tjspeicher

I have this issue with my escort zx2 where if i drive for a long distance such as the interstate and take an exit and attempt to accelerate from a stop it seems to lose almost all power and not want to accelerate. I believe it is from my transmission overheating. I had an issue a while back with a blown radiator and mixing of fluids causing some bad overheating in my transmission and engine. I have since replaced the radiator and all fluids but the transmission has some slight gear slippage going through 2nd possibly causing overheating. It has no issues accelerating if i simply drop it to 1st and manual shift it but am not sure what effects this has on the car. On a side note on error codes i had was a high input on my IAT sensor which has now gone away and a weird code that i don't find in my cars code listings. (P1744) Any and all advice would be much appreciated!

Bert

Did you replace the trans fluid and filter?

Code P1744- Torque Converter Clutch (TCC) was excessive when the PCM commanded torque converter lock up. Enabling conditions: TCC engaged. Testing: The lock up of the torque converter should result in about a
150 RPM drop in engine speed when vehicle speed remains steady. Check for proper converter clutch operation.

__________________
Bert

tjspeicher

Yes i replaced fluid filter and gasket for tranny, though when i got the car early this year i discovered i was the first person to do so . The gasket was almost completely corroded into nothing and fluid was most likely doing more harm then good.

And should i be concerned with that error code? It seems to only show (after clearing codes) when i attempt to drive the car regularly as an automatic. And is there any bad effects of driving this manually through the gears?

Bert

The TCC may be damaged. I wouldn't drive it very long like that without checking it out. If a trans shop checks it, you'll be sure what should be done. Being there to see what it does will tell if it's okay to drive like that.

__________________
Bert

tjspeicher

Only issue with that is money. Having to drive from NY to IN next weekend and getting ready for yet another move this year i cant really afford to spend money to take to a shop to have it looked at. Is there any way to check this myself or am i just gonna cross my fingers and hope it keeps running?

Oh and i also forgot to mention in original message that car seems to have some issues starting. When it's first started it fires up beautifully, but if i ran it anytime recent and attempt to start it i have to turn it over for a good 10 seconds and hold the gas pedal to the floor to get it to start.

Bert

Try cleaning the MAF with MAF cleaner. The MAF can also cause shifting problems along with the running.

__________________
Bert