I live in Canada and now for one year will be in Spain. Here I have bought a 2001 Renault Senic with automatic transmission. Here is my problem:
Mostly when weather is cold (Spanish standards, i.e. 5 deg.) and my transmission is cold, i.e. driven the car less than 5 km (3 miles). If I enter the highway and travel at 100 km/h (60 Miles) or go up hill, the transmission can suddenly down shift from 4th to 3rd or 3rd to 2nd gear and remain stuck there! (a light comes on in my instrument cluster showing a transmission). If I switch off the engine and turn it back on immediately the problem goes away! Any ideas what might be happening?
Sounds like your Scenic is experiencing serious problems or something that’s the reason why it goes into a limp home mode. Sooner or later the trick will not going to work.
Have you checked the transmission fluid level? That’s the first thing to do.
Is there anybody out there where you are who can scan the transmission computer on your car?? Transmission shop???
transman