Mitsubishi Repair: 02 lancer oz rally, transmission shop, ken ken

Question
Hi I have a 02 Mitsubishi oz rally with the 2.0l and manual transmission. I am fairly mechanically inclined but am stuck as to this problem. What is happening is when I shift into 2nd I get a hiccup out of the car, but also sometimes when I'm in 3rd and lugging up a hill it will hiccup. When I accelerate I can hear almost like a pinging noise but not coming from the engine seems like it is coming from tranny. I have replaced spark plugs but did not solve problem. If tranny fluid is low in these cars will they do this??  any help would be great. The car has 130'000 miles on it.

Thanks Ken

Answer
Ken,
Your clutch may be slipping.  If you're still on your original clutch, it may be time to replace it.  This would not be uncommon on a car with 130k miles on it.  Low tranny fluid most likely wouldn't cause a hiccup like you described, but would cause excessive heat, friction, and wear on the gears; also not good.  Have your mechanic (I would recommend a transmission shop or the dealership) inspect your clutch and take their recommendation for replacement.
Good luck!