transmission disengages when i.....

[Alx]

i've had this problem with my 08 v6 camry se recently: when i first start my car and stop at a stop light my transmission will seem to disengage or not switch gears properly resulting in me redlining and not being able to accelerate properly. shortly after everything returns back to normal and the problem goes away on its own never to return until i begin the process all over again.

i will do fluid checks tomorrow though i doubt that this is the cause but i hope some of you may be able to help me prior to me taking the car to the dealership to get raped.

also, in case it helps, i live in WI and the temperature has reached below 20 which was when the problem first began. any help would be greatly appreciated. thank you all.

[Alx]

also, just searched the forums and it seems another owner had the same problem with no one to answer him. took the car to the dealership but they didn't find anything.

found in another thread that this is how the transmission warms up when its cold and that camrys and avalons are known to have that issue and therefore vehicle should properly be warmed up before setting off in the cold weather. i will attempt this tomorrow but any additional help is once again appreciated.

[leakyseals]

How many miles on the car and when was the last transmission fluid change?

[Alx]

51k miles. no fluid changes since purchase.

i did warm up the car appropriately before driving today and there was no hesitation/disengagement of transmission. will continue to test further and update accordingly.

[DOHCammer]

The trans is programmed to stay in the lower gears for quicker warm up but not actually become disengaged. That is not a normal occurence even at 20 below. At that temp a few minute warmup is called for but even a 30 sec. warm up should not cause the trans to drop out. Take exact mileage figures down so a dealer can duplicate the problem after a cold start. Tell them how long you warm it up (if at all) and how far you drive it when the problem occurs. You want to make sure this problem is documented while the car is still under the powertrain warranty.

[leakyseals]

Originally Posted by Alx

51k miles. no fluid changes since purchase.

i did warm up the car appropriately before driving today and there was no hesitation/disengagement of transmission. will continue to test further and update accordingly.

In prior years a simple 4qt $25 fluid drain and fill solved most problems. I'm not sure you can even check the level on yours. Do you have one of the new sealed systems?