Transmission Help PLEASE!

aeriojunkie · 09-01-2008, 07:15 PM

Let me begin by apologizing for the long post, but I want to tell you exactly what happened so you guys can help me.

I am afraid that I know the answer to this question, but I am going to ask it anyways. I have a 99 Windstar with the 3.8L engine and the towing package. It has about 142,000 miles on it. I bought a VERY light bassboat last year and have maybe towed it a total of 10 times. You never evne know that it is back there.

Anyways, we took the boat out today and when I got home I was trying to get the boat turned around to park it. This entails letting the boat go down a hill ever so slightly in order to get it turned around. I have always done it this way. Today, it didn't want to pull it back up over the slight hill. I tried to give it the gas while holding the brake like usual so it wouldn't pull the van down the hill, but it didn't want to overpower the brake, so I had to give it more gas. When it did start to take off, it started spinning the gravel in my driveway. When this happened, I put it into 1st gear and began to give it some gas. When I let off the brake it held its own so I gave it some gas pretty good (not flooring it or anything, but pretty heavy on the gas) and it started to sling the gravel again. I let off the gas and hit the brake so as not to roll down the hill and when the tranny slowed down almost all the way I heard a loud clunk and then I had no power in any of the forward gears! I finally backed it down the hill in neutral letting the boat pull it down the hill and let it sit for a while.

I started it up about an hour later or so and tried to put it into gear again. When I shifted it into reverse, you could fell it grab the gear and I was able to drive it in reverse. I then shifted to neutral and you could fell it kick out of gear. When I put it into park though, you couldn't feel the normal engaging feeling. I did notice that you could hear a clicking noise a couple of times almost like it was trying to get into gear but couldn't mesh up or something. When it stopped making that noise I let off the brake and you could feel the engine trying to pull the van forward in small, short surging motions (slipping I guess), but it wouldn't move. I tried to give it some gas, but that didn't help either. Second and first gear seemed to feel the same way. I put it back in reverse and was able to drive it enough to get it parked, but still no forward gears. The fluid was full and doesn't seem to smell bad and it still has a very redish color. It doesn't appear burnt at all. The OD light never came on, but the check engine light has been burning for a while with the bank 1 and 2 lean codes for some time now (I just have been to busy to fix that little problem) so I don't really know if it left any codes for the tranny and can't get it anywhere without a tow.

Now is my real question. Is it fried and needing a full rebuild? If so, what should I expect to pay for it? If not, what could I check into to see if it is something else?

Like I said at the beginning of the post, I am sorry for the long winded post, I just wanted to lay all of my card out on the table. Thanks in advance for any input that you may have.

mark v · 09-02-2008, 09:32 AM

142,000 on an original Windstar Transmission is unheard of, they usually blow just under or over 100,000 miles.

Yep you will need a rebuild that will cost around $1900.

aeriojunkie · 09-02-2008, 01:29 PM

Well from what I have read on here, that is what I thought. Now I must say that I bought this thing used on Ebay in another state from a dealer, so I really don't know what had been done to it before I bought it, but I am assuming that this was the original. Now I just have to start shopping around to see whether I want to rebuild it or buy a remanufactured one or what.

Can anyone tell me if there is other years or models of vehicles that this transmission interchanges with, or should I just stick with exactly what I have?

mark v · 09-02-2008, 02:49 PM

As long as the Transmission model is the exact same you can use any year Transmission. Some here have found used units cheap and have had good luck with them.

Flyingjackal456 · 09-02-2008, 09:26 PM

having it rebuilt is great, if you go to a good Shop (Aamco) It will probably stay around beyond 150,000 additional miles... My first tranny blew at 112,000 and It is still going strong today. Only repair was a solenoid...

That code I was talking about in my TCM, was the Torque convertor solenoid... it is now fixed and the power is better, and the tranny isn't bogging the motor, but she's still stalling. Three of the four O2 sensors were bad, one of which was COMPLETELY dead, and one was marginal.

theoldwizard · 09-03-2008, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark v

142,000 on an original Windstar Transmission is unheard of, they usually blow just under or over 100,000 miles.

Sad but true !

Quote:

Yep you will need a rebuild that will cost around $1900.

It could be as low as $1500 or as high as $2500 depending on what parts are required.

I'm pretty certain the Taurus from similar years used the same transmission. A used transmission is just a time bomb. It will explode, you just don't know when.

Get it rebuilt a reputable shop in your area, one that offers at least a 1 year warranty.