ON XMAS EVE 2007 AT APPROX 6:00 PM, A WARNING LIGHT (CAR WITH A WRENCH IN IT) LIT UP ON THE DASH OF MY 2003 L300. THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SHIFTING HARSHLY. IT WAS LITTLE SCARY & SINCE THERE WAS NO WHERE TO TAKE IT, MY WIFE AND I CONTINUED ON TO OUR DESTINATION (XMAS PARTY) SO AT LEAST WE COULD GET A RIDE HOME FROM A FREIND.

MY SON-IN-LAW WHO WAS AT THE PARTY ALSO OWNS AN LSERIES VEH (2001) AND HE TOLD ME THAT IT HAPPENED TO HIM AND THAT A MECHANIC READ THE CODE. HE COULDNT REMEMBER WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS BUT HE SAID THAT MY CAR WOULD PROBABLY RUN FINE LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED. HE WAS RIGHT.

I THEN TALKED TO THE MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM. HE COULD NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT HE HAD FOUND OUT EITHER. HE DID SAY THAT HE FOUND A SERVICE ADVISORY ABOUT THE PROBLEM. HE SUGGSETED I TAKE MY CAR TO A SATURN DEALER. HE KNEW THAT MY CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT SATURN SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. EVEN IF THE LIGHT DID NOT COME ON AGAIN, HE THOUGHT THAT THEY COULD PROBABLY FIND THE SERVICE ADVISORY THAT HE FOUND.  

 I TOOK  MY CAR TO THE LOCAL DEALER (SATURN OF ALBUQUERQUE) AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME NOT TO WASTE MY MONEY BECAUSE IF THEY COULDNT READ THE CODE THEY WOULDNT BE ABLE TO FIX IT. I  THEN EMPHASIZED THE PART ABOUT A SERVICE ADVISORY AND THAT A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM COULD BE VERY EXPENSIVE. I ALSO ADVISED HIM THAT MY EXTENDED WARRANTY WOULD SOON EXPIRE AND WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF THEY COULD CHECK THE VEHICLE ANYWAY.  I THINK THE SERVICE ADVISOR WAS INDIFFERENT WITH MY INSISTANCE AND HE PROBABLY RELAYED THAT TO THE SERVICE TECH. I DONT THINK ANYONE CHECKED SERVICE ADVISORIES. I PAID $98.00 FOR NOTHING.

 SINCE 2007, THE SERVICE LIGHT AND AND HARD SHIFTING HAVE MANIFESTED AGAIN. IT MOSTLY OCCURRED AT NIGHT AND STRANGELY ENOUGH IT SEEMED TO HAPPEN MOSTLY WHILE MY WIFE AND I WERE VISITING RELATIVES IN CALIFORNIA.

XMAS 2009 WE WERE IN CALIFORNIA AND IT HAPPENED FREQUENTLY ENOUGH THAT WE COULD GET THE CODE READ BY A MECHANIC. IT APPEARS TO BE A PRESSURE CONTROL SOLENID SHORTING OPEN CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO LOSE ITS ABILITY TO ADJUST TO DRIVING CONDITIONS.

I CONTACTED THE SATURN 800 NUMBER AND INFORMED THEM ABOUT TRYING TO GET MY VEHICLE FIXED AT SATURN OF ALBUQUERQUE. SINCE THE PROBLEM OCCURRED WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND IT WASNT DIAGNOSED PROPERLY, I HOPE THEY COULD HELP ME WITH THE REPAIRS. THE ONLY COMPENSATION THEY OFFERED WAS A 1000 CERTIFICATE TO BUY A NEW GM CAR.

OBVIOUSLY, IM NOT VERY HAPPY ABOUT THE OFFER. IT APPEARS THAT LIKE OTHER PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY, I GUESS I GOING TO HAVE TO BUY A FORIEGN MADE VEHICLE.

SO IF YOU HAVE EXPIERENCED THIS PROBLEM WITH YOUR CAR AND YOU WERE FRUSTRATED BY A DEALERSHIPS INABILITY TO PROPERLY SERVICE IT BECAUSE THEY COULDNT READ THE CODE AND ESPECIALLY IF YOUR VEH IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, THE CODE THAT CAME UP ON MY CAR WAS P1811. OTHER CODES ASSOCIATED WITH THE SAME PROBLEM ARE DTC P0741, P0742, P7751, P0756, P0757. 

AT LEAST, IF YOU GO INTO A DEALER WITH THE PROBLEM AND THEY CANT READ THE CODE BECAUSE IT RESET ITSELF, YOU WILL HAVE SOME NUMBERS TO GIVE THEM SO YOU CAN GET YOUR TRANSMISSION FIXED BEFORE IT BLOWS UP ON YOU.