OT:Auto trans guys, 02 Taurus slipping cold

redtom

Well-known Member
I know its a tractor forum. My work car, 160k mi, start it cold and put it in gear, F or R, and it takes a little bit to "pump up". I mean, it slips into motion slowly. Fine after that. Just started doing it. I bought it at 130k from original owner that I trust and he had suggested services done on it by dealer. Is this the death gasp? I am gonna do filter and fluid tommorow. Oh, I have to move my tractor to work on it.
 
Sounds like the fluid is not flowing well when it's cold. Changing fluid and filter will probably take care of it. If not . . .
Good Luck and God Bless
 
OKAY, I"m as gun shy and a non believer as far as anybody regarding "Snake Oil" HOWEVER I gotta share this FWIW

On two different cars mind you I had an auto tranny that started slipping or got loosey goosey between shifts or wouldnt shift into high at all or only maybe after it warmed up etc

Sooooooo I buy and pour in a can of Lucas Tranny Treatment, drove them maybe 50 miles AND THEY BOTH STARTED WORKING N SHIFTING FINE AFTER THAT FOR AS LONG AS I DROVE THEM (several k miles)

Okay dont have a calf now or argue with me cuz ALL IM SAYING IS THATS WHAT HAPPENED TO TWO CARS OF MINE while it may not happen for you or anyone ever again, but it did work for me at least buttttttttt ONLY LUCAS I tried other brands over the years that did NOTHING GRRRRRRR

Now change fluid n filter etc as you wish and if that dont help and you wanna try Lucas ITS YOUR OWN MONEY AND CHOICE AND RISK althugh the above is what happened to me, thats all I can say

John T
 
One never knows what will happen. About 15 yrs ago I had a tired chevy with a 700R4 slipping. Put in a can of Sea Foam trans treatment and two weeks later the trans failed. The tranny was already weak and I doubt the snake did anything but clean out some needed sludge, so I don't blame it.
 
That stuff works by 'swelling' the seals.

It doesn't cure anything and if used when something else is the culprit will actually cause a failure sooner or later because of the damage to the seals.

If you've ever seen rubber components dropped in carb cleaner, that is the effect; just not as drastic or quick.

Allan
 
Change the fluid and filter with good quality fluid. Walmart sells Valvoline synthetic that meets a bunch of Mercon spec. Should be good stuff. If it continues to slip add some Lucas and drive it till it dies. Lucas is far and away the best 'snake oil', to the point that I would hardly consider it a snake oil. If you're going to use an additive, it's the best available.
 
then swelling the seals sure made mine work great and the fix worked for miles n miles n miles lol

john t
 
My experience with auto tranny's has been that if the fluid is changed
regularly, then keep changing it regularly. All is well.
If, like many vehicles, it has been run from day one without being changed
until there is a problem, changing it will make it worse or cause failure.
Much like you said the SeaFoam did. It broke loose all the deposits and plugged it up.
Not the end of the world though, if the car's in good shape it can be rebuilt
or replaced with one from a salvage yard.
 
I pounded a 1990 taurus back and forth to work for 10 years. It had 250.000 on it when I gave it to my son. I had trans fluid and filter changed every 50.000 never had a bit of transmission problem. People couldn't believe I got that much service out of it. I know if you wait till they act up to service them it's usually too late.
 
(quoted from post at 02:47:01 04/09/13) then swelling the seals sure made mine work great and the fix worked for miles n miles n miles lol

john t

Worked on my '95 pickup too, 240,000+ miles later, and it's never been out for repairs.
As some have said, check your filter, but I wouldn't spend one dime on repairing a tranny til I tried the Lucas first, you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
 

Dieselbreath is dead on it will fetch $350 at the scrap yard...

Dump some malco swell seal in it are KW trans conditioner,,, worst case is it will make it EZ'er to clean if you have it rebuilt... The damage is already done you will only be out the cost of the condition treatment save the fluid/filter exchange money its lived past its life span...

If it does fix it time will tell then you may consider a fluid'filter ecchange along with a good dose of conditioner..
 
The typical failure in the early versions of those trannys was overheating the overdrive. After driving on the freeway for a length of time, you would pull down an off ramp to the stop and the car would never move again because the o/d was fried. Your car is new enough that most of those failures have been fixed. If it still shifts good after it runs for a minute or two, what you probably have is a combination of a weakening pump and torque converter bleed down. The converter will fill a bit faster if you put it in neutral. Just know what it does, and don't abuse it. I have a '95 Taurus with 195k on it. The shifts have been mushy for years, but lately it's shifting a little different. I still think I can get another 50k if I treat it right.
You might talk with a good transmission man, or shop about minor valve body modifications that might help it out a bit. I don't rebuild trannies, but I've sold parts for them for nearly 30 years now. There are lots of inexpensive items, or 1 or 2 possible fixes that might help it last longer.
 

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