'97 , tranny fluid smell & dash lights blink

Hi,
Love the forums! My sister briefly went in reverse pretty fast in a
parking lot, and ever since then the tranny fluid (gear lube?)smells
burnt. Once the car warms up you can smell it, it's not overwhelming, and
nobody else seems to notice it. I'm wondering if since the fluid got
burned a little in that incident, if it's going to cause damage or
anything. Car has 185,000 on her. Also, the lights on my dashboard are
blinking erratically lately. Five years ago they would cme on and then go
off again. I think it might be related to the fuses/fuse box in that
little area to the lower left of the driver inside the car. Thanks for any
help!