basketthis

I just recently bought a 1995 es300. It's a great car so far. I had plugged drain holes in my sunroof that I had to solve, but other than that, great car! 130k. Has new timing belt, brakes, tires, the works. Oil changed. New transmission fluid. I don't have any CELs. Now, my concern is when driving at low speeds (between 0-20mph) the transmission is jerky when shifting. It will sometimes shift first 1st to 2nd gear and back to 1st again when just going at a slow speed. And, for the most part, while going slow, it feels jerky. I want to call it rough. But, I think the word to describe it is jerky. If one can imagine driving a manual transmission vehicle and upshifting from 1st to 2nd gear without feathering the clutch and then immediately downshifting to 1st and only feathering the clutch a small bit. The vehicle does not jerk back and forth physically like a manual transmission vehicle would with a strong clutch. But, there is definitely a jerk from gear to gear at low speeds. It is more of an initial jerk and the transmission does a great job of making it smooth from that point on and above 20mph or so. My question(s) would be: Is this normal behavior for this transmission? Would this have anything to do with a bad (or one that needs replacing) shift solenoid? Does anyone else have these problems?

I did a search for problems like this, but I haven't had much luck. I just want my transmission to be a little smoother and a little more "decisive". LOL.

I appreciate any help that anyone can provide!!

EDIT: I forgot to mention that when shifting from P to D the transmission will take about a sec or 2 to actually be in gear. Same thing when going from P to R and from D to R and vice versa.

basketthis

Anybody have this problem or know about it?

tuan92129

You may need a transmission rebuild in the future.

basketthis

Seriously... this one is really strong. I'm just wondering if anyone knows of anyway to make it more "decisive". Is it possible it could be a shift solenoid?

tmart

If the trans fluid was changed and the pan not removed and cleaned-along with the filter( metal mesh screen) , the new fluid could be stirring up the sludge from the bottom of the pan. I suggest removing the pan and thoroughly cleaning with mineral spirits(magnets too), replacing the filter screen, then add a high mileage trans fluid (or maybe mobil 1 synthetic). If problems persist, you might try lucas trans-fix, it helps smooth out shifting.

basketthis

Thank you. I was considering doing this. I just finished doing the same process on my girlfriend's Explorer. And, let me say, it was less than fun. It seems easier on this engine though. Anyway, do you know if there is a shift solenoid in there that should be checked or replaced?? The reason I ask is because I was reading some other posts about newer Lexus vehicles that were talking about how the shift solenoid went bad and was causing a problem. Am I on the wrong track here with the shift solenoid? And, does my car even have a solenoid? Thanks for the help. I am really trying to be completely prepared before I start anything.

ckh1272

You should have your tranny checked out. I had similar problem with mine and it was a bad shift solenoid. The part is cheap, but a lot of labor. I was charged $543.00!!! It's cheaper than a rebuild though, so get it checked out soon!!

basketthis

I really appreciate the help. I wasn't even sure if this model had a shift solenoid or not. I'm more familiar with manual transmission vehicles. Do you recommend that I buy the Toyota Camry Haynes manual to walk me through this. This is what everyone has told me. They say it's the same engine, all the same parts... Thanks again!!

BadViper22

If it turns out your solenoid's good, you could always adjust the throttle kick-down cable to suit your comfort (In your case you would want decrease tension on the cable). Read up on it a lil bit:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...ick+down+cable

basketthis

thanks for the reply. i have linked them to this thread. maybe we can all get together on this. i'll probably end up just doing a whole transmission build anyway. lol. j/k. would like to replace as few parts as possible as i will probably do it myself. gives me something to do in my free time.
THANKS GUYS!!!

tmart

Drain the pan and remove--the pan bottom will tell you if the transmission is excessively worn (heavy sludge and metal particles, magnets covered over with shavings)--all you need is a socket wrench and a 10mm socket. Do this first, it's easy and could be the main problem, and it's cheap. I know of trannys that after changing fluid, they go bad--for reasons I mentioned in earlier post. The solenoid is a mechanic thing. I would certainly buy the repair manual--very helpful. The longer you run the car the more the fix will be. Lexus might not admit it but there were a lot of bad trannys in es300's, according to a reputable transmission shop. If you have some drive-on ramps, the fluid change and pan cleaning is not bad at all. The filter/screen is dead center and has 3 bolts holding it, you can purchase a kit with filter and pan gasket for 15-$20 from most parts stores. The screen can be cleaned, I use carb-cleaner and a vac. You may also be able to re-use the pan gasket if it is still lively. Good luck and give us a report.

basketthis

thanks! will do. be back with the update. hopefully this weekend...
what haynes manual does everyone suggest i use for the 95 es300? is it the same one as the toyota camry for that same year?

llcoolpass

duhhhhhhhh

503chewy2

I bought my '95 ES 300 early this summer. The car has perfomed great. It has just hit 170K miles. My research on this car could find no mention of a new timing belt, so I had the full on service done. It's been great until the last couple of months. It started to occasionaly not shift into overdrive or fourth gear. I made an appointment at a local transmissin shop, and had the transmission serviced by my son inlaw who works there. He did not remove the valve body, (he said to remove it involved special gaskets not included in the service) but did thouraly clean the one solenoid that is exposed. We thought that was the one that controls the shift to overdrive, however, it is still not shifting to overdrive reliably. Is this the correct solenoid for the 3-4 shift? Is there an external relay in the electrical system for the overdrive? My transmission is a A541E unit. As of late, it's not shifting into overdrive at all. All other aspects of the transmission function as intended. Feedback is very much appreciated. Thanks.