Transmission Trouble

[SixxiA]

My 1997 Ford Taurus G has an automatic transmission and is having trouble shifting out of first gear. Whenever the transmission has been put into a neutral gear (Park or Neutral), weather the car is on or off, the transmission will refuse to go into second gear from first.

The odd part is that after you floor the engine and rack up a 5-6 thousand RPM speed on your engine, the damned thing will shift; not only into second, but it will work fine for the rest of the time the car is driven. Once you get it out of first, it will shift fine, even when you come to a stop, then start off again, it will go through 1, 2, 3, so on.

Again, after that, when you go into parked gear or neutral, it will have to be cranked again to get it out of first.

Now, I'd be fine with having to race my car to get it into first as long as it would just shift from 1st to 2nd when I hit 6,000 RPM, but it will not. You have to hold it floored for up to 2 seconds, making for a long and sometimes dangerous drive, trying to get on a highway or frontage, for that matter.

Anyone know what's wrong and how much to fix it?

-Tom

[Huney1]

You have to hold it floored for up to 2 seconds, making for a long and sometimes dangerous drive, trying to get on a highway or frontage, for that matter.

STOP OVERREVING THE ENGINE because it gives you options you won't have if you blow the engine. First things first. Why not stop by the Ford place and ask them what they think about it and talk with an independent tranny shop. Your basic rebuild runs around $1500. and if you damage hard parts it could go over $2000. If it was low mileage in cherry condition you might get $2000. for it private party sale. However, way it is now I doubt anyone would want it. So you have to ask yourself; Is the rest of the car in good enough condition where if I spend $2000. on the tranny can I drive it long enough to get my money back out of it? If you're not going to fix it I guess your only option is to find out what a salvage yard will give you and/or advertise the engine in the paper for sale and take what you can get then salvage the body and whats left after they pull the engine. Otherwise salvage the entire car and take the money and put it towards a good used car.

[Celly]

I had a similar thing happened to me, 94 Taurus GL stuck at first gear and would not shift until I drive it around the lot for 5-10 minutes before it would shift normally to higher gears, 3 weeks after, it wouldn't get to first gear unless I revved it high enough and then I took the car to Cottman because they told me they will only repair parts of the transmission that's unusable and usually is cheaper than putting a new transmission in. Now I wish I had not fallen for that, I ended up paying $2400 for the repairs, could have bought a less older car with that amount I believe... and just for the heck of it I called up a nearby Ford service center and they told me they would put in a rebuilt transmission for $1600 with labor already included! yes... I was banging head on a wall...

[Huney1]

"just for the heck of it I called up a nearby Ford service center and they told me they would put in a rebuilt transmission for $1600 with labor already included! yes... I was banging head on a wall..." Like this? $1600. works for me but $2400. is a rip off. I wanted a tranny oil change and a shop told me they had to keep the car all day because they didn't know exactly when they could get to it. I told him make an apointment first thing in the morning for me. Nope, that won't work, have to keep it all day. Now, I'm not the brightest buld in the closet, but I ain't exactly dumb. They didn't want me around when they put those metal filings on the filter and yanked my chain about doing a rebuild. No Sir, . . I smelled a rat and I skee-datled pronto. For $2400. smackers, I hope they did you a super good job.