2002 Windstar dies when put into gear

I have a 2002 Ford Windstar with 140,000 miles that's been nothing but a nightmare this last week. It started bucking and dying whenever I started coming to a stop. I had to put it into neutral, restart it, give it gas and then drop it into drive to keep going. I had to start putting it in neutral and coasting when I came to a stop sign, then again give it gas as I put it into drive. If I didn't, it would die again.

I managed to limp back home across town (in the middle of a snowstorm no less) and get it into the garage. I've been reading every forum I can find about similar issues and I feel like I've reached a dead end.

Here's what I've done so far:

The check engine light has been on for a long time and its been idling rough. I borrowed my dad's code reader and got P0401, P0171 and P0174. The EGR valve was replaced about 6 months ago, so I began testing the DPFE valve. It was faulty, so I started by replacing that. It ran smoother at idle in park and neutral, but as soon as I put it in drive or reverse, it still died.

Next, I checked the IAC valve. No issues there. It tested fine and looked pretty clean inside.

Another recommendation was to change the transmission range (TR) sensor. I did that and the van still dies when it's put in gear.

Here's where I feel stuck. I thought the three codes I pulled were all related to each other, but I found that isn't necessarily the case. I came across the great thread about TSB 03-16-1 and the issues the vacuum leaks can cause. I just don't know if that could cause the stalling, and now I'm divided between going down that path or checking to see if this may be a transmission or torque converter issue.

Regarding the transmission, the O/D light started flashing on an extremely cold day about a month ago, but it went away after I parked the van and came back later. I never really gave it another thought because of the extreme weather. I also need to ad it I've been having to regularly top off the transmission fluid because of a small leak around a half-shaft seal on the passenger side.

This is a hand me down vehicle from my folks who just wanted to get it out of driveway. I don't think it's worth all that much, so I'd like to find the most cost-effective solution.

Has anybody had similar issues or have advice? I don't want to keep taking shots in the dark and throwing away money on other fixes if it's something major like the transmission. Are there any ways you can test the torque converter to see if it's stuck/busted or should I just go for the TSB 03-16-1 repair and see what happens?

Thanks for your help!

I'd definitely do the P0171/0174 fix anyway. And clean out those EGR ports. Fix the KNOWN stuff first. I'd also change that axle seal -- it's really not that hard to do and it's only about $8 for a new one from autozone. To get to it, just pull off the wheel, separate the balljoint, and slide out the axle. There is a little dust cover over the seal that's slightly annoying but with a little "convincing" it pops out right out. I used a small prybar to remove the old seal.

There could certainly be more than that, but removing the intake plenum and cleaning out the EGR ports is pretty easy to do. There's no need to replace those plenum-to-manifold bolts either; just cut off the grommets and get a new set of green ones from felpro for about $15. Advance Auto carries them.

Thanks for the tip. I did end up consulting a transmission shop before I started investing in more parts. They said the torque converter has gone bad and replacing it would require a tranny rebuild, based on the mileage. Worst case scenario: $2,000 repair.

Time to put a bullet in this one. I'm going to start calling scrap yards to see what I can get for it. Oh well.

I know that feeling. I have to say, though, "bad torque converter = transmission rebuild" is a complete lie. The torque converter is not inside the transmission and can be replaced separately. Plus, I haven't heard of many torque converter issues on these so that's really, really suspect. Nevertheless, as the problems add up, it can become more costly to fix. I'd still pull the intake plenum anyway just for the heck of it. I'd hate for clogged EGR ports to be the only reason you're replacing the van! And the vacuum leak from those isolator bolt grommets and/or clogged EGR ports cause the exact symptoms you are describing.

If I lived anywhere near you, I'd be happy to act as your personal scrapyard for the van. Heh.

you can get the gromets for the isolator bolts from a parts store for about 13$. I had a similar problem to yours, not quite as bad but close. I just cleaded the ports and changed the gromets and it's been just fine ever since

heres the Advanced auto parts number for those grommets

Fel Pro ES72204

13$ on the website. It was extremely easy and about as cheap as you can get. Just remember to clean out the egr ports while your in there. They can get pretty nasty