This is going to be an odd line of thought.

So I still have my '99 Bonne with the dead transmission. It was diagnosed here 2~3 years ago after the transmission started shifting jerky after going into limp-home mode with a code... it was something like TCC solonoid stuck... I forget the number. After a while, the car'* clutch packs seem to have given up the ghost... the car runs about a 1/8th or 1/4 mile then the tranny lets go and the car stops moving. I finally got a replacement, and there always needs to be a new wrinkle.

I need to get the car through NJ inspection to satisfy the neighborhood front yard *****.

Yes, as absurd as it seems, the car would pass NJ inspection, other that the code, which I can clear, and the fact it only wants to move 1/4 mile at a time. Since the transmission in the car is a complete write off at this point, I am curious if there is anything I can add to the fluid to give the clutches just enough grip to do a 20 miles round trip to the inspection and back. I don't care if it damages the tranny further, as its all being replaced Real Soon Now.

I thought about using FMX... or putting old fluid in (with clutch material in suspension)... but I was curious what you guys thought.

What about towing it to location for testing then drive it in/out , back to flat deck?
With a worn out transmission there are no guarantees it might not crap completely out or even go 10 feet when it does.
The only thing I can think of is a thicker fluid to build better pressure.
I suppose you cant just swap the trans now and then get it in for testing eh?

I've considered trailering it in and out, but my trailer setup is not running either (When it rains, it pours). Paying a tow guy is going to likely get too expensive.

Actually fixing the tranny is a possible, but we're in a heat wave, the greenheads have been atrocious and I have a 11 day window, which 8 days are eligible and I'm figuring two days for me to do it myself. Its just a tight schedule and if I run into a problem, I've got a totally disabled car that I'm likely pushing.

That'* why I'm trying to see if there was an alternative. I'd feel best if I pulled off the inspection THEN swapped the tranny in the 11 day window.

1/4 mile huh? I'm wondering if the filter is cloggin and starving the pump. Have you replaced the filter yet?

That was my thought too.

Only thing I could think of as a temporary fix would be to drop the pan and change the filter then fill it with new fluid (the old stuff wouldn't hurt either) and maybe add in some seafoam trans tune.

What trailer setup? If you have a truck good for it, just go rent a uhaul trailer. You could prolly rent one locally for a day.

Changing the filter and fluid is a good idea, but I would not add seafoam. That might clean out areas you don't want cleaned out right now. Seafoam is not a "trans tune", it is a cleaner that will break up deposits.

you want trans honey or something like that. that got me a few days between when it started slipping and when it went out completely

Sea Foam | Trans Tune | General Content - Trans Tune

I have used it many times on dying transmissions with good results. Filter and fluid change with seafoam brought the dead transmission in my old 93 SSEi back to life for three months before it died again. I guess if it is a concern then just do filter And fluid, if that doesn't help or do much then toss in some trans tune and see if there is any difference.

I try to stay away from that transmission honey or Lucas transmission fix crap. Tried that stuff on two dying transmissions and both of them only ran for another few miles before completely dying. I have used seafoam though on probably three or four with good to great results.

Interesting, so you guys really think it could be as simple as swapping the filter? IIRC, I only had about 30K on this filter, and it was not particularly dirty the last time.

I can't say I really had a lot of slippage before this tranny went out.

Here was the full story, to see if that helps... The car has about 226K on it. At about 196K, I swapped the filter and fluid... nothing strange was found, but I knew it the fluid had not been changed in a while, and I had been warned that changing the fluid might doom the tranny.

About 7~8K later, (about 3 years ago) I was standing in traffic and when I went to move forward, the tranny jerked forward so hard, I thought I had gotten rear ended. The CEL light came on and this was the first time the car went into limp-home mode. The code was a P0742 TCC solonoid stuck on and I would get them occasionally. Normally, I would feel the TCC not releasing... and it tended to happen on longer trips, not short ones. The consensus here was that the clutch material was failing, and clogging the switch. I started a search for a tranny. This went on for over a year... getting somewhat more common. Lots of jerky driving, but not much perceived slippage.

Then during a very cold snap, I was making a tight U-turn on some ice, the tranny did something I can only describe as strange... felt like it let go and slipped majorly, but I was able to continue on the 500 feet to my destination. After I left, I got a mile. Let it sit, it moved again a 1/4 mile. Towed it home and I haven't had the time to swap in the tranny, so it occasionally makes a drive around the block, but usually drops out soon after.

Granted, I always expected the failure would be more gradual, from the tales posted here. It was odd to me that mine would fail so suddenly... but I had the new tranny and figured it was the next step.

If the main thought here is that the filter is clogged, I'll swap one in... but I really didn't want to put more money into this tranny, unless it was getting rebuilt. Is there anything else it might be? The fluid level is correct and the fluid was not very dirty, but clearly has specks of clutch material in it.