Ineed HELP with my reverse!!!

[javiersol]

Hello to all, I have a problem with my 1992 aerostar and I need HELP before I go nuts! I does not want to take reverse .sometimes When I shift into d,thenp,thenp again and then reverse,sometimes it works.What's wrong with my gears?all the others work just fine but reverse is driving me CRAZY!!anyone please help me

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! You could have a misaligned shift linkage, leaking low/reverse servo O rings, sticking spool in the valve body, bad valve body gaskets, or loose valve body bolts. How many miles do you have? When was the last time you replaced the filter, and fluid?

 

[javiersol]

Thanks for replying to my cry for help.My aerostar has 135,000 miles and I changed the filter and fluids last summer.I'm not a genius when it comes to fixing my car so could you please give me an idea how to go about checking the things you suggested for me to check.Thank you so much

 

[BrooklynBay]

Do you see your reverse lights turn on when you shift into reverse? The low/reverse servo is located under the transmission inside of a square cover with 4 bolts. It has 2 O rings. One is large, and the other is small. The valve body is the "brain" of the transmission. It has all of the fluid pathways, and looks like a map if you examine the inside of it. It has many bolts holding it on with a couple of gaskets. The sticky called the A4LD valve body rebuild diary has more details on how this is repaired. I have links in my signature under my list of useful threads for more information on other related parts.

 

[javiersol]

Thank you so much for all your advise

Brooklyn,Thank You very much for all the advise you have given me.I decided to have a serious talk with the previous owner of the aerostar to see if there were any "new news" that would help me with my dilema.Well,it turns out that a week before selling it to me,he drove the minivan from his home to his work and he noticed that the car was over-heating.When he checked upon arrival at his work(about 5 miles) he noticed that there were no anti-freeze.Later that day his cousin came to his work and drove it with out his permission and with no surprise it over heated again.He claims that as fAR as he knows thats the only problem he was aware of.What do you think? Do you think that's what cause the transmission problem? ... I forgot to mention to you that sometimes when I'm driving it in Drive gear it alll the sudden the transmissin stars slipping and there is no gear friction and I have to righ away swich gears to overdrive and then back to drive for it TO work.What's wrong with my car? tell me the truth man,DO I NEED A NEWTRANSMISSION ?:thumbdwn:

 

[BrooklynBay]

It's possible that the previous owner might have overheated the transmission at the same time. The clutch material, gaskets, O rings, bands, and other parts are very sensitive to heat. If the transmission had high mileage, this excess heat might have finished it off. Try rebuilding the valve body first before doing an entire rebuild.