Automatic shifting issue

[ondarvr]

I've lurked here for a few years and found most of the answers to my questions by searching the forum, but on this one I couldn't find the answer.

 

My daughter has a 98 Legacy OB with 220,000 miles on it (new head gasket and all that goes with it at 190,000), in the last few weeks it started not wanting to shift up from 1st to 2nd when its cold. After the first up shift it will work fine the rest of the day unless it sits all day when she's at work, then that first up shift will be an issue again. It will shift solidly from neutral to either Reverse or Drive with no hesitation or slipping, it's only that first up shift that is a problem.

 

Before I take it in I wanted to try a few things, so I drained the 3-4 quarts of fluid from the pan and rellied, no change, then drained some out and added Trans X. The result is it shifts great after that first up shift, but it still takes about a 1/4 mile for it to make that first shift, so far no real change.

 

The fluid looked great before this and had been change a little over a year ago.

 

Thanks for reading this.

Edited November 26, 2011 by ondarvr

[wtdash]

Hi,

Is the AT Temp light flashing when 1st turned on? If so, there's a code stored that can be read.

 

Read codes from this POST - look for the PDF files....read thru all the pages on the Thread as their is 'how to' description on the 'diagnostic switch' on page 2.

 

GL,

Td

[ondarvr]

Thanks, but no flashing light.

 

I did try one thing though, I let the car warm up for about 10 minutes prior to driving it and and it shifted almost normally. I was told there is a thermal delay sensor that can malfunction and possibly cause a problem going into second gear.

 

I need it to cool back down completely and then I'll drive it again cold and see what happens.

[bru73]

my trans dose the same thing unless i warm it up i have tried all the different trans treatments and no change, past experince at the shpo the one two shift solonide is sticking i have even removed pan and valve body removed solonide and piston and cleaned helped for a wile. dose your trans down shift at freeway speeds??

[ondarvr]

It will down shift if you push the peddle down, it's works normally once it shifts that first time.