99 Windstar Flashing OD Light

Last week I changed the tranny fluid & filter in our 99 windstar. We left PA the next day and drove to Disney World. The entire way there and half way back (where we are now) the tranny did not give any issues. It was very smooth and shifted good. About half way back the OD light started flashing.

The tranny seems to shift just fine when driving down the highway, the only time anything is out of ordinary is shifting from park into the other gears, it is a bit harsh.

I am about 440 miles from home with 3 young kids, and not sure what the issue may be.

My code scanner did not find any code for the tranny. I know it can read tranny codes because it picked up a code on my BIL's 2000 GM minivan.

Any ideas what may be the culprit, especially with no codes? I checked the fluid and it seemed fine, it was in the cross hatch area and I didn't find any leaks.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

I would fill the fluid all the way up to the FULL mark.....
You are correct, the flashing O/D light is a transmission issue.
I just looked, and most of the actual transmission codes (the only ones that I see with a quick look on AlldataDIY) are P codes but some are P1xxx.......and some are P0xxx.
I am not sure what all the difference between the 2 is, but P0 is "generic" and P1 is more manufacturer specific.....so a code in the P1 may not always show up.
I am FAR from an expert on this, but did read this about P1xxx being more manufacturer specific than the P0xxx codes.

For this reason, a more sophisticated (expensive) code reader might be needed in order to reliablly read the code(s).

Without knowing the code(s) leaves one doing a guessing game....as you have no real symptoms to go from.

So....this is why my first advice is to make sure that the fluid level is up to the FULL mark, as measured warm, on level ground, motor at idle, transmission in PARK.
Also.....I am guessing that the fluid that is in there meets the Mercon V specification.

Yes, as the Transmision Range Sensor (TRS), aka neutral safety switch could be getting intermittent on one of it's many contacts.....but...again that would only be a guess (on of the least expensive)......among the many other possibilities.

Wiswind,

Thanks for the reply. I am going to add more fluid to the tranny and see if that helps any (w/o overfilling of course).

You are correct, I flushed and filled the tranny with Mercon V.

Also, I added a bottle of Lubeguard to the tranny when I did the flush (red bottle, red cap).

Before I did the tranny flush, I had a bit of TC shudder and since flushing that is completely gone.

Without knowing if any codes are present or not is like shooting in the dark. All I know is that my code reader did pick up a code on my BIL's van for a tranny sensor (don't remember which one).s
Though whether it would read tranny codes on my Ford is anyone's guess.

FordGuy

Does the flashing OD reset itself after you turn the ignition off and restart - or is it on all the time ???

Glenn

glennet404,

well we just got the van home with the o/d light flashing for ~400 miles (yikes!)

After shutting the van off, the flashing o/d light does seem to reset itself. After we would pull over for gas or whatever, we would start the van and the o/d light would stay off for a mile or two before coming back on.

At first, it would only shift hard into gear when shifting from park, like a clunk into gear. I added a quart of ATF and that seemed to make it a little better. Once driving down the highway, it would shift between gears just fine.

Shortly before we got it home, it started shifting hard through first and second when pulling out from a stop, but still shifted just fine once we were going.

It is definitely weird that it resets itself after turning the van off, even if just for 5 minutes.

Any ideas?

Guys,

Would it be a good idea to just replace the TRS? I have read on here where the TRS seems to have a high failure rate and was just wondering if I should just replace it.

Could a faulty TRS cause the symptoms I am experiencing?

Perhaps it worth mentioning, last night we checked into a hotel and after checking in I went to a nearby Walmart. Going to and returning from Walmart, the OD light never once came on and I never exceeded 40 mph. The van ran just fine.

The next morning we left, and within half a mile, the OD light came on and this time our speed was above 45 mph. Faulty VSS perhaps?

Seems like your problem is related to the OD operation since it only seems to happen at over 45MPH and that's about the speed where the OD would kick in. Probably the TCC (Torque Converter Clutch) solenoid, (if there's one on gthis trannys!)

Have you tried driving over 45MPH with the OD switch off? If the OD light doesn't blink at you that might lead you in the right direction.

Hello-

The harsh shift from 1st to 2nd gear is usual after the OD light goes on. The adaptive control in rhe computer gets shut off - this helps to smooth out the transmission shifts. Sure sounds like your transmission is having a problem locking up the converter or shifting into OD. Also - it could be the VSS (vehicle speed sensor. What RPM was the tachometer showing as you were driving about 60-65 MPH ??

Furthermore - I do believe you are throwing a code that your code reader is not seeing. You should get to a tansmission shop ASAP and spend the $100.00 +/- to get the codes read.

Glenn

glennet404,

Yeah, as soon as I can, I will get the codes read at a shop.

At 60 to 65 mph the rpms were ~2000 to 2300 rpm or so. One thing I did keep my eye on was the tach to see if it would fluctuate without any change in road speed--it didn't. The tach would move up around 3000 when the tranny downshifted into third at 65mph or so. When shifting back into OD, it shifted fine and the rpms went back down to where they were previously. Once it was in OD the rpms stayed consistent to the road speed. It seems to shift in and out of OD just fine.

Could these problems be a result of flushing the tranny? After flushing the tranny, I put at least 1600 miles on it before any problems showed up, and it ran better than ever.

One thing I forgot to mention earlier is that a few times after stopping, we could smell tranny fluid. Though I looked everywhere and could not find any leaks and the fluid level remained where it was.

How hard is it to replace the VSS or TCC on the Windstar. It took me 10 min. to replace the VSS on my Ranger, similar on the Windstar?

The vehicle speed sensor, which is where the speedometer connects is a real pain to replace on the windstar due to its location.
It is on the back side......about the middle, above the front catalytic converter.....
So...the job would not be hard....but the location makes it difficult.
I have not changed one, but there are some posts on here from folks who have.
I would do a search and read what advice they have to offer from their experiences.

I would agree that a reading of the codes with a more advanced reader than our generic OBDII readers would be the best way to go.
Hopefully, it will end up being something not expensive, but if it is a major internal repair, you don't want to waste precious money on things that are not defective.

As to the fluid change being part of the problem, I would say ONLY if the wrong fluid is used, or if this is the first fluid change in many miles over the recommended change interval.
For a fluid change that is way past the recommended interval, another fluid exchange in short order is often needed.....because the new fluid may "clean" and the extra fluid change will flush out the junk that the new fluid picks up.

In your case, I would not invest more until I learned as much as possible from the code(s).

Thanks wiswind,

I just took the van for a drive through town not exceeding 40 mph. Every shift was as it should be and the od light did not come on. I started out with a cold tranny and even as it warmed up everything seemd fine. There was no harsh shifting from park into the gears and no harsh 1-2 and 2-3 shifts. I drove ~ 8 miles throgh town with no OD light on.

On the way home, I exceeded 40 mph. Though it didn't happen right away, eventually the OD light did start flashing. Though I didn't get any real harsh shifts, they were more pronouced and as the van slowed down and downshifted, i could feel those shifts more. After pulling into the driveway, I began shifting between PRND, it wasn't real harsh but it was much more pronouced and more audible.

And after turning the van off and restarting, the od light did not come on.

The van was flushed and filled with Valvoline Mercon V fluid and I added a bottle of the Lubeguard. I outlined the procedure in a post I started last week and was going to report back on how went, but then this issue showed up.

As the van was used when we bought it, I have no idea when the last fluid and filter change was done. I know we put ~ 25K on it or so after buying the van before I changed the fluid.

I am going to wait and see if there are any codes present before I start shotgunning parts at it.

It seems strange to me that my code reader found tranny codes on my BIL's 2000 GM van, but wont pick up any on my '99 Ford?

After getting the system scanned and sorting this issue out, perhaps another fluid tranny flush is in order as you suggested.

My 1997 does something similar. O/D flashing after travelling highway speeds for 10 miles or so, and then the pronounced shifting and hard "slams" into gear/reverse from park. I checked my trans fluid and added just a little (maybe 1/8th of a quart) and the light hasn't come on since then.

Also no CEL here. I hate transmissions.....

I added about quarter quart of ATF to the tranny and I quite sure that is is completely FULL.

I went for a drive and though it took longer for the light to come on, it eventually did. The entire time, even with the light flashing, the van shifted just fine.

When I got back, I shut the van off then did a restart. The light was not on as has been the case. The light only comes back on after driving it above 45 mph.

Then I thought I should force a code to see if my scanner would pick it up. I unplugged the TRS connector with the van running and the OD light started flashing again. My scanner picked up code P0708 for the TRS circuit High input.

Are there other types of codes that the tranny would throw out that I might not see? My scanner does pick up the "P" codes for the tranny. The CEL is not lit.

My wife is taking the van to Ford tomorrow to have them scan it, but I would hate to give them a $100 just for them to tell me that they couldn't find anything.

One other question, anyone know what is the cylindrical part with the white connector on it next to the TRS on top of the tranny?

FordGuy-

As was mentioned previously there are a number of transmission specific codes that are not picked up by a standard code reader.
I think your doing the right thing in getting it to the shop for analysis.
Let us know what happens.

Glenn

Okay, my wife just called me from the Ford dealership. They said they got Code P0741 for the TCC.

First question, why would my code reader pick up this code on my BIL's 2000 GM van, but not the Windstar? I also used my scanner to pick up code P0708 for the TRS (I forced this code by unplugging it). Seems odd to me. Could have saved $70 if my code reader had read this.

Tech also noted that the tranny fluid smelled funny, but was still clean.

Is there anything I can do about the TCC? Can I service this with the tranny in the van?

The unfortunate thing is that I HAD to drive this van ~500 miles like this.
Possible internal damage? Yeah I can believe that, thats probably why I smelled tranny fluid after a long drive.

Any suggestions? If I can replace the TCC in the van, is it worth it or would it be better to get a reman unit? I was quoted $2500 from Ford for their tranny. Problem is I don't have $2500 and only paid $3500 for the van.

Is it possible that this came about from flushing the tranny? Perhaps I should have just left it alone and hoped it held out a little longer.

I believe that my TCC solenoid was replaced without removing the transmission in my '96 Windstar. I've read of cases where this code was not resolved by replacing the solenoid.

I once drove my Windstar for 400 miles through a mountainous area while the TCC was totally inoperative. It was still under a warrenty from a total rebuild at the time, so I'm not sure if there was any additional damage due to driving it under those conditions, but it didn't seem to have caused any additional problems. The transmission shop had told me earlier to disable the O/D if I had problems with TCC lockup chatter and slippage.

It would seem that a reman tranny would be the best way to go.

I contacted a local tranny shop near where I work (Pro Trans in State College, PA). They quoted me $1795 for a reman tranny. The price includes a reman tranny (they rebuild them in house), reman torque converter, labor, fluid, etc. and comes with a 24 month/24,000 mile warranty. I have never used them before as I have never had a tranny go out on me, but they've been here since 1983. Does this sound like a good price?

I was told that they would perform a dianostics first to determine exactly what is wrong before replacing the tranny and that 141K and some change was pretty good mileage for this tranny.

Any suggestions?

I paid $1800 for a "hard" rebuild and 36,000 mi warrenty. That was after 190,000 mi on the original transmission. I believe a Ford dealer charges more, but it's a 75,000 mi warrenty. I'd check a few places, get some estimates, do some comparison shopping. Ask quesitons about policies and how the warrenty is executed. Get some recommendations.

When my rebuild was done, the mechanic made some mistakes that took a while to resolve. Fortunately the owner of the shop stood behind the warrenty with no hassels.

tom,

Yeah, I just told my wife she should be fine in town and short (<50 mile) trips for awhile at least.

Looks like I just need to bite the bullet here. Problem is is that the van will soon need shocks/struts, brakes, and tires. Oh yeah, my P0171 & P0174 codes just came back today(!), guess I should have replaced the valve cover with the updated version last fall when I did the iso bolt fix.

Anyone wanting to send donations.......J/K!

I paid $1800 for a "hard" rebuild and 36,000 mi warrenty. That was after 190,000 mi on the original transmission. I believe a Ford dealer charges more, but it's a 75,000 mi warrenty. I'd check a few places, get some estimates, do some comparison shopping. Ask quesitons about policies and how the warrenty is executed. Get some recommendations.

When my rebuild was done, the mechanic made some mistakes that took a while to resolve. Fortunately the owner of the shop stood behind the warrenty with no hassels.

Yeah, the place I mentioned said that all the gaskets, seals, o-rings would be replaced and all of the updates to the tranny would be built in. Rebuilt valve bodies, TC, and like. Planetary gears and drums would be replaced if need be.

What do mean by a "hard" rebuild?

I noticed Ford did have a 75K warranty and were a bit more money. I'll call the local Ford shop tomorrow and get an estimate.

FordGuy-

Before you go off and get the transmission rebuilt - you may want to consider replacing the TCC solenoid.

This can be done without removing the transmission - and the part is about $25.00.

As far as the fluid change having any effect on this - its possible that the change in fluid viscosity could have contrbuted to the problem - but a better bet would be the the heat caused by the long highway drive on a component that was on its way out.

Good Luck
Glenn

I think glen has a good suggestion, if you're up to the DIY approach. Even if you're not, the shop could do it for you for much less than the rebuild.

If I remember correctly, a hard rebuild includes replacing the "hard" parts that either need to be replaced (such as worn gears) or should be replaced (such as bands and clutches). A soft rebuild only goes after "soft" parts, like gaskets.

I try not to take anything into the shop if I don't have to. I would probably do more if I had a lift and heated garage. I was thinking of replacing the TCC solenoid just to if that will solve it. Better to be out $25 than $2500. I'll call around and get some more estimates in case we have to go that route.

We'll see how it goes. Oh btw, did I ever mention I don't like working on FWD cars...lol

Ok, so I am going to Ford tomorrow to buy a TCC solenoid ($50).

I looked at the end of the tranny that faces the driver side wheel and noticed the access panel. I can see that the tranny mount/tube support needs to be removed first.

My question is: Has anyone here done this before? After removing the tranny mount, will I need to support the tranny with a stand or blocks of wood? Will I need to jack the tranny up to get the cover off?

Any other tips or tricks? I feel that this is well within my capabilities, but I've never had to do this before.

If this doesn't work, then I'll look at another tranny.

You might be interested in this link:

http://www.motorcraftservice.com/vdirs/retail/default.asp?pageid=cat_1&gutsid=productdetail

These are the official Ford manuals, available on-line. You can buy access for a few days, a month, or a year. It includes access to all the manuals for you year and model, as well as TSBs. You can print anything that you want. I've used this before with great success. There's a lot there, so it can be a little daunting, but once you get your head around it, it's not too bad. I don't particularly like the way Ford organizes the information (redundent discussions of the same topic in multiple manual locations) but otherwise it's good.

Greetings,

I have a 2000 ford windstar that is having similar issues. Light comes on after start up but not right away. I had it towed to the shop to be safe but have had no luck with a repair yet. The last time I drove it home it was having trouble getting up a hill near my house. Rpms went up speed went down. Then closer to home I had to make a complete stop on a steep hill and then creep up. I am pulling the plug here and am going to let the dealer have it on a trade in. They don't want it towed to the dealer but will take it if I can drive it on the lot. Think I can make it about 35 miles away? Can I manually shift the car? Would that be better? Other plan is to have it towed close then drive it in but don't want to pay for the tow either. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. Only have about 130K on the car, of course I just fixed the head gasket and put new tires on it

"The last time I drove it home it was having trouble getting up a hill near my house. Rpms went up speed went down."

Without it shifting, the only way for this to happen is a friction to start slipping. Which one and why is a guess. Does it stop slipping if you limit it to First or Second gear (setting the selector to "1" or "2")? Keep in mind it will run with high RPM if you try to drive fast (>30 mph in 2nd) just because it can't shift to third gear.

There is no "manual" mode with the transmission. The closest thing to manual is "2" because the transmission never shifts out of second with the selector in the "2" position. If it doesn't work in "2", then you should probably tow it to the dealership and drive it on the lot, however if "2" works well, drive it as far as you can in "D", then switch to "2" from that point forward. Choose roads where you don't have to travel faster than 30 mph.

BTW, towing service is included with AAA membership .

Subscribed. I'm having a very similar problem with my '99 Wind*. Mine seems to happen more when the weather is hot, in stop-n-go traffic, in town. The O/D light starts flashing at a traffic light, then the trans shifts hard 1-2, at elevated RPM, upon light acceleration. I can shut off the ignition and that resets the O/D light off, and everything returns to normal. The trans works fine on the hiway except it seems to "pop out" of O/D for a second or 2 every once in a while, usually going uphill, then goes back into O/D. The O/D light doesn't flash in this situation. I haven't pulled any codes, but I have confirmed that the fluid level is right up. Trans was flushed at one of those "Jiffy-Lube" type places, I was told by the previous owner.

65val, I'm not an expert on the various Windstar transmissions. My '96 has AX4S whereas you may have an AX4N. I rebuilt my transmission earlier this year and was able to cure two problems I was having (1) it would not shift past second gear (2) The transmission would shutter when the TCC was locking up, so I know enough to be dangerous. Unfortunately I couldn't really identify the exact causes of the problems so I repaired everything that I thought might be the causes.

With that said you wrote "I can shut off the ignition and that resets the O/D light off, and everything returns to normal." If your problem was due to a bad friction surface, a bad seal, or sticking valve, I don't think this "reset" would fix anything. However, the fact that it does suggests that the PCM is getting bad data from (or sending bad data to) the transmission. The transmission doesn't have any intelligent electronics, just electrical solenoids to control the hydraulic (transmission) fluid, a pressure regulator, the turbine speed sensor, and a temperature sensor. The pressure regulator is a lot like a solenoid, but it works with a "pulsed" electrical signal from the PCM.

I'd start by getting the codes read. The transmission codes can be read using a generic code reader, so you don't necessarily need to go to a Ford dealership. Since the O/D light flashes I'm pretty sure there should be at least one code stored in the PCM. If you want to try some diagnosis, the next step is to measure the pressure at the various ports on the top of the transmission. There are ports on the top of the transmission where a pressure gauge can be installed to test the fluid levels during operation. I think you can get the proper pressures from online resources.

My wild guess at your problem is the hydraulic pressure too low. It might be caused by a bad signal from the PCM, a bad regulator, or incorrect data from one of the two sensors.

If needed, replacement solenoids & pressure regulators are available from most autoparts stores.

Problems with the solenoids and pressure regulator can be fixed without removing the transmission. Just drain the fluid (I've drained mine by siphoning it out of the fill tube with plastic hose) and remove the side cover. The wheel and the transmission mount have to be removed first (support the transmission with a jack while doing this). Once these measures have been taken the side cover can be removed to access those components.

When replacing the cover, be careful starting the screws as they are very easy to cross thread and strip the threads from the aluminium housing. I had to repair the threads on about 1/2 the tapped on my transmission because bad screws had stripped these threads.

Tom...thanks for the great writeup! I will endeavor to get some codes read from the PCM. The weather isn't too conducive to doing a lot of mechanical things outside right now, but I will get to it. I have replaced the TSS - Turbine Speed Sensor - in an effort to fix another small problem I have with the van...the speedometer reads a bit low compared to actual speed (about 9-10% low).