03 windstar mo reverse

[huey224]

ok i changed the filter added 5qts of fluid mercon 5. still no fix same thing. and the fluid looked horrible it was black and had like brown little bubbles all in it. the magnet wasnt bad either had just a little shavings on it. if i knew how to put pictures onhere i would. i guess now im gonna try the nuetral switch now. the guy I got it form i called him and he told me thats what the dealer told him what was wrong with it. I wish i would of known that b4. fluid still needed changed though. so im gonna try that. i put it in reverse and you can let off brake no deal wont even budge rev it one time and it will start to pull if you hold it you feel it shuttering and pulling back.

[grog11]

When reverse is selected none of the shift solenoids are needed to be activated for that gear.So you do not have an electrical problem.The fact that you can use reverse when cold leads me to believe the shift lever is working as designed.

There is a reverse accumulator spring and piston located behind the valve body internally that may be stuck or non working after temperature rise.To work on that you would have to drop the transmission, pull the side cover and valve body to access the accumulator.
You may want to have the problem diagnosed by a transmission shop to get trans codes and possibly they have ability to air test the reverse accumulator piston function, to see if its functioning properly.

[tempfixit]

I know lots of people are against using additives, I had a 93 Plymouth Voyager that the tranny had a delayed shift into gear (forward or reverse). I had changed the filter and flushed all the fluid and still the same. I then added some SEAFOAM transmission additive (i don't remember exact name) Let the tranny warm and drove without any problem from that point on. I beleve it cleaned the valves and such permitting everythingto work properly again. Since your fluid was black it might be worth a try. If it works you should flush the fluid again to get rid of all the contaminated fluid that the 5 qts. did not replace.

just my opinion.

[huey224]

ok thanks so no need for the range selector switch? i guess ill take it to a shop and have it flushed and diagnosed. im at my wits end with it. the guy that sold it to me told me today that he took it to a dealer and they told him it was the gear range selector. i ordered one from oreiley auto today for $30 wont have it till tomorrow. should i try it or should i get my money back? thanks for al the help

[grog11]

I would let the shop check the diagnostics, they will show everything anyway including the neutral switch if its an issue. The neutral switch usually would not be working all the time, not just intermittently.So, maybe just return it and save the money.

Please let us know how things go.

[huey224]

ok thanks. i guess ill call the ford dealer tomorrow and get raped. but I only gave 1500 for the van and its in excellent condition has all the bells and whistles. so i guess if i had to drop a grand on a trans fix it would still b worth it.

[tempfixit]

Originally Posted by huey224

ok thanks so no need for the range selector switch? i guess ill take it to a shop and have it flushed and diagnosed. im at my wits end with it. the guy that sold it to me told me today that he took it to a dealer and they told him it was the gear range selector. i ordered one from oreiley auto today for $30 wont have it till tomorrow. should i try it or should i get my money back? thanks for al the help

Here is a link to the SEAFOAM TRANS TUNE:

http://www.seafoamsales.com/trans-tune.html

I am going to let others respond on the switch issue.

[grog11]

Maybe check with any well known trans shops in your area too. You could ask them about repair just bad parts, or would they want to do friction disc, torque converter replacement and other upgrades while the transmission is out of the vehicle.The time to fix it is while its apart and you will only have to pay labor for removal once.

My suggestion would be spend a little more $ going thru the trans with new upgrade parts if it has to come out to repair a minor part anyway.That way you know it will not fail again, and you still have a great vehicle for the money spent.

I have heard that most Ford places just give quoted prices on a new rebuilt ford transmission, but their warranty is for 36 months as opposed to 24 months.

You may find that it is just something minor that could be fixed easily with no trans drop.

[huey224]

very true. today after i let it warm up i was on flat surface put it in reverse and the rpms didnt change one bit gave a little gas and it kinda pulled a little bit backwards. took it up to bout 3grand or more and it started pulling backwards and you could feel it shuddering like it was struggling or playing tug of war or somthing. im thinking its internal. im gonna call some shops tomorrow and tell them all the info c what they say. and im like u id rather replace all the weak spots while its out that way i know its good.

[grog11]

If you know an honest mechanic shop maybe call them and ask if they can recommend a trans.shop. The mechanics all have an inner circle thing, they talk and they know who the rip off places are and who is reputable for trans repairs. The more suggestions you get the better. Knowledge is power in this case.

[serge_saati]

Originally Posted by grog11

When reverse is selected none of the shift solenoids are needed to be activated for that gear.So you do not have an electrical problem.The fact that you can use reverse when cold leads me to believe the shift lever is working as designed.

There is a reverse accumulator spring and piston located behind the valve body internally that may be stuck or non working after temperature rise.To work on that you would have to drop the transmission, pull the side cover and valve body to access the accumulator.
You may want to have the problem diagnosed by a transmission shop to get trans codes and possibly they have ability to air test the reverse accumulator piston function, to see if its functioning properly.

I 100% agree with that. It's an hydraulic problem, not electrical.
Don't mess with range sensor, it will fix nothing. Since when you rev up a lot, it moves.

In addition of that, it could be also a clogged valve body or a leaking piston clutch seal.

[huey224]

no still the sameit goes into drive alot better. it was kinda hesitant about going into drive for like half a second but now its instant.

[huey224]

ok i called several transmission shops.
1st one said reverse clutches worn.
2nd one said low line pressure
3rd said some kinda piston or actuator and that it needed the upgrades he said they had upgrades for those transmissions. idk what to think one shop said if i bring it by theyd hook it up to a computer and do a road test and put it on the lift and check it for free. I was thinking bout running some seafoarm through it to try it and if all else fails just go to pullapart get me a trans. thanks guys for all the info let me know what you think on this too

[grog11]

Huey,

All the trans shop suggestions for whats wrong could be good guesses, but they are just guessing until you get into it. The suggestion for a free diagnostic sounds really good to me, and it may get you closer to an educated guess. Just don't sign a paper to authorize an overhaul, just a diagnostic, that they told you was free.You can always drive it back home afterwards, and do the work yourself.

Rebuild soft parts and new converter will cost around $650 range to buy just the parts, no labor. The labor to R&R trans is alot .
There are 2 pressure tappings on the top of the valve body (line pressure tap closest to firewall, EPC toward radiator)that you can get a gauge hooked on to let you know if the line pressure is low, in that case a low pressure issue would be in the valve body or accumulator spring and piston right behind the valve body. The valve body can be removed in vehicle repair,without taking the transmission from the vehicle, but its a tight area.The removed valve body could even be brought to a trans shop for them to install R+R upgraded parts. They probably will not warranty their work, but its a cheaper solution to rebuild.

With the 166,000 miles on the vehicle and the filthy fluid from draining,
You may as well give the Seafoam Trans Tune a try, It will not fix hard parts but may clean things more internally for you as a last ditch effort. Seafoam is 80% solvent based product, not good for clutch plates, but will remove varnish and possibly sticking valve or piston problem. You would need another full fluid exchange after using it, there will be lots more debris loose.

If you feel comfortable swapping transmissions, this would be the least expensive repair. You may find a lower mileage trans.but you probably want to know that it is tested good before installing, I would.. I think labor would be about 2 days for the trans removal / replace. You do have to support the engine from top, and drop the subframe down to get the trans out.A new converter possibly.

Line Pressure Chart

³ Gear ³ EPC ³ Line ³

³ Pressures at Idle(a)
³
³ P 10-20 60-84 ³
³ R 10-20 78-108 ³
³ N 10-20 60-84 ³
³ (D) 10-20 56-84 ³
³ 2 30-40 102-138 ³
³ 1 15-40 67-155 ³

³ Pressure at Wide Open Throttle (WOT) Stall (a) ³

³ P ³ Ä ³ Ä ³
³ R ³ 70-90 ³ 265-328 ³
³ N ³ Ä ³ Ä ³
³ (D) ³ 70-90 ³ 208-257 ³
³ 2 ³ 70-90 ³ 208-257 ³
³ 1 ³ 70-90 ³ 208-257 ³

[huey224]

ok thanks that one guy told me it sounded like what u said in the valve body but he said he would have to drop trans guess i c his true colors now I really didnt trust him anyway. but I bought some seafoam gonna try it. if not then ill try the pressure test what kinda gauges do i need? to try this thanks for the info and were can i get most of the internal trans parts?