Well first off, I always thought that these cars started off in 2nd. I guess not because I count 3 shifts (1-2, 2-3, 3-4) which lead me to believe its starting in 1st.

Anyway, it’s weird; the 1-2 shifts are unnaturally hard. The rest are nice and smooth. I guess I don’t really know how to explain it. It’s not a “knock” like a bad flex disk or something, just a strong, uncomfortable jolt forward, surely this isn’t normal. Any ideas on what I can do?

While I have you, what’s up with tranny flushes? What are they supposed to do? Do they "fix" anything by washing everything out? Like are detergents used or something? Is this something that’s good to have done and if so can any reputable shop do it (ie. its not a Dealer-Only procedure)?

Last tranny question I promise. Sometimes the 2-3 shifts are very fast. By that I mean, the car is in 2nd for only…well… a second! I don’t know if this behavior is okay or not, but its something I noticed that seems kinda weird to me.