Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Transaxle Weird tranny problem

I recently got a '98 Mystique with about 255K km on it...

It drives pretty good, tranny shifts are crisp, and doesn't kick.

But if I drive it on a highway for about half hour or more, then come off the highway, it starts kicking on the 1-2 shift, and also on the 2-3 shift, but that's not as severe as the 1-2.

If I stop for 1 minute, it goes away...

Also, I'm scared to do a tranny flush, in case it messes up the tranny completely.

Any ideas what to do?

Diagnostic work would need to be done to confirm, but I'd suspect a worn valve body bore that is causing your torque converter to slip. This results in excessive fluid heat which the compter sees and responds to by putting the transmission into "failsafe" mode. Failsafe mode maxes internal line pressures so shifting becomes VERY harsh. It also reduces cooler flow so the fluid gets even hotter...

If you keep driving it, you risk frying the torque converter clutch and cracking the forward drum.

Repair depends on where you are in the failure cycle. Flushing the fluid won't fix this problem.

Look for posts by mercman from about three years ago for more in-depth description.

If I ever get my VB and solenoid pack in that I bought off ebay, I'll let ya know if my tranny is fixed....