Change your automatic transmission fluid on a regular basis; every 80 000Kms / 50 000 miles even if the manufacturer claims that you don't have to! My Camry's automatic transmission (without a dipstick) started slipping when cold just after I bought it used at about 170 000 kms or 105 000 miles. Most modern cars need about 30 seconds of warmup in winter before driving. I did that and it would still slip.
As for the maintenance, Toyota recommends to change the automatic transmission fluid at 193 000 kms (120 000 miles) or when the car is 12 years old, whichever come first. That is ONLY IF the car is towing a trailer, has a roof rack or is heavily loaded.
My car was only 7 years old when it started severe slipping when cold (4 deg C or 40 deg F and colder). The odometer reading was below the recommended change mileage. I don't think it towed a trailer because there was no hitch or evidence that one was installed. It may have had a roof rack, but that's unlikely on a sedan. Basically according to Toyota, it didn't fit the criteria for an transmission oil change.
I decided to change the fluid just to see if it would help things. I'm glad I did because the fluid was brown. Thankfully it didn't smell bad, so the clutches didn't seem to be badly damaged. I think the dirty oil had trouble going through the narrow passages when cold.
Thankfully, changing fluid helped a lot, the transmission MOSTLY stopped slipping on cold days after a normal warmup period. The only time it would slip** after the repair would be cold days -15 deg C or 0 deg F and colder even after at least 3 minutes of warming. **Note that the slipping was minor and would happen only when it shifted from 2nd to 3rd. I was very minor and would do it only once in the beginning of the drive.
MORAL OF THE STORY: Change your fluid every 80 000 kms (50 000 miles) or 5 years regardless of what the manufacturer says. Also, nothing beats the toughness of a C4 transmission. Theses old 3 speed automatics can endure a lot of overloaded towing, lack of oil changes or driving without much fluid and they will still keep going. The saying "Ford built tough" definitely applies to them!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Change your automatic transmission fluid on a regular basis; every 80 000Kms / 50 000 miles even if the manufacturer claims that you don't have to! My Camry's automatic transmission (without a dipstick) started slipping when cold just after I bought it used at about 170 000 kms or 105 000 miles. Most modern cars need about 30 seconds of warmup in winter before driving. I did that and it would still slip.
As for the maintenance, Toyota recommends to change the automatic transmission fluid at 193 000 kms (120 000 miles) or when the car is 12 years old, whichever come first. That is ONLY IF the car is towing a trailer, has a roof rack or is heavily loaded.
My car was only 7 years old when it started severe slipping when cold (4 deg C or 40 deg F and colder). The odometer reading was below the recommended change mileage. I don't think it towed a trailer because there was no hitch or evidence that one was installed. It may have had a roof rack, but that's unlikely on a sedan. Basically according to Toyota, it didn't fit the criteria for an transmission oil change.
I decided to change the fluid just to see if it would help things. I'm glad I did because the fluid was brown. Thankfully it didn't smell bad, so the clutches didn't seem to be badly damaged. I think the dirty oil had trouble going through the narrow passages when cold.
Thankfully, changing fluid helped a lot, the transmission MOSTLY stopped slipping on cold days after a normal warmup period. The only time it would slip** after the repair would be cold days -15 deg C or 0 deg F and colder even after at least 3 minutes of warming. **Note that the slipping was minor and would happen only when it shifted from 2nd to 3rd. I was very minor and would do it only once in the beginning of the drive.
MORAL OF THE STORY: Change your fluid every 80 000 kms (50 000 miles) or 5 years regardless of what the manufacturer says. Also, nothing beats the toughness of a C4 transmission. Theses old 3 speed automatics can endure a lot of overloaded towing, lack of oil changes or driving without much fluid and they will still keep going. The saying "Ford built tough" definitely applies to them!
- Yves C., Ottawa, ON, Canada