Hello all,

I think something really bad is going on with my transmission. First off, sometimes when I start the car the orange shift arrow lights up and stays on for several minutes after driving. Also, sometimes when accelerating from a stop it feels like the trans is slipping out of gear for a few seconds, it happens close to when it would shift to 2nd gear. Additionally, if I have to come to a short stop or break hard, for a few seconds the car seems to be in neutral when I try to accelerate again. The problems occur less frequently after the car has been driven for a while, but they don't completely disappear. I checked the fluid level at the dipstick and I could barely detect any fluid on the stick so I added about half a quart of atf fluid but this has not changed anything. Other than these problems it shifts for the most part smoothly and responds quickly to the engine. The car does have 216,000 miles on it, but runs very well. Before I take it to the shop I would like to know if anyone has any ideas as to what the problem might be.