Strange issue with my 96 Roady wagon transmission.

My wife is visiting family in Pittsburgh with the wagon, and she said she had to floor it to get it to go up some really steep hills. We just returned from a 1200 mile trip from Florida to Ohio, going through hilly West Virginia, and it was fine. She said it just didn't want to go, and until she floored it, it just barely moved. When it did go, she said it was jerky (she did floor it after all), but no dash board lights came on, and on level roads its fine. Could this be a sign of some problem? Or, is my lovely wife not used to driving this beast? The two hills she described are crazy steep (I've been on them both, just not with the Roady). The car has 152,000 miles on it, and before our trip I had the trans fluid and filter changed, so that job has about 1500 or so miles on it. Any help is appreciated, short of getting a new wife, I like the one I have!

By the way, I read both of the sticky's above before i posted this. I'm really hoping this is just an issue with my wife, and not the car!

What speed was she going on the really steep hills?

It was almost from a dead stop. I just got off the phone with her, and she said today it was better. She also wondered if it was just her driving style. She went up a fairly steep hill to her parent's house today (fairly by Pittsburgh standards, really steep by anywhere else), and she said it was fine. Since I wasn't there, I don't really know what happened, but she is a very cautious driver by nature. I'm hoping she just didn't give it enough gas. Any more thoughts Sherlock?

Check transmission fluid level. Entirely possible it is low after the change. Hot, running, in park, level ground.

However, this

Quote :

She said it just didn't want to go, and until she floored it, it just barely moved. When it did go, she said it was jerky (she did floor it after all),

sounds like it was in 4th, and simply unlocked the converter, then downshifted once or twice. Hence, the jerky (shifts) and the "going" once floored. The LT1 makes lots of power when you put your foot in it.

Check that fluid level, though. If good, take her for a drive, and show her what happens when you floor it going 50mph.

Is this a 2.93 rear axle or a 2.56?