Slipping between gears-2 trannies!

Okay let me start from the beginning. My parents have a 95 3.8l Ford Windstar and the transmission would slip between 1st and 2nd gears. Usually only if I hit the gas hard but sometimes if I rounded a turn quick, it would slip for a second. My parents have a very light foot so they never noticed and just told me it was cause I drive to fast. Well a few months later I get a call from a payphone. They were driving, it started grinding and then wouldn't go. I checked the drive axles hoping for some good news but they were fine. Needed a tranny. Had one put in used, 10,000 miles from a wrecked Windstar, $1300, AND they tell him when they are done they couldn’t get the bolts off to change the fluid and filter cause one of the bolt heads are stripped. He Brings my father under the car and everything to show him the bolt. Obviously since they felt they were doing him such a great favor changing the tranny for only $1300, they didn’t want to finish the job. There’s no way you can tell me you changed the tranny but couldn’t get to the filter! Unfortunately, they didn't tell me, they told my dad who really doesn't know any better. Well they get the car home, I take it for a test drive and low and behold it is doing the same thing, but not nearly as bad. It would only do it if I tried REALLY REALLY HARD to aggravate it, but not under normal driving conditions. So I told them this and there answer was "well we won't aggravate it." Great logic huh? Anyway, over a period of about a year it apparently got worse. Of course they are oblivious and tell me I'm crazy but it was much worse. After a while it was Always doing it and slipping hard, but still only between first and second. Also one day it was just missing a quart of fluid once for no reason. Pan was dry and I couldn't see any leak. It was only one time, but it wasn't gradual, it was all of a sudden. I check the fluids whenever I am there cause I know they are oblivious and would probably keep driving if it caught fire. But anyway that never happened again till last week. It's about 6 months later and I get a call, they are stuck and it won't go. I get there and the tranny is almost empty. I fill it, take it home, get underneath and find 4 bolts that were completely stripped in the pan and the oil had come out. This was no surprise cause I already knew the transmission shop sucked, but all it took for me to fix was some slightly longer bolts on 3 of them and a nut on the back of the fourth. So I finish, fill it. I check to see how it drives and the slip is almost gone. It will do it if I try REALLY REALLY hard to aggravate it, but under normal and even intense driving conditions it's fine. So I give them the van. It's does good for about a 2 days, and then is slipping between all the gears. Well I don't actually know about all but definitely from first to second and second to third. It's not bad, but bad enough for my father to notice and call me. Obviously this Tranny wasn't meant to handle 200HP/215tq and Ford didn't care, but that’s not surprising at all! Anyway Does anybody out there think this could maybe not be another tranny gone bye bye? Maybe cheap fluid, bad filter? Maybe something electronic or vacuum related? I know nothing about this car or how it's tranny works so any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I know it's a long post but I wanted to get across as accurate as possible of a description. Thanks so much 4 taking the time to read it. :cool:

Hello

I did a search on the Windstar forum for transmission and found these threads. I hope they help you out.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=577916&highlight=transmission

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=570490&highlight=transmission




http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=549784&highlight=transmission

Regards

Dan

1. Make SURE to use Mercon Rated transmission fluid for your '95.
2. Change it each year.
3. Use a full synthetic if possible.
The fact that you significantly improved the situation with a transmission fluid change, is what makes me state this.
There is a FORD TSB # 01-15-7, dated 08/06/01, that states NOT to use Mercon V or a fluid that claims to be BOTH Mercon and Mercon V, where MERCON is specified, as "damage" can result.
In the past year, Mobil 1 ATF, has changed to be both Mercon and Mercon V.....which is an issue as compaired to the FORD TSB.

The original transmission pan gasket should have been re-usable.......cork is not....but the original gasket is metal inside, with a ribbed rubber coating.

FORD TSB #03-14-8, dated 07/21/03 states that the # 1 cause for repeat transmission failures is contamination from the cooler and cooler lines. They updated a earlier TSB to use a different machine to clean the cooler and lines......using heated ATF, and pulsating it through the cooler and cooler lines. The contamination (crud) can contaminate the new fluid, and can restrict the fluid flow through the cooler, causing the "new" transmission to overheat.
The factory cooler is inside the radiator.....on the passenger side. IF you have the towing package, there is a small cooler under the front license plate, on the front of the radiator assembly, there is a small transmission cooler on one side, and a small power steering cooler on the other side. Many of us have installed an auxillary cooler in front of the radiator assembly.
HOWEVER, if there is a restriction in the factory cooler, it will restrict the flow through the auxillary cooler. If the factory cooler cannot be cleared, then replacement is needed.....which.....requires replacement of the complete radiator assembly (minus the A/C condensor coils on the front).
NO SOLVENTS are to be used to clean the transmission cooler, cooler lines, or the transmission (that is the inside of these). Solvents can damage the frictional surfaces inside the transmission.......