2002 Windstar Lx Tranny

Hi there. Sometimes my tranny shifts hard from 1st to 2nd gear. This problem is intermittent (doesn't happen all the time). Any ideas on what I should do. Van has 98000kms on and I don't know if any tranny service has been done to it. Manual says that tranny service should be done at 100000kms. Any advice much appreciated.

Oops, I just posted in another thread about water in the trans fluid causing hard shifting.

I had a Saturn that I flushed the rad on and it shifted horribly after that, even sticking in first. Turns out the trans air breather was disconnected and water got in the fluid. The fix was to warm up the trans on the highway to get the water suspended in the fluid and rush back to change it.

There was a TSB for my 2001 Windstar that said a leak in the cowl was causing water to get in the trans and that caused hard shifting (same as my Saturn). To top it off there was another TSB saying that the air breather on the 2001 Windstar trans was bad and there is a new part out. I have my Ford guy looking into the new one for me now.

Either way, I bought my Windstar recently and the second thing I did was change the trans fluid. It drove ok before but after the fluid change the shifting was so seamless I didn't even know it was happening. Smoothest shifting I've ever seen in a car actually. So my suggestion would be to change that trans fluid as soon as possible.

I can't say what could be wrong with your trans but I know from experience that contaminated fluid can cause hard shifting and that new fluid can make it shift reallllllly nicely.