Timbo

My 2001 ES300 has been sitting idle for the past six months. I decided to jump start it today (I keep the negative disconnected from my battery when not in use for extended periods of time, but it was dead anyway) and take it out for a spin to keep everything working. I noticed when it up-shifts, there is a bit of a jerking sensation. I checked the tranny fluid and it is full. It has never had any problems like this before and worked fine the last time I drove it.

I have 98,000 original miles on it. When it was my everyday drive, I used to have the tranny fluid replaced about every third time I got the oil changed. I never had the tranny flushed. I just had the fluid drained and replaced. I am concerned that leaving the car sitting for so many months without driving it has somehow caused an issue with the tranny. Not sure why or what it would be but it used to shift just fine. Now there is a slight jerk when it up-shifts.

Thoughts?

LeX2K

Drop the pain and replace the filter just in case I've seen the media harden and prevent proper flow. My ES sits 6 months of the year (for 13 years now) I've never had any issues. Have noticed lower cost brands of ATF go bad just by sitting.

Timbo

Thanks for your input. I'll give that a try.

Timbo

July 30, 2023 Update - Because my battery wouldn't hold a charge, I replaced it. My tranny now shifts normal again.

Not sure why an undercharged battery would cause a shifting problem, but happy to report that it resolved itself after replacing the battery. Thanks.