Ford WindstarIntroduced in the mid-1990s, the front-wheel-drive Ford Windstar minivan campaigned with an emphasis on, and reputation for, safety. And in the hotly contested family minivan market of the time, that was an especially solid piece of ground to be on. As long as buyers didn't need to haul adults in back on a regular basis, the Windstar served a family's needs just fine.
I have a 2003 Ford Windstar 3.8L with an AX4N Transmission. Today With the cruise control on at around 70 MPH I pressed the accel button 2 times to speed up. The transmission kicked down out of overdrive and thats when it happened--- No gears, engine drove itself to about 5500 rpm before I could realize what was happening and kill the cruise. My question is -- should I automatically assume that the trans. needs an overhaul or is it worth trying some other steps (part replacement) before diving into a rebuild. ie. fluid / filter change? pump assembly? the fluid was dark and had a burnt smell which I would assume would A.) would loose its hydraulic properties and B.) maybe was caused by the pump not circulating it properly. or maybe you have other ideas of things to check. No ( OD ) lights flashing on dash or anything during this. Also when jacked up --gear selector in drive--- turning wheels both behave normally just not under load. I dropped the pan and found no abnormal amount of metal no chunks only the fuzz residing on the magnet.. Any Thoughts?
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2003 Ford Windstar AX4N Transmission issues 
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