We just got home from a 7,809 kilometer trip from BC to Ontario and back. It is our second such trip with the same 2002 Hyundai Accent car. The car performed flawlessly as usual **except** for an unusual shift from overdrive to drive on two separate occasiopns about 1000km apart. For some unknown reason to me it hammered into that gear change with a loud clunk that vibrated the car for a second. Before and after those two strange shift patterns it has shifted through all gears nice and smooth just as always.
Is this a warning that that I am going to have serious transmission problems ? The car has almost 80,000km on it and I think the power train warranty is up at 100,000km.
Has anyone here had a similar problem? I feel that taking it to a dealer to request warranty service would be useless because they would probably want to experience what it is doing but it is so intermittent that it would be virtually impossible for them to experience it.
I would hate to see this problem get worse just after the warranty has expired.
W.Y.

 

I'd definately get the fluid changed, even if the dealer says not to worry about it. You should still take it to the dealer and tell them about the problem. Even if they do not find anything wrong with it and a problem should happen with the transmission after the warranty expires, you can tell them that you had the car in prior with a transmission problem. So, they might honour at least half of the cost (or more) to repair the unit. Newer autos are fairly reliable pieces of equipment and since you seem to drive longer highway stints the transmission should easily last until 150K if not more. Again, if you haven't changed the tranny fluid & filter yet, do so. It won't the car none, but it will set you back a few bucks!

 

Hi
I had this happen several times and traced it to low transmission fluid level. When the reservoir is low there is a slight delay in shift response so while cruising and coming to a slight slope or wanting to overtake,the car slows and because of the delay you have already pressed the acelerator to compensate as the automatic sensors also start to compensate so a bit of an overkill that confuses the shift control.

Just check and top up the transmission fluid, or beter still, replace it if it is old.

Vince V

 

Make sure you use SP-III transmission fluid! Dexron and Mercon DO NOT work and will trash your tranny. Only SP-III is good for your tranny; you can get it at Hyundai, Kia and Mitsubishi dealerships. (If you get a flush, which I would recommend if you haven't done it yet, get it done at a dealer and make sure they use SP-III per the owners manual.)

 

Hi everyone , i am presently having similiar transmission problems, If i am travelling on the highway my transmission suddenly goes into 3 gear.whenever this happens it is stuck in 3 gear even if i come to a compleate stop it stays in that gear.The only time it comes back to nrmal i must switch the engine off for at least 5 seconds then i am ok again could anybody tell me what might be causing this?

 

ok, to first check the tranny fluid level.
to do that, assuming its an automatic, drive around for a while to warm up the transimition. go through all the gears.
then, with the car running pull the tranny fluid stick out, usually its red, wipe it clean and hten stick it back in.
now check to see if its at the right level. next smell it, chances are yours will smell very burnt, that means its old, and should probably be replaced anyway.

since its winter i would just take it to a shop and have them change it, but if you are feeling frisky you can do it your self pretty easy

get a new filter and gasket for your car
to do it your self put an oil drip pan underneith the transmision and start lossening the bolts in one corner, and work your way to the far side, do it so that first corner will droop down and the old fluid will pour out nicely. put the new filter in, put the new gasket on, and put the pan back up. make sure its all tight. check ever bolt three times to be possitive
you will probably get about five or six quarts out,
put a bottle of lucas transmission treatment in, then fill it up with Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) if you over fill it fluid will probably leak out of the top thats not a big deal, just messy