2000 LT, with ~60,000 miles, I'm a complete newb when it comes to cars and what not.

When I start the car and go to shift into reverse, or drive, there is a couple second hesitation where I am hitting the gas and nothing happens and it lurches into gear. It seems most noticeable when I don't give it a minute or two to warm up. We had the distributer and spark plugs changed last week, and a couple days ago the SES light came on, but that went off by itself today. When we had it serviced the guy said all our fluids were fine as well. The truck runs absolutely fine other then the initial delay.

Anyone have this problem before? Or is it even a problem?

 

Is it just a few seconds? Are you pushing on the accelerator before it goes into gear? If it is only lurching into gear when you are pressing on the gas pedal, then that would explain the lurching... Does does engine/transmission temperature matter (i.e. more of a problem at cold startup or does it do it during warm startup as well)?

I have experienced something similar to this in quite a few 4L60E vehicles and in my opinion, it is just a slight delay and really is nothing to be worried about. One thing to be sure of is to allow it to go into gear before you try to accelerate. The lurching is not good on the transmission hard parts.

Even my 2004 Rainier does this to a certain extent. More so when engaging reverse.

 

I also notice a momentary delay (less than a second) when shifting from park into reverse or from neutral into drive. The temperature of the drivetrain does not seem to matter.

 

It's only a few seconds, I'm pushing the accelerator after shifting into drive or reverse, but the engine is non-responsive when I push the pedal. The truck will actually go into drive, and move forward, I guess it's in gear, but it's actually more of a delay in the engine response, rather then the transmission kicking into gear more that I think about it.

Like the other day, I was pulling out of my spot in the parking lot, I shifted into drive, and I'm rolling through the lot at about 5 mph before the engine starts responding a couple seconds later to me having my foot on the gas.

 

Does the throttle stick (carbon buildup in the throttle body or kinked throttle cable)? Could be a dirty MAF sensor...

 

I should have taken care of this sooner, it was a Mass Airflow Sensor. The SES light has been coming on periodically and I finally took it in to get a hub replaced and asked the guy about the light and he said that will fix my problem.

Next time my SES light comes on I think I'll get the engine serviced soon like it says...