2000 Windstar 3.8L Tranny Oil Leak and grabby shift from 1st to 2nd.

[OldFaithful]

I got my hands on my daughter's 2000 Windstar 3.8L for the last couple of days. The tranny fluid was low. A pint puts it half way up the cross hatched area of the dip stick when it is hot. The shift from 1st to 2nd is grabby most times though not all of them and the rest of the shifting up through the gears appears normal.

I am going to do an ATF, filter with new gasket change but I found an oil leak coming from the Low Intermediate Band Servo Cover located on the lower right back side of the transmission. The dust or dirt is washed off of the bottom of this cover and the case below it and the rest of the case for 1 to 2 inches above the oil pan has accumulated dirt like there is seepage there even up around where the filler tub enters the case. I think that the air currents might be spreading what little leaking there is around. I have driven the car for two days since I topped it off and I cannot see that the fluid level has decreased.

I am wondering if a faulty seal in that servo could be allowing too much oil pressure against that cap. The cap is fully accessible in its current position and it appears that the contents of that chamber could be removed without removing it from the car but I won't know that until someone responds that has some experience with this.

I suppose that there is the possibility that a new filter, gasket for the oil pan and one for the cap and fresh fluid might just do the job. Any thoughts or experience with this?

Thanks,

Jim

[wiswind]

The pan gasket for my '96 is re-usable.
I carefully clean the gasket and the mating surfaces on the transmission and pan.

I am not familiar with leaks as you describe.

I have read that overfilling can cause fluid to leak out where the fill (dipstick) tube enters the transmission body. If your parked on a very steep hill and the fill level was near the top?

Thing about a transmission.... It does NOT "use" fluid like an engine uses oil. The only way for transmission fluid to be "used" is for it to leak out.

[OldFaithful]

Judging by the numbef of hits and only one reply, not many have seen this before, so I'll plow a little new ground here and then post the results here. It will be a day or two before I do this one.