'98 Camry XLE Reverse unresponsive at times

[cammyjim]

'98 Camry XLE Reverse unresponsive at times...


1998 XLE V6 Camry Automatic

Is it normal for the car not to move at all, after you put it in reverse? It seems like I have to put some gas to the pedal to get it moving. It almost feels unresponsive at times.

Two weeks ago the check engine light (CEL) came on, so I disconnected the battery cable and opened up the gas cap to let the pressure escape, and one or both of these tricks made the light go away.
While the battery was off for a few minutes, I went ahead and checked the transmission fluid, and it was in range on the stick, and color looked ok. So far, so good.

The CEL (check engine light) came on again yesterday, so I hope this does not mean transmission problems only after 58,776 miles. It’s going in for a 60,000 check up this week, I hate to mention anything about that reverse thing, because he may just want to add some needless repair work on the tranny. Then again, this might be normal for an automatic, since I mostly drive a 5-speed stick with my ford ranger.

Last year, we had it in the shop for a diagnostic look over, and on the list, he mentioned that the tranny oil was dirty, but I wanted to wait a little longer until the 60,000.

Do transmissions go out after 60,000 miles? Anything is possible, I guess. We don’t drive this car into the ground and drive maybe at the most, 1,000-1,300 mile per year.

[BamZipPow]

Instead of resetting the CEL, you should drop by AutoZone and have them read the code(s) fer you. It would be like gitting an emergency call message and you erasing the message before listening to it.

Opening the gas cap shouldn't clear a CEL. Removing power from the ECU will clear the CEL but won't fix the problem.

You could have a sticking valve in yer transmission. Has the transmission been slipping in any of the forward gears? You could try some Auto-RX in it and see if it clears it up. It won't happen over night but over a few hundred miles. You can also do a few drain/fills before you do the Auto-RX...just don't do a pressured flush of the transmission.