Ok...my car hasn't stranded me just yet. But it's starting to worry me.

It's making a grinding noise when it starts. And a last *click* of a grind when I shut it off.

I don't hear anything in 1st or 2nd gear. Or anything under 45mph in 3rd gear. But...any time I let off the gas over 45mph or so, as long as my foot is on the gas, there's a sorta dulled grinding sound. If I pop my foot off the gas, there's just a quick dull grind, only as long as it takes to get my foot off the pedal. If I leave my foot on the gas lightly, enough that it's pushing gas in, it'll do the dull grind.

I can do the same in 1st or 2nd gear (even shifted into 2 to try it) and it doesn't do it. Only in 3rd, and only over about 45mph. It'll do it down to about 45mph. Faster I'm going, the faster the grinding is, and slows down with the car.

It's worrying me...I added about 1/2 a quart of trans fluid when I got home, it showed it was low. Added about the same in oil, a little low as well.

It makes a little ticking noise also when it's in gear (R or D) just sitting also. I coudn't seem to hear it from in the engine bay though when I tried finding it. Very annoying, because I can hear it in the car, and it just recently started.

Any ideas? Valves? Transmission? Wrath of GM gods?

I need this car to last until I get my Mazda fixed...then it can be fixed, or sold, or junked. But at the pace I'm going on the Mazda, this car will be an antique before I finish ):

BTW, FYI it's the '84 Cavalier wagon, 3 spd auto, 2.0L, 143,500 miles, due for an oil change on Monday or so, oil wasn't black, but it's around 3,000 miles or so now since it's been changed. There was what looked like oil burning off when I opened the filler cap, no big surprise there.

 

do you know what model tranny is has? Its not a 4L60E or 3L60E is it? I have service manual for both. If it is let me know.

 

DAM autos

 

someone on the j-body board referred to it as a T-125. I have no idea though.

Funny on the way home today, I was passing a minivan and heard a loud clanking sound. I about wet myself, thinking that was the echo from my engine. I sped up and sat next to another van with the window down to listen...nope, that was HIS van.
Then when we were sitting at the turn light, I heard him revving the poor thing. Not to race...to keep it from dying I assume. I saw the tach inside (a tach...in a van....strange) jumping and dropping. I was wondering if that'll be me soon, revving to keep it from stalling.