What does the transmission tow/haul feature indicator mean?

ANSWER : The transmission tow/haul feature indicator is located on your instrument panel. This light illuminates steady when the tow/haul feature is turned on. If the light is flashing, then the system is not operating properly, as your vehicle should be serviced as soon as possible, before your transmission is damaged.

ANSWER : The Transmission Indicator light on the dash of your Civic (if your car is so equipped) offers important information. It should come on when you crank the engine, and then go out. However, if it begins blinking while you’re driving, it means there’s a failure in the transmission. You should drive slowly and carefully, and have your car inspected immediately.

ANSWER : If your car is equipped with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), then you have two places to look to determine what gear you’re currently in. You can look at the gearshift, but you can also look at the indicator light on the dash. This will display the gear selected from park to neutral, drive and all the rest. It’s actually a handy feature, as it allows you to keep your eyes focused forward rather than having to look down when selecting another gear.

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 : You should certainly let the insurance company know that your car has not been returned to its condition from before the accident.

As for why your car is bucking on acceleration, I can make a few guesses, but the only way to diagnose the hesitation issue for sure is to connect a scanner and drive it while observing the scan data. In particular, I would be watching the TPS and throttle body circuits. I might begin with a visual inspection inside the throttle body to see if there is any damage from the accident, or other debris caught in there.

I don’t believe that you have a transmission problem, based on your description. The main thing you should be stressing to your insurance company and repair shop is that the car still has problems that were not there before the accident. When it comes to car wrecks, the problems that follow are not your typical failures, since they were caused by a collision, as opposed to wear and tear.

Often these sorts of problems are the result of pinched wires or poor ground connections. Pinched wires occur during the impact, and poor ground connection typically occurs after body panels have been painted. It is difficult to make a good ground on a painted panel.

Good luck!

ANSWER : This would depend on what the manufacturer recommends. Many manual transmissions do take automatic transmission fluid. If your transmission has ATF in it, it is very likely that it is supposed to have that in there. If not, it is likely that the transmission would not function properly with the wrong fluid. Many manual transmissions will also take engine oil as a lubricant. The best way to know for sure is to check your owner’s manual or call your local General Motors dealership to inquire.

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.

ANSWER : The problem sounds like you have flat spots on the tires in the rear when the tow truck operator dragged and pushed the truck with the transmission locked. I would recommend having a vehicle safety inspection to see if there is tire damage or other possible damage done by the tow truck. Have a mechanic from YourMechanic come and do the inspection and check the problems for you.