I recently started having an issue with the transmission in my 2003, 171,xxx miles. It shifts fine, through all gears, doesn't slip at all. The fluid level is where it should be( both cold and hot) but sould be changed. This all started out of the blue, 2 days after I had to nurse the van 30 miles home because of a bad front caliper, I used the transmission to slow myself down at intersections, but only shifted into low at 20-25 MPH. Did I mess something up by doing this????


I borrowed a code reader from Oreilly's and got no codes, CEL was on the day it started acting up and I got no codes with their reader, I will be trying a different code reader tomorrow.


The issue is a hard downshift into what I believe is first gear when coming to a stop. It will really bangs into gear when the speed gets to 25 MPH while slowing for a curve or a stop sign. It also shifts up kinda hard if you really step on it from a stop, though I'm not sure if it is first or second it is shifting into at this time. I'm hoping it isn't crapping out on me and only needs a fluid and filter change to remedy it.

 

Welcome to DF
I would service the trans or flush.When the caliper went bad, you now put more work on the transmission to keep the van moving,I don't know how far you drove the van. But if was 20 miles or more, you could have and not going to say that clutches maybe burnt. But you are not having any slippage. The transmission maybe okay.

 

Thanks for the reply MT. I'm hoping it is nothing major. The fluid is still nice and clean, no bad smell and still pink on the dipstick. I'll change it this weekend and hope helps.

 

i would drop the pan and change out the filter along with the fluid so you can see if anything abnormal is going on when looking at the filter