I just went through the ATX tranny archive so I think
I have the answers I need but I just wanted to ask a few
specifics:
I have a 99 V6 SE with ~ 100K miles on it.
Bought the car new and have changed the ATF 3 or 4
times. First time at 50K miles, then every 15K to 20K
afterwards. I used regular ATF except for all but
the last change when I used a penzoil high milage ATF.
The last fluid change was about 8k to 9K miles ago.
I use sort of a modified flush technique. I drain 4 quarts,
refill, drive the car around for 20 minutes and then
do it again.
For the last thousand miles or so the car has started
to shift funny. When it's cold the 1st to 2nd gear shift
is abrupt, when it gets hot, it's the 2nd to 3rd gear shift.
I feels like there's just the slightest hesitation and then
an abrupt shift. Once or twice under VERY VERY hard
acceleration, I got an actual slip between 2nd & 3rd gear.
I was thinking of installing a cooler, which seems like
a good idea according to the FAQ. I was also thinking of
going with a synth ATF but that seems like a bad idea so
I'll go back to normal ATF and skip the high mileage
formulas.
I do have a check engine light but I'm pretty sure it's
O2 sensor related, not sure if that will effect tranny
performance. I was told to clean the wires on the mass air
flow sensor as that will effect the tranny. (I haven't tried
this yet, just found a set of tamper proof torx bits this
weekend).
Bottom line, if I do another fluid change and install a
cooler this weekend, any hope for this beast or have I
fried the tranny? The engine is rock solid but I don't know
if I want to invest $2K + on a car with 100K on it.
Thanks in advance,
Vinny
