I was finally able to duplicate on demand the last sound I need to figure out.

When going uphill I took my foot off the acclerator and slowed down, then I pushed the accelerator down real easy and I got the mystery sound that I've heard once in a while before. If I am more aggressive when getting back on the accelerator it will downshift into a lower gear and not make the nasty sound.

I think maybe when I take my foot off the pedal that the tranny upshifts, then when I get back on it real easy it doesn't downshift. If I get back on it more aggressively it downshifts. Does that make any sense?

I thought it was impossible for an automatic to be in the wrong gear and lug the engine, but I've always driven a manual so I have no clue.

I was finally able to duplicate on demand the last sound I need to figure out.


Oh it can definitely be in the wrong gear.

What noise does it make? Is it ping from the lugging or is the tranny grinding (not enough line pressure to shift a low throttle?).

You can always shift it manually if you want, if you can see that it's going to need to downshift say from 3rd to 2nd, you can just reach over and pull the stick back to second - before the engine lugs...