Transmission Issues

[durrell]

Have started noticing some transmission-related issues popping up recently. The most prevalent is a kind of light bucking in first and second gear. Particularly when I give it a good amount of gas, it kind of feels like it's struggling to put the power to the rear wheels and go.

Then, when on the highway going about 55-60 (which is most of my commute) it will buck really prominently when trying to kick down into 3rd or 2nd. Not always, but occasionally.

The fluid looks ok, but it needs a change. The fluid is brown with not much red color to it at all. Could these issues be resolved by flushing the transmission or is there something even worse going on?

Thanks.

 

[quicksilvr]

Sounds like it does need new fluid...however it also sounds like the transmission might not be the main culprit. I could be a spark related problem. One of my friend's 4Runner's did the same thing for quite a while, and it was a coilpack.

 

[durrell]

I do have a low whine in the engine somewhere that changes with RPMs. I assume it's the alternator, but haven't had time to nail it down yet. Since the engine isn't throwing any codes it's just hard to say. I guess new fluid will be a good place to start, right?