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ATX dead and high rpm, what can be the cause?

So you want to try some diagnostics try this

So you want to try some diagnostics try this

1. To take the ecu out of the equation and use only the hydraulics of the transmission unplug the ROUND plug under the battery to the trans after you have removed the clip holding it on. This allows the trans to operate only in 2nd and reverse. If it does both of those you can move onto other things. If if does not move at all either forward or reverse then life pretty much sucks.

2. If the trans does not move the car at all, get a cheap oil pressure gage and connect it to the oil pump pressure port in the left front wheel well. Look at a trans book for the pressures in each gear. This should tell you the state of the oil pump.

Report back with the results.
 
Oil pump driveshaft stripping the flats in converter or drive insert will just result in no drive at all, forward or reverse. Unless just barely holding on to turn and slip. It will not result in the '2 or 3 shocks' mentioned, that sounds like the classic snap ring groove breakage and subsequent destruction of the drive shells. That's what makes the shocks described as forward clutch comes apart and pieces go through the drivetrain. The guy just described my episode perfectly. Happens with no warning whatsoever.
 
andreslobo said:
1. To take the ecu out of the equation and use only the hydraulics of the transmission unplug the ROUND plug under the battery to the trans after you have removed the clip holding it on. This allows the trans to operate only in 2nd and reverse. If it does both of those you can move onto other things.
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Interesting. I only find it hard to understand what exactly you mean with "the battery to the trans". What is "the battery" in this context? I first thought of the accu, but I can't place it in this context.

Anyway, I did some more testing: if I turn the cold engine on and immediately shift, then I feel the normal 'clung' that the ATX has positioned the desired gear and the car moves about 10 meters, sometimes more, and then it stops as if it goes to N and the rpm is sticking at the position where it was for about 15 seconds, sometimes longer, even when I immediately lift the gas pedal (it is however able to go higher immediately when I give more gas). The ATX does nothing anymore until I turn engine off, wait a minute or so and then turn the engine on. I can reproduce the same story again then. I can't imagine that this would be possible if the ATX is mechanically dead. This really sounds like some oil pressure or sensor problem or so.

I have also checked the oil dipstick when the car was cold, it was above the max. I carefully checked it again and again. It was clearly far above the max. Is this normal? I have never (re)filled the oil since I bought the car early April. When the engine is warm (5 minutes) then the oil level seems to be OK, but it was hard to determine as it is sometimes flushing all over the dipstick.
 
BalusC said:
Interesting. I only find it hard to understand what exactly you mean with "the battery to the trans". What is "the battery" in this context? I first thought of the accu, but I can't place it in this context.

Anyway, I did some more testing: if I turn the cold engine on and immediately shift, then I feel the normal 'clung' that the ATX has positioned the desired gear and the car moves about 10 meters, sometimes more, and then it stops as if it goes to N and the rpm is sticking at the position where it was for about 15 seconds, sometimes longer, even when I immediately lift the gas pedal (it is however able to go higher immediately when I give more gas). The ATX does nothing anymore until I turn engine off, wait a minute or so and then turn the engine on. I can reproduce the same story again then. I can't imagine that this would be possible if the ATX is mechanically dead. This really sounds like some oil pressure or sensor problem or so.

I have also checked the oil dipstick when the car was cold, it was above the max. I carefully checked it again and again. It was clearly far above the max. Is this normal? I have never (re)filled the oil since I bought the car early April. When the engine is warm (5 minutes) then the oil level seems to be OK, but it was hard to determine as it is sometimes flushing all over the dipstick.
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the battery in reference here is the one for the car. he is saying look under the battery for a round plug with wires that lead to the trans and unplug them. Then try reverse and second gear.
 
Don't even need to mess with the plug. Just use the shift lever and try it in both Reverse and manual 2nd.

In those two gearshift positions, there is ZERO electrical consideration for shifting the transmission, it's all mechanically controlled by the manual valve rod.

You need to get the pressure gauge on there and monitor your line and EPC pressures. Anything other than that is guesswork which is a lousy troubleshooting process.
 
Zat So????

Zat So????

I don't think that using the selector lever in 2 and R locks out the electronics.

This is why I think so. When I bought my POS it had a bad trans (suspected a band). Driving it around town for a year it would shift from first into 3rd even though I had the selector in 2nd. When I finally had a need for 2nd and most importantly 4th, I had to do some troubleshooting (yeah amazing isn't it). The book I bought recommended that I unplug the ROUND connector and see if the car moved forward. Much to my relief it didn't. After checking the oil pressures, I tore into the trans and replaced the band.

And I didn't ever even think of changing oil to see if it would fix a broken band.

From my experience you must unplug to force the trans to use its own hydraulics only.
 
The torque converter is likely broken. The symptoms matches it and when we drained the tranny oil of a warm engine, the oil was cold!

Even if it isn't that, the tranny still needs a rebuild. This would be an expensive repair. I leave the Contour for what it is and I will buy a small Japanese/Korean car for daily use. Then I will see further what to do with the Contour.
 
Don't buy Mazda or you may get same tranny...............
 
So BalusC,

Are you sure your problem is the toque converter?

I have replaced the TSS on mine and didn't fix the problem. Now I will go for MLPS as a last resort. If that doesn't fix it either, then my Contour will go to winter sleep again.
 
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