Need Advise About Transmission Before I Puke

[kingofpaint]

99 rx300 220000 miles. Went to grocery this morning left car running while wife and baby waited with a/c on. Got in went for reverse and no go. Put back in park turned car off. Restarted car and reverse worked, all the gears worked. Went to gas station fueled up checked trans fluid looked and smelled good. Got on the road and drove about 9 miles and trany started jumping in and out of gear. pulled over, turned off car restarted car trany worked, headed twords mechanic 2 miles away. Had to restart again with same problems but made it to his lot(shop closed). Fluid still good looks good smells good. What is this? Restarting seems to somehow reset things. A whirring noise is associated.

[lenore]

I believe you got a long run on that tranny and it has decided to say goodnight. Noises could be planetary gears in failure mode.

[kingofpaint]

I believe you got a long run on that tranny and it has decided to say goodnight. Noises could be planetary gears in failure mode.

Is this the standard failure formula? Is there anything new speed solenoids or fluid and filter change might accomplish or am I just chasing after a bus?

[13IS250C]

I know this sounds strange, but my son had a Ford Probe with a similar problem. At least try it.....it is free. Disconnect and reconnect your battery cable. His tranny would start acting up and this would correct the problem every time.

[lenore]

Hard to say, but do not do a transmission flush, complete waste and it will totally disable tranny in this condition. A drain and fill and maybe change transmission filter.

[kingofpaint]

So actual miles 210,952. Pulled pan, original gasket and filter, oil not burnt still red not brown. Lots of fine metal on magnets and in filter, filter all jammed up with particulate metal. Replaced filter, cleaned the pan and magnets. Pulled and cleaned tranny speed sensors. Filled with fluid runs and drives/shifts better than it ever has as long as I have owned it which is about 40,000 miles. I will let you all know when it comes to an end.

[lenore]

Great job, I wish you best of luck, nurse some more miles out of that puppy.

[gaeton18]

Just wanted to see if I could get an update on how your RX300 is running. I have a 2000 RX300 4WD with 140,000 miles in South Florida. The transmission is slipping. I have begun to start from 2^nd gear, from a dead stop. So far, it is still running fairly well. The transmission guy told me I need a new tranny to the tune of $2,200. However, if your technique has kept you running, it may be worth a try. Since I have absolutely zero mechanical skills, what would a reasonable price be for the service that you

described? Thanks in advance for any help you are able to offer.

[kingofpaint]

217035, Running fine. My filter was so jammed up from debris from the failing planetary gears it was starving the pump and preventing transmission fluid flow which caused the slipping. As soon as I realized I had serious problems I got my car to a safe spot and parked. I believe the reason they (the transmissions) fail completely is the lack of lubrication to the clutches caused by the filter clog caused by the disintegrating planetary gear and the resulting impact of trying to operate the vehicle under those conditions. The whirring sound I heard was the pump starving. The planetary gear will fail, it just has not yet. It sounds like your problem may be different than mine but changing the fluid and filter probably couldn't hurt. Maybe $150.00. If you have the pan pulled and filter changed at a shop and it looks anything like mine did be prepared for a lot of loud talk and crazy hand gestures cause that's what you'll get. It aint pretty in there. But if it does that procedure will probably improve things. Don't forget to clean your speed sensors. Just so you understand my fluid had so much metal in it that my hands looked like the tin man after I got through. I could see it shining suspended in the fluid. There could still be hope.