Auto transmission problem ?

[taydui]

I have a 97 Camry LE , 5S-FE engine , 4 cyl. , automatic transmission . When it's shifting gears , the tach revs up to 3000 RPM , is this good or bad ? I'm doing a transmission fluid drain & refill right now , initially the fluids was black with burnt smell , I drained & refilled for the 2nd time (drain & refill , drive for a week then repeat the process) and will continue doing this till the fluid is clean & clear .

[Klutch]

Originally Posted by taydui

I have a 97 Camry LE , 5S-FE engine , 4 cyl. , automatic transmission . When it's shifting gears , the tach revs up to 3000 RPM , is this good or bad ? I'm doing a transmission fluid drain & refill right now , initially the fluids was black with burnt smell , I drained & refilled for the 2nd time (drain & refill , drive for a week then repeat the process) and will continue doing this till the fluid is clean & clear .

Umm.... YES, this is bad. Are you saying that no matter the RPM's you're at when it goes to shift the RPM's jump up and then the transmission hooks up making them drop again?

You may have a vaccum leak somewhere but I'd venture to guess you'd better start planning to crack open "Oinky" the piggy bank.

[taydui]

I noticed in between 1st & 2nd gear the RPM goes up to 3000 and less when it shifts from 2nd to 3rd . Do you have any idea how much it would cost for a tranny job ? Thanks

[Nakamichi]

Originally Posted by taydui

I have a 97 Camry LE , 5S-FE engine , 4 cyl. , automatic transmission . When it's shifting gears , the tach revs up to 3000 RPM , is this good or bad ? I'm doing a transmission fluid drain & refill right now , initially the fluids was black with burnt smell , I drained & refilled for the 2nd time (drain & refill , drive for a week then repeat the process) and will continue doing this till the fluid is clean & clear .

Unfortunately if the fluid is black and has a burning smell, the damage to your transmission is done. ATF should always be red/pink and have a sweet smell. Be careful of changing the fluid now. Sometimes when changing the fluid on a bad transmission can influence further problems. Not sure why, but this seems to be a trend on transmissions ready to fail.

But look on the bright side. Even though you have those symptoms now, you might still be able to drive the cars for many years before the transmission totally fails. I’ve seen some lucky folks who have been able to get away with this.

[taydui]

Should I just bring the car in for a tranny flush , would that help any ?

[toyomoho]

I am not a transmission expert, but will give it a shot.

Does the transmission also slip when it is not changing between gears? As in, when you give it throttle, does the transmission slip as the car accelerates? Has transmission performance changed for better or worse after the fluid change? Is there now more or less slipping between shifts, smoother shifts, etc?

If the only slipping occurring is when shifting, a solenoid may not be functioning properly or the computer has problem. When the transmission changes gears, a clutch pack releases, the gears shift, then clutch pack lockups. Release and lockup are controlled by solenoids, which are controlled by the computer. Lockup is controlled by I think Shift Solenoid SL. If this solenoid or the computer is not working right, clutch pack lockup could be delayed causing the engine to over speed between shifts.

I would think if your clutch plates are slipping (worn out), they would do so all the time and not just when changing gears.

The solenoids for the transmission I think are external to the transmission. As such, if one is defective it can be replaced without pulling the transmission and taking it apart.

The onboard computer diagnostic system could help run down the problem. A transmission shop or competent mechanic with a decent shop manual can check out the solenoids and computer shift timing.

I would get this fixed soon. Slipping during shifting, as you are experiencing, is very hard on clutch plates. This will result in greatly accelerated clutch pack wear and the burned fluid you smell. The result being your transmission may start slipping all the time.

[taydui]

Thanks for the inputs , I'll take it in a transmission shop soon.

[Doctor J]

Transmission flash may ruin the heat damaged friction material from the clutches. According to testing procedure, the 2nd brake apply pressure must be checked. One A140e transmission was saved from complete failure by replacement of leaking 2nd brake apply gasket, that sealed valve body to the apply passage. This requires the removal of the valve body per instruction in read me section of TN.
Also make sure, that the pattern switch is in normal mode. Another way to test:
hook up small light bulb to the solenoid number 2 wire (Black),
connect other bulb's terminal to the ground,
make sure wires are long enough, so you can easy see the light.
Do a drive test: if the light comes on, but the upshift is delayed for more then 1.5 seconds, the problem is inside the transmission.
Use 14V, 1.4W lamp.