Auto Tranny Help
 

Hey whats up guys,

I don't know much about auto, i've never owned an auto in my life.

I have a friend with an 01 Hyundai Accent GSI, AUTO. I know a lot of people know there **** here so that's why i'm posting it here and not some hyundai forum, if any exists.

I think the tranny is toast. Basically, if the car is sitting and I start it up and drive away, the car drives fine and changes gears for about 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, it will get stuck in gear 3. Sometimes it gets stuck in Gear 2. Today I took it for a test drive and it got stuck in gear 3. When I was driving, it reached about 60km and it wouldn't go above that speed limit. I kept hitting the gas and it would just rev like it's in neutral and not move. I hit the gas a few times and it roughly went in to gear 3 and just stayed in that gear.

While it was driving in Gear 3, I moved the shifer to 2, it downshifted. I can't downshift to L though. If I put it back in D, it will go back to gear 3 and it won't move.

He told me that it was doing this randomly for a little while. But lately, it has been doing it almost every day.

Now I have a few questions.

Do you guys think dirty transmission fluid can do this? The car has 130K and the fluid hasn't been changed (the driver is a total idiot who doesen't take care of his car and now he wants my help). It also never had a tune up. I think the tranny is toast because he pushes the car a lot as well, and the symptoms look like a tranny problem.

I know about the gm synchromesh for standard transmissions that help and smooth tranny shifts. Is there something similar that can be performed on an auto tranny as opposed to replacing it.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. He wants to know if theres a quick fix for it that won't dent his wallet but i'm pretty sure the tranny is done.

Thanks tcc.

Im not sure if this hyndai has this but most automatic tranny cars have the ability to reset the shift points in the ecu either through software or a manual method (ex. Turn to ACC hold down gas pedal all the way for 15sec, release. turn key off)

I would seriously look up service manual.

check tranny fluid maybe not enough inside and torque converter is not geting enough fluid to do its job properly. Just use proper fluid in automatic tranny's. Could also be electrical problem if the tranny is using electronic acuators and not shift linkage. Most newer cars use electronic actuators to move the tranny from gear to gear even though you have a shift leaver. Might be some sort of electronic switch problem on the shifter leaver.

thanks for the responses.

where is the electronic switches usually located?