Originally Posted by stunt

Pulling the transmission is a pre-requisite for getting the engine out, at least according to the Bentley manual. This suits me fine since it has issues too. When I start the car, I almost always get the "TRANS FAILSAFE PROG" message on the dash, and only have 1 forward gear and reverse. When the transmission is warn and I start the engine, I only get that message 50% of the time. I also often get the "kick in the back" on the 2-1 downshift when coming to a full stop at a light.

It all started after I did the transmission fluid drain and filter change last summer. The old oil was pretty nasty and there were some deposits in the pan, but nothing too crazy looking. I did top off the flying once in the fall, it was about a quart low, but that did not fix the problem. So yes, I plan to tear into the transmission as well. I have never done one before, so I'm a little hesitant to do it myself. I'm going to see about getting some quotes from local transmission shops on having it rebuilt. Not sure if they will provide a warranty since I'm the one that will be re-installing it...