I have a '94, bone stock N/A 850 automatic with about 112,000 mi. It is primarily driven by my wife and a couple of weeks ago I noticed what I would describe as occasional 'hard' downshifts, like when I stomp on it to pass and when it shifts back into the higher gear it is anything but smooth. The other thing I noticed is that if I slow down rather quickly after going at highway speed, like when approaching a toll, the car was not downshifting as the car decelerated. Instead you could hear and feel it downshift back into first gear after the car had stopped or was moving slowly. The last time the ATF was changed was when we purchased the car from a private party with about 60,000 mi. (After reading some archives about ATF change intervals, I'm getting pretty nervous.)

I didn't even look at the ATF, since I knew it had to be changed and had it flushed and filled with Amsoil ATF about 2000 miles ago (lots of driving on vacation - NJ to MA to VT to NJ). The bad news is that I am still noticing the problem, although it is probably somewhat less. On easy acceleration and deceleration it generally upshifts and downshifts like butter, but on the harder side I get what I describe.

So should I start saving my pennies? Or will this 'problem' not get any better or worse for a good long time? Or is there something I can do to eliminate it (other than replace it of course). Approx cost of rebuild?

Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for your help!
-Dave
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1994 850 Bone Stock, 1988 745t a work in progress . . . http://communities.msn.com/Daves745tVolvoSite