'96 Windstar trans leak

Hey y'all. New here and new to minivans. Our Windstar's transaxle deeloped a serious leak and grabbing/slippage issues with my wife a couple days ago. We managed to get it home about 25 miles at a time by way of LOTS of ATF, and intended to fix it the next day. Welp, the leak stopped yesterday :screwy: . We put a new filter/screen in the transaxle, and it drove better, but the leak came back and the O/D light started flashing after a good run around town to check things out.

I have a front seal ready to go in this thing... just a matter of getting to it. I'd like to know what the best way is to get to the old seal... yank the engine, drop the trans, what do y'all suggest???

Thanks a LOT in advance.

Hey y'all. New here and new to minivans. Our Windstar's transaxle deeloped a serious leak and grabbing/slippage issues with my wife a couple days ago. We managed to get it home about 25 miles at a time by way of LOTS of ATF, and intended to fix it the next day. Welp, the leak stopped yesterday :screwy: . We put a new filter/screen in the transaxle, and it drove better, but the leak came back and the O/D light started flashing after a good run around town to check things out.

I have a front seal ready to go in this thing... just a matter of getting to it. I'd like to know what the best way is to get to the old seal... yank the engine, drop the trans, what do y'all suggest???

Thanks a LOT in advance.

Hello

I would drop the trannie to replace a seal inbetween the converter and trannie. I would check on the spider gears coming out of place if a retainer isn't put in and follow driveshaft removal removal order listed in a manual.

I take it that you see fluid leaking from here? Before going to all this work, I would check the servo cover that has the heat shield by the converter that was posted about a few days ago to see if that is leaking. I know you didn't get an answer to that post....but I would hate to pull a trannie and find out that the front seal wasn't the problem.

I just replaced the trannie in my 97 LeSabre. If you have questions feel free to contact me. Happy to help. I've been Found On Road Dead with a Ford.

Regards

Dan

Dan, I appreciate the help. I did the servo thing, all is well and dandy in it. There's no evidence of any kind of leak anywhere except for a small drop hanging from the bellhousing dust cover, which leads me to think either a bad seal or a torque converter problem.

If the seal was cracked, it'd leak all the time, right??? If it's just old, I may pour some snake oil in it to get it going for now, and once money comes in from what my wife does with the van(medical transport), we may slap another trans in it altogether.

Hopefully, this won't be one we have to Fix Or Repair Daily.

Welp, so far the snake oil has fixed the leak. But, whilst on the test drive, the O/D light started flashing again, and on into the drive, I lost all gears past 2nd... not that they don't work, just that it won't upshift into 3rd of 4th. Anywho, made it to Advance, and now we have codes to get us in the right direction of thinking:

0732 Gear 2 ratio incorrect

0733 Gear 3 ratio incorrect

0734 Gear 4 ratio incorrect

0741 Torque Converter CKT Performance or Stuck Off... WTF???

Any idea what kind of sensors there might be in question here???

Check the neutral safety switch on top of the transmission. It reports data to the PCM, allowing the PCM to shift the trans. With no signal, you'll get no shifting. That is also called a Transmission Range Switch, Transmission Range Sensor, or TRS. Places that sell them as a "Transmission Range Sensor" (a.k.a. the dealership) ask about $90 for a replacement. Places that sell them as a "neutral safey switch" sell them for about $40.

If you want to test yours, read this thread:

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=535091

My wife printed that thread out for me last night. Tried it this morning, and it did the same stuff as you described... firm upshifts, no O/D, no lockup(though it seemed like it was gonna a time or two), whole nine yards.

Advance will have a "neutral safety switch" in tomorrow... $32 should get this puppy back on the road.

Not going above 2nd gear is "Limp mode".
A numer of things can cause this......but right up at the top of the list....AND at the bottom of the COST list is that TRS, aka Neutral Safety switch.
Well worth the $32 shot.
Remove the Air filter/ MAF "tube" and the big flex hose from the air filter / MAF unit.....to the throttle body.
Then you will be able to look down and see the TRS right on top of the transmission.

Found it earlier this morning, thanks. There was another plug going into what looks to be behind the torque converter... would that be something dealing with the lockup clutch?

:banghead: We changed the transmission Range Sensor last night. Today it won't shift out of 2nd gear and the RPMs shoot up to 3500 - 4000. Eric would put it in neutral and kill the engine then start it back up. Sometimes that made it better. The O/D light starts to flash when the shifting acts up. Sometimes it shifts like it's supposed to. Other times I have to slow it down to 40 mph to lessen the RPMs. I run a medical transport business and this is my only vehicle to use. The trans only has 40,000 miles on it and the dealer will not do anything about helping fix it. Anybody have more advice??? I'm losing a lot of money each day by not using my van. Thanks!!:disappoin

:banghead: We changed the transmission Range Sensor last night. Today it won't shift out of 2nd gear and the RPMs shoot up to 3500 - 4000. Eric would put it in neutral and kill the engine then start it back up. Sometimes that made it better. The O/D light starts to flash when the shifting acts up. Sometimes it shifts like it's supposed to. Other times I have to slow it down to 40 mph to lessen the RPMs. I run a medical transport business and this is my only vehicle to use. The trans only has 40,000 miles on it and the dealer will not do anything about helping fix it. Anybody have more advice??? I'm losing a lot of money each day by not using my van. Thanks!!:disappoin

You are probably low on fluid. Most likely the reason it 1st started dumping fluid is because the fluid was getting too hot (old and broken down). I'd say that you need a transmission flush. I'll have to double check, I have a 99 and that safety valve is behind the torque converter. Between that and changing the filter and TRS should fix your leak and shifting problems. My trans would dump the fluid when I was on the highway, then would stop when it cooled down.
Another thought is the (VSS) speed sensor.

VSS was the next thing on the list. I now have a Haynes manual that tells a little bit of the sensors, switches, and whatnots that can cause wierd transaxle operation.

The turbine shaft speed sensor(TSS)... could that be a possibility, and how hard is it to change???

Found it earlier this morning, thanks. There was another plug going into what looks to be behind the torque converter... would that be something dealing with the lockup clutch?

The connector on top of the transmission is for the valve body solenoids and a couple sensors. The transmission is electrically monitored and shifted by the PCM. You can remove that plug from the transmission, inspect both the plug and connector on the trans for corrosion, moisture, contamination, or other damage. Clean everything, apply silicone dielectric grease to the pins and the seal, and reinstall the plug.

As for the "Transmission Range Switch" itself (or "neutral safety switch" or "Manual Lever Position Sensor" as ATSG calls it), it not only has to be installed and working, but needs to be positioned correctly. You should have noticed some phase or position indicator marks on the switch. The switch can be adjusted slightly to assure it's in the correct position when the manual lever is in a given range. There is also a pin gauge that can be inserted into the switch to hold the "home" position while tightening the mounting screws so that the adjustment is correct.

If you suspect a different problem with the transmisison, you can "test" the transmission in a default mode with an easy procedure. Start the vehicle, warm the transmission to operating temperature, then disconnect the Transmission Range Switch (TRS). Take the vehicle for a short drive. The "OD" indicator on the end of the gear selector lever should be flashing since the PCM won't have a clue what is going on. The shifts should be noticably harsher since the trans is probably operating at full line pressure - no active PWM solenoid to modulate pressures.) It should not go to OD, and of course the TCC shouldn't lock, but with the PCM running "blind", that's to be expected.

If the transmission shifts 1-2-3 normally with the TRS disconnected, the problem is likely with the adjustment or connections of the TRS. If you still experience problems shifting 1-2-3, there may be another problem within the trans.

The TSS is accessible (but barely) from the outside of the trans, just above the left half shaft and rear of the side cover of the trans. You'll need to be a contortionist to diagnose the sensor. Unplug the sensor and measure the resistance. It should be between 80-220 ohms. If the reading is out of range, reverse the polarity of the meter's test leads and check it again. If the resistance test is good, remove the sensor and get a good flashlight and mirror. Look inside the mounting hole, and slowly rotate the engine until you can see a tooth on the wheel inside the hole. Measure the depth of the tooth from the outer edge of the cover. It should be no greater than 20mm. If the trigger tooth is present and doesn't exceed the correct maximum depth, clean the TSS sensor face and reinstall it.

This may help:

http://72.19.213.157/files/AXODDeviceLocation.jpg

Hey, thanks for that diagram, BlueBowtie. I've pulled the low/int servo, and all is well. TRS is new now, probably needs dialed in, though. You're right about the TSS... that'd be a pain in the @$$ to replace. If possible/safe, I may look at the O/D servo. Definitely gonna check the VSS.

Once we cover bills and all, we'll probably put another trans in it and drive on with our bad selves. :)

Nuther question... what year models have the same transaxle as the 96? I believe we have the AX4S, even though it says AXOD on the pan. Also, is there any year that would be more desireable over another???

Do NOT get older than '96.
The '95 had more problems.....and if not "updated".....is more prone to fail.
I do not know any more about what is compatible with what.

Figured that out from research... thanks for the reminder, man. We're having a reman put in next week with a year warranty, so all should be well with it long enough to be able to get a new Sedona or Caravan... and hack it all up and put in stretcher mounts and rubber mats and whatnot in it. :P

Caravan? Caravan? If you think you're having transmission trouble with the A4XS in your Ford, wait until you get into a Caravan. Your Ford trouble is more likely due to a lack of maintenance. Regardless of the owner's manual's inflated recommendations, use the "Severe Service" maintenace schedules and/or change the trans oil and filter at 30K intervals and you'll have a lot better chance of the trans outlasting the rest of the vehicle. With the Dodge, no amount of maintenance can resolve the design issues.

Before you start shopping, slide on over to the Dodge Forum and search for "Caravan" and "transmission" is you have a spare week or two to kill.

Gotcha, bub... no Caravans.

Welp, to bring things up to date, the trans has been removed, rebuilt, reinstalled... and re-destroyed, apparently due to insufficient line pressure somehow. So, it's been re-removed, is being re-rebuilt, and is awaiting re-reinstallation. Builder says something in the control system isn't working right. He says he replaced the TRS and VSS, and that they found a wire that wasn't connected to some transmission control thingy, like a sort of extra computer???

I'm at a loss, y'all. The only other thing I know of wrong with the whole van is the intake manifold runners are stuck open... at least that's the DTCs it shows. Could that be keeping the trans from working right???

http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/index.cfm?action=getLocator&siteid=214072&chapter=DP2027&appSectionid=6&groupid=10024&subgroupid=20157&componentid=60329&make=10&model=Windstar&year=1998&catalogid=1

In case the above link does not work.... http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/index.cfm?siteid=214072

For the IMRC actuators for about $152.
Make sure you get the correct side....

There is a TSB from FORD that says to backflush the cooler(s) for the transmission. When a transmission fails, it can clog fully or partially the cooler in the radiator...... When a new transmission is installed, it will overheat and fail if there is not good flow through the cooler(s).
If you cannot get the radiator mounted cooler to flow correctly, you have to replace the radiator assembly.
So I would have the shop verify that the cooler(s) are working correctly.