Work Truck woes 99 Windstar LX

[woscarr]

Well I just dropped my Windstar off to our repair shop again. The overdrive light started blinking and the van started shifting very erratic. Only problem with this is it just had a new re-furb tranny put in it in January.

It cost $2700.00 CDN and 4 months later it's gone out again ! When the light came on and started shifting funny I headed for our service garage thinking it probably needed fluid top up. The Mechanic didn't even look at it, he said low fluid wouldn't matter and that the solenoid packs are gone out again and would have to go back to the tranny shop for repair under warranty.

When I brought it in January it was shifting really hard from 1st. 2nd. gear, but other than that it shifted smooth as silk. I know the mechanic well, he told me they put in a new refurb tranny.

Now this tranny started having 3rd. & 4th. gear problems and possibly lock up & overdrive disengage/engage constantly that all started about 2 days ago.

I calculated that I put about 5000 km on it since the new tranny was installed, so YES, high usage vehicle and of course it cost's me nothing personally for the repairs.

It just makes me wonder how a new $2700.00 tranny can go out so quick. I would have figured a 1999 so you would think this tranny should get you another 5 or 6 years, but in reality it's only a half a year ! Crazy!

Other things this van has had replace on it since I got the van last fall (before that I had a dodge 2600).

New fuel rail.
New rack & pinion
ABS sensors (or whatever was making the abs light come on fixed)


Little Problems

-Power door locks get funky sometimes and only partially open.
-AM radio picks up alot of noise from engine/lights ect..
-The famous 'pinging' noise from the engine. (sometimes it sounds like the engine is about to blow with all that pinging !)

[12Ounce]

A lot of the tranny "crazies" I had on my '99 were all caused by the damaged powertrain harness being chaffed against the ac tubing. You'll have to remove the cowling to inspect this area.

Good lluck!