When the engine gets warm the transmission doesn't shift properly

Take it to a qualified repair shop .

It could be a sign of bad transmission solenoid. If so, your vehicle has trouble shifting into drive or reverse. Normally, when you start your car, you're able to shift into drive or reverse right away. With a bad transmission solenoid, the vehicle could have a delay of a few seconds, or even take several minutes to warm up and operate properly. During this delay, the vehicle will act similar to how it behaves in neutral. It won't stay in park, and when you press the gas pedal, the vehicle will make an engine revving noise but not move.

Try www.RossTech.com for WIS service CD or paper manuals. Bentley Books also supplies same.

Hard shifting is common if the transmission or engine ECU has logged a fault code or the solenoid pack or loom in the transmission is faulty.

You could try turning ignition to RUN without starting engine, then hold throttle pedal to the floor for 10 seconds and then turn ignition off...next turn ignition on to RUN without engine running and wait 35 seconds...turn ignition off and wait 30 seconds and restart. test drive to see if relearn has improved the shifts.

This procedure resets the ECU's to factory settings on many VW vehicles.

Section 11-00: Steering System-Service 1999 Taurus, Sable Workshop Manual SERVICE PROCEDURES Purging Power Steering System of Air NOTE: If the air is not purged from the power steering system correctly, a second customer concern or pump failure could result. This condition can only occur on pre-delivery vehicles with evidence of aerated fluid or vehicles that have had steering component repair.

A whine noise heard from the power steering pump may be caused by air in the system. The following procedure must be performed whenever any of the following are performed:

• All power steering noise complaints with evidence of aerated fluid on pre-delivery vehicles only, prior to any component repair.
• After any power steering system component (for example, gear or hose) has been replaced and the noise is heard.

Fluid Level Top-Off Procedure

1. Check and fill pump reservoir to dipstick full cold or remote reservoir center mark.
   

1. Disable ignition by removing Fuse 10 in the fuse junction panel.
   

1. Crank engine 30 seconds, check fluid level and add if required.
   

1. NOTE: Do not hold steering wheel on stops.
   
   Crank engine 30 seconds while cycling the steering wheel lock to lock.
   

1. Check fluid level and add fluid if required.
   

Air Purge with Vacuum External Source Procedure - 3.0L (2V) Engine, Flex Fuel and 3.4L SHO Engine

1. Tightly insert the rubber stopper of the air evacuator assembly into pump reservoir.
   

1. Reinstall Fuse 10 used to disable ignition and start vehicle.
   

1. Apply 20-25 in-Hg (85-88 kPa) maximum vacuum for minimum of three minutes at idle; maintain maximum vacuum with vacuum source.
   

1. Release vacuum and remove vacuum source.
   

1. Add fluid to full warm or reservoir center mark.
   

1. Reinstall vacuum source and apply 20-25 in-Hg (85-88 kPa) vacuum.
   

1. NOTE: Do not hold steering wheel on stops.
   
   Cycle steering wheel from lock to lock every 30 seconds for approximately 5 minutes.
   

1. Shut engine off, release vacuum and remove vacuum source.
   

1. Add Motorcraft MERCON Multi-Purpose (ATF) Transmission Fluid if necessary and install dipstick or reservoir cap.
   

1. NOTE: Do not hold steering wheel on stops.
   
   Start engine and cycle steering wheel from lock to lock every 30 seconds for approximately 5 minutes.
   

1. Check for oil leaks at all connections.
   

1. In severe cases it may be necessary to repeat air purge with vacuum source procedure.
   

Air Purge with Vacuum External Source Procedure - 3.0L (2V) and 3.0L (4V)

1. Add Motorcraft MERCON® Multi-purpose (ATF) Transmission Fluid XT-2-QDX or MERCON® equivalent to approximately 2.5 cm (1 in) (make a mark) above the top of the supply line.
   

1. Tightly insert the rubber stopper of the air evacuator assembly into the pump reservoir.
   

1. Apply 85-88 kPa (20-25 in-Hg) maximum vacuum for a minimum of three minutes.
   

1. Add Motorcraft MERCON® Multi-purpose (ATF) Transmission Fluid XT-2-QDX or MERCON® equivalent until the level is at the marked point.
   

1. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 until the fluid level stabilizes.
   

1. Check reservoir level and add Motorcraft MERCON® Multi-purpose (ATF) Transmission Fluid XT-2-QDX or MERCON® equivalent to the FULL WARM (MAX) mark.
   

1. Install the number 10 fuse in the fuse junction panel. Start the engine.
   

1. NOTE: The front wheels must be off the floor during lock-to-lock rotation of the steering wheel.
   
   NOTE: Do not hold the steering wheel on stops.
   
   Reinstall the vacuum source and apply 85-88 kPa (20-25 in-Hg) maximum vacuum and cycle the steering wheel from lock-to-lock every thirty seconds for a minimum of 5 minutes.
   

1. Shut the engine off, release the vacuum and remove the vacuum source.
   

1. Add Motorcraft MERCON® Multi-purpose (ATF) Transmission Fluid XT-2-QDX or MERCON® equivalent to the FULL WARM (MAX) level. Install the dipstick or reservoir cap.
   

1. NOTE: Do not hold the steering wheel on stops.
   
   NOTE: In severe cases, it may be necessary to repeat air purge with vacuum source procedure.
   
   Start the engine and cycle the steering wheel from lock-to-lock every thirty seconds for approximately five minutes.
   

1. Lower the vehicle front end.
   

1. Check for oil leaks at all connections.
   

it may be a bad tps ( throttle position sensor ). it causes transmission shift issues, bucking,jerking, idle surging, engine cut off, surge while crusing down highway. if this does not solve problem, it may be a sticking valve body in transmission. have a good day !! for an automatic tranny.

Yes it can, just place your Transfer Case in Neutral position.
Shifting into NEUTRAL
To shift the transfer case to NEUTRAL do the following:

Make sure the vehicle is parked so that it will not roll.
Set the parking brake.
Start the vehicle or turn the ignition to RUN.
Connect the vehicle to the towing vehicle.
Put the transmission in NEUTRAL (N).
Shift the transfer case to 2HI.
Simultaneously press and hold the 2HI and 4LO buttons for 10 seconds. The red NEUTRAL light will come on when the transfer case shift to NEUTRAL is complete.
Shift the transmission to REVERSE (R) for one second, then shift the transmission to DRIVE (D) for one second, or FIRST (1) for vehicles equipped with a manual transmission.
Turn the ignition to LOCK.
Place the transmission shift lever in PARK (P), or FIRST (1) for vehicles with a manual transmission.
Release the parking brake prior to towing.
Shifting Out of NEUTRAL
To shift out of NEUTRAL:

Set the parking brake and apply the regular brake pedal.
Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL (N) and turn the ignition to RUN with the engine off.
Press the button for the desired transfer case shift position (2HI, 4HI, AUTO 4WD or 4LO).
After the transfer case has shifted out of NEUTRAL the red light will go out.
Release the parking brake.
You may start the engine and shift the transmission to the desired position.
Excessively shifting the transfer case into or out of the different modes may cause the transfer case to enter the shift protection mode. This will protect the transfer case from possible damage and will only allow the transfer case to respond to one shift per 10 seconds. The transfer case may stay in this mode for up to three minutes.
NEUTRAL: Shift the vehicle's transfer case to NEUTRAL only when towing your vehicle.
Good luck and hope this answers your question.

Many modern vehicles will delay the shift position to allow rpms to increase, thus warming the engine up faster. As soon as the engine temp reaches the desired level, the transmission shift point resorts to the normal point.

This is an emissions issue, with the idea that a warm engine puts out lower emissions. This is also why when getting an emissions inspection in states that require it, they want the engine warmed up first.

At 24K miles, I would be hesitant to say the transmission fluid and filter need to be changed, but if it seems extremely noticable and objectionable, that would be the step I would take. Cold fluid is more viscuos, harder to push thru a clogged filter than a clean one. However, unless you've been towing a trailer a good bit, your mileage should be low enough that filter should not be an issue.

A reason for hard shifting could be a problem with many things with various degrees of seriousness. It could be your ATF( automatic transmission fluid) is low or broken down and old. This would cause the hardness and the reason for stop and go traffic effecting it. Another possibility is your transmission is just shot, and the timing gears inside are worn and not properly shifting at the correct RPM causing a **** during shifting.

Some possibilties, not all!

~Lucas

have you replaced the fluid and filter? sometimes if the filter is clogged all of the fluid will stay on top of it instead of settling back into the pan. so when you run it it stays on top then you shut it off and it will slowly drain back to the bottom so its good for a little while until all the fluid is stuck over the filter again.

Four wheel drive vehicles require you to put the transmission in neutral to go into low and to get out of low. That being said, if you still need to shut the engine down completely then your transmission needs an adjustment.