Questions and Answers
Ford Contour Shifting Problem
Q. I own a 1996 Ford Contour LX with a V-6 and automatic transmission (front wheel drive). My problem happens as I drive down the road. Occasionally while driving the overdrive light on the dash begins to blink. This does not cause the transmission to shift in and out of overdrive, but seems like a warning indicator.
I can make the blinking stop by pulling off of the road and restarting the car. But now a hard shift condition exists from 1st to 2nd. The hard shifting smooths out by the third stop signal, and everything seems normal for awhile until the light begins to blink again and the process must be repeated.
No trouble codes show up on the Snap-On scan tool. I have kept the transmission fluid clean by draining and refilling along with the engine oil changes. It is my understanding that the filter can't be changed without transmission disassembly. Is this true? If this is true, what is the best way to service this filter? Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your time,
BrianA. Since the problem comes and goes, it's more than likely an electrical problem. The PCM controls the transmission as well as the fuel injection system so there could be a number of causes. If the problem is fairly easy to duplicate, I would try a road test with the scan tool connected and in real time mode. That will display the code. Another possibility is that since it doesn't store the code, you might have a bad PCM. But right now road testing with the scan tool is the best way to find out what's going on.
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