Hello all, have a 05 weekender that I've been doing some work on. Changed the sparks/ignition coils and VVTs. That cleared the misfires on 3 and 4.

But, i still have intermittent trans faults thrown. I've got 188K on it, bought from a friend who kept up with maintenance. So, that brings me to the transmission. I've heard from several reliable sources that you should NOT replace fluids on a car this old. True or not? I also suspect the solenoid is the culprit but understand that's more than a top engine repair like the sparks/ignition coils.

It's always been bumpy between 2/3 which leads me to believe a solenoid. Is that a fair assessment from an admittedly novice mechanic? What's really involved with that replacement and should I even take it on??

Thanks in advance...

 

That is an issue with 1st gear solenoid, try a fluid flush and filter replacement first to see if that helps. Solenoid replacement isn't difficult but would be best done with 2 people when removing and replacing the valve body.

 

I wouldn't hesitate to change the fluid

If your buddy truly "kept up" then he would have changed it at least 1x already anyway

And if you think you need to do anything internal - you are changing fluid anyway

So go for it