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98 neon: Random harddownshifts and delayed upshifts


Browning

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Well it done it last year for a few days then completely went away. Now it's back.

 

Downshifting from 2nd to 1st is pretty hard sometimes. Sometimes it doesn't want to upshift into 2nd either. Totally random and the last couple days I tried a few things to see if it helped or not. I was pulling over and turning the car off which seemed to remedy it for a bit but today I would just toss it into neutral and back into gear and it would be good to go. Might come back a few miles later or an hour later.

 

I read online about a solenoid pack issue with these and that it might need changed. Supposedly sits on top of the transmission and can easily be swapped out? Also, a ton of posts about removing the battery tray and lubing up the kickdown linkage. Seems that the linkage issue is the most common on these.

 

Any of you mechanics or previous/current neon owners had an issue like this? Since going into neutral then back into gear seems to have an affect on it I'm leaning more towards a gummed up linkage but wanted to ask here before giving it a shot. When it's shifting right it's smooth as butter so I don't think it's a major transmission issue.

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Since its a Neon, I would check your radiator, Trans fluid, and your coolant reservoir for purple milkshake. The radiators on the Neons are garbage. The transmission cooler is integrated into the radiator and they rot from the inside, allowing coolant and transmission fluid to mix, making the fluid look like a strawberry milkshake. once water is in the transmission, its pretty much done.

 

If none of that is the case, I would go for the solenoid pack as well, and a fresh trans filter/fluid change. BTW, if you need a new transmission, this is probably the easiest one in the world to change

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