1999 Chrysler Concorde blue smoke

[quote:5e1f14a507="cook2005"]Engine Mechanical problem
1999 Chrysler Concorde 6 cyl Front Wheel Drive Automatic 106000 miles

Hi,

I have a Chrysler Concorde 1999, 2.4 L engine, auto transmission and sometimes I see blue smoke coming out of my tailpipe when I push the gas pedal then as I speed up it disappear! It happens usually when I push the gas pedal totally. What is wrong and how much would it cost to fix it?

Thank you!
-Kyle-[/quote:5e1f14a507]

Hi Kyle,

Sounds like the Valve Stem Seals. All it is is oil getting into the combustion chamber and being burned. And as long as it is not to bad I would be to concerned. If it is of concern to you the repair cost could reach $1,500 or more. And that would depend on whether the garage pulls the heads off to do it or not. If they don't pull the heads it could be as low as $500.

.

Hey,

Thanks for the reply. May I ask some questions about this problem?
1, How much would it cost approximately to fix the bad valve part? Is it 1500$???? OMG!
2, How much would it cost around to fix the piston rings?
3, How much would it cost to get the engine rebuilt? Or maybe I should get a new engine?
4, Is there anything that I could do to slow down the deterioration of my engine? For instance change oil and use STP oil treatment, or drive carefully not to use intensively the car or maybe oil flush?
THANKS!!!!

Thank you again for your fast answers. I will bring my car to another auto care center to test my engine and identify what the problem is. So I don't know maybe it is valve problem maybe piston rings or I was told it can be something else. I will ask them about the air pressure option I hope they can do it and it's gonna be cheaper. I do not trust on one or two mechanic's opinion! They always try to get my money as far as I experienced!! I live in TX but they are the same everywhere.

One more thing could you estimate how much time or how many miles could I have left before my engine would die? I have 1999 Chrysler with 106500 miles. I know it is hard to estimate without knowing the current status of the engine but I would like to know what is the worst case and best case scenario since if it last like 5000 or 10000 miles or 1 and a half year more than I would just use STP additive and extra care. I do not know is it worth repairing it or not...

Thank you very much for your help!!

[quote:fc04687f9e="cook2005"]Thank you again for your fast answers. I will bring my car to another auto care center to test my engine and identify what the problem is. So I don't know maybe it is valve problem maybe piston rings or I was told it can be something else. I will ask them about the air pressure option I hope they can do it and it's gonna be cheaper. I do not trust on one or two mechanic's opinion! They always try to get my money as far as I experienced!! I live in TX but they are the same everywhere.

One more thing could you estimate how much time or how many miles could I have left before my engine would die? I have 1999 Chrysler with 106500 miles. I know it is hard to estimate without knowing the current status of the engine but I would like to know what is the worst case and best case scenario since if it last like 5000 or 10000 miles or 1 and a half year more than I would just use STP additive and extra care. I do not know is it worth repairing it or not...

Thank you very much for your help!![/quote:fc04687f9e]

Here is what you do... when you take the vehicle in just have them check out the engine and ask them about the blue smoke and see what they say. Then if they say you need vavle seals replaced get a price then ask them about the how they will do the work.

Depending on what they say the condition of the motor is it could last you another 100k or more. there are a lot vehicle on the road that have over 250k miles on them.

Hope this helps...


.

Hi,

Thanks again for your help. You helped me a lot. I am not a mechanic so let me tell you what I will do:
I will get an appointment in a car care center and let them check the engine with their fancy computers and ask them about the blue smoke and the possible repair including the method and price. Then I ask them about the pressure the cylinder method maybe it would be cheaper and they could do it. Then having the information go to another service place and ask them about the same stuff. And after it call some other repair places and ask them what they could do. So that I will get full information about the prospects of my car and possible repair options.

If the condition is not sewer I think I will not get it repaired. I'm a student at university so I don't have 2500$ to do the engine work. Either way I'm gonna get checked my car and I need to change oil and oil filter so I ask them to get STP oil treatment into my engine and a engine flush too. I hope they will do it not just say it and ask the money for it. I have had very bad experience with mechanics.

I’ll keep you informed. In the next couple of weeks I will bring my car to get checked.

THANK YOU!!

Hi there,

Sorry for my quite late reply. So I got checked my engine for blue smoke and they did compression test. I was told from my 6 cylinders one has week compression thus worn piston rings can be the problem. I got BG engine clean because it is possible that some carbon or other contamination prevents the rings to do what it needs to do. So I got oil change. I was gonna ask synthetic oil because that does not burn as conventional oil (no blue smoke) but I was told it would be better to use conventional oil with BG additive (BG RF 7) that helps seal rings to increase compression and reduce blow-by. BG RF-7 contains additives which keep the engine oil from oxidizing or thickening, and it protects internal parts from corrosive damage. It will help reduce oil consumption and exhaust smoke and will reduce lifter and valve noise. BG RF-7 is compatible with both synthetic and petroleum-base oils.

It is better now and I hardly saw smoke but today I saw the smoke again. Maybe because it was hot day I don't know. SO I guess I still have the problem.

Do you think synthetic or synthetic blend oil would reduce the smoke?

Bad piston rings mean less horse power too? The car runs good and then engine is fine I am just curious.

And the most important question is can bad piston rings cause engine failure so can I brake down because of this smoke blow by problem?

Thanks!

Yes, bad rings can reduce power.

Do you think you can do a test on the cylinders?

If so you will need a Compression tester.

Then remove one plug and install the tester disconnect coil power then turn engine over for about 5 seconds write down reading and cylinder number. Then remove tester and with an oil squirt can squirt some oil into the cylinder and repeat test and write down reading. Do this for each cylinder and post.

What you will be doing is call a dry and wet test. This will tell if you have bad rings or not. If reading remain the same then rings are good. if reading are higher when oil is put into the cylinder then rings are bad.

.

Hi,

So I got the engine tested. It had wet compression test. I did not do it because I have neither tools or garage to do it.

So I got V6 2.7L Engine with ~107000 miles.

Drive side
1: 135
2: 135-140
3: 85

Passenger side
1:150
2:150
3:102

I was told that on the driver side I got low values thus it is bad piston rings or valve seals problem. This is why I got BG RF-7 additive to maintain oil pressure and reduce oil consumption.

In terms of power the engine runs well and I feel it is powerful enough.

I would like to ask two important questions:
-I know there is no magic potion that could fix this problem because the engine should be replaced to fix this but do you think the amount of smoke could be reduced if I used synthetic blend oil that is mixture of conventional and synthetic? To have synthetic oil change every 3 month/3000 miles it is quite expensive not to mention I would use more oil due to this problem but perhaps blend would at least hide the problem/smoke.

-My other question is the most important. Can I brake down due to this piston rings related problem?

Thank you!!!

Ok, the smoke problem won't be cured no matter what you do concerning the Oil. A heavier oil may reduce the smoke but it will still be noticable.

As far as leaving you stranded, yes it can. If it is the rings they will continue to deterierate and possibly break at some point. Could be a week or a month may be longer, it will depend on how fast they break down.


.

Thank you I see.
SO the bottom line is it's a time bomb. I asked this brake down possibility because I also asked my mechanic and he said because that problem my car would not brake down on the road. So now I have two opposite opinions. I think I will ask other people too.

-If the engine can fail due to worn piston rings Is there a sign that shows is it close to total piston rings brake? More smoke strange noise, knocking? Now it runs well and doesn't have bad noise.

If it has at least 10 000 miles in it than I would not worry too much. I would make it painted in Maaco for 1200$ (I got a quote from them, 'supreme' paint with 4 year warranty) and I would use it for 1.5 year more.

-Can I decrease the rings deterioration somehow? Additives, slow driving or not accelerate fast?

Sorry for my lot of questions but for me it is essential to know what my possibilities are.
Thanks!!

Ok, look at it this way...

You already have a couple cylinders that have low compression...

Drive side
1: 135
2: 135-140
[color=red:f61434043b]3: 85 [/color:f61434043b]

Passenger side
1:150
2:150
[color=red:f61434043b]3:102[/color:f61434043b]

typical compression readings are between 125 p.s.i. and 160 p.s.i. all cylinder readings should be within about 5% of each other

Now when any other 2 drop there compression to the same values your engine will pretty much be done with. If it is the rings.

I honestly am not convinced that it is the rings.

If it is the valves then it most likely you won't break down. Possible causes for a low compression condition are: burned intake or exhaust valve, broken piston or piston ring, broken valve spring or a blown head gasket.

One question if you can answer...

Was a dry test done? I ask because if both tests were done and there was no change in the values then it is not the rings.

No worries about all the questions that is what we are here for.


.

Hi,

Well last time I was told by my mechanic that he did not think I had worn piston rings with this engine and mileage (107.000 miles). He said he thought I have valve seals problem or blown gasket perhaps some debris doesn't let the valves work correctly furthermore that engine (2.7 V6 Chrysler) is tend to get oil sludge so he suggested having another engine clean (BG product) before oil change and he said I should use the BG RF-7 oil additive too. I will ask him about the wet/dry test. Perhaps they didn't do the dry test just the wet test.

Another recent bad thing is today I wanted to go to work/school and my car did not start. I knew it was the battery because sometimes the internal lights are blinking during driving and at night when the car is parked. I cannot control it so it drained the battery. After I got jump started the car it ran good so I got it to my mechanic who did not find anything yet. He said he needed more days to find the problem. WHAT A HECK CAUSES THIS PROBLEM?? Perhaps bad fuse? The battery was tested 1 week ago and it was fine.

Can I just take out the fuse that is responsible for the internal lamps? Or it would do more harm?

Thanks for your time, help and patience!

The interior light problem could be a short in the door switch/button.

On the BG RF-7 oil additive, I don't kow anything on it so I cannot recommend or not recommend the product. If you mechanic says it is a good product then use it.

The only additive that I could recommend that is similar is a product called Rislone.


.

Hi,

I will bring my car to oil change soon (3 months is almost over although I drove just 700 miles) and I was wondering is there any way to check there is excessive oil sludge in the motor? I checked several forums and 90% of the times engine failure was caused by oil sludge. I took of the oil cap and looked inside and took sample with my finger from inside from the very the top of the engine but I didn't find sludge.

I had BG quick clean I don't know is it the same as engine flush or not. Anyway I was told by my mechanic we should do it again.

How could I get rid of the sludge safely? I heard flush can kill the engine (clog oil passage).

Thanks!

The best way to check is to pull a valve cover off and inspect the oil drain holes in the head.

The BG quick clean is about the same an engine flush.

As long as the flush is done correctly and not done but about 2 times a year you should be just fine. And flush won't clog the oil passages. Flush disolves the slug and breaks it up.


.

Hi,

I'm sorry that I bother you again but I would like to ask an expert so I would turn to you.

So I have a Chrysler Concorde 2.7L V6 car that has 107600 miles and it was made in 1999. You might remember that my car has suspicious blue smoke and I got compression test and it turned out I got low (but not terribly low) compression on two valves. You can look back our conversation too.

So I have been using BG products since 2 oil changes. (BG oil treatment RF-7, and BG Engine quick clean). I drove 900 miles in 3 months so I got another oil change with BG products again. I moved to a different place so I assume will go 1500 miles in 3 months. This engine requires extra care (sludge cleaning) and 3 months/3000 mile oil change. So I change it due time. To be honest I experience better performance, smooth run and much less smoke and I drove less then 2000 miles so I guess BG products help. Of course I also use Lucas fuel injector cleaner every oil change.

Anyway today I got check engine light (yellow) and I was freaked out so I went to auto zone to read the computer for error code. I was told my o2 sensor has problem (bank2). The guy told me it is not a big deal. According to him I will not break down because of bad o2 sensor. That sensor in bank2 was changed in 11th of November, 2008, 5500 miles ago. Do you think it should have last more? I think it went wrong because my possible bad valve seals or worn piston rings (lower compression) that lead to excessive oil consumption although BG products + Lucas treatment decreased oil consumption significantly. The guy at auto zone reset my car's computer and said if the problem came back I should change it. He said if the problem did not come back I would not need to worry. He also told me that he had driven his car with bad o2 sensor for 6 months and nothing bad happened...

So my questions:
1, Is he right that I will not brake down because of this? I mean what if I don't change o2 sensor now just 2 month later? I think catalytic converter can overheat or not?
2,Why did it go wrong?
3,Can I change it home in my garage? I mean is it hard to do on my car?(1999, Chrysler Concorde, 2.7L V6)


Thank you for your time and help!

Ok, first off would need the actual code. With your car you possibly have 3 or 4 O2 sensors. So, it may not be the one that has been replaced.

I have known many people drive around for months and up to a year or so before changing and O2 sensor. The biggest thing with the O2 sensor is you will most likey notice a drop in your fuel milage.

Yes you should be able to change an O2 sensor yourself. They are pretty similar to a bolt, except they have wires coming out of them. They do make a special socket for removing them, the only problem is with the location of some one the sensors it is nearly impossible to get the socket on them.

Now with your other problem, it could cause the failure of the O2 sensors and cause a cat failure and overheat.


.

Hi,

Thank you for your fast reply!

So my computer was reset in Autozone thus check engine light is gone now. I drove my car like 30 miles and it did not come back yet but I guess it will.

My mechanic told me people at Autozone were idiots. According to him they don't know what are they doing. He said I needed to bring my car to him and he would connect my car to his big computer for 70$ to see what is going on and figure out why it went wrong. He is right because the problem needs to be fixed not the symptom but I don't get this o2 sensor. If it is bad why the check engine light did not come back immediately or after 10 miles? Now it seems it's working. My mpg is 24.2 (mixed driving) and increasing since I have been driving carefully! It is a 2.7L V6. If the o2 sensor would be dead shouldn't the check engine light come back immediately and shouldn't my mpg would be much worse?

So do you think I should just change o2 sensor for 70$ in my garage or go to my mechanic do a test for 70$ and if just the o2 sensor is bad pay like 100$ more (parts+labor) for repair and if for example the cat is bad too to change that it can cost a fortune. Just wonder what could cased the problem and how much would it cost to fix it. Usually what makes them go wrong?


Thanks!

Ok, well as far as your mechanic saying the people at Autozone are idiots and don't know what they are doing, well they are not idiots and they are not mechanics they are trained to use the code reader and all they can tell you is what the reader has read from your computer. Your mechanic just wants the $70 for reading they codes. We tell you to go there and have codes read and post the codes on here so we can help determine the cause of the code. And get the info and assistance on getting it fixed for Free.

As far as the O2 sensors and setting codes, yes in most cases it will set a code. However, if it is only failing at times or intermitantly is will only set a code when it fails temperarily. So, it may have only failed just long enough to set the code and turn engine light on. And normally it will take up to 1000+ miles or 100 - 200 key starts to reset code on it own.

I would suggest waiting till engine light comes back on, when it does go by Autozone and have codes read and post them here (the number code ex: P0172)

Cause like I stated in previous post your vehicle has from 1 - 4 O2 sensors.


.

Hello,

I read about o2 sensors on the Internet and having you explanation too I think I know what happened and what is going on. Please feel free to correct me though!

My o2 sensor did not work correctly for like 1-2 sec so it made an error code that made check engine light come on. When my computer had been reset the check engine light did not come back (yet...) so it means o2 sensor is not 100% bad just it is wearing out so every now and then it cannot operate properly. So perhaps it works like on 90% and not on 100% as it should.

Well as soon as I get check engine light again
(I assume it is going to come) I will go to Auto zone to read out the code and post it for you and discuss what can I do and what the problem is.

As far as number of o2 sensors I think I have four. I saw two on the side of my engine (left and right). I think those are the o2 sensors before cat and I assume there are two more after cat under the car.

Thank you so much for your help!!!!!

Yes, that is correct.

With the O2 sensors you have one in each Exhaust Manifold , then depending on the system set up, single or dual exhaust will depend on the other sensor(s).

.

Hi,

I got the check engine light again after my computer was reset. Since than I have driven 400 miles. Today I got the P0153 code.
I have a Chrysler Concorde 2.7L, 1999.

What is wrong with my car and how can I fix it?

-I was told it could be misfire (my engine was tuned up 2000-3000 miles ago with new double platinum spark plugs)
-I was told it could be bad o2 sensor or bad wires to o2 sensor
-I was told it could be fuel pump/ pressure problem
-I was told it could be leak on air intake system (I changed air filter 1000 miles ago to Fram air filter)
-I was told it could be leak on exhaust fume system.

So I really wonder what is wrong?
What do you think?

Hello Again,

Sorry for delay in getting back with you haven't been on do to work and personal problems.

Anyway here is the code def....

P0153 Oxygen Sensor Circuit Slow Response (Bank 2 Sensor 1) this sensor should be the on ein the exhaust manifold on the back or firewall side.

Since that is the only code you got then most likely it is the O2 Sensor. I would change it and then clear codes again.

In my experience with an O2 sensor code if something else is possibly causing the code you will get more than one code. Especially in newer vehicle 98/99 and up.


.

Hi,

No problem because of your later reply. I understand that you are not next to your computer 24/7.

Well if I am not mistaken I got o2 sensor malfunction and this sensor is located after cat thus it is located under the car. I cannot change that without help so I need to go to mechanic who will not change it unless he can read out the code with his computer for 70$ So altogether I will pay like 200$ (o2 sensor ~80$ code reading ~70$, labor ~50$) damn...

For how long can I drive with bad o2 sensor? My oil change is due at 14th of October. Can it last till then?

My other question is that can I go to limp mode due to o2 sensor failure?


Thanks!!

Well, with the code you posted it indicates the one in the Exhaust Manifold not the one after the cat.

Your vehicle has either 3 or 4 O2 sensors and there location should be as follows....

One in each exhaust manifold then one in front of cat and then one behind cat.

As far as driving, if driven to long with faulty sensor can cause cat to go bad. And cause bigger problems.

A bad or faulty O2 Sensor will not cause your vehicle to enter Limp Mode.

I have known people who have driven the vehicles with a bad O2 sensor for up too a year with no problems except for the reduced gas milage.


.

Okay so my bad/worn o2 sensor is located on the side of the engine not under the car thus it is before cat.

You said if I drove too long with faulty o2 sensor my cat would go wrong. What did you mean under too long? 1000 miles or less or more?

In a month I drive around 500-600 miles.

Please confirm my theory if it is true: My o2 sensor is wearing out because when my computer was reset I needed several hundred miles before the check engine light would have come back. Therefore the o2 sensor is not totally bad just worn. So I think if I go to my mechanic to change it on 14th of October when my oil change is due I would be fine and I would not cause problem to any other parts of the car. Is that right theory?

Thanks!

Ok, I cannot honestly say how many miles you could safely drive your vehicle without changing the O2 Sensor. Each Vehicle is different and it will depend on many things one being what signals the computer is getting and then the computer telling the vehicle to give more gas or give less gas. The more it tell to give gas the more unburnt gas goes through the exhaust and the unburnt gas is what will inturn damage and cause the Cat to go bad.

If you plan on waiting till your oil change I would highly reccomend keeping an eye on you gas milage and locate the area were the cat is and keep a feel for heat in that area of the floor board. And if it starts getting hotter than normal then at that point your cat is starting to fail. And if you happen to look at it and it is cherry red you can be sure the cat is history and you may have cause some engine damage from the excessive heat.


.

Hi,

Well it did last ~200 miles and my Check Engine light came back. I did not get read out the code but I guess I would get the same o2 sensor problem code. I will go to my mechanic Monday to get my oil changed and he wants to hook up his computer to my car to see what is wrong. He said AutoZone code readers were not precise and I may have other problem with o2 sensor code such as vacuum leak. Do you think so?

I would like to ask two things.
What oil do you recommend me to use to fill after. I got Mobil from my mechanic with BG RF-7 oil treatment. I need around 1 quart refill /1670 miles. Before BG products (quick clean and RF-7) it was 1 quart/900 miles. So I use Valvoline premium conventional as refill since mobil is also conventional not synthetic or blend. 10W30 what I use. I was told quaker, penzoil, tech (walmart stuff) were not good for my engine type. So what do you think I should use to refill when I am running low on oil?

My other question is gas related. I need regular 87. I noticed that not all of the gas stations have 87. They have 86 as regular. I started using Shell regular (2.23$/gallon here in TX) that is slightly more expensive but it is just 86. I noticed better performance and I was told Shell gas had more engine/fuel system cleaning molecules than other gas. Does that 1 octaine difference count and is Shell really better than FINA or Phillips 66?

Thanks!

Hi Kyle,

With the O2 sensor, yes there could be other underlying problems and a vacuum leak could be one, however, usually with that year you would also get a code that would indicate a vacuum or emmission leak.

Now if you have an Exhaust leak it could cause the O2 sensor to miss read and set a code and not show or produce a code.

With the Oil I would continue using the Valvoline premium conventional or the Mobil 10w30. As long as it is helping with lowering the oil consumption.


With the Octane here is something to try and see how the vehicle does. On your next fill up use the lowest octane but get an Octane Booster and put in prior to filling up. Also most newer vehicles from 97/98 on up seem to run and get better gas milage on higher octane gas. I know our 03 Chevy Venture gets about 3 -5 more miles a gallon on the highest octane.

As far as which brand is better well honestly I don't know, It seems to me that they are all claiming to have better cleaners and will booster your milage and lengthen your engine life. So, I cannot honesly recommend one.


Mark Shreaves


.

HI,

So I brought to my car to service to my mechanic. I paid 311$. Since I'm a student that was expensive but I need to have a working car. (70$ computer scan, 111$ o2 sensor, 14.95$ inspection, oil change+engine clean+oil treatment)
After the computer scan I was told I had Transmission range selector error code in the memory (705 and 133) but my transmission was tested and the problem did not come up. I was told that I had had that code because my battery must have died ( it is true ) and since than it was stored.

Anyway I would like to ask you opinion about several things that I was told. This car shop has two certified Chrysler mechanics. According to their policy just they can repair my Chrysler. So I asked them about the condition of my car and engine (blow-by). They said apart from the blow-by it seemed to be fine!They said I had low compression on 2 cylinders because:
1,worn piston rings (valve steams less likely)
2,blown gasket because I have low compression on two adjacent cylinders. However my engine never overheated so I think we can disregard this option.

These are the most possible problems. They told me I had around 10.000-12.000 miles (it was rough estimate) in the car before the engine would fail. At this moment the engine works well just I got blow by that I can see when I start going from red light. It has some engine noise when idle but I was told that was normal. It has ample power and can reach 115-120 MPH without problem.


A, So I do not feel the issue but I just would like to know is there a symptom in driving performance, engine noise, etc that warns me that due to worn piston rings the engine is about to die?

B, I also was told that I should not drive on high rpm and that could help to prolong the life on my engine in this condition. Do you think that would help?

C, Do you think 10.000-12.000 miles estimate is roughly correct?


Thanks!!!

Ok, as I stated in the beginning they can determine if it is the Rings or the Valves by doing a Wet Compression Test. And if the test shows an increase in compression then yes it is the rings.

Answer A - The only indication will be the Increasing of Exhaust Smoke and you will develope a rough running engine. But engine shouldn't just die.

Answer B - Honestly I don't think it will matter. If it is the rings then when they decide they have had enough there going to fail no matter what. And same goes if it is the Valves.

Answer C - Honestly, I don't think you can give an accurate guestimate on how long it will last. It could last that long or longer or could fail in next month or so.


.

Thank you for your answers and opinion. There would be one more thing.

I went to the Chrysler dealership and asked the manager to let me speak with their mechanics. They said to my problem that thicker oil could significantly reduce blow-by. I use 10-30W. What do you think I should use as thicker oil? Also I believe thicker oil would kill my oil pump or might kill other important elements but according to Chrysler's mechanics old Chrysler cars should change to thicker oil than what is recommended.
What do you think?

Thank you for your help! I am grateful for it!!

-K-

Well I totally Disagree...

First off most vehicles that start using or getting blow-by will start using a heaver oil than recommended and it won't hurt a thing. The only thing I would suggest is that if you live in a cold climate that you get a heated dip stick to keep oil warm. The reason is that the thicker oil will take longer to circulate when it is cold.

As far as what to use I would start with a 10w40 and see how it does. Usually it will help quite a bit.


.

Hi,

I have a strange problem in the last couple of weeks. So I accelerate from 0 to 55mph or 50mph and when I reach the 40-42 mph my rev falls back 500-600 to 2500 from 3000 and soon jumps up back. The real strange thing is my car keep accelerating constantly so it is not like engine stall. And later around 52-53 mph the transmission goes to 4th.
Other than this I do not notice any change on my car.

Do you know what could cause this problem? Why is this magic number 40-42 or 43 mph?

THANKS!

Sounds like the tranny slipping. When was last tranny service? Take a look at the fluid the color should be reddish or some people say pinkish. Also smell it does it smell burnt. If looks brown/black and/or smells burnt have tranny serviced. A filter and fluid change should take care of the problem. Also is engine light on?



.

Hi,

Yes I agree it is transmission slipping. I read a lot on the Internet and checked youtube for videos and my symptom is similar but in my case it is very hard to notice but I know my car so I can notice any unusual noise.

I checked my transmission fluid and it is reddish, light brownish but comparing to my engine oil it is definitely reddish pinkish. In terms of smell well it is not nice but not burnt at all thus color and smell seemed okay.

I do not know when was the tranny serviced. I bought this car as a used and on the records I did not find tranny service. I can imagine that it never was serviced. If it is true I heard that I should never change the fluid because new fluid can mess it up.

Also I do not have any warning lights on.

So what do you think the problem is?
-Solenoid?
-Sensor?
-Clutch?
-Fluid and filter? (this is your guess)

More importantly how serious this problem is? I should get it fixed asap or it can wait till January when my oil change is due? Have you used Lucas Transmission fix?

thanks for your help!

Well, as far as never changing tranny fluid because it will mess it up is NOT true. It will damage the tranny if fluid is cause of problem.

Since your vehicle is a 99 if it were a sensor or selenoid it would turn your engine light on.

So the possible causes without testing could be...

Broken down tranny fluid with clogged filter...

Worn Clutches...

Weak pump...

or

Torque converter going bad...

The Cheapest this to try first would be the tranny fluid and filter change.

If doesn't fix then would need to take to tranny shop for pressure testing.


.

Hi,

I went to another car shop where they did free diagnostic and test on my car as well as my transmission. They did not find any problem! But I still experience the rpm drop between 3rd and 4th gear. Not right before 4th though. Like 40-45mph and rpm drops from 3000 to 2500 and 55-60 mph car goes to 4th.

I do not have any error code. I think the most probable is slipping clutch. I checked the trans. fluid it was fine. In fact the shop did 168 point inspection + test and I was told the S-belt is worn but trans. was fine.

Anyway, I'd like to ask that which (used) car would you suggest me to buy if I needed to buy another:

-2008 Chrysler Sebring (3.5 L)
-2008 Hyundai Sonata (3.3 L)

I like Chrysler style (similar to Mercedes from front) but I am little bit concerned due to lot of horror stories in terms of reliability. Hyundai looks nice but it has not too comfortable seats and the reputation of Hyundai is not that good although it's rising.

Hi Kyle,

If that is the only time you notice the drop in rpm's, and there is no other time then the problem could be a Shift Selenoid or the Torque Converter. And you would need to take to a tranny shop for proper diagnosis. If it was a clutch you should feel it frequently at speeds above 45.

As far as which vehicle to purchase, the only thing I can suggest is when you go to test drive and all if possible take to someone to have it checked out and also request a Car Fax Report, if they don't get one for you take your business elsewhere. Also, get in writing what there warrantee covers and for how long. And if after you purchase the vehicle make sure that if you have any problems with the vehicle you write down the problem (date and time) call the place you purchased it from set a appointment for check. Make sure they do paperwork so there is proof of problem and make sure you get any and all paperwork they have on the problem/diagnosis.

I say the above cause my oldest daughter purchased a car without me checking it out. And she got ripped

.

Hi,

First of all HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I am sorry that your daughter was screwed with her vehicle. Yes I want to do the paper work due course and due diligence. I have learnt a lot about cars so I am much confident now.

I went to a 400 miles trip and my car went well. 24.7 MPG average mixed driving. I also noticed that the transmission "problem" does not occur when the engine is cold in the morning.... strange....

So you think the problem is likely to be Shift Selenoid or the Torque Converter. How serious these problems are? Also how much would it cost to fix them roughly?

Another question would be that can I top of my motor oil with synthetic blend oil? I have conventional mobil from the shop but to top off I though I could use synthetic blend high mileage oil because it could treat the seals better. It is already a mix of conventional and synthetic so I guess it cannot hurt but I just want to make sure. Of course it is 10-30W also! (Valvoline Maxlife)

Thanks!
Kyle