96 Es300 Transmission Probs!

[fgray30]

Hi all,

Hoping for a bit of insight here as I am NOT mechanically minded at all.

Was driving along today in traffic - at the next green light I am accelerating normally, all the sudden, at about 10km/h, the car "judders" for about 2 seconds while accelerating, like I am running over a rough road or something - seems fine after that but 5 seconds later I lose pretty much all drive - the engine is free-revving while in "D".

Pull over, turn engine off for 5 mins, pulling away in "D" seems fine, reverse is fine. Then the judder happens again and loss of drive.

Roadside assistance dude says the transmission fluid looks burnt.

Going in for proper inspection on Monday - what are the prospects?? The car has 225,000km (140,000 miles). I want to keep this car, is this a common occurance and would it be expensive??

Thank you all!!!!!!!!

[Toysrme]

If you didn't drive it far you're fine.

Bad / low fluid causes a different friction on the clutch , and the clutches have less rpessure holding them in gear which causes them to slip.

If you didn't go very far with it slipping, you've done nothing mroe than add a bit of pre-mature wear on them.

Forget the diagnosis, you're going to be told it's dead. Flush the transmission fluid out.

Go to walmart & buy a few 4 quart jugs of Super-tech Dexron III ATF. Do a whole bunch of drains & fills, or flush it at the house. Anyway... You need to flush it.

[fgray30]

Hey toysrme,

Thanks for your reply. I didn't drive it far - quarter mile at most.

I will take your advice and do a few flush 'n drains - 3 or 4 times?? By flush do you mean just emtpying the ATF and filling it each time, or using one of those special flushing agents in-between each fill??

Also, should I wait a period of time between each of the fills, or just flush and drain in quick sucession?

Thanks again.

[Toysrme]

A drain & fill is where you drain it & refill it. (Then drive around the block, or in your case, jsut let it run a min & shift into every gear position & back to park) then repeate that 3-4 times.

A flush is where you pump, or let the transmissino pump 100% fresh fluid in & expel the used fluid out.

Usually accomplished at home by disconnecting the hose going to the ATF cooler & dropping that in a container (For old fluid to go in) & cranking the car & letting it idle in drive (Don't let it move!) Continually adding fluid.

Best to have someone else with you to add fluid & many people do a drain & fill before starting it so it doesn't take as long. Anways... You'll see nasty old fluid, then more & more pretty new fluid coming out.

(Do the return hose so you get the fluid out of the cooler too)

A few feet of clear PCV tubing is cheap, along with the 3/8" barb to attach it to the stock hose.

[fgray30]

hey toysrme,

thanks again, I'll give it a shot

[fgray30]

update:

did the flush - went through about 22 litres of ATF. As expected, plenty of dark fluid in the start, but the end result was a nice clear even red fluid by the end.

Went for a test drive, very gingerly at first - seemed fine, then pushed a little harder and was still good.

Drove probably 25 km over the space of half an hour, and then the "shudder" came back, taking off from a green light. Same symptoms as before - shudder followed by loss of drive. I have to switch the engine off for a good five minutes before I get any drive back, and then the familiar shudder and loss of drive.

I really thought I had it fixed, but no!!!

toysrme - any suggestions??

Thanks!

[sovietlexus]

sorry to hear that....i had similar problems during the summer....but it happened only occasionally, then i pured medical transmission on there , and its been fine since..

what i can suggest is to take it easy when accelerating and dont go over 60 mph....i did a tranny drain and fill and it took a couple hundred miles for my car to get back into its same shifting pattern...

btw did u change the filter?