tranny or engine prob? 01 auto Desperately need help!!

[bradigirl]

My mustang suddenly started shifting weird, making a loud noise, and started to rev up to about 3500 rpms while driving it less than 1 mile from home. I had driven the car 2 days before and had no problems. Also no problems for the last 6 months (amount of time I have owned it and before my sister owned it an no problems). Now upon start up the car makes a whine, when put into reverse it is normal and quiet, then when I put it into drive (it's an auto tranny) it makes an even louder noise. Could the tranny just break suddenly with no slipping? Could this be an engine problem? Any chance it could be something easy or inexpensive to fix? Any help would be very appreciated.

[xreperf]

have the trans filter and fluid changed, it sounds like the filter is pluging up, that can cause shifting problems, and can hurt the trans, try not to drive it untill you have that done

[Davescort97]

Go back one step further and check the level of the fluid in the tranny. If it revs up to 3500 RPM's in gear the torque converter is probably slipping or the flex plate on the converter is cracked out. If that's so the tranny must be pulled to remedy the problem.

[bradigirl]

bradigirl's husband here, The trans fluid level was correct, I did a trans fluid change anyway, and the original plug was in the pan that comes from the factory, indicating that the fluid has not been changed since it was bought. It currently has 160,000+ miles on it. (yikes!) anyways, took it out for a test drive afterwards heres what I found:

When it's in park and neutral it has a whine that is consistent with the engine speed. I put it into any gear and the whine stops while not moving. I put it into drive and start moving at about 5-10 mph and it whines, as soon as I feel it drop into 2nd gear the whining stops, I speed up more and when it gets to 38mph it starts slipping and engine speed increases with no acceleration (like I pushed the clutch pedal in on a manual trans). At this speed also the whining is not present also.

Equally when I am slowing down from this speed 38mph or so, i get back down to 20 or so and there is no slipping, I slown down more to 5-10mph (probably 1st gear is engaged) and it starts whining again, until I finally stop and it is quiet. Put it into Park and whines again.

Very strange behavior, if this helps diagnosis what could be wrong your help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

[xreperf]

so sorry to here that, i was hoping that would work, the buzz you here is the pump in the trans making noise, and means low line pressure, witch can take out a clutch pack, it is sliping as you said, i still would have changed the filter and fluid just to try, but sorry your going to have to have the trans rebuilt, its happened to me in my own truck, i know the feeling!

[Davescort97]

I have to agree with xreperf. You've got major problems. Most Ford trannys don't make it past 120k. Your's lasted longer.

[jfarinha]

I had a 96 mustange GT, it would rev up on its own, and hold a high idle. than, the next thing you know, it would be fine, it was intermitent. sometimes, it wouldnt start. The problem, was the distributor. I replaced it, it ran fine. no problems. I took it to Ford, they couldnt find out what the problem was. I paid them over 300 bucks for about 4 different diagnosis. I had to figure it out on my own.