Transmission fluid wasted after a year?

[Swede Johansen]

Hi,

I took my Toyota Camry 2001 V6 automatic to the shop yesterday. It wasn´t going smoothly especially when I was lowering the pressure on the accelerator.

The staff at the shop told me that the transmission fluid was completely "burned". This puzzled me since I had it changed (at the same shop) not more than a year ago. The car was at that time at 9000 kms. It is now at 10200 kms.

The staff also pointed out that you have to drive an automatically geared car rather firmly. A lot of gas or no gas at all. You should according to them never lower the pressure on the accelerator. That tricks the gearbox to think that you want to speed up, without doing so, thus pressurizing the fluid.

What do you think of all this? Have my modus operandi when it comes to driving caused the fluid to get burned? And even if I am a poor driver - shouldn ´t the fluid be able to be in good condition for more than a year?

Kindly,

PM, Lund, Sweden

[DFBonnett]

It sounds like the load of crap that it is. How does the fluid look and smell to you? It appears the US and Sweden have at least one thing in common, repair shop thieves.