2001.5 3.5L 2x4 transmission issues, help diagnose...

[wwwrpm]

I just drained and filled the transmission with new fluid. This pathy has the transmission cooler installed. It's been doing something funny and wanted help speculating how long this transmission has before it dies:

When going up hills, sometimes it gets confused (should probably downshift) and the rpms start to drop but the gas pedal hasnt moved and I start to slow down and lose power. Then if you give it more gas, after 1 or 2 seconds it revs up to 3-4k and finally goes into a higher gear. The most recent time I can remember this happening on a steep hill, when it finally shifted it made a whirling/gurgling sound for a sec. Today on that same steep hill it sounded like what a car with a bad power steering belt sounds like when it starts up (screeching for a maybe 1.5 secs).

There haven't been any hard shifts or jerking / bumping as it shifts. Aside from this hill issue it shifts normally

1) I'm gonna test leaving overdrive off, you think this will help?

2) anyone have any experience with this type of symptom and could shed some light on it?

I really don't want to have the transmission serviced

[mdmellott]

If that screeching noise came from the transmission, it's living on borrowed time already. Servicing before it leaves you stranded may be your best option.

[PalmerWMD]

If you just drained and filled the fluid and gets symptoms right after there is a chance you got the fluid level wrong.
Make sure it is correct.

[wwwrpm]

If you just drained and filled the fluid and gets symptoms right after there is a chance you got the fluid level wrong.
Make sure it is correct.

If anything I probably put a quart or two (or more?) more than I should have. Would overfill cause this?

Also worth noting that before the transmission fluid was changed it had the same hill issue

[PalmerWMD]

Yes overfilling can cause significant problems.
(Of course if the problem existed before your job it was not caused by the overfilling, even so it will not be possible for you to diagnose correctly as long as its overfilled)

[wwwrpm]

Yes overfilling can cause significant problems.
(Of course if the problem existed before your job it was not caused by the overfilling, even so it will not be possible for you to diagnose correctly as long as its overfilled)

this is good to know.

i haven't had time to check the levels and drain excess, but i did a PARK/NEUTRAL POSITION SWITCH diagnostic procedure and found out that all gears are detected EXCEPT for Drive. Not sure what this means but it can't be good. The manual says next step is to inspect the PNP switch but it's on the transmission and that's out of my comfort zone...