6 Symptoms of a Bad Transmission Valve Body (and Replacement Cost)

Like an automatic transmission’s control center, the valve body directs fluid to change gears. Though not a common failure, valve body problems aren’t simple fixes.

Let’s look at the common symptoms associated with valve body failure, whether repairing it is an option, and what the cost of transmission valve body replacement is.

symptoms of bad transmission valve body

Common Symptoms of a Bad Transmission Valve Body

If you have a failing automatic transmission valve body, there are some clear symptoms that you should look out for.

#1 – Harsh or Delayed “Garage Shifts”

car won't go in reverse

One of the most common signs you have a problem with your transmission valve body is a delay (2 or more seconds) or harsh shift when shifting from Park to Drive or Park to Reverse. These are commonly referred to as “garage shifts”.

If you have a problem with only one scenario (example: Park –> Reverse), try to limit the amount of times you’re in that situation even if it means backing into the garage or a parking space each time.

#2 – Incorrect Up or Down Shifting

incorrect transmission shifting

While driving, you may notice that your transmission is shifting into a higher or lower gear at the wrong time.

For instance, you may be going up a hill and even though you want the transmission to shift down to give you more power, it instead shifts into a higher gear making the drive up the hill much more difficult.

In addition, you could be driving a steady 60 MPH on a level highway and your transmission sporadically shifts into either a higher or lower gear for no reason. Any type of erratic shifting can be a symptom of a bad transmission valve body.

#3 – Shift Flares

high RPM tachometer

When everything in your transmission is working correctly, in between every shift the engine RPM should briefly decrease on an up-shift (ie: 3rd to 4th gear) to match up with the higher gear.

A “shift flare” is when the opposite occurs: the engine RPM instead increases on an up-shift.

#4 – Banging or Knocking Sounds

tire noise

If you hear a banging or knocking sound as your gears change while accelerating (up-shifts) or slowing down (down-shifts) or when putting your car into reverse, that may be an indication of a faulty valve body.

#5 – Gear Slippage

poor acceleration

While it could be something else like low transmission fluid or worn transmission bands, when your transmission slips out of gear while driving, it could mean your valve body is going bad.

With a slipping transmission, your vehicle may try to up-shift but then quickly falls into a lower gear. Or it may even refuse to shift into a higher gear which makes your engine run at a higher RPM than usual.

#6 – Check Engine Light On

check engine light

If you experience any of the symptoms above and your check engine light, malfunction indicator lamp (MIL), or transmission light comes on, it’s a good idea to scan your vehicle for stored diagnostic trouble codes.

Since the transmission valve body is responsible for so many functions of the transmission, many transmission related DTC codes can pop up. These may include P0705, P0715, P0730, P0751, P0783, P0829, P2707, among others.

It is easy to ignore these kinds of symptoms in the beginning because they may not be so bad. But the problems with your valve body will often become more clear when you drive your car continuously for at least 30 minutes and your transmission fully heats up.

If you experience any of these problems, it’s advisable to take your vehicle to an auto repair shop and ask a mechanic for their expert opinion.

Transmission Valve Body Replacement Cost

Best places to order parts?  See: 19 Best Online Auto Parts Stores

transmission valve body replacement cost

Replacing your automatic transmission valve body is no easy task, which means it’s not cheap. For a complete job (parts + labor), expect to pay somewhere in the vicinity of $390 to $860.

Parts alone cost on average $250 to $500 but expect to pay more for certain makes such as Mercedes, Volvo, Porsche, and others. Labor costs for the 2-3 hour job will be around $140 to $360 depending on if you go to an independent mechanic or dealership.

You can slightly reduce your costs by purchasing a re-manufactured valve body assembly if one is available for your vehicle.

Note: Before agreeing on replacing the valve body, make sure the issue is simply not a bad transmission solenoid by getting a second opinion from a different shop. Replacing a transmission solenoid is much cheaper.

Related: Torque Converter Clutch Solenoid Replacement Cost

Replace vs Rebuild

Some transmission repair shops might offer the option of rebuilding your current valve body instead of replacing with a brand new (or remanufactured) one. This can sometimes save you some money, especially for some higher end cars. But should you do that?

Generally speaking, if you have a higher mileage car (100,000 miles or more), you should simply replace your valve body. For lower mileage cars, rebuilding the current transmission valve body is a fairly good option if you’re dealing with a good transmission shop.

How a Transmission Valve Body Works

All automatic transmission systems have a valve body which serves as the “brain” of the transmission.

There are dozens of various passages and channels within the valve body which direct the flow of pressurized hydraulic fluid to different valves in order to activate the right clutch pack or band and shift to the most appropriate gear based on the current driving situation.

See Also: What Transmission Does My Car Have?

Think of each channel as a tumbler on a lock which has to perfectly line up so transmission fluid is directed where it should.

The valves that make up the valve body each serve a different purpose and their names reflect what they do. For example, the valve body has a 2-3 shift valve which is responsible for up shifting from 2nd gear to 3rd gear.

And if there’s going to be a downshift from 4th gear to 3rd gear, then the 4-3 shift valve would be responsible for that.

auto-trans-valve-body

Types of Valve Body

There are two main types of valve body. The first type is the electronic valve body which uses the electronic system ECT (electronic controlled transmission) as its main control to operate all shifting on an automatic transmission.

Many newer cars use this electronically controlled transmission (ECT) which has bands and clutches that are operated via hydraulics.

However, an electric solenoid valve is used to control each hydraulic circuit. This is what allows the transmission to have more elaborate and advanced control schemes than non-electronically controlled transmissions.

The controller of the transmission can monitor the throttle position, vehicle speed, anti-lock braking system, and the engine speed.

The other type of valve body is called the hydraulic valve body. This system works by using hydraulic pressure to control each valve that’s linked to the shifting lever.

When you change the handle’s position, it will uncover and cover certain passages in the valve body to accommodate that position. So, if you were to change the gear lever to “Drive,” then fluid would be directed into the clutch and 1st gear would be activated.

Mark Stevens

158 Comments

  1. Hi,

    I have a 2005 Nissan Pathfinder, 4-wheel drive. It seemed like the transmission was intermittently slipping a little bit, then suddenly it will only move very slowly (less than 5 mph) is this a bad valve body?

    1. I don’t know, but it does sound like a transmission issue. I’d get it checked out, that’ll probably need a diagnosis from a mechanic in person.

  2. Changed the valve body on my 2014 q50 3.7 after putting the oil pan back on and refilling the transmission it started leaking around the oil pan any ideas of why it could be leaking put a new gasket from the dealership

    1. It sounds like the new gasket isn’t sealing correctly. Were the two surfaces cleaned before putting the oil pan back on?

  3. My beetle if I put it in drive it takes off in 3 rd gear and stays there no down shifting nor will it go in high gear. If I manually put it in first then second then third that works but still won’t go into 4th gear. Reverse works fine. Is this a bad valve body?

  4. Ive just borrowed omb
    I have these error if they mean anything
    P0796 PRESSURE CONTROL PERFORMANCE SOLENOID C STUCK OFF.

    P0776 PRESSURE CONTROL PERFORMANCE SOLENOID B STUCK OFF.

    P2723 PRESSURE CONTROL PERFORMANCE SOLENOID E STUCK OFF.

    Would this suggest that it needs a new valve body or tehcm

    Any help would be grateful

    1. Sorry, I won’t be much help on this one. I think you will need to take it to a transmission shop for a diagnosis.

      Could be a bad valve body, TCM, wiring, or grounding issue. I’m not sure.

      1. Hey sean.my Dakota started slipping then lost 3rd all together and 4th took transmission out opened it and one the valves has popped out bent the plate on the end the spring is still on it can I save it and put it back in or is it a gonner I think the body still looks ok but not sure what’s ur take on it

        1. I’ve never rebuilt a transmission so I really can’t say. I might consider taking some pictures to show a transmission shop. They should be able to tell you the answer pretty quickly.

  5. Hi! I have a 06 Toyota Camry and recently stuck in the snow. After getting out my check engine light came on and the shifting was harsh like the the timing was off. The code is P0776 “Pressure Control Solenoid B Performance or Stuck Off”. The auto shop said that one of the pins got twisted and now the transmission fluid is leaking out because of it and they want to replace the transmission for $3,000. Do you think I should replace it or can the pin be fixed for cheaper? Thank-you!

  6. Hello, I would like to find out if the transmission range sensor has any relation with the gear valve box. My Nissan Versa 2014 has a check engine light displayed on the dashboard. One mechanic diagnosed with the OBDII scanner and it read the code P0705. Another mechanic is saying it’s the gear box valve. I would like to know if these two are related before I decide on which mechanic works on it.

    1. The transmission range sensor is responsible for measuring shifter position. I don’t know what a “gear box valve” is, but I assume he was talking about the valve body. The transmission range sensor and valve body are related in the sense that the shifter changes solenoid position in the valve body.

  7. Hi, I have a Subaru Impreza 2012 hatchback automatic, the Engine light turn on my dashboard when I was driving and then the low oil temp light switched on later flashing. I’ve been told by my mechanic the transmission valve body has failed. The car was still drivable and it didn’t seem like there were any noises coming from it. They said at first I may need to replace the body but after further discussion they then said maybe just a solanoid. Which they will confirm. Not sure what I should do ?

    1. Other than the dashboard lights, has your vehicle been doing anything unusual latley?

      It’s probably best to defer to the mechanics in the shop, since they were able to see the vehicle for themselves.

  8. My hyaundai has 111,000 miles and I just did a fluid change on the transmission. They ran fluid through it until it came out clean.

  9. I have a 2017 Hyaundai elantra SE. It drives wonderfully except when it decides to downshift from 5th to 4th on the highway when I accelerate to pass or just pick up speed. It downshifts rough. bangs into 4th. That is the only gear it happens to.
    Any thoughts?

        1. Since you changed the fluid so recently I’m wondering if the fluid level is correct and if the fluid change was done properly. If you took the vehicle to a shop to have the fluid changed, I would take it back to them and describe the problem in detail. Have them check the transmission fluid level and verify they used the correct fluid for your vehicle. Perhaps they used the wrong fluid by mistake, but whatever the problem is they should be able to get you sorted.

  10. Hello , I have a 2014 Nissan Pathfinder (CVT) I changed the radiator/cooling fan assembly myself. After changing it , I notice that when in drive the gear automatically moves to neutral. If I hold it in drive it will stay. I have changed the transmission fluid and it’s still the same. Any idea?

    1. Those problems really don’t sound related. I think you might have to bring it to a shop to see if they can figure out why it won’t stay in drive.

      Any chance you bumped something important while you were in there?

  11. Hello
    I have a 2010 Elantra that I think has the “Shift Flares” issue. When going from 2 to 3 it would rev for a few seconds then go. Also this happens sometimes when going from 1 to 2. Not sure if that is an issue since I’ve spoken to other Elantra owners who said they experience the same. Can this be fixed? I was thinking of removing the valve body and checking the solder joints and the solenoid but if it was made this way then maybe there is nothing I can do. I checked the OBD but dont see any codes. I purchased this used and did a transmission flush and also replaced the valve cover due to oil in the spark plug. Presently the car has only 100000KM.

    Any ideas on how to fix this would be very great.

    Thanks

    1. I am not sure. By “shift flares” do you mean it feels like the clutch is slipping in a manual transmission?

      I’m reading that some people had their transmission serviced or replaced and this resolved the issue. I’m not familiar with these transmissions, so I would defer to a good Hyundai mechanic’s evaluation of the issue.

  12. Hi, I have 2010 expedition with around 230k miles. I’ve lost the overdrive in the transmission, I have the 6R80 transmission and did some research the valve body has 7 solenoids, I replaced the, ‘E’ which I read controls 4th,5th 6th gear…after changing it…it was the same, no change at all. I drive it as a 3 speed….any help would be greatly appreciated

    1. Many vehicles have an overdrive button that lets you toggle the overdrive gear on/off. Make sure this isn’t depressed. There is usually a lamp on the dash that tells you when the overdrive off button is pressed but it could have burned out.

      I wonder if this button is broken, or some electrical fault is locking you out of overdrive despite the transmission being perfectly capable of using overdrive.

    1. Sounds like a slipping clutch. If you don’t address this soon, there is a good chance the transmission will stop working entirely.

  13. I drive a 2013 Nissan Altima, after driving it awhile when stopped at a light and ready to take off the car is sluggish no power just creeps, but then it grabs and it goes, it also wont change into the last gear. Any thoughts what it could be?

    1. Does the engine speed rise without the car moving faster? This is indicative of a transmission issue.

      Does the car bog when you give it gas, and hesitate or act like it wants to stall? This is indicative of an engine issue.

  14. I drive a 2017 Chevy Spark with around 67,000 miles. I bought it brand new 5 years ago. I haven’t even finished paying off the loan yet. I drive 8-10 hours per week, taking the interstate to work. For the past month or so, my check engine light will come on, usually during the drive to work when I’m going between 70-80 mph. It will stay on for the drive home. When I get in my car again to go to work the next day, the light is off, only to turn on again next time I’m driving higher speeds on the interstate. I’m not really noticing any issues with the car, other than sometimes if I’m using Cruise Control, my check engine light will kick on and the cruise control will kick off, and I won’t be able to use that function for the rest of the drive. Still, the check engine light was scaring me, as I can’t really afford to get stranded on the interstate and miss work.

    It took weeks for me to be able to get it diagnosed because the light was always off when I had the chance to diagnose it. I got “lucky” and my check engine light was on during a time I was able to go to my dealership. The error message said “Transmission fluid pressure low” and they ended up keeping it overnight to fully diagnose it. The next day they called to tell us that our Valve Body would eventually need to be replaced, and it would cost over $1700 total to replace it. We told them there was no way we could afford that, even the $150 charge for diagnosing the car hurt us. They told us that in their personal opinion, since we aren’t actually having any issues driving the car except for the Check Engine light coming on, it should be safe to drive for now. They essentially told us we should be okay to keep driving it as long as we don’t notice any issues, but that eventually we would need to get the Valve Body replaced.

    When we do get it replaced, we’re definitely looking for a local mechanic rather than going to the dealership, and we’ll be shopping around for the best price. Unless I can find a place that offers payment plans, I may have to open up a credit card for this, which I really don’t want to do. But now I’m going to be constantly worried that my car could break down, or that we could end up making the engine worse the longer we drive it without fixing it.

    It would be really comforting to have some more professional opinions about this, especially knowing that those opinions are coming from people who don’t stand to make any money from our misfortune. Should we bite the bullet and get it fixed as soon as possible, even if it’s really hard on us financially? Or do you think it would be okay to wait longer to try to save up money over time?

    1. That’s a tough situation. It sounds like the dealership technician was honest in his assessment. Personally, I would not want to let a low transmission fluid pressure issue go unaddressed for long, as it could ruin the entire transmission. A transmission replacement will likely cost more than a valve body replacement, but there are options that may help you reduce the cost such as sourcing a used transmission from a salvage yard.

      Ultimately, this decision is up to you. You’ll have to weigh the risk of being stranded with a broken transmission against the risk of increased credit card debt. Do know that if you get the valve body replaced at an independent shop, it’ll almost certainly be substantially cheaper than a quote at a dealership.

      In the future, I recommend working up to keep a bit of a buffer in your savings account, in case something comes up unexpectedly with a vehicle (or any other circumstance; life happens).

  15. Maybe you can help? I’ve got a nissan murano. After 30 mins of driving normally. I will pull up to trafic lights & when I try to pull away it’s like its stuck in 3rd or 4th gear and is very slow to pull away. Took to garage they said stepper motor? No codes no fix. Thinking of trying a new valve body? Any help ? Ieas? Cheers Steve

  16. F150 with 200k miles – i have a delay of about 2-3 seconds in my 4r70w when shifting into D. I’ve replaced the shift and tcc solenoids, fluid and filter and still have the same problem with no check engine light. Also every once in a while I am not able to go in overdrive it may not downshift properly for a brief moment- doesn’t happen often though. Should the next step be to use a valve body repair kit?

  17. I have a problem in my toyota corolla 2003, when i engage on gear the car will shut down, i try everything, change the tongue converter and also check the air vacuum and airline of the car yet the problem still occurs, pls what could be the possible problem.

    1. This is a guess, but perhaps there is a solenoid in the valve body that is malfunctioning and causing the stall when a specific gear is engaged. Have you tried all the forward gears and reverse? Do you have different results with any particular gear?

      1. The problem has been solve, it was cause by a valve body, but anytime i put new valve body it will spoil very soon.what is the possible solution.

        1. Have you figured out what the failure mode is for the bad valve body? Check to make sure you are using the correct transmission fluid for that vehicle.

  18. I have Audi A6 and encounter with a message “gear box malfunction but you can continue driving”. I see no issue with gear while driving but I feel less power. Mechanic is saying problem with valve body and need to replace it if it didn’t repair ,or replace the whole gear box. Don’t no what to do as replacing whole gear box is very expensive.

    1. Replacing just the valve body should be easier and cheaper than the entire gearbox. Did he say why you needed a new valve body?

  19. Hi,
    I have a 2004 Nissan Pulsar, Automatic.
    Sometimes it drives fine, then other times it will refuse to go into 2nd gear. If I pull over and turn the car off and on again, it fixes it for a little bit. I have no check engine light or any other light come on.

    Took it to my local mechanic, he said he suspects it’s something internal in the transmission, like a solenoid needing to be replaced.. he referred me to a transmission specialist because he wasn’t experienced in transmission repairs.

    Obviously I’m paranoid about it being something worse… particularly since turning the car off and on again temporarily fixes it.. if it was a Solenoid, wouldn’t it have the issue regardless?

    1. I agree with your mechanic’s assessment. Before I had finished reading your comment, I was thinking it could be a solenoid in the valve body. He also sounds pretty trustworthy for referring you to a specialist like that.

      Solenoids are both electronic and mechanical devices. Like many failing mechanical parts, they may work intermittently as they start to wear out.

    2. My Corolla 2014 developed a problem with the drive shafts. They replaced them without allowing engine cool. it now develop a problem with OBDII code p2829 and am told the valve body solenoid k developed a problem.Do I need to change only the valve body or the whole gear box? The engine check lights came simultaneously with the trc off lights. What could be the reason?

  20. Hi,

    I was driving on the motorway when my RPM just increased out of nowhere and I received a ‘Transmission Malfunction’ message. Then I went ahead and parked the car at the service station and all was okay when I closed the car and started it again, on the motorway the issue occurred but I controlled the rev’s by taking my foot off the gas and the issue didn’t happen and I didn’t get the orange spanner icon with transmission malfunction message but if I didn’t take my foot off the gas, the issue would have occurred again.

    This issue only occurs on the motorway and happens after 40mins of straight driving at 70mph, when I exceed to about 76-77mph that’s when the issue happens but I need to take my foot off the gas to avoid the transmission from fully failing and giving the ‘malfunction’ message. The revs are stuck on 3.5rpm and I can’t change any gears until I’ve stopped the car at a service stop and restart it again. The car usually stalls when I’m taking the exit to a slip road and braking.

    I have taken the car to a garage where he plugged his computer in and said a valve is stuck but I’m not sure that is the case as he also said ‘your car could completely fail if you take it on the motorway’ – I then drove another 500 miles / 8 hours none stop with no issues as I was controlling the gas quite well and didn’t allow for the transmission to fail.

    I’ve driven 70k-80k miles on the motorway using the car in the span of 10 months last year and haven’t really experienced any issues with the car.

    Any suggestions as to what I can do?

    Many thanks.

    1. I think your garage’s assessment is a good one – you are very likely to be stranded if the issue isn’t dealt with soon. Sounds like one of the tiny valves in the valve body is clogged or has failed. You may be looking at a valve body replacement to get it fixed.

      As a sanity check, I would make sure the transmission fluid level is correct. If the transmission fluid looks good, you’re probably going to have to bite the bullet and go in for some transmission work.

  21. I have a c5 vette 4l60e auto trans. Lost reverse. And 4th.O/d .
    Vehicle had been sitting about a year before making a 400 mile roadtrip.

    1. Same thing that’s going on in my camaro. Was completely stopped to park, shifted to reverse, and bang! What the hell?

  22. Hi,
    I have a 2011 Audi Q7 3.0 TDI, A while back the car was driving fine and suddenly lost drive through the gearbox. It was as if the car is in neutral whilst the gear level was on D. The car is not giving me any fault codes what so ever. I’ve had the gearbox oil and filter replaced together with a gearbox flush. We found a corroded plug on the underside and also found that there’s no oil pressure going through the oil radiator. All but the oil pressure was fixed and the car is still not engaging drive. The control modules also seem to work just fine. What else could cause this issue?
    thanks.

    1. I’m not sure, could be something internal to the transmission. I would take it to a transmission shop to have them help you diagnose the problem.

  23. Hi,I have a 2003 Jeep Gran Cherokkee overland 4.7l…long story i have no drive….drive is 2nd 2nd is first and first is first

  24. HI I have a Nissan tiida when I put my car on drive it drives but it won’t chat to gear two and then the ideal increase hight
    Could it be my valve needs cleaning?
    Please help

  25. My 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser is my fourth Toyota (2002 Camry/2006 Prius/2016 Prius). After 120K miles, I’ve been DIYing my FJ’s fluid check/replacements every 30K. My 2007 FJC is an automatic with 187K miles. I usually drive the FJ only when I needed to haul my drums to gigs. My daily driver is my Prius. It didn’t don on me that there was a problem with my transmission. It was a gradually progressive surge then engage between 2nd and 3rd and would “clunk” when I came to a stop. Then one day I got the “Christmas Tree lights” in my dash (check engine, VSC, ABS, etc). One day, the trans would not shift in any forward gear, but would reverse with no slippage. After Ran an initial code scan and the following trouble codes were read; P2714 Pressure Control (SLT) Solenoid D Performance Stuck Off, P2757 Torque Converter Clutch (TCC) Solenoid D performance problem or solenoid stuck off, P0771 Shift Solenoid (SS) E Performance or stuck off. Checked my tranny fluid. It was grimy as hell. I did a complete flush/replacement (from the with the tranny oil cooler line) with
    Toyota WS fluid until it ran clear. All the while after 100K miles I was just replacing what I bleed from the tranny oil pan, YIKES! Also replaced the internal filter, which had no chunks of metal, just sludge. It took finding a YouTube video on how to flush/replace an FJ tranny of it’s fluid (the tranny is “sealed”, meaning that there is no dip-stick… just an overflow port, a fill port, and a drain port). That took about 16 quarts. Cleared codes and ran another scan. Now, only the P2714 code showed, however, my FJ still only moves when I put it in reverse.
    So at this point my dilemma is this: should I just start at replacing the SLT solenoid? Or, should I just go ahead and replace the entire valve body (with solenoids included)? the cost of springing for remanufactured valve body is more cost effective than replacing individual solenoids, piece-meal. All 7 solenoids will cost way more than a remanufactured valve body that includes all 7 solenoids. If junk is clogging the valve body (and possibly other solenoids, valves, and passages), it makes sense to just replace it, right?
    Thank you kindly, in advance!

    1. That is some good diagnostic work you’ve done so far, Dan!

      I’m not really sure what the best next step is and I don’t want to guess. What I do know is that FJs have quite an enthusiast following. Your best bet is probably going to be the forums and Facebook groups with other owners. Enthusiasts are often much more knowledgeable than a general shop on the nuances of your vehicle.

      In the worst case, you may be able to find another owner to help you swap a new transmission. Perhaps a salvage or spare transmission would be cheaper than hunting down all the issues on an old, tired unit? Good luck on your quest.

  26. 2007 Sentra 2.0 CVT

    Code : P1778

    Replaced the value body, filter and gasket filled with correct fluid. Same result high rpms no speed.

  27. 2012 Highlander accelerates great, it’s when you release the gas around 40 that the car sounds like it is in low gear. Took it to my mechanic he drove it and couldn’t hear anything, but put it on the machine and he said I had an event. He got a p0014, bank 1 exhaust something from the history, but CE light never came on. Still feels the same to me, he said when it happens, bring it to him and don’t turn off. I did and no error, and I still hear it, so brought back again for a fix any fix. He drove around on errands for 2 hours, city and highway, nothing. Did notice bubbles in tranny fluid. At a loss, just want it fixed. Someone told me replace timing chain and do water pump while I’m at it. Car has 135,000 miles and has always run well. The bubbles were odd, since it sounded like transmission problem to me. what’s the code for faulty computer. Been driving this for 8 years, it always ran like new, well taken care of, my mechanic has been great, but I’m at a loss.

    1. There could be several codes for a faulty computer depending on which computer and what the symptoms are. Can you describe the sound in a bit more detail? Is it a whirring or grinding noise? High engine speed?

      1. Hi, I have a 2005 Toyota highlander FWD, the car accelerated great and changing gears smoothly but anytime you shift the gear to reverse its slam as if some engine seat is bad. The slam is fair when the engine is not hot and become mild or a well noticed when the engine is hot. Please any advise on the potential copyright. The transmission oil is very ok but a little below gauge and a notice a leak under the transmission pan.

      2. I have a 2017 c350 and Mercedes have changed the Valve body bc my car started to turn off on me when it turn it on in the morning when I try to reverse to get out of my parking spot. I ran a diagnostic test at the dealer and told me the valve need to be replaced, it’s being replaced now but I tested and turned the car on and the engine was louder that I get used too, what’s that? Please help and give me some advices

        1. Have them check the bolts on the exhaust, particularly if any part of the exhaust system was removed for the repair. It sounds like you might have an exhaust leak somewhere.

  28. Hi, I have a 2011 mercedes w204 cgi 7speed auto which will jerk/not smooth when changing gear 3-4 or 4-5 around 40-50kmh. Will get worse when the car temperature is warm up.plug it into the computer didn’t show any codes. I have change my the transmission oil and filter 3months back and the problem came back again. Can I know is there any problem with the gearbox?thanks

  29. Hi I have a 2000 f150 it goes right into reverse fine but drive hesitate a few seconds or if I bump the accelerator it goes into gear . It drove just fine and no slipping before this issue . I dropped the pan and found very limited clutch material but also found the factory dipstick hole plug and very black looking fluid .the previous owner never changed the fluid . So I have fluid and filter, torque converter and shift solenoid already to install and I’m asking if the valve body would cause this and if the dirty fluid could have created a problem in valve body making the problem I have. From looking without taking the transmission apart the friction plates and band look fine . So I’m asking as well should I get a valve body kit as well or just try to spray it off with some brake cleaner and try it. Thanks for your help and advice it’s much appreciated.

  30. Hello I have 2006 Ford Explorer v6 4.0 the problema the light flashing the dashboard tool the car runner 1 change gears 2 20 milles it take hard shift . Valve body problem or transmission something help my

  31. 2001 Nissan Maxima
    205K miles
    P0744 code first went off around 202K.
    Fluid was dirty and was almost impossible to drive
    did a Drain-fill and added Lucus as well. It was alot better but P0744 comes back.
    did a 2nd drain-fill and added Lucus since the fluid looked dirty after 4k miles but did have a red tint to it. It drove pretty good after that, but P0744 keeps coming back. Shift Solenoid failing ?

    Part 31940-80X25 ($77-120 part) I believe it is transmission Jatco: RE4F04A
    the ATF fluid I am using is Valvoline MaxLife Synthetic ATF. (compatible with Nissan Matic-D)
    OBD2 Scanner free frame when CEL when off here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrYdsJhOcT4

    1. Hello David,

      If you changed the transmission fluid yourself, you may not have gotten all of the old, dirty fluid out. Doing this requires a pressurized flush, and may require a trip to the mechanic if you don’t have access to the right tool for the job. It is generally not recommended to perform a pressurized flush if the vehicle has high mileage (as yours does) and a flush has never been performed before. This can actually render the transmission completely inoperable in extreme cases.

      It could be the torque converter clutch solenoid. This is certainly where I’d start, as these components seem to be prone to failure on Nissans. There is a TSB out for the solenoid valve on 4th gens, but seeing as yours is a 5th gen it may be a different part. Searching the forums for “5th gen maxima p0744” may yield more results. Some Maxima owners ended up having to replace the whole transmission.

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