Mazda Repair: Transmission problem?, mazda protege, tranni

Question
Hi, I have a 2002 Mazda Protege automatic. Of course my warranty is up at 50,000 miles and I have 58,000.  All of a sudden my car began not autoamtically shifting into gear. I would be fine up to 40mph then it was like it was in neutral, with the RPM's racing.It would shift into low and wold perform better with the overdrive off.  Do you think it is definitely my transmission, or could ut be the transmission filter (clogged maybe) or a coumputer chip for the shifting timing?  If it is the transmission do you know about how much that is to repair?  Thank you very much for your time and help.  Kimberly

Answer
yeah its a transmission problem it could be anything from a stuck or broken valve to something not working properly in the valve body like a check ball. It could even possibly be something a gear, clutch or a band inside the transmission. Youd have to take it to a shop iun order to find out what the exact problem is but it is a transmission problem. Depending on what the problem is and what type of condition your tranni is in it could cost you anywhere from a couple hundred dollars all the way up to a 2,000 dollars the most.