- Joined
- Jun 10, 2003
- Messages
- 4,159
- Reaction score
- 131
- Points
- 63
- Age
- 36
- Location
- Toledo, Ohio
- Vehicle Year
- 1987
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Type
- V8
- Engine Size
- 5.8l
- Transmission
- Manual
- 2WD / 4WD
- 2WD
I've got a friend that just bought a '96 escort with the F-4EAT automatic. The previous owner sold it because of the trans issues. I don't believe it's in need of any hard parts, but beyond that, i have no idea how this thing works or how to diagnose. It starts out in 1st but wont even try to shift till you get to redline. when it should shift into 2nd, it just revs like its in neutral. Hold the revs at 3-4k for a few seconds and it will eventually grab second. After you tease it into second, it will drive like normal, shifting up and down through all gears with nice clean shifts. Next time you drive it, you've gotta go through the same stuff to get it to shift. The speed sensor in the trans is damaged. Supposedly the PO damaged it in an attempt to replace it hoping to fix the problem. Beyond that, what kind of things could cause these issues? What tells this thing when to shift, is it vacuum or electronic?