Truck at shop for slow shifting problem after cold start

[Derek Thorson]

So I took my 02 Trac into the dealer to have them check out my transmission (long since out of warranty). Basically when it's cold out, which it has been a lot this year here in Chicago, the transmission needs a good 10-15 minutes of warm up before it will shift reliably. After it's warmed up, it runs fine.



It's at nearly 90k miles (working downtown Chicago I have a 10 minute commute) and has never had the tranny flushed, but has had the fluid replaced twice, so I figured it just needed both a flush and a fill. Well I got a call back today saying that the tranny fluid was low due to the transmission lines leaking. I'm guessing it's the lines that bring the fluid to the engine to warm it up. Well, they want $798 to fix that and do the flush and fill, a bit more than I can afford right now. Does that sound correct?

 

[EddieS'04]

Imo, fix the leak DIY. dump the pan and fill it for now.

If the tubing has a hole in it. You can Cut the line and get a tubing union, @ harware store. If the tubing has got thin from road salt. Use a peice of hose and two clamps on each end.

$800 sounds a bit much to me. When the wheather is better. you can consider DIY line replacement. Then a flush shouldnt be more than $200.

 

[Derek Thorson]

$800 included replacing the line and the flush/fill (and possibly an oil change I asked them to do). And after doing my own research...that does seem a bit extreme. I'm leaving work in a bit to go over there and get them to show me the leak. If I can get away with just doing a drain/fill I'll do it myself this afternoon and consider doing the line replacement a bit later. It doesn't look too complicated even for someone like me...I've just been too used to taking it to the dealer. Part of the reason is I can't do any car work at my apartment (rules against it), but my father said I can use his driveway anytime to do car work.



Overall I think I'm just going to start learning how to maintenance myself. I'm looking into replacing my truck in the next couple of years so saving a bit on maintenance on my truck until that happens will help.



Thanks for the advice.

 

[Vic Sorlie]

Your 02 has a transmission fluid dipstick; after noticing shifting issues checking fluid level would have been good first step. That was what shop did, guaranteed. Yikes - under car work in Chicago driveway in February. Good luck.

 

[Brett Stoner]

You could do it yourself for around a $100. Pick up a case of trans fluid, a tranny filter, oil filter, oil, couple hose clamps and hose, or a compression fitting. Trace the hoses to find the leak and replace/repair. Drop the tranny pan, change the filter, and button back up. Leave the tranny hose open stick in a bucket, and fill/run/repeat until fresh fluid comes out of the hose. Repair splice, do your oil change, top off tranny fluid to proper level, and your done. Probably couple hours in the driveway in carharts and some scrap cardboard to lay on.

 

[Gavin Allan]

I am betting that the low fluid level isn't causing your cold shifting problems. My '03 Adrenalin was having problems engaging the gears when it was below 20 degrees or so. It would back out of my driveway just fine, but when I put it in drive, it would just sit and the engine would rev for a second or two or five, and then all of a sudden the transmission would slam HARD into gear (tires squealing, etc.) and it would go. I live on a busy street just over the crest of a hill, so you can imagine the pucker factor putting it in gear and it not going. I had the transmission flushed and the filter changed again by the Ford dealer, but it didn't help. This started about 50,000 miles, and I did have the transmission fluid changed at 30,000 miles by the Ford dealer. I didn't want to mess with it, so I quickly traded it for a '07 Limited. The Ford dealer said it was probably a bad valve body or solenoids, but I didn't have them tear it down to find out.

 

[Duane Foster]

I'm with Vic. Low trans fluid would definitely cause poor cold shifting problems. And there may not really be much of a leak when/if it warms up. I've had Fords that would leak when it was cold and the seals shrunk up, but didn't really leak the rest of the year.

 

[Derek Thorson]

Yeah I should have checked the fluid level long ago...oh well. Live and learn...



Low fluid was the cause, it's shifting much better now that it was topped off. Leak still isn't fixed (caused by a partially rusted line) and I leave a small puddle of tranny fluid every where I park for more than a couple of minutes, but I have the parts ordered, they should be here Thursday. I'll be taking a half day off to take care of it. No Chicago driveway in the winter....heated garage at my dad's house. He's also got the necessary tools to do the job, so I'll be taking care of that Thursday. Also have a local friend who is awesome at car repair, and will help out if needed (bit of a drive for her, so only when necessary).



Got out of the shop for $385...that was after arguing to get a discount on the cost of the oil they used for the oil change. An older service manager agreed that what they were charging was extreme for 5 quarts of Mobile One ($120 when I can get it for max of like $70 at pretty much any auto parts store in the area, or $45 at Sam's club)...and got them to take off some of the cost plus the labor to do the job. Going to learn to do my own fluid and filter changes now.

 

[EddieS'04]

Appears they still tried to ripp you. 'Cause you didnt let them do the repair.

I hate repair shops', stealers mostly.



I dred the day I have to find one. I dont do my own motor and trans rebuilds anymore. I will do most everything else. Im just glad I have found a very good and honest body shop. He was even able to install my new cab to frame bushings.

 

[Derek Thorson]

Yeah they were really going to rip me if I had them do the repair. The parts they had down for replacement were three tranny lines. Only one of those was actually leaking, and that's the only one I replaced last night. I'm taking the extras back on Saturday to try to get my money back.



It was a pin hole leak from a rusted out section of the line from tranny cooler to the radiator. With the airdam in place underneath it, it just leaked onto that and dripped down from there. After I took that off and started my truck the leak was a nice little stream shooting out about a foot beyond the tire. Replaced the affected line, filled the fluid back up, and confirmed no more leaks. Buttoned it back up and it's been running nicely ever since with no leaks that I've spotted.



One thing I did notice was that the transmission cooler wasn't actually attached to the bracket it was sitting in at all. There were what seemed like screw holes but it seems the screws worked their way out and there was no longer anything holding it there except the friction between the mounting two plates. Are there supposed to be screws holding it there or is it supposed to be like that? I'm going to check with Ford on Saturday about it, if I don't hear back here. My dad tried to find some screws to secure it, but couldn't find more than 1.

 

[Duane Foster]

The trans cooler in front of the radiator on my '02 is NOT screwed to the top bracket. The bracket just sits over the top of the cooler. I didn't look at the bottom bracket. I don't think the holes in the top of the bracket should have screws through them. You'd likely end up poking a hole in the cooler if you put screws in those holes. Probably the same on the bottom.

 

[Gavin Allan]

Maybe a parts schematic would be helpful. My guess if it is held with any fastener, it would be some of those plastic push-through thingies that the rest of our tracs are held together with.