A system for controlling an automatic vehicle transmission, including a gear system and hydraulic clutches which hold a member of the gear system stationary to produce gear reduction or reverse, having an oil line which connects the clutches to an oil pressure source, a pressure control valve having a solenoid provided in the oil line which generates a regulated oil pressure to be supplied to the clutches in response to a current supplied to the solenoid, a switch valve provided in the oil line which switches the oil pressure to be supplied to the one of the clutches between the regulated oil pressure and a line pressure. In the system, it is discriminated whether the pressure control valve does not supply the regulated oil pressure to the clutches and if so, a dither current is supplied to the solenoid such that the valve repeatedly performs a vibrational motion to remove any grit therefrom, thereby removing grit without causing gear-shift shock or clutch vibration.