95 problems - tranny, voltage & AC

Hello - 1st got to say this is a really good forum - LOTS of good info, tips, advice, etc.

Here's my saga. After reading every thread on here (& ACNA) about tranny problems, I haven't seen one like mine. 1st, history leading up to problem.

About a month ago during a 2+ hr trip, the DIC lit up low trans fluid. As it was night, waited till I got home and put some fluid in - all seemed okay. Then each morning, SES & airbag light would come on within 5 seconds and tranny would go into 2nd gear "limp mode" UNTIL about 5 minutes down the road airbag light would blink then go off then SES would go off and tranny returned to normal operation - other threads refer to the OPPOSITE problem of normal operation until it warmed up then SES + LM. Did this every day for a week.

Went on long 5+ hr trip and problem did NOT occur for several days afterwards until about a week later when same problem started up again. Fluid looked dark (NOT the usual cherry red) so I dropped pan & changed fluid and 2 screens. No improvement, still did same thing.

In past week it's been taking progressively longer to "warm up" for airbag & SES to go out. Now in past few days, even after SES has gone out, it will randomly come back on and off with tranny correspondingly going into and out of LM. Went to ADVANCED AUTO & pulled 4 codes - #24 - VSS short circuit, #60 - cruise engaged w car not in dr, #P0117 - QDSM #3 output open or shorted, and #P0131 - knock sensor prblm. Plenty of fluid but which is now dark again.

2nd (possibly related?) problem is the DIC shows voltage of 19.1 when 1st started which eventually drops to 17.3 after full warm-up - seems too high - causing PCM errors?

So -

1)Do I have the dreaded VSS sensor and/or A,1-2 & B,3-4 shift solenoid problems;

2) will changing just the voltage regulator on alternator solve the over voltage problem - seems to be a LOT easier and cheaper ($40 vs $100+) than replacing entire alternator.

#3 (unrelated problem) can you clean or should you replace the AC freon filter located in LP line between 2 pressure fittings ? Will the freon with dye (to find leak) hurt the system ?

Follow-up -

Turns out a faulty battery terminal sensor (the battery thermistor - red plastic snap-on terminal cap that apparently sends data to PCM). The colder the ambient (battery) temperature was, the more voltage the sensor was telling the alternator to put out. Disconnected it and voltage now runs normal.

I was about to recommend that you check the battery thermistor.
I'm sure you are not the one to think you had a bad alternator.
Thanks for taking the time to let us know what you found.

WOW. Just realized you posted that in 2005!