I have to manually shift into 2nd gear on my automatic Ford Ecape

ANSWER : Hi There,
This is something that may be caused by a couple of things. When the transmission is low on fluid, this can cause problems with shifting due to a lack of the hydraulic pressure necessary to cause the transmission to shift. Automatic transmissions use transmission fluid to (among other things) create hydraulic pressure which causes electronic solenoids inside the transmission to shift from one gear to the next. If one of these solenoids is not working properly, you may notice the car shifting erratically or in some cases not at all. I would suggest having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to take a look at your vehicle.

ANSWER : Hello – I don’t think this is related to switching back to 2WD per se. There is a shift position sensor on the side of the transmission, and it’s possible that the snow activity caused moisture and/or dirt to get into the sensor. I would recommend a transmission inspection by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost estimate for repairs.

ANSWER : If the clutch mechanism is releasing properly, and the shift linkage is not malfunctioning, your transmission will have to be removed from the vehicle and inspected. Once a transmission has been removed from a vehicle, if the problem is a broken or worn part or parts, and the transmission has 100,000 miles or more, the most cost effective approach is to just simply rebuild the whole transmission. There are transmission rebuild kits that are sold just for this purpose. Rebuilding a transmission is no big deal and is indeed easier in many respects than rebuilding an engine. You can rebuild your transmission right in your own garage. You can NOT rebuild an engine in your own garage due to the highly specialized, and extremely costly, machine shop equipment required. Occasionally, mobile mechanics will take on a transmission rebuild job especially as once the mechanic removes the transmission from the vehicle, it is just simply a modular unit that can be easily transported to a mechanic’s shop and rebuilt right there and then returned to your vehicle. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

ANSWER : Hello. Most of the time when this occurs with this noise it is because the sun shell in the transmission broke. This is very common. The transmission would need to be rebuilt to fix it. I would recommend taking it to a transmission specialist for this.

ANSWER : This is common when the vehicle is low on transmission fluid or has a faulty transmission control solenoid. Automatic transmissions use pressurized hydraulic fluid to change gears. Every time a gear change is required, the car’s computer activates a transmission solenoid, which directs transmission fluid into the valve body to engage the correct gear. When this is faulty or not working properly, this can cause a delay in gear shifting or in some cases cause the car to not shift at all. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to take the car for a test drive to more specifically determine the cause for this.

ANSWER : Hello. It sounds as though the synchronizers in the transmission, which are used to adjust transmission internal gear speed when upshifting or downshifting are possibly worn out or you are shifting a bit too fast. It is also possible that the clutch is not releasing fully when you press the clutch pedal. In some conditions, utilizing synthetic gear oil in the transmission can help the quality of gear shifting. If the clutch is not fully releasing an inspection of the clutch hydraulics is a good idea. I would recommend having an inspection of the hard shift completed by a mobile, professional mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, who will come to your location, diagnose this problem, give you an accurate assessment of damage and cost for repairs.

ANSWER : Hi there. The shifter interlock solenoid is not working and needs replaced. The shifter interlock solenoid makes the shifter lock in place so it does not move if you accidentally move it into another gear. If you need further assistance with your shifter not working, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.

ANSWER : Hi there. You’re right, guessing can be very expensive. However, if I had to make an educated guess about your shift concern, it sounds like either a shift solenoid/solenoids is malfunctioning or there is feedback in the wire harness to the shift solenoid. I would take a look at the electrical wiring diagram and begin diagnosis from there. If the overdrive function is on and the transmission will shift from 1st to OD, then there is definitely some feedback somewhere. How do you know what gear the transmission is in after 1st? Do you have a scan tool connected that can provide that information? If this is more of a "it feels like it shifts from 1st to overdrive" then I suggest having a qualified technician perform an inspection to determine what is actually happening and diagnose the concern. Your Mechanic has several available technicians that can assist you with a transmission is not shifting correctly inspection.