Hello guys,

Haven't posted much here but do enjoy this board.

On the way in to work this morning, my 97 SSEi (187K miles) started shifting hard in ALL gears. Downshift is fine. Am I looking at big problems? Anything I can do prior to taking it in to a transmission shop?

Thanks for any guidance!

At your mileage, I would say the clutches are finally starting to go. However a trans shop will be able to diagnose it much better.

It'* probably due for a transmission rebuild.

You can try changing the fluid if it hasn't been done recently.

Mine started doing this at 87K two weeks ago, its at the trany shop now.
Something spiked your line pressure. Normally, what happens is a metal filing or tooth gets jammed up in the valve body, causing a miss shift situation, the PCM when crankes the line pressure to the max and hence the hard shifting, the little bit of material left on your clutch plates will wear off quickly if not come off in chunks.

Hard up-shifts in all gears usually is caused by a transmission code setting and telling the PCM to increase fluid line pressure to maximum in order to help prevent further transmission damage. The result of this is hard shifts. The reason this is happening can be many. You will need to take it to a trans shop or dealer to have it diagnosed properly. It could be something very cheap and simple....or not.

Just an update: On the way home yesterday and then again on the way in this morning it is shifting just fine! Maybe whatever it was came off. It isn't scheduled for a service again until 200k miles but I might go ahead and drop the pan and filter just to be sure.

Thanks for the comments.