Tranny Shifting Problems

[itzbinnice]

Bought my 95 XLT in 98 with 30K miles. As soon as I got the vehicle (September) I had the tranny fluid and filter changed at a local Tranny shop. That winter I had no problems. In the winter of 99 I found the vehicle would not shift from 2 to 3rd until I drove for about 2 miles or more. If I let it warm up thoroughly before driving it was fine. I brought it to a different shop and he checked the fluid and said the fluid was poor quality and he recommended changing. I informed him it was only a year old as I watched him drop the pan. He then informed me the first shop never changed the filter since the original was still in place. He was honest and said this may or may not solve the problem. It did not, and I now have 48k miles on it and still have the problem 4 months out of the year. The other 8 it works perfectly. Recently I went to a barbecue and met a guy who owns a transmission repair shop about 200 miles from my home and is too far to travel. He told me more than likely it was a sticky valve and told me to put some STP transmission treatment in now, when the weather is warm and that may fix it. If not he told me to call him and he'd send me some really slick stuff that he uses to correct this problem.
Has anyone else experienced this problem and if so what was the outcome. I have no desire to spend 2,000 for a rebuild, do these addatives ever work?

 

[Robert]

How could the shop tell that the filter was never changed? Maybe the shop that you first took it to put another Motorcraft filter on? Regardless, most (if not all) of the shops that claim to do a complete fluid change do not change the filter. They are the places that charge from $69-$99. The other types of shops that charge $19-$49 plus the filter price only drop the pan and replace the filter, adding whatever fluid comes out. The correct way to do it is to have the filter and all fluid replaced. I have yet to see anyone advertise in the paper that does both. I'm not sure if Ford's transmission service does both or not.

 

[TPLYNCH]

Ford supposedly does the full flush... At least thats what they said (and charged me for) when I had mine done at 30K. Cost around $100-120 if I remember correctly.

There are valves/solenoids that stick. That could be your problem. I'm also thinking there was a manual adjustment that could be made, but that might have been before the tranny went "electronic". If you run a search for Tranny Shifting, you should find quite a few threads relating to the same problem you are having. Might be some interesting reading.

 

[itzbinnice]

Thanks Guys

Just to let you know the second guy did change the filter but with an aftermarket brand. The cost from the first guy was 49.99 so I'm certain he didn't change the filter from what you posted. Also just by looking at it, the second guy said the filter in there was old and not replaced within the last year. He also told me he worked for that shop but had to quit since the owner was a thief and constantly ripped people off. I can vouch for that since while I had the car in vehicle in there I asked him to change the fuel filter since I attempted myself and saw a special tool was required and after going to Pep Boys to buy it all they had was this plastic piece of crap so I decided why bother. I did read up before attempting and discovered one had to relive the fuel pressure before disconnecting.
Anyways I watch the so called mechanic remove the filter and he got a facefull of pressurized gas.
When I go pay the bill the guy hits me up for 113.00 for the filter change. I told him I coild get the filter at retail at Pep Boys for under 20.00 (his price was 65.00).
We agreed on a price of 75.00 since I had little choice at that point. So the second guy wasn't bullshitting about him being a thief. I will look for some other threads that may address my question. Thanks for your input, it was appreciated.

P.S. Hit the wrong key and sent this as a new thread by accident, disregard the "Thanks Guys" thread.

 

[JWood]

Have someone check the governor on the transmission. My 93 A4LD had a cold shifting problem. After checking the valve assembly, they told me they adjusted the governor and the problem went away.

 

[itzbinnice]

Jwood

Thanks for the suggestion, is the governor an internal or external component? If it's internal, sounds like big bucks to me. What did they charge you to fix yours?

 

[JWood]

Governor

It is an external part that seems relatively easy to adjust. It only took about 15 minutes or so for them to adjust it once the valve assembly had been removed, checked, then replaced. Then a test drive still showed the same problem. That's when they checked and adjusted the governor.

There was no charge due to it still being under warranty on the 2nd ($1400) rebuild.

The symptoms I experienced were what you described .... slow shifting when cold, then better after warming up. I was afraid the tranny was going out again.

Hope this helps...good luck.

 

[itzbinnice]

Jwood Thanks For The Info

This may be my problem as well. What I'm going to do is get some of that Transmission treatment the guy I met at the barbecue told me about. I'll put it in now
in the warm weather and give it plenty time to lube everything up inside.
If the problem still persists in the cold weather I'll bring it to a Transmission shop and tell them to adjust the governor. If that doesn't work, looks like I'm screwed, and either go back to the transmission shop with a tube of KY Jelly to ease the pain of a rebuild, or live with it and get off my lazy butt and warm the vehicle up before driving.
Thank you for taking the time to answer and providing some encouraging news.

 

[JWood]

Just a thought....

You might want to have someone check that governor first before adding something into the transmission. Please understand, I am certainly no expert by any means, quite the opposite. But, to introduce something else into the equation without checking it first might complicate things. Although I have no experience with these additives, personally I would be very cautious before pouring something in my transmission.

Good luck....these are not fun problems to have. I feel your pain.....having paid for 2 rebuilds.

 

[BUCHVILLEMAN]

not to sound like a smart a$$, but i had the same problem and i solved it by moving to florida....yeah right.

thinking all was well with my tranny.....a month after i got here i had a trans leak that was between the transfercase and the trans extension housing. so i had the seals, filter and pan gasket replaced. it cost $450 bucks. check this out though. i had the fliter and fliud changed in feb 2000 in VA and when the guy at the ford place in FL was pulling the pan off he showed me that they had used the liquid gasket in my pan and there was all kinds of blue pieces of silcone floating the in the pan. i called th eshop in VA pissed and they have no idea how it got there i must have doen it myself. oh yeah i must have just happenned to squirt blue silcone gasket into my transmission when i was bored the other day. sometimes mechanics really get me.

seriously though it sounds like one of the clutches is going. my mustang had the same problem and i had to have the tranny rebiult. sorry. i hope that isnt the problem.

go with the slick lube. call more than one shop and get their opinions on lube additives. slick 50 maybe?

 

[itzbinnice]

Thanks Guys

I too, am leery of putting additives into my transmission,
but the way the transmission repair shop owner described it to me, it's merely a very slick lubricant, which if a valve is sticking, should free it. This is not a stop leak type where it could possibly gum things up. It's my next-door neighbors brother in law and I would hope he wouldn't give me bad advice. The guy seems to be very knowledgeable, telling me on certain vehicles he puts gaskets in a microwave before installing since some time gasket holes for ports don't align perfectly.
On some other gaskets he freezes them for a day before installing. It was fascinating to hear these tricks that only experience, and having to do re-work, has
taught him valuable lessons. I will have my neighbor call him and get the name of the additive and try to buy it locally or on the net. If I can't find it I’ll take him up on his offer to send me some.
That's really a shame of your experience in VA.
The shop probably didn't have the pan gasket and put that crap in there so it wouldn't leak. I really like to do things myself since you know what you did and materials used. These days I'm limited in what I can do with the technology being as sophisticated as it is.
Soon a good mechanic will have the same stature as a doctor, they're well on their way with the prices they charge.

 

[BUCHVILLEMAN]

after watching the mechanic change the trans fliud and filter i wander why the heck i pay $100 to have someone do it. hopefully i wont have to do it for a while though. your right about additives. be cautious.

 

[gr_elvis]

shift hesitation when cold

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I have a 94 explorer And it won't engage when cold without accelerating
I took it to a local trans shop for filter &fluid change not knowing when it was last done if ever(ijust bought it)
After keeping it all day Android overnight so they could " experience the problem" they called Android told me it is the trans itself. Lots of burned friction material Android metal in the pan Android fluid burned black. Which I checked the fluid before I bought it wasn't brightred but not burned black either. So I question the truth of this. He tried it tell me it would be about 2000 it rebuild Android asked how's my credit I told him nonexistent. Wheh asked what I wanted him it do I said the filter & fluid as planned Android Ill have it try it mae it last through the winter. The said it will go awhile yet. What do you guys think? I have experienced shot trannys before Android they don't only have trouble when cold. Any suggestions?