5000

iTrader: (1)

I know I'm just adding to the list of posts on here with this post but I'm having little to no luck finding my answer searching or via google/yahoo/whatever. Sorry if this is long but please help.

My parents have a 1996 es300 with around 190k miles. I borrowed this vehicle awhile back and there was an issue with the VSV (the fuel vapor valve thing) causing a consistent CEL but would go away by adding Chevron Techron. (I'll fix it for them eventually). I originally attributed this to a possible issued caused by some vehicle burglars who hit this car and my parent's truck with one of those EMP devices before entering said truck and stealing a bunch of stuff (still pissed about it).
I have since returned the vehicle and now I'm down helping with a dying relative and now the vehicle has a number of other issues that have gone wrong but really I'm only concerned about one major one. The transmission not staying in gear and shifting randomly. Please bare with me I'm about to list a bunch of stuff that I'm not entirely certain or related but possibly could.


1-When I first started the vehicle the e-brake light was on and would stay on and sometimes turn off. I believe this to be e-brake pads being too worn. CEL is still on. Extra info I know but threw this on here just in case.

2-When driving normally the vehicle seems fine. When I turn the headlights on later that night the ECT/POWER light would come on it's own and eventually turned off. I think the O/D off light came on once but has turned off.

3--->**With the headlights still on and driving on the highway the transmission shifted out of gear into neutral and would free rev. Most of the time this would corrected, briefly, by letting my foot off the gas and it would go back in gear until it shifted out again. It would continue to do this even after coming to a stop light and idling. It would stay in neutral then drop, shift, and then go back to neutral. I eventually made it home and made the observation that this only happens when the headlights are on.

I drove this vehicle again today during the day and did not replicate the issue. The gear shifts were jerky and jack-rabbity but I'm not entirely sure if it's because that is something I read online and am just now noticing or not. I turned the headlights on for S&Gs and the RPMs (which is hard to see due to dead tach lights) shifted slightly but did not reproduce completely shifting out of gear into neutral. Might be my imagination but almost seemed as if I no longer had an Overdrive gear as well. I did not get a chance to go over 40-45 MPHs to fully test this though.

ATF is topped off to the correct level. Speedo is working properly (been staring at it intently in hopes it would jump). I've ultimately narrowed it down to being an electrical issue as the transmission otherwise seems fine with no grinds or actual slipping that I have noticed.

I did locate a post some where (I lost it now) about someone having transmission issues and was recommended driving with the headlights on and told to report back but no further information on it has been added since.


Hopefully this is enough info. Any suggestions would be awesome. Thank you.

PFB

1) Do you have any codes stored in memory, and/or is check engine light on?
(You may need a code reader/scanner capable of reading transmission codes)

2) Try driving in a lower gear. Does it still malfunction?

Phil

5000

iTrader: (1)

1) Only codes in memory are the VSV error for the fuel vapor valve.

2) Does not replicate in lower gear. I did discover that overdrive is no longer working with and without lights on.

PFB

At this point, I would recommend that you take the car to a trusted Transmission Specialist for an evaluation. Getting a second opinion is highly advisable.

Phil

5000

iTrader: (1)

Fair enough. I will, unfortunately, suggest that to my father. Thanks anyways.


I'm open to other ideas if anyone has them in the mean time.