Does this sound like a bad transmission-?

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farout squarecat

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I used to be quite impressed how well the Trac shifted.

Now the gears seem to "slip" sometimes while shifting. Other times the transmission gets "confused" and there is a hesitation while it finds the correct gear. Finally, sometimes there is a rumble or a shudder while shifting....usually when the car in front slows down to turn and then I accelerate.



I took to the Ford dealership, only 30k on my '04 model. They found NOTHING wrong with the transmission, and of course the Trac behaved for the test drive I took with the mechanic.



Since these are relatively sporatic issues that I cannot recreated on demand, should I just "hope" for complete transmission failure in the next 6,000 miles so Ford can fix it?

Should I let my local Goodyear store flush out the transmission? (like your supposed to at 30k)



I really like the Trac and hope to keep it a long, long time.



Any advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
I have the same problem. It's been worse the last couple of days with the cold weather. Dealer couldn't duplicate mine either. No OD light blinking but there is definitely something not right. I'm gonna be taking it in again soon so they can drive it first thing in the morning while it is cold.



 
Make sure that your dealer documents the problem before the warranty is up. Often times, they will still fix the problem if it has been documented to be an issue before the 36k mark. One scenario you might try is coasting down a hill and when you get around 25 mph, give it some gas. I've been able to duplicate the slipping pretty consistently when I do that.
 
Have you had the fluid and filter change yet, and did you try disconnecting the battery to reset the computer???



Todd Z
 
I suspect you have one of the bad Ford '04 transmissions that plagued the Explorer, Sport Trac and Mountaineer. Estimates are that as many as 1 in 10 of those vehicles sold in that model year will exhibit this problem with well under 30K miles on the transmission.



I have an '04 Sport Trac with 25K miles that hasn't had issue, but my wife has an '04 Mountaineer with 37K miles that started these same symptoms at under 10k miles. Since her vehicle posed problems in the first year and 12K miles, and had 3 or more repair attempts under warranty we filed AND settled a lemon law case.



See the link below for details...
 
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No, I havent had the fluid or filter changed yet (I have 29,700 miles). Would I be better off letting Ford change the fluid and filter?

Also, how long does the battery need to be disconnected before the computer is reset?

 
Do NOT flush the transmission. Work to reproduce the problem. When our Mountaineer was doing this sporatically we simply needed to drive it more for it to happen. Sometimes it would be days without it happening, but once it started, it kept happening, then days would go by and it might not happen again. So, my advice, drive often, several times a day, and WHEN it does occur, drive it DIRECTLY to the dealer to display the problem.



I suspect once they reproduce it they will replace the main valve body and solenoid pack, and that should get you another 10K to 15K before it starts happening again, intermittently.



I know this because that's exactly what was done to ours when showing this same problem...twice.



TJR
 
It would be better if Ford changed the fluid and filter, just so they have it on record that it was done. It only takes about 10-15 minutes disconnected for the computer to reset.
 
STCTC- You hit the nail on the head. When I leave my home I have to take a right turn and start down a hill. Every time when it changes over from 2-3 I can literally race the engine til it hits the limiter in the amount of time it takes to engage.



Maybe I'll bring the service guy on base with me and do my routine.
 
My 04 did not exhibit the same symptoms as yours farout', but I was aware of the tranny problems and when my Trac started slipping at about 18K miles, descrete as it was, I took it a local dealership ASAP. A solenoid was replaced and it was flushed. 10K miles later the same problem started happening again and this time the purchasing dealership installed a remanufactured transmission. So far so good, but I can only cross my fingers because I can't put too much faith in its reliability. This experience tarnishes an otherwise very enjoyable one.
 
Yup, Flip, though you didn't have the same symptom severity as Farout or I, you had an 04, and it started slipping with low miles and the solenoid pack replacement only fixed the problem for about 10K miles. That's the common theme for the '04s with this problem; the fact that it happens really early in the lifespan of the tranny, and fixes like valve body and solenoid replacements only band-aid the problem for 10K miles or so.



TJR
 
So....don't buy first model year and fourth one? :p



TJR, what's ur take on what the problem could be, that's inherent with 04s only? Is there something deeper going on with the supposed wrong trans fluid formula used at the factory?
 
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I dunno, it could be the bad fluid from the factory. I just did a lot of research when my wife's 04 Mountaineer started having it's problems and found many websites and many owners of '04s complaining about the same problems and symptoms and recurrence interval....and the problems all started well under 30K miles, and all with the '04s....and that's just not right.



TJR
 
Thanks for the replies.



What would eventually happen if the issue is not corrected? Would the transmission slip more and more until finally it wont move the Trac at all? Or is a lifetime of minor slipping all that will happen?
 
What would eventually happen if the issue is not corrected? Would the transmission slip more and more until finally it wont move the Trac at all?
Click to expand...



Thats right. Also the price to repair will got higher and higher to fix the problem.





Tom
 
I would recommend getting the transmission flushed ASAP. If you continue to drive it you may ruin it and Ford may not pony-up and pay for it under warranty. The reason is that your fluid needs to be changed at least by 30k miles. If you do not change the fluid, Ford can easily say that any problems with the transmission were cause by not changing the fluid.



The fact that you took it in complaining of transmission problems is no guarnatee that they will make free repairs after the warranty is up. And if they never did any work on the transmission because they could not duplicate the problems, they may feel the problem didn't exist.



...Rich
 
Yes, Richard makes a good point, if you can't reproduce the problem to them in the next few hundred miles you have to still get the scheduled trans maint done, lest you be liable. But as I said, try to reproduce it with them first, because the fluid change might mask it for several thousand more miles. Ours had the same symptoms at around 8K miles, then 15K, then 29K.



Each time they repaired the tranny and did a flush.
 
So basically I am screwed, unless the tranny still acts up after the fluid/filter change.



If the service fixes the problem for a few thousand miles - 6,000 miles or more - then it is out of warranty. I will just have to keep my fingers crossed!



Can anyone suggest a good transmission repair shop? Should I go with a National chain or an independent shop?
 
Your not screwed. If it is happening at all regularly, then you can reproduce for the dealer in the next week or so, right?



If not, take it in, again, and this time have it inspected, and make sure that you use the following words AND that these words are reflected on the repair order:



"intermittent", "unsafe lurch", "hestitation when shifting into drive or reverse", "clunking and lurch when shifting between 2nd and 3rd, and when down shifting between 3rd and 2nd"



If those are your symptoms (and you said they were), then get them documented.



Then, if it happens again a few K miles down the road, you can bring in the repair order with the symptoms listed. If the same symptoms show up later, more regularly, and they match your intermittent symptoms described to a "T", then the evidence is on your side that you had a pre-warranty problem.



TJR
 

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