Transmission slipping

ANSWER : Hello. From what you describe, it would appear that your transmission is beginning to slip. This can be caused by many things. The first thing I would do is check the vehicle’s transmission. Automatic transmission use fluid pressure to operate, and will have all sorts of issues if the fluid is low or dirty. If the fluid checks out, I would then move on to looking at the transmission itself. It may be possible that one of the components, such as a sensor or solenoid may be going out and causing your issue. It may also be possible that the transmission is simply worn out and can no longer hold the engine torque, perhaps due to a worn clutch pack, valve body, or torque converter. In these cases of removal and overhaul of the transmission is required. You may be able to continue driving the vehicle, however, because it may cause the symptoms to worsen over time if the issue is not quickly addressed.

ANSWER : Hi Jose: Thanks for your question. Below is some additional information in addition to that sent to you by John yesterday. Installing used parts, particularly a part as complex as a transmission, is not the best practice. If you have a transmission fault, the first thing to do is get the cause of the fault professionally diagnosed because some transmission faults are easy to fix, such as low fluid level, replacement of burnt fluid, or needed fixes on engine controls or wiring (transmissions are electronically controlled). YourMechanic offers that service as a transmission diagnostic and you can schedule that at your convenience.

After you know, for sure, what is wrong with the transmission then a decision can be made as to the most economic and effective repair strategy. That is, if the fix is not amongst the simple causes of transmission breakdowns, but rather is due to something like a worn out band, or a leaking clutch piston, then the transmission has to be removed, completely overhauled and re-installed, usually with a new torque converter. Without a diagnostic, even installing a new transmission may not resolve your issue if the fault lies in an engine control or electronic control component and this is why you need to first get the problem identified. Hope we can assist you with this.

ANSWER : The transmission in your truck has the updated 4L60 series with a heavier duty forward gears and thrust bearings so your transmission problem is most likely the torque converter or front pump failure. The clutch materials in an automatic transmission are very thin and if you have had slipping for over 10k miles you may have caused even more internal damage to other internal components. You will most likely need to have the transmission replaced or overhauled with a new torque converter. All the lines will need to be flushed out also to keep from contaminating the new or rebuilt transmission. Replacing the transmission with a remanufactured or a good used transmission with a warranty would be the recommendation I would give, since the truck is under 10 years old and has low mileage. Have the transmission system thoroughly checked by a certified mechanic, such as one with YourMechanic, before condemning it and before any replacements or repairs are done.

ANSWER : It would be a good idea to check to be sure that the fluid level was not overfilled. Too much fluid creates shifting and operational problems just as too little fluid will. So, the level should be carefully verified. If the whirring noise is from the transmission (it could be wheel bearings for example), such noise could be from the torque converter, oil pump, or other rotating elements. The noise would have to be heard first hand by a mechanic to pin it down. If the transmission is not shifting properly, it could be as simple as a valve body issue (typically the valve body is replaceable on the vehicle) but there are also many other causes of shift difficulty such as broken or worn bands, failing clutch pistons and so forth. Some of these faults can be determined by using external gauges to measure internal hydraulic pressures within the transmission when you shift. Transmissions can be repaired; you won’t necessarily need a "new" transmission but yes, admittedly, such repairs can be costly. If you want to get a definitive diagnosis and get information about repair options, just request a transmission shift and noise diagnostic and the responding certified mechanic will help you with that. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

ANSWER : This is possibly a transmission shifter adjustment issue (5th gear, non-engagement). The noise issue may be related, but it is potentially serious regardless. You don’t mention what kind of "transmission problems" caused you to have the clutch repaired, but that problem may be related as well. Regardless, you should have the slipping issue inspected by a professional, like one from YourMechanic, before driving it further.

ANSWER : Hi There,
This is a known issue in this generation Ford Focus and some Fiestas with the "Power Shift" transmission and there have been numerous recalls and lawsuits. Although, it is would be difficult to determine how much longer your transmission will last given the fact that you have many new parts, I would not recommend junking the car as it may still provide some valuable life left for you. I would recommend taking it to the dealer to see if these parts may be covered under the recall.

ANSWER : Hi there, thanks for writing in.

The reason is starts slipping at 30 is this is where it needs to change to second gear or third gear. The problem is most likely the servo piston for the second gear engagement is binding in the transmission housing due to a worn housing. The fix is to overhaul the transmission and have a sleeve put into the housing during the overhaul with an oversize servo kit. The only other fix would be to replace the transmission with a new or rebuilt unit. The reason it works after turning the car off and back on is because it sets a fault for itself and goes into limp mode, and turning it off will erase that fault until its seen again, at which point it will go into limp mode again. You can have this diagnosis verified by a qualified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, who can then provide you with a suggested repair plan.

ANSWER : Hi there. In most cases when you overfill the transmission fluid it can cause excessive foaming of the fluid or possible internal component failure due to excessive pressure inside the hydraulic lines. Sensors like the speed sensors however are rarely impacted by this situation. However, in regards to the possibility of probability of this; I would say perhaps a 10% chance.