So I just noticed this today after I left the post office. I heard a pretty load whine from the engine compartment (in drive accelarting) and when it shifted from 1st second, it did it with a jerk and when it shifted from second to third it jerked again. I hurried up and got home and I checked the tranny fluid and there are bubbles in it and it looks like it's over full by probably half of an inch. It also smells really weird, not sure if it smells burnt, but it is pretty brownish. Please tell me my tranny isn't shot! I just bought this thing about 20 days ago I checked the fluid when I bought it and it looked perfect. Maybe he changed it really quick before I bought it. Any ideas?

 

did you buy it from acar lot??? if so take it back and have them fix it, any lot has to guarentee any car for at least 30-90 days i think it is

tranny fluid should not be brown though, so if its brown usually that means its old

 

Like Wiz said...if it has a warranty...make them uphold it. If not:

Brown = bad.

Overfull when hot = even badder.

drop the pan. It's one of the easiest things to do. replace the filter and refill with roughly7 quarts of Tranny Fluid. If it needs more...add a little more.

LOL...I just did this a month ago too when my tranny was shifting hard when the engine got hot. Just turned out to be another issue with the Thermostat and Temp Sensor.

 

Oh thank god, or you I should say I'll probably try that. I have an update also. When I let it sit for awhile and started out again and it shifted fine. I took it to an auto transmission place and they said it was probably a valve or accumulator piston that got stuck and then was fine again, but they also said it would probably need a rebuild ($1600-$1800 which I DON'T HAVE!)

So now hckygoalie31, you said you just replaced the filter and it straigtened out?? That's cool really cool, but one more question, how did the thermostat and the coolant sensor tie in with it? I really REALLY don't want to spend money on an overhaul if I don't have to!

 

Well, at first I thought it was my tranny. So I changed the fluid and filter. But it still shifted hard after the car was driven for a while.

Then I didn't realize that the transmission fluid is cooled via the radiator. And since the Thermostat was bad...or sticking...the tranny fluid wasn't being cooled properly. Hence the hard shifts.

But ever since I changed my thermostat, it's been running perfect.

But your issue is different. You have old Tranny Fluid. And it's brown. AND it's overfull. I'd get that replaced asap anyways.

Besides...it's cheap to drop the pan and filter and replace it all. By the way...how many miles does your car have? And is it covered under your warranty?

 

It just hit 90,000 miles. I don't have any warranty on it when I bought it from the dealer. I tried recreating the hard shifts again, but no luck. I bought the filter and gasket, I think I'll drop the fluid tomorrow. I hope that fixes it. I plan on going on a road trip (about 600 miles round trip) I hope it doesn't blow up on me...

 

eh, give it a couple of days after you change everything out. It should be ok after you clean it out.

Just make sure you put in 7 quarts of tranny fluid first. get your reading on the dipstick and add as necessary.

Mine took 8 quarts.

 

Thanks for the advice! I talked to my father-in-lawwho was a GM mechanic for about 11 years and he said that something probably just got stuck in the vavle body and that it will more than likely be ok. I'm going to replace the fluid and filter tomorrow though. I hope it will be ok.

 

should be.

Mine has 85k on it. Seems that after 70k that things start to go.

 

Yeah, I've noticed that... This is my very first car with less than 100,000 miles and it's not too great. All my other vehicles between 120,000-200,000 had no problems. Weird.