My 91 LX I just bought has a tranny that shifts late, but does not slip. I know nothing about transmissions, and my mechanic says the tranny is on its way out. The fluid is black, but then again the car has sat for about 6 months or so before I got it. I was going to flush the fluid, but then was told that could make things worse. I had the crazy idea of swaping with a manual, but seems more work then its worth. Any advise on what to do would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

I would have the fluid changed and filter cleaned by the dealer. If you don't want to do that, at least tighten your throttle cable so there is very little play.

 

Why dealer? Anything special about their service vs a local shop?

 

If you go to the dealer, you have LESS chance of something going wrong. I have heard of people having tranny problems after getting tranny service at ma and pa shops.