Need help, 1998 Windstar

[robertlawson1971]

First off I would gladly let it burn to the ground, but since it is paid for I need some advice on fixing what ford should have!!!!! I have owned my windstar for 7 yrs. In that time I have had numerous problems with it. Currently I have no rear ac/heat, the passanger slider takes the hulk to close, i have the same brake pressure switch prob, alot of you have had, the front windows dont roll up or down, some investigation earlier led me to find that the regulators were jambed... after a local ford dealer told me that the window motors were bad... nothing wrong with them. We have replaced the rack n pinion, power steering pump as well as the hoses and belt after the pump decided to seperate ( taking everything else with it)on a trip to charleston, wv I finally turned off the interior lights, since they come on and off by themselves, other than the brake issue, I have been having a problem with the transmission... no codes in the computer, the van doesnt want to shift when it is cold out... and on hills it acts like it sputters or shimmys..... any ideas please help!!!!!!!!

[wiswind]

The transmission fluid needs to be changed AT LEAST every 30K miles.
If it is not fresh, this is the first thing that I would do.
Another common issue is the Transmission Range Sensor (TRS), also known as Neutral Safety switcth.
This is what the cable from the gear select lever connects to, mounted on top of the transmission.
There are posts on here about both of these.
The fluid is a routine service item, so I would tend to it first, before spending money on other things......when there is a chance that this can solve the problem.
There is no certainty that there is not something expensive wrong with your transmission, but let's eliminate the fluid from the list.
You need a fluid that meets the Mercon V specification.

Here is a link to the first in a series of pictures that show the process of changing the transmission fluid and filter.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1503...11220610kYSGCI