Air filter info "put to rest" "more for your $$$"

From : fmb

Q: good grief. i have a 98 dakota 4 x 4 automatic 3.9l v6 with 73000 miles. lately when the engine and tranny i suppose is cold the transmission resists shifting into drive. it shifts normally from 1 2 butfrom 2 3 the rpms will surge past 3000 before i let off the accelerator and coast along at perhaps 20mph. after a few attempts at accelerationit does then shift into normal drive 3. no problems downshifting. the problem then does not repeat until i once again start off with a cold engine. there is a manual od off switch which i never use no towing heavy loads or hills to deal with. i did have to add 3/4 a quart of fluid this past summer but see no leaks on driveway. is this a vacuum leak will a simple trans oil and filter change offer help or flushing do i need to replace the vacuum modulator or perhaps i should try the fluid and filter change first to see if that helps. any advice or experience with this problem will be greatly appreciated. i have read somewhere about tranny fluid escaping past a seal into the engine from the modulator and this would explain my not seeing any leaks when i discovered a low trans fluid problem this summer. apparently the tranny fluid can soften vacuum hoses...does any of this make sense thanks dave .