Troubles getting out of second gear - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

siwren · 08-16-2004, 20:14

Hi All,

Having had to drive my XB everyday for work, recently the auto has been misbehaving.
I really doesn't like getting out of secong gear. Most of the time it'll only drop out of second once I get over 90kmh.
And sometimes it starts off in second as well.

Its a C4 auto, behind a 351 and a BW 2.92 diff.

I've checked the oil level and its over the full point (is that an issue) and it has a transmission cooler as well

Any ideas?

Simon

gregaust · 08-17-2004, 03:14

Check you have a good manifold vacuum supply to the modulator on the rear D/S of the trans..Also remove the vac hose from modulator and check there is no oil in it..
If that checks ok ,check the kickdown linkage is not jammed or binding.

siwren · 08-17-2004, 16:47

Good advice, thanks.

I'll check it tonight. It eventually kicks down sometimes, but this morning I drove from Parra to Strathfield on the M4 in Second. Quite noisy.

siwren · 08-18-2004, 15:39

Well doesn't appear to be any of these. Is it possble that the some dirt or something has clogged something up. It's getting worse. Sometimes all it does is drive in second, with no 1st.

albrjmnz · 08-18-2004, 19:49

Why Dont U Replace The Whole Thing? When Was The Last Time U Did Major Work On The Transmission?

brenx · 08-19-2004, 05:30

I'd dare say you have a valve body issue. Is the shifter sloppy? If it was/is? You'll probably find the oil holes weren't lining up and you've possible cooked the clutches.

I had the similar issue with my last auto supposedly. The auto builder said it didn't have enough oil pressure so it didn't lock the clutches up hard. So in short it slipped instead. In my case 3rd gear totally disappeared in a brand new 199k old box.

I've gone back to a stock shifter and played with the linkages to get them right and have got a nice firm shift now.

Check the fluid level too. Also check the color of the fluid black and metalicy = dead.

Brenden

Paul351xb · 08-19-2004, 06:17

It definately sounds like vacume. Double check that hose that runs from the manifold to the box. If you can manually switch from first to second and then back again but have to rev the thing to hell to get top gear I'm pretty sure it's a vacume issue.

albrjmnz · 08-19-2004, 13:41

What Year Model Is This Car Were Talking Here?

brenx · 08-19-2004, 15:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by albrjmnz

What Year Model Is This Car Were Talking Here?

Did you even read the post? It's in the original post and in his profile.

Just for you it's a 30yo XB Falcon 500.

Brenden

siwren · 08-19-2004, 16:07

The colour of the oil is fine. The gearbox itself is about 10000k old.
I'll go over the vacuum lines again, but I'm thinking brenx might be right with the valve body issue.
When it sort of works the shifts are firm but sometimes if I give it a bit it drives like it has a slippy clutch, which I so hope doesn't mean a new gearbox.

The shifter is an original and works very well, not sloppy at all. I've been thinking that just taking it to a tranmission specialist and getting them to flush out all the oil in the hope that anything bloking a passage gets cleaned out.

Having not had to pay for anything like this for sometime, am I up for a bit?
I was thinking that if the internals are ok, to put a shift kit though it.

Thanks

Simon