Is my transmission on its way..

[kyleb617]

I had my transmission oil changed about two weeks ago, drained not flushed. This morning I put it into drive and it would not go anywhere for about 4-5 seconds, I pulled out of my driveway and again the same thing. The rest of the day was fine, then tonight I took a ride to the store and after about 2 minutes later taking a turn it did the same thing. It is cold where I live, about 23 degrees right now, could that play a factor? My transmission slips into gear on gears 1 through 3 however its not a very hard jerk its soft. My question is is my transmission about to s*** the bed? Im very worried

 

[BrooklynBay]

Check the transmission fluid level.

 

[dogfriend]

What he said. Check the fluid level. Trans should be warm with engine running.

 

[kyleb617]

If its low would you guys recommend some lucas transmission oil to smooth out with gear shifting? Also if the level is fine what else do you suggest I do?

 

[dogfriend]

If its low, I would just add regular Mercon V ATF until it is at the right level on the dipstick.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Check the level first, and add fluid if necessary. If you're still having issues, then it could have loose valve body bolts, and bad valve body gaskets. How many miles does it have? The EPC could be going bad.

 

[kyleb617]

Around 123000 on the body and everything else, engine about 75,000, what exactly os an EPC ? Sorry im a noob under the hood :-/

 

[BrooklynBay]

EPC is the electronic pressure control solenoid.

 

[dogfriend]

EPC is for Electronic Pressure Control. It is a variable rate solenoid that controls the line pressure in the transmission. The line pressure needs to be within a certain range for the trans to shift properly.

First things first, check fluid level with engine running, trans in P. If you need to add fluid, make sure to shift for a few seconds in each gear and then check again.

 

[kyleb617]

If it is the EPC how much for a repair? Would you guys know an estimate so I know im not getting ran for my money?

 

[1998Exp]

The EPC is inexpensive; probably $50 or less. Not a big deal to replace, after dropping the pan. 4-5 quarts of fluid will need to be replaced, so add about $25. You may or may not need to replace the gasket and the filter.

Of course, if you go to a transmission shop, I doubt that you can just tell them to replace the EPC. Most likely, they will want to diagnose it first -whatever their minimum fee for that is...

 

[1998Exp]

Incidentally, if you just recently had the transmission pan dropped, it's worth checking whether the filter did not drop into the pan. I had similar symptoms to yours after replacing the fluid, and that's what I found.
Didn't see what transmission you have -- on my 4R70W there is no screw, and the filter is held just by a spring on its neck. Some brand of filters come with a poor spring that simply won't hold well.

 

[kyleb617]

I had the oil changed a few weeks ago (transmission) alongside they replaced a gasket and filter, would it need to be re-done in order to repair the EPC?

 

[1998Exp]

Guess I wasn't clear: the EPC solenoid is under the pan. So yes, the pan needs to drop to gain access. The gasket may be reusable and there should be no need to replace the filter so soon (unless it's bad, of course).

Sounds like the guys who serviced your transmission were Jiffy Lube or some such. You can go there and complain about what happened soon after the service, and perhaps they will take a look and check that the filter did not fall into the pan on their nickel (the 4-5 quarts of fluid in the pan will have to be replaced), but I doubt it.
It's probably time to take the vehicle to a transmission shop.

 

[BrooklynBay]

If you have a 0-300 PSI test gauge, you could check the main pressure, and the EPC pressure (two separate ports).