[krone]

I have a '96 ES300 that will not engage in any gear. When the car is first started however, I'm able to drive about 1-2 blocks, then nothing. If I shut it down and let it sit for a few seconds I can go a few more blocks. Leading up to the current state, my chk eng. light came on. The error reported is P1705 (Direct clutch speed Sensor). Also, at highway speeds, It would sometimes feel like driving over a rough patch of pavement intermittently. If I let of the accelerator, the vibration would subside.

A friend of the family, who also happens to be a trans. mechanic speculates that the clutch material is disintegrating and clogging the screen, thus dropping the hydraulic pressure. Once I kill the engine, the suspect material settles back into the pan and pressure is restored temporarily. I'm hoping that the Direct Clutch Speed Sensor is the culprit due to the lower repair costs ($102 new). He told me that the trans should still operate even in the absence of the speed sensor. His suggestion was to replace the entire transmission based on the mileage...227,000 miles.

About 200 miles back, I had the trans. flushed an filled.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Specifically, would the Direct Clutch Speed Sensor malfunction cause such a problem, or what would the symtoms be otherwise.

 

[GameDay]

It does sound like your tranny is gonna go, but it could 'possibly' be a couple of things you could check before you bite the bullet.

First, check on the various Lexus forums to see what others have done with similar problems. Next, check your tranny fluid, it may be low. If so, you will have intermittent problems, but being low could also cause result in damage, meaning you have to get a new tranny.

If the tranny fluid is full, but not the recommended type (Dextron #), drain, and fill with the proper transmission fluid. You can get a 5 gallon jug of tranny fluid at autozone for like $5.99. Remember, you are trying a couple of things so you don't have to get a new tranny, but because of the way it is running (ie, maybe with wrong fluid), it could have caused irreversible damage to the tranny.

If all else fails, you should be able to get a junkyard tranny for about $675, and about $400 to install. Still don't konw if it is worth it as your car is very high miles.

Good luck and God Bless!
Mike/Gameday