My ES has been having some pretty weird trans problems lately and I never noticed it when I first got the car... I got it used a couple months ago and while the transmission wasn't 100% smooth shifting, I didn't expect it do be being that it's a economy car not some luxury vehicle. Now the problem has gotten worse though and my car likes to jerk into gears... every time it upshifts it's jerky, and if I let out off of the accelerator the downshifting is pretty unsmooth as well and it feels as if the engine revs higher at that point. (maybe the trans is slipping?)

Anyway... now that all of that is out of the way, I'm wondering if it's possibly due to the oil change place "topping off" my trans fluid when it didn't even need it. Maybe there's too much fluid in the case and it's ****ing things up. Maybe I'm a n00b, but I find it very difficult to read the levels on the stock dipstick with it being white..... Is there an aftermarket one sold specifically for the lancer?

Also any input on what else this could be due to would be helpful as well.

Thanks.

 

i don't think there is a replacement dipstick. wipe the stick off real good and then check the level.

you could try doing a drain and fill on the transmission, how many miles do you have on the car? you may get away with not having to replace the transmission filter... but if you have a high mileage and you replace the filter chances are you will have to perform the service twice since the new ATF is high detergent and will stir up all the gunk in the transmission clogging the new filter.

 

car only has 20,000 miles on it

Oh I might also add... I was installing my subs in my car the other day... had to disconnect the battery for obvious reasons. When I hooked it all back up and started the car, it INSTANTLY rev'd (i didnt pay attention to how many RPMs it was because I got scared and shut off the car). When I turned it back on again, it was fine. So, later on I had to disconnect the battery again to make some adjustments to my amp power cable and upon connecting the battery again and starting the car.... it rev'd high AGAIN (my foot was nowhere near the gas pedal) .... this time I just tapped my foot on the gas pedal and the RPM's dropped back down again.... is this related to my trans ****? This is really messed up because I bet had I shifted into reverse my car would have gone flying down the driveway into the neighbors house across the street.

 

The revving is normal.

 

it's normal upon reconnecting the battery?

 

change your fluid to redline......

 

Mine did the same and I took it to a tranny place. They told me it was some sensor. You might want to try that, and take it for a free quote and find out whats wrong with it. But mine was an 02, Your car is not even a year old. Wow

 

Depending upon how long the battery was disconnected - yes the ECU was reset by the disconnect and has to "re-learn" everything and as such the rev is normal as it indicated a reset.

However, it is unrelated to the trans so on one hand it is nothing to worry about, on the other hand you are not much closer to the cause of the trans problem.

 

since you reset the ecu, have you been driving hard or anything? the ecu basically learns around your driving style. so if you drive hard, the tranny will want to shift at a later point and will shift more aggressively. reset the ecu and drive like a granny for a week or two and it will shift smoother.

 

The "trick" to reading the tranny stick is to read it cold... That tranny fluid when heated is slicker than Syn oil. <-- Finger test. LOL After driving around, let it sit for 3/4 hours then check. Remove stick, clean extremely well, replace with the word "ATF" facing as if you were reading correctly. AKA...not up-side down! Dip slowly, remove quickly. Since you're fluid has been in there for 20k miles, it should be easier to read than my fresh 12 qt flush I did within the last 6k miles.

BTW, the car rev'd like that cuz the ecu told it too...

Best of luck!

 

it had these problems before I even messed with the battery, but I will try this along with everything else everyone posted here. Thanks guys

 

I just checked the levels with the engine completely cold (it's been sitting all night). I didn't start the car or shift through gears so maybe I need to do that... but the stick is showing the levels ABOVE the HOT mark while the engine is cold and off..... I guess I could get under the car and let some of the trans fluid out through the drain bolt, but I don't want to let too much out without having the diamond atf on hand.

 

That dip is tricky...that's probably not its actual level. Don't see how if that tranny has never been touched before, since the factory, how the level would be high... I had to dip the stick like 20 times before I got 3 consistent readings in a row. It takes finesse.

 

i have had an oil change since I've gotten the car, maybe they "topped off" my atf and added too much? That's the only reason I can think of for why the level would be so high.

 

you realize youre supposed to check the tranny fluid when the car is warm right?