Hey everyone,
I’ve got a 2007 Camry XLE with 117k miles. Since I bought it two years ago (at 107k), it’s always had a slightly rough or delayed shift into 3rd gear — mainly noticeable when the engine is cold or if I don’t let it warm up before driving. Once the car warmed up, it would shift fine.
I’ve taken it to a few mechanics over time, and every time they drive it, they say it shifts normally and can’t replicate the issue. No codes either. So I just lived with it and made sure to warm up the car.
But a couple of days ago, the issue got worse — now it’s a noticeably late or struggling shift into 3rd, especially when I’m going uphill or have the A/C on. Took it back to the mechanic, and again, he drove it for about 20 minutes at various speeds with the A/C on, but said everything felt fine to him. He checked the transmission fluid — said it’s not cherry red but not dark either, and no burnt smell.
He offered to do a full transmission fluid flush and replace it for $420, but admitted he’s not sure it would help. I asked about inspecting the gears/clutches, and he said that would require pulling the whole transmission — $1800 just for that.
I’m kinda stuck here. Both options are a lot of money to gamble on when there’s no clear diagnosis. Has anyone dealt with something similar on a Camry? Any suggestions or things to try before going down the expensive route?
P.S. Since I bought it used, I have no idea if or when the previous owner did any transmission service.
Thanks in advance!
The general rule that is recommended by most of this forum’s members is that, if you can’t verify maintenance on a used car, you should assume that it wasn’t done. If that trans really hasn’t been serviced for 117k miles, it is seriously overdue for a fluid and filter change.
No matter what the mfr’s maintenance schedule might state, most of us believe in a trans fluid change every 30k-40k miles. Even if servicing your transmission doesn’t change its shift quality, it should help to ensure longer life for the trans.
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My recommendation would be to bring the car to a local independent transmission shop. They can make a better assessment after dropping the pan. It may even be a faulty transmission control solenoid, where they’d be in a better position to determine that.
I’ve seen several small ole-time independent transmission shops close around me in recent years. Fortunately some remaining still have great reputations for working hard to be fair and honest.
$420 is probably not.a bad price. A new filter at a dealer is about $95 without shop markup. The hourly rate depends on where you live. You can shop price for the fluid/filter change or go to a good shop for diagnosis. Your usual repair shop might send it to a local trans shop anyway. If you have a good relationship with them you might ask who they use and go directly there.
I would have the transmission fluid/filter serviced.
Tester
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What engine does it have, possibility of 3 different transaxles in it, 1 for the 2.4L 4 cylinder and 2 different for the V6’s so 3.0, 3.3 or 3.5L V6???
BTW you don’t pull a transaxle/transmission and open it up just to check the “gears and clutches”, you check the pressures at all the ports with a gauge to see what is going on, you also (if it has one) drop the pan and use a large transmission drain pan to catch all the fluid that comes out and then see what all is in the pan… An experienced transmission builder can tell the differences in materials in the bottom of the pan, like friction material, variety of materials, such as bronze, steel-backed babbitt, plastic, nylon, or cast iron, parts of snap-rings etc etc… You can feel the grit from the clutch friction material…
You can put the old fluid right back in it if it looks like it will require a rebuild… Done it many times when a customer didn’t want or have the budget to rebuild the transmission…
What happens is the same friction material that makes the clutch friction disc grip to the steels in the clutch packs (bands are the same way) as it wears off the friction material from the disc mixes with the ATF and causes it to grip… Remove that gritty fluid and put in fresh ATF, now you no longer have (or very little) that grit in the fluid as well as on the clutch fabrics (disc) and now it slips or no longer moves under it’s own power…
If you flush a failing transmission (friction disc), you will be walking for sure…
So again, give me the engine size and I will look into it a little deeper…
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Your car uses WS atf
That particularly fluid was never bright cherry red, even when brand new
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Pulling the dipstick and seeing nice fluid doesn’t always mean everything is good… Pulling the pan tells the tale, mostly…
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