need help troubleshooting AT AWD

[93Leg-c]

Tonight on the way home, my first gear in my '93 ss AWD AT tranny stopped engaging. When I start driving from a stop, the car starts in 2nd gear. Even when I put the gear shift selector in 1st, it still starts in 2nd gear.

What can I do to troubleshoot/fix the problem? I suspect the tranny is on its way out but if there is anything I can do to save it or solve the problem I would like to try that.

I spent several hours searching but I couldn't find anything.

Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!

[Legacy777]

Have you checked the fluid level?

Does the fluid smell burnt?

[93Leg-c]

Fluid level is between "F" and "L" marks, about 3/5 way toward the "F" mark. It does not smell burnt but a little sweet.

There was a disconcerting noise when I started up the engine to run the shift selector through the gears. When I went through the forward gears then back up to reverse everything was fine. Then went I moved the shift selector into park, there was a metallic sound, like a heavy-ish clunking sound that changed to a slightly clanking sound as if a piece of metal was being bent. When I let go of the foot brake, the car lurched backward then clunked into Park.

Then I moved the shift selector back into reverse and the same clunking-clanking sound was heard with the car shifting quickly into reverse.

I went through the gears again and the noise only was heard going into Park.

[Legacy777]

Are you checking the fluid with the car running, the fluid up to temp, and after slowly cycling through the gears?

[93Leg-c]

I usually do that but I didn't want to take the car out on the road to bring it to normal operating temperture as I didn't want to take a chance that the car wouldn't be able to climb up the driveway back into the garage. If the car ends up parked on the street (which it will if the tranny dies completely), the Homeowner's Association does not look kindly to that and starts handing out warnings and fines.

So, I cycled through the gears slowly but I referenced the "cold" markings on the trans dipstick. And, yes, the car was running and in Park. I usually leave it in Neutral but since it lurched in Park, I didn't want to take a chance leaving it in Neutral with me outside checking the dipstick and for some reason the car decided to lurch. (Although come to think of it now, I could have blocked the wheels. Oh well, hindsight is good.)

[Fuzzylee]

The manual button on the AT shifter will force the car to start off in second gear. Of course it will also hold second to redline even at part
throttle. (My AT SS does this)
The noises, I've no idea, but fluid changes can work wonders in old
automatics.

[93Leg-c]

Yeah, that was the first thing I checked--to see if the manual button was pressed in. And, the ATF in my tranny is about 6 months old.