96 Camry transmission problem

[FriendshipUSA]

Help. My son's 96 camry 4-cyl developed a transmission problem. It slips in the forward gears. Reverse works find. At start, the first gear slips allot but eventually moves the car. It also slips between gears. The transmission fluid has a burnt smell and a dark color. The problem started about 1 1/2 years after I swiped out the transmission. The replacement transmission is used and I was told it came from Japan. It worked great up until the problem started.

In one Post I found suggested old contaimination buildup that may have clog a shift port or something. Can someone tell me if I can gain access to the hydraulic area without pulling the transmission? And if so, is there hope in recovering the transmission by cleaning this area?

Is there a solution that does not require removing the transmission?

Thanks in advance for any help provided.

[Brian R.]

If all you need to do is clean out the valve body, then you don't have to remove the transmission. Download a Camry Repair manual here. Under the portion of the manual related to the A140E transmission, carefully follow the instructions on how to clean out the valve body and see if that helps.

Do not drive the car if the clutches are slipping. If you destroy your clutches, you are doomed.

[FriendshipUSA]

Brian R.,
Thank you very much for the tip and the information. I will attempt it when there is during a dry weekend (snow is on the ground now). Hopefully the clutches are not too gone.