96 auto, 187k miles, lately the car is jerking/bucking around 40 mph at 1500 rpm, I think is 4th gear, let go the gas, then press the gas paddle harder to get pass 40 mph and 1500 rpm, the car is running fine, not always does that. I am not sure if transmission is slipping, when it starts jerking, rpm drops a little but it tries to stay around 1500 rpm. Checked tranny fluid, it is fine, still clear, no burning smell. I heard that a bad TPS sensor can cause similar symptom. So is it transmission or TPS sensor or something else?

 

Doesn't hurt to check the tps but I'd also check the coils. A bad coil or coils can cause that aswell. Is the CEL on or do you have any codes?

 

No, no CEL on.

 

Have you tried checking the coils for spark? I had a jerking like you describe but at idle it didn't sound like i had a misfire or sputter at the exhaust and it took some time before the CEL came on and it wound up being a coil that would work intermittent and didn't fail completely but swapping it fixed the problem. You could also try swapping the TPS with one from a scrapyard to see if that's the culprit but it does sound like something intermittent.