2001 130,000 miles. When the vehicle is fully cold and I try to get started first gear slips a lot. The revs climb up to around 3000 then it seems to grab and feel normal. i replaced with quality fluid and filter last year, and rechecked and the fluid is still topped up.
Is this just something I ignore until it blows up?

 

Just to confirm, you checked the fluid level when fully warm and with the engine running?

 

^^^this^^^

Are you checking and filling the trans correctly?

​​​​​​​ Brian.

 

You mean via the fill hole on the side of the trans since we have no dipstick? I thought the procedure was a cold fill until it runs out that fill hole?

 

Per the RAVE, that's only the first stage of the fill process. After that you start the engine, bring it up to temperature, slowly shift through all the gears, then put it back in Park and fill it until it runs out of the hole again while the engine is still running.

 

Yes, it holds about another three or four quarts...after doing the cold fill.

Once you do the cold fill, start it, warm it up and run it through the gears and fill while running...until fluid comes out of the fill hole in a small diameter stream (1/8). Vehicle must be level. Buy one of those hand pumps that mounts on top of a quart container to fill.

Brian.