car revs and struggles to accelerate

2005 SCION XB
146,155 MILES • 1.4L • 4 CYL • FWD • AUTOMATIC
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MOPARFUL99
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
I changed the oil, brakes, and spark plugs on my friends car. After I was finished I cleared the "maint reqd" light off her dash , we put the car in reverse and the engine would build rpm fine but would barely move. Then I put in drive to pull away and the engine built rpms but struggled to gain speed. It gradually improved and does fine in a straight line but turning right it still revs significantly without out gaining speed then it "catches" and accelerates. Feels almost like riding a clutch then dumping it and will accelerate suddenly... Please help im stumped!
Aug 17, 2014 at 2:16 AM
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CARADIODOC
  • ✓ASE Certified Mechanic
  • 34,321 POSTS
  • ASE Certified Mechanic
Sounds like you drained the transmission fluid by mistake instead of the engine oil. Check the oil level. If I'm right, the oil will be extremely over-full. Trying to force the vehicle to move with a slipping transmission will do serious internal damage very quickly. The clutch plates will overheat just as though you were riding a manual transmission clutch.
Aug 17, 2014 at 2:25 AM
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