind the shifter cable cover plate. And if you need to fill, the fill plug is on the top side of transmission straight down from front of the brake master cylinder. It's 14mm bolt with a tiny fill port.

 

Thanks Tony. Where exactly is the tranny plug so I can check the level. Better yet, are there any pics on this site showing it exactly? Thanks again buddy....