For awhile now I've noticed that you could feel the tranny shifting on my 98 max. Its not a hard shift, its just noticeable (to me anyway). And its just gets a little annoying sometimes, especially when i'm coming to a stop, you could feel it downshift to 1st.

I've changed the tranny fluid (from drain plug) and refilled w/ mobil 1 fully synthetic, about 6 months ago.
Is there anything else I could do to get smoother shifts?

 

i dont think so, its just the way the trans is built. my 2002 avalon shifts very smooth, prbly because the trans is build differently and the technology is prbly better.

 

well I just drove my friends 03 max and I couldn't feel it shifting at all.

 

i feel the same way when downshifting in my auto. it sometimes feels jerky, but most of the time its not really something other people could notice, just me because i drive it.

 

willmax95, are those stock 16s w/ chrome?

they look good

upon inspection of your website, they are chrome, how much did it cost?

 

Hey, I have a 96 SE 5-Speed. Drained out the stock 80W-90 gear oil and replaced it with racing spec 75W-90 Mobil 1 Synthetic. I noticed a WORLD of difference. Later I added the Prolong AT/MT Transmission additive that you can buy at Wally-world. I also have a B&M short throw shift, so I can really tell the difference with these changes. I think that the Prolong would help ATs, too. -On the MT, I put in the ammount that they Haynes manual said, about 8 pints or 4 quarts, but it might be too much. I need to get on an even surface and drain that puppy to the correct level, through the check/add plug.

 

That's exactly what I mean!

 

My Max was feeling like it rough shifted and I tried everything I could think of to smooth out the tranny.....

Turns out it was not my tranny at all! I had a failing injector and I didn't know it was the cause until I replaced it and the shifting was smooth again.

Now, anytime my AT seems like it isn't shifting smooth I look to the engine first.
Last time was 2 months ago and I just did my usual carb cleaner in the throttle body to clean things out. Engines runs smoother and AT shifts better.

They are as interrelated as your heart and lungs...... check you engine. Oh, I never got any check engine light for any of the problems.

 

I know exactly what you're talkin about blkhawk500, shift under high or low throttle really jolt the car. The 1-2 upshift under WOT is so rough. At the stoplights once you get under 5 mph, the transmission puts it back into 1st gear, and its so noticeable, argh. I guess the technology on our ATs is pretty old, but would an upgraded Valve Body help this out?

 

stock shifts at low rpm should feel like an old lady is driving your car, stock wot shifts should only be slightly firmer.

a vb will make what your are describing come true, making low rpm shifts(1-2) very noticalbe and rough but 2-3 will be more firm than anything, very nice id say.

as for our tranny computer sucking and always being in the wrong gear

 

Yeah, a VB would be great but not worth the $450 bucks plus unless your AT has less than 50k on it... IMO.

My AT has no shifting roughness with 145k miles on it. It did a couple of times and each time I was able to isolate the problem fairly easily.

One thing I forgot to mention is that I purged my tranny fluid and put in Valvoline synthetic blend ATF. That helped in a HUGE way!
You have to purge the system though. You can't just drain and refill. Tried that... didn't help.