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Question I've been searching for an answer to the following: I have a '90 Mitsubishi Galant with auto transmission w/overdrive. In the overdrive gear, the car shudders after it has been running for 10-15 minutes. If you turn the overdrive off, the problem goes away. It usually occurs at speeds above 45 mph under light acceleration, on inclines. If you accelerate hard enough to downshift, the shudder disappears until the overdrive kicks back in. I've had the torque converter replaced, the end clutch examined and found to meet specs, the fluid drained and flushed twice, yet the symptoms remain. The car has 110k on it, and other than this shudder, seems to be in fine mechanical shape. I know you are GM specialists, and are under no obligation to answer, but I found you while searching the net for automotive sights so that I might find an answer. The car has been serviced by the Mitsubishi dealer, and they seem completely befuddled. They say all signs point to the torque converter, and are now suggesting that they may have had a faulty one out of the box. (??) Thanks for your time! Any suggestions?

Reply You may want to inspect for a misfire that only occurs under the load of the vehicle being in overdrive. A cracked or defective spark plug or spark plug wire shorting out may cause these symptoms. It is possible the torque converter was defective. However, the torque converter functions in other gears-not just overdrive. There may be a problem with the overdrive clutches in the transmission. Thanks for writing. Angelo Silverado Auto Service