so i started my fabulous car up today to let it warm up, and within just a couple minutes, the RPM's dropped down to almost 0 and a light that said AT OIL TEMP came on. it quickly went back up to normal and the light went off. what does this mean?

AT oil light comes on when the tranny gets too hot. It will flash 16 times the next time you start the car to tell you there was a (if there was) fault.

 

how many miles and what year is this car. When was the last time the tranny was serviced?

 

nipper

its a 95 and has 138k. i just bought it a month ago, and the guy i got it from said he just had about $600 in tranny work done just last year or a couple years ago... i dont know the details, my dad has the paperwork/receipts. the light didnt blink the next time i started it... in fact, the light came on and the engine stalled out. it started fine on the next attempt. i dont know what its problem is. its awfully flakey and seems to not have any rhyme or reason to it

Lets try an experiment. When you are driving less then 50 mph drive the car in d3. Once on the highway you can put the car in D, and when you hit the surface streets put the car back in d3.

 

In d3 the torque converter can not lock up. I am wondering if the TC is locking up at the wrong times. If it is that would make it an ecy issue and not a mechanical issue (i think).

 

Your gas mileage will suffer a bit, but it would confirm my suspisions.

 

nipper