Q: my transmission is having a hard time shifting into 3rd. its a high mileage vehicle 267k miles. the fluid is brown. what do i do.?

asked by on January 18, 2018

well, i noticed my truck struggles to shift into 3rd and 4th gear. as soon as its ready to shift it just stays at the end of second (like a manual) and i have to let off the gas and push it back in to get it into 3rd. the fluid is getting to be a darkish brown (not black) but the previous owner put sooooooo much silicone on the gasket that it wont come off. i know that like engines if you flush a high mileage engine and there is gunk holding together and you take that away your engine will blow and fall apart. so should i change out the trans fluid or what should i do. i JUST got this truck and i have no money to buy a new trans or new vehicle.

My car has 267000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Car is hard to shift Inspection $94.99 - $114.99 Get a Quote

Check the transmission throttle valve (TV) cable. There is a return spring on this assembly that sometimes is gone or faulty. Changing the fluid and filter will not cause the transmission to malfunction. However, prior to doing that, external pressures should be verified with gauges. If pressure is out of range (per the factory service manual), it’s probably a waste of time to change the fluid and the transmission will have to be refurbished. The seals in transmissions do not last forever and parts can wear enough to cause shift malfunctions. The only way to properly resolve these issues is through a careful re-build. To obtain a diagnostic identifying the cause of the shift difficulty, please request a transmission shifting diagnostic and the responding certified mechanic will get this resolved for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

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