Toyota Avalon 1997 Transmission

OK gang, educate me.
I've noticed recently that our 1997 Avalon (auto trans) is lurching gently
when starting from a complete stop.
The lurching stops after it shifts to 2nd.
The lurching is less noticeable or absent when the car has made a few
starts.
It feels like a transmission issue to me, not a tune-up problem.

Do I take it to a transmission shop or to a Toyota dealer?
What do I need to know to discuss this intelligently with them?
What do I need to know to get a solution without being taken to the
cleaners?

When was the last time you had the tranny serviced?

This could be a number of things, starting with low or high fluid and going
up to worn clutches and brakes!
Get a handle on what conditions it's doing it under, (cold, hot, etc) and
report back.

I'd go to a dealer, don't take it to the Midas sausage grinder. They may use
the wrong or 'modified' tranny juice, which on a Chrysler at least is a
killer!

And I hope your dealer is honest...

"Bryan" <bryan.459@pac.bell.net> wrote in message
news:CGeZf.65080$Jd.14946@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net...[color=blue]
> OK gang, educate me.
> I've noticed recently that our 1997 Avalon (auto trans) is lurching gently
> when starting from a complete stop.
> The lurching stops after it shifts to 2nd.
> The lurching is less noticeable or absent when the car has made a few
> starts.
> It feels like a transmission issue to me, not a tune-up problem.
>
> Do I take it to a transmission shop or to a Toyota dealer?
> What do I need to know to discuss this intelligently with them?
> What do I need to know to get a solution without being taken to the
> cleaners?
>[/color]

Get the tranny fluid changed at the dealer first and hope the problems go
away.


"Bryan" <bryan.459@pac.bell.net> wrote in message
news:CGeZf.65080$Jd.14946@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net...[color=blue]
> OK gang, educate me.
> I've noticed recently that our 1997 Avalon (auto trans) is lurching gently
> when starting from a complete stop.
> The lurching stops after it shifts to 2nd.
> The lurching is less noticeable or absent when the car has made a few
> starts.
> It feels like a transmission issue to me, not a tune-up problem.
>
> Do I take it to a transmission shop or to a Toyota dealer?
> What do I need to know to discuss this intelligently with them?
> What do I need to know to get a solution without being taken to the
> cleaners?
>[/color]

It MUST be they way you driven or serviced your car. Toyotas do not break
down, just ask the NG regulars, until they are at least ten or twelve years
old and have 300K on the clock. Even then a break down is rare, what did
you do to it? ;)


mike hunt




"Bryan" <bryan.459@pac.bell.net> wrote in message
news:CGeZf.65080$Jd.14946@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net...[color=blue]
> OK gang, educate me.
> I've noticed recently that our 1997 Avalon (auto trans) is lurching gently
> when starting from a complete stop.
> The lurching stops after it shifts to 2nd.
> The lurching is less noticeable or absent when the car has made a few
> starts.
> It feels like a transmission issue to me, not a tune-up problem.
>
> Do I take it to a transmission shop or to a Toyota dealer?
> What do I need to know to discuss this intelligently with them?
> What do I need to know to get a solution without being taken to the
> cleaners?
>[/color]

"Mike Hunter" <mikehunt2@mailcity.com> wrote in message
news:29ydnWwus-qXBKjZUSdV9g@ptd.net...[color=blue]
> It MUST be they way you driven or serviced your car. Toyotas do not break
> down, just ask the NG regulars, until they are at least ten or twelve
> years old and have 300K on the clock. Even then a break down is rare,
> what did you do to it? ;)[/color]

It has almost 200K.
It's our commute car. 110 miles RT 6-7 days per week.
3 days a week it goes into manual low for the downhill ride out of San
Francisco: about 10 blocks.

"Art" <begunaNOSPAMPLEASE@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:MgfZf.851$sq5.773@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...[color=blue]
> Get the tranny fluid changed at the dealer first and hope the problems go
> away.
>
>[/color]
Art, Hach,
Thanks. I'll get back to you on this.

Ignore Mike. He is pulling your chain.


"Bryan" <bryan.459@pac.bell.net> wrote in message
news:x_lZf.55955$F_3.8778@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net...[color=blue]
>
> "Mike Hunter" <mikehunt2@mailcity.com> wrote in message
> news:29ydnWwus-qXBKjZUSdV9g@ptd.net...[color=green]
>> It MUST be they way you driven or serviced your car. Toyotas do not
>> break down, just ask the NG regulars, until they are at least ten or
>> twelve years old and have 300K on the clock. Even then a break down is
>> rare, what did you do to it? ;)[/color]
>
> It has almost 200K.
> It's our commute car. 110 miles RT 6-7 days per week.
> 3 days a week it goes into manual low for the downhill ride out of San
> Francisco: about 10 blocks.
>[/color]

"Art" <begunaNOSPAMPLEASE@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:u4uZf.1397$sq5.1095@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...[color=blue]
> Ignore Mike. He is pulling your chain.
>
>
> "Bryan" <bryan.459@pac.bell.net> wrote in message
> news:x_lZf.55955$F_3.8778@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net...[color=green]
>>
>> "Mike Hunter" <mikehunt2@mailcity.com> wrote in message
>> news:29ydnWwus-qXBKjZUSdV9g@ptd.net...[color=darkred]
>>> It MUST be they way you driven or serviced your car. Toyotas do not
>>> break down, just ask the NG regulars, until they are at least ten or
>>> twelve years old and have 300K on the clock. Even then a break down is
>>> rare, what did you do to it? ;)[/color]
>>
>> It has almost 200K.
>> It's our commute car. 110 miles RT 6-7 days per week.
>> 3 days a week it goes into manual low for the downhill ride out of San
>> Francisco: about 10 blocks.
>>[/color]
>
>[/color]

I thought that was a possibility, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to give you
guys more information about the car.