Lurching problem with 1997 rodeo

I have a 1997 Isuzu Rodeo with 103,000 miles on it. It has an automatic transmission and a 3.2L V6 engine. Yesterday (Saturday) I brought it to one of those quick oil change locations. I have used this particular location in the past but as is often the case there were all new faces working this particular day. I had the oil changed and the automatic transmission serviced. At 78,000 miles they did a T-tech service on the transmission (power replacement of fluid). This time they performed a Petro Transmission flush. In theory this is a two-part process. Part one puts a cleaner in the existing fluid. The engine is run for ten minutes. The fluid is drained. Part two puts an additive in the fluid and then it is topped off. That is how it was suppose to work. The problem is that on this engine there is no dipstick for the transmission. On the transmission itself there is a drain plug and a fill plug. So to make a long story short the engine oil was changed. Part one of the transmission kit (cleaner) was put in the dipstick for the engine oil and the engine was run for ten minutes. The transmission fluid was then drained. Part two of the transmission fluid additive was put in the engine oil dipstick. Afterwards approximately three quarts of transmission fluid was put in the engine oil dipstick. I paid for the service and drove off. The car was not driven very far. I went to get gas at a station about 4 to 5 miles away. On acceleration the engine would race (high RPM) and the car would lurch forward after shuttering. It did not do this on gentle acceleration or on straight slopes like leaving the location. It did it on inclines (climbing) and hard acceleration. I took it back thinking that there was either not enough transmission fluid or too much fluid. Anyway the mistake was discovered. The engine oil was drained and replaced and the transmission fluid was topped off at the transmission itself. Basically, the transmission did not ever receive parts one and two of the Petro Transmission Flush. The engine did. The car was driven with transmission cleaner, additive and transmission fluid all mixed in with the oil and heavily over filled. The car was driven without whatever amount of transmission fluid that drains out of the transmission when the plug is removed. When I drove the car off it seemed to be working okay. However the engine revving, the lurching, and the shuttering still occurs but only on hard accelerations and not as bad as before. The car did not have this problem before this service was provided. I suspect that there is some damage to the transmission. I don't know about the engine. The oil change place said the lurching was due to low compression and not the transmission but I don't think so. I plan on bringing it to the dealer for a diagnostic on Monday (tomorrow).

I am posting this information to alert readers so that this doesn't happen to them; to alert quick oil change shops not to make the same mistake and to solicit input from readers as to what they think may be the problem or problems created by this incident.

Thanks

JGH

Reply to
JohnHolley
Loading thread data ...

I refuse to take my autos to those quick change shops. They simply do not have qualified mechanics there. Usually only some college kids who took a very basic fluid change course and lack skills specific to a particular vehicle. I have heard one horror story after another.

Hope your dealer can either fix things right, or verify damage caused by the quick change shop to give you leverage against them.

Reply to
Miles

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.