The car will not shift into overdrive? All other gears work perfect? The problem just started tonight on my way home from my sisters. I got on the expressway accelerated up to 70mph and it just stayed in 3rd gear. If I let of the gas it feels like I am in neutral and the rpms drop down, but if I hit the gas it is in 3rd with no slipping. Is the overdrive clutch pack gone? Is there a valve or sensor that could be stuck? Anybody else have this problem? The trans is full and the fluid is not burnt, but the fluid is not perfect red either.

It is safe, and even recommended to use "Drive" and dis-engage the "Overdrive" when driving in the city, and definitely when towing...You can work on the problem by changing tranny fluid, and filter...or look into the Lucas Oil Transmission Stabilizer bottle treatment...Hope this helps.

shift solenoid needs to be replaced or the speed sensor

overdrive servo/ solenoid is not operational , either from failed unit or wiring problem
check transmission actuator for operation or adjustment as well

I believe that the solenoid that controls the overdrive is accessable from the transmission pan area. The solenoids that control the shifting are located in the side. The 4t65e transaxle has been known to have problems with overdrive for more than one reason though, so start with that solenoid. If that doesn't work, you may have luck with a shift kit. My car used to shift rapidly in and out of overdrive, after I installed a shift kit, I have had no further issues. I used the '4t65e sk' kit from TransGO.

Sir I would first change my filter. When you do you should be able to acertain if anything is wrong by what yuo find in your pan. I think your clutchs are probably bad, but with out being able to scan it I don't have any other ideas. I have been lucky a couple of time before and changing the filter solved my problem. Your car is in limp mode generally you have reverse and second gear. 1st gear and reverse use the same clutches, so I am wondering if maybe you have second gear only!

need more info i had a 1984 chevy half ton and first, second, and third worked fine but lock up didnt work. the problem was there was no vacum at a switch under the hood on the fire wall also your shift linkage could be out of adjustment. try driving down the road and raise up a little on the shifter.

There isn't anything wrong with your car. This is perfectly normal. I have a 2000 ES300 as well as other people that I know and it operates in the same way. Overdrive doesn't mean the same thing for every car or transmission. In our case overdrive is simply a reference to the top gear which is 4th gear. When you switch overdrive off(which is depressing the button causing the O/D OFF dash light to illuminate,) the highest gear becomes 3rd because you turned 4th gear or overdrive off. The application scenario for this is usually mountainous terrain where a lot of uphill driving makes it more feasible not to up shift into 4th gear while ascending and descending. It will not switch back to overdrive or 4th gear until you re-engage it by turning the overdrive back on or repressing the button. Again, when the O/D OFF dash light is illuminated, overdrive which is 4th gear is off and the highest gear will then become 3rd. It will never shift into 4th gear while this light is illuminated or overdrive is off. When you press the button and the O/D OFF dash light is NOT illuminated overdrive is on and therefore it will shift into 4th gear as usual. This applies to all 97-2001 ES300's and probably any other car you drive tat exhibits this same type of change when overdrive is turned off.

Sounds like the shift kit is warn out in the transmission. The overdrive line may not be able to provide enough hydrolic pressure to engage the gears to move the truck. When you switch to regualr drive, that line is able to build the hydrolic pressure to engage the gears. At a certian speed (for the transmission, certian hydrolic pressure) there is enough pressure to engage the gears in overdrive, but go below that, and you have to start in drive again. If this is the case, there is no easy fix for that and I recomend taking it to a transmission shop to have your shift kit examined. Opening up an automatic transmission requires specalized tools, clean shop enviroment, and knowlage more then the average back yard machanic has.