2000 Windstar Transmission issue

[MARZBX157]

I need help with this problem:
yesterday van started to shudder in the morning by afternoon van got worse, felt like tranny would disengage.
today I flushed the tranny out with Mobil1 (18 quarts) and changed the filter, also changed fuel filter and motor oil and filter. It felt better afterward so I took the van for a test drive but after about 20 minutes of driving the problem returned. the tranny slipped off gear and I was stuck. The funny thing about this problem is that the van wont run in any gear selection but neutral and sometimes in Park, also the vehicle accelerates when turning the steering wheel. Please help me out with this as I'm confused.
vehicle has 60K and always maintained well.

[MARZBX157]

Well I guess no one has anything to say. Thanks

[BlueCaprice]

Hello. You had told me in another post that you tried unplugging the TRS to cure slipping between 2nd and 3rd but it didn't help. Have you tried unplugging it since the van completely died?

[MARZBX157]

Hey Thanks for the reply,

Yes, I disconnected the TRS with no change. I drove the van back to my garage (in Neutral) with the TRS disconnected. The vehicle wont catch in any other gear except Neutral. No CEL or OD flashing.

[BlueCaprice]

Thats weird. When it catches in neutral, does it go through all the gears okay, including overdrive, as if the gear selector was in Drive? Also, you said sometimes it moves in Park. When this happenes, does it move backwards?

[MARZBX157]

Well, I drove it home slowly but I noticed that when I step on the gas the tranny would slip out so I took it easy as I just wanted to get home. It would sometimes buck foward while in park not backwards, very weird. When I got stuck initially and the van would not move, I put the selector in park and I noticed the tranny was engaged (if I press the gas the van pushed foward)

[searcherrr]

The AX4S transmission (what you have) needs fluid changes every 30k miles or sooner and now that I know I'll probably do it every 20k miles. I would say waiting till 60k probably killed it. The AX4S (tranny) does not usually seem to last more than 60k even with MawMaw driving and if you get one to go longer you are lucky... I was lucky until 131k miles and I believe my changing the oil in it killed it. I didn't know enough about trannies "at that point" to leave it alone as I'd just bought it. If you can't change the oil soon enough at the right intervals... then you won't be able to change it much later without losing it soon after. There might be some kind of "save" work you can do to the tranny, but by the time you get someone to go in there you may as well have bought yourself a new remanned tranny and personally I would have it upgraded to the AX4N tranny if possible. AX4N is in 2001 - 2003 Windstars though I am not sure about electronics changes to accomodate for it or if the tranny itself was all that was changed.

After much research all vehicles the AX4S (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_AXOD_transmission) was used in were relatively LOW HP vehicles. The 1996 Windstar was the first year the AX4S saw above 155-160HP and thereafter people started having all kinds of trouble with them in their Windstars. If I had a choice to get a new tranny I would go with something like a Marshall Engines (they do trannies too) Stage 1 upgrade. It beefs it up nicely on torque and eliminates how touchy the AX4S is.

Do your brake lights work as they should? = Brake On OFF switch as I just learned in another thread. It doesn't sound like the behavior it would exhibit if it were bad from what you wrote, but maybe thats a switch to check. Other than that maybe the Brake Pressure Control Switch just directly plugged into the underside of the Master Cylinder.

Other than that I think if you think it can be saved I'd run it to a mechanic who has a pressured flush system and/or use a vacuum pump to completely drain all fluid from the tranny hopefully removing any blockages and you could try again. Honestly though I would just go with a rebuild. That is probably money best spent.

Ironically enough as I was recently looking for a new Windstar I drove 2 of them and the 2003 AX4N drives great and it was at 57k miles. I drove a 2000 SE and it had issues with the tranny and was leaking. Even more ironic I found ANOTHER 2000 SE that I did not drive and it was also leaking at the tranny. So that just goes to show ya how these things are.

Hope this helps.

[MARZBX157]

thanks for the info searcherrr,

Actually the vehicle was towed to a tranny shop and I'm waiting to hear back from them now. A couple of weeks ago my brake lights were staying on by themselves so I took apart the BOO switch and disassembled it. I found the cheap plastic piece had some gouge marks on it so I sanded it down smooth and lubricated it with Vaseline and the problem was resolved. As far as the tranny, last oil change was done at the dealership at 30K and was due for another at 60K right before this happened. I purchased three cases of Mobil1 ATF (18 quarts), new filter, fuel filter, Mobil1 motor oil and filter, K&N filter charger, cabin filter, B&M supercooler and drain plug kit to install. I've herd all the horror stories about the transmission on these vehicles but always said to myself "as long as I maintain the vehicle, I'll be fine." PSSS, yeah right!!!
If I knew that this van was such a POS I would'nt have bought the more expensive synthetic oils for it and probably would've been putting 99 cent stuff from Family Dollar store.

[searcherrr]

Originally Posted by MARZBX157

thanks for the info searcherrr,

Actually the vehicle was towed to a tranny shop and I'm waiting to hear back from them now. A couple of weeks ago my brake lights were staying on by themselves so I took apart the BOO switch and disassembled it. I found the cheap plastic piece had some gouge marks on it so I sanded it down smooth and lubricated it with Vaseline and the problem was resolved. As far as the tranny, last oil change was done at the dealership at 30K and was due for another at 60K right before this happened. I purchased three cases of Mobil1 ATF (18 quarts), new filter, fuel filter, Mobil1 motor oil and filter, K&N filter charger, cabin filter, B&M supercooler and drain plug kit to install. I've herd all the horror stories about the transmission on these vehicles but always said to myself "as long as I maintain the vehicle, I'll be fine." PSSS, yeah right!!!
If I knew that this van was such a POS I would'nt have bought the more expensive synthetic oils for it and probably would've been putting 99 cent stuff from Family Dollar store.

I found an even better resource here:
http://www.transonline.com/transDige...ers/index.html

That has to be the best resource I know of for our trannies. It explains it ALL!

You sound like me man.... as long as I maintain... blaa blaa... ya know.. it infuriates me, but I may have to just admit that my dad is right... I love my van n all, but maybe FORD just = Crap. I hate saying that, but its just rediculous what they did. The should have produced a NEW tranny FROM SCRATCH especially designed for the heavier Windstars and/or at the very least put in a truck version tranny instead. That is what is peculiar about how they did all this.... the Windstar is listed as a TRUCK in the specs, but is riding on a CAR subframe and tranny. ODD.

I dunno... you would think performance oils would be best, but I bet you should stick to exactly what FORD would put into it + the Lube Guard.

Whats a B&M supercooler? I'm about to get a new tranny cooler myself.... does that kind have something special on it or is it just the name?

[MARZBX157]

A B&M Supercooler is cooler much like any cooler you would use for the transmission or any other component. You can check out one of our members pictures Phil who put one on his windstar here is the link:
http://community.webshots.com/album/549196858rbUAlb
It is basically a stack plate design which is stronger than the tube and fin type.

[wiswind]

I read your original post and thought to myself, this needs a professional diagnosis.
It is the first post that I have seen with that problem.
I could not think of what to suggest.
It sounds like you have it at the right place (if it is a good shop).
I almost think that the physical connection between the shifter and the transmission internals is out of alignment.

[MARZBX157]

Well, I've been looking through my repair manual and have been looking at the disassembled view of the tranny and I think I may have narrowed the cause or the area of the problem; maybe you can help me here. I think what went on my tranny was the differential or something close to it because when I drove it home (in Neutral) and got it in the garage I looked under the vehicle there was a slight sound in that area kind of like a tap or more like a chug. It wasn't like metal on metal but a chug is the best I can describe and under this area sits one of the cat converters.
I spoke to the people from the shop and they told me that there were codes detected, but my O/D light was not blinking when the van stopped except when I disconnected the TRS sensor, could this be the code they got? I know the shop is going to sing the worse case scenario to me so I'm gonna go over there with printed views of the tranny and let them know what I think is the cause. If there are trouble codes stored in the tranny should I have the O/D light blinking? If the gears would have been the issue, shouldn't I not be able to drive at all and not drive in neutral? Thanks for the replies

[BlueCaprice]

Just wondering. Is there a little while module on top of your transmission next to the trs, like on my 96? The reason I ask is my transmission pretty much died also, but I unplugged that module and my transmission engaged in third gear. When I moved it to 1st, I had 2nd gear. I've been driving around all week like this without a problem. I'm gonna drive this one till the #*!&in transmission explodes, then call the junkyard to take it away. I really like this van but I don't want to own a vehicle that eats transmissions every 30,000-50,000 miles.

[searcherrr]

Originally Posted by BlueCaprice

Just wondering. Is there a little while module on top of your transmission next to the trs, like on my 96? The reason I ask is my transmission pretty much died also, but I unplugged that module and my transmission engaged in third gear. When I moved it to 1st, I had 2nd gear. I've been driving around all week like this without a problem. I'm gonna drive this one till the #*!&in transmission explodes, then call the junkyard to take it away. I really like this van but I don't want to own a vehicle that eats transmissions every 30,000-50,000 miles.

If you like it you can keep it and just pay $300 more for an upgraded tranny that'll likely last longer than the engine. I think for something like $1800 you can get a Stage 1 tranny upgrade from Marshall Engines which in essence puts in beefier/stronger shift/gear parts and a better pump etc.. Since the problem is the transmission that Ford designs ... eliminate it and put in someone's better build. Doesn't have to be Marshall. If they offer it I'm sure someone else does too. You could either explain to them the sappy history of these trannies as I've well covered now in other recent threads or you can just say you want a beefier tranny for towing up to an EXTRA 4000lbs (on top of the Ford factory towing capacity rating). I believe thats what the Stage 1 says it can be used for....... but I must admit.... if you have the money.... BRAND NEW IS NICE. I just cannot stand how much the value drops after you buy it though. I'd much rather have something thats been driven for short mileage.... nearly new.