mpringle

I have 1996 ES300. Last winter I had a check engine light on. The problem was a shift solenoid. Anyway, I had the shift solenoid replaced and the check engine light never returned, which is good. However, just after the shift solenoid was replaced I started having shifting problems. It is very slow to kick into second gear – sometimes it seems like it goes from 1st to 3rd after getting to 4500 RPMs in 1st.

I took it to the Lexus dealership and they said I need a new transmission, but stated that they do not work on the transmission themselves. I'm questining their assessment. The car has 146,000+ miles on it and I’ve replaced the transmission fluid twice; most recently about 20,000 miles ago. The car drives great except for the inconsistent shifting from first to second. My concern is that I never had a problem until they replaced the shift solenoid. Is my shifting problem, right after replacing the shift solenoid, a coincidence or does this sound like a real transmission problem.