2001 Hyundai Elantra

ROBYN LYNNE

MEMBER
2001 HYUNDAI ELANTRA
4 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
12,000 MILES

Few months back I was having some brake work done and the Mechanic suggested I have a transmission flush since it had never been done and it was dark. A few days after getting my car back it started to have a problem I never experienced before. I will be driving along and the car will feel like it doesn't want to shift up. There will be a hard clunk/jerk and my engine light will go on immediately after. I am usually going between 35-40 miles an hour when this happens. I will be qable to continue driving but it feels like (when you drive a manual) it is not in a higher gear but needs to be? And if I come to a stop light in this condition and the light then turns green. The car moves very slowly at first in reapplying the gas to continue forward. Many times, if I pull over and turn the car off and restart after a few minute wait, the engine light is off and it drives fine until the next time it happens. I took it back only a few days and the mechanic said the fluid needed to be "topped" off. It has continued to do this anyway. It can go days without or do it 2/3 times in one day.

4 Replies

DOCFIXIT

MECHANIC
18,828 POSTS

Hi
Does check engine light come on before or during the event? If yes next time light is on go to an Auto Zone and have code read then post will advise.
Thanks for donate

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Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 AT 12:50 PM

KHLOW2008

MECHANIC
41,814 POSTS

Hi Robyn Lynne,

Thank you for the donation.

The symptoms described seems to indicate a problem with the transmission control system and it goes into limp mode. When problem occurs, the transmission is locked in 3rd gear and if you accelerate, it would slowly build up speed. Continued use would cause the clutches to burn off.

Most parts stores provides scanning services and I would suggest you get a scan done to retrieve the code to check what is wrong. Let me know the exact trouble so I can get the necessary data.

Problem could be due to wrong transmission fluid used so check if the correct fluid had been filled.

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Tuesday, June 16th, 2009 AT 12:54 PM

ROBYN LYNNE

MEMBER
2 POSTS

Thanks for the reply. I will Check at an Auto zone to see what the computer is registering. The engine light goes on immediately after the car does its hard clunk when I am driving along. Then it sems strained to acelerate. Sometimes the light is still on when I go to start my car again in the morning though. Since this first happened after my transmission fluid drain and change could that have caused a problem? I should have left it as is! I will double check on what fluid was used but that mechanic is a HOnda/Hyundai 'expert'

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Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 AT 9:43 AM

KHLOW2008

MECHANIC
41,814 POSTS

Honda and Hyundai uses different trans fluids.

Fluid changes are required after certain mileage of usage and it is correct to replace it when necessary.

The problem could be a coincidence. Trans could be failing and the fluid change accelerated it.

However it could be related to the fluid change. Some wire connectors could have been loosened/dislodged while doing the fluid replacement causing some circuit to lose continuity.

When the Power Control Module senses a ciurcuit is faulty, it would go into limp mode.

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Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 AT 11:44 AM