Sticky Shifting

99 Toyota Camry sticks in gear/revs when speeding up. Does this only occasionally when weather is chilly. Doesn’t happen when I have given the car a nice chance to warm up.



Is it the transmission? What else could it be? Fuel induction service needed?

When the ECM determines that the engine coolant is not warm enough overdrive will be locked out. So if the problem is the lack of overdrive ratio, the engine may not be warming up correctly due to a faulty thermostat or the CTS maybe be out of calibration and the ECM is getting erroneous data.

Hope that is what it is.

You didn’t specify, but I’m going to assume your Camry has an automatic transmission.

It is normal for automatic transmissions to remain in the lower gears a bit longer during colder weather.

Is the transmission fluid level correct? Has the fluid been replaced at the proper intervals?

You do not need a fuel induction service. Ever.

Unfortunately, my parents did not do a transmission flush before giving me the car. Now I am over 200,000 miles (middle age for a Camry, in my experience :slight_smile: and doing a flush could make things worse – kill the transmission because of loose particles.

Would doing a simple transmission fluid replacement (vs. flush) carry that same risk?

by the way, what is a CTS? I’m not a car guy.

And yes, the fluid level is correct.