Update on Hard Shifting - Please read!

[joes240]

I posted a few days ago asking for help with a hard shifting problem I have. It seems to have trouble mainly when shifting from first to second gear.

I noticed something new though, it will not shift into second gear until I'm at about 3500 RPM's, shouldn't it be alot lower? The only way I can get it to shift into second lowerthan 3500 RPM's is by letting off the gas and playing with it and babying it into second gear.

Would a solenoid cause this? Would the self-diagnostic process identify this problem? Any help is greatly appriciated!

[joes240]

It's an auto transmission, to clarify. I know that if I let off the gas to shift it into 2nd below 3500 RPM's, then it shifts really hard, not like it seems it should shift at all.

It just doesn't feel right. Now I do know this, too... when I got the car, the "Shift Lock" button on the shifter was taped down, because they said it kept blowing a sensor or solenoid that caused the tail lights to burn out. Well I took the tape off not long after I got it and it didn't seem to make a difference. Could that be related?