Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Transaxle My Coug CD4E

Hello to the Contour people, I have an '01 Cougar, ATX, 68K, original owner, was my sister's at first, just recently i've taken over. Oh, and I'm 17. I was wondering if you can help me out with some info and advice on the tranny. I know the Coug and Countour use the same ATX tranny, and thought i'd try here instead of the Cougar forum, because you guys just seem more knowledgeable :-D.

So.. for some history. First trans failure on this car, happened right out of warranty, 38K I believe. Ford dealer was too expensive, Aamco wasn't too bad, but we just went to our local mechanic who offered to do the rebuild. We payed $1500. It started acting up again, at about maybe 45K, so we asked our mechanic to install a tranny cooler. It cleared some CEL codes at least, not sure why. Worked fine until about, I'd say 63K, when the tranny I guess, failed, since the power wasn't going to the wheels. Rebuilt again by our mechanic, under warranty.

Now, at 68K, I'm feeling some oddities while driving. Just today, I noticed, that after coming to a stop, the car seems to lag from my accelerator input. It revs for a second, and then it seems as if it will engage and the car will move. Is it slipping or something? I tried it a few times, and the same thing happened. I tried it in gear selector 1, 2, and D, and the same thing happened. I remember, as I pulled into my driveway, the cooling fan started up at its highest speed (there are two speeds for this fan, I believe), and maybe it was heating up? Also, in second gear, around 3000 RPM or so, the power seems to lessen or weaken for a few seconds until it passes 4000 RPM and then it feels as if it is delivering power again. I should note, that this feeling that I've felt in 2nd gear also happened before the 2nd rebuild. It just bothers me when it does this. Shifts can be jerky at times. Occasionally, it'll have smooth shifts. We really need this car to last, or else, sadly, we are going to have to sell it. I don't want to sell, but I don't want to spend a ton of money on it again if we need to rebuild the tranny. Please, any info, advice, etc. on what you think the problem could be and how we could improve the situation will be greatly appreciated. Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to be as detailed as possible. Thank you in advance.


P.S. I'm in So. Cali, in a suburb of Los Angeles. Maybe if there is some guy on this forum that lives close to me, and knows a lot about these trannys, and how to improve 'em, I would be willing to meet up with him somewhere. Thanks again.

Flush the trans and refill Mercon III ... sounds like you may have the incorrect spec fluid, which is causing slipping. Do you know what fluid was used on the last refill? A true rebuild (replace all clutches & wear metals) should have helped the trans see 100K+ miles especially with a cooler attached. Check the fluid and let us know what it looks like (color) and how it smells and we can go from there.

Welcome . Post a "hello" post in the Calfornia Forum.
http://www.contour.org/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=CA

Fluid should be Mercon/DextronIII and the color should be clear red/pink.

Most issues with the CD4E tranny are due to dirty, wrong or low fluid (which ends up causing other problems later).

Is the Check Engine Light (CEL) on? If it is, get it scanned and post the codes. Even if it is not, get it scanned for intermittent or pending codes.

Is the "OD off" light flashing? If it is, get it scanned and post the codes.

Not sure about California but most Advance or Autozone will scan the CEL codes for free. If Advance or Autozone will not do it, may be good to invest in one (as the mechanics usually charge $75 per scan). I think those code readers/scanners run from $75 to $300 depending on what capabilities.

If the issues remain after the fluid change, and you want to try a last ditch effort before a tranny rebuild, try changing the Manual Lever Position Sensor ($50) and see if that helps.

ATFluid change($30).

http://www.contour.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=tranny&Number=992476&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=31&fpart=1

MLPS issues and how to
http://www.contour.org/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=trouble&Number=1236527&page=&view=&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1

Thanks for the kind welcoming. I would just like to add, it seems more like a lurch when coming out of a stop. I'm hoping it is just the fluid, but it has been using this fluid for about 2 months, why would I barely start noticing it now? And.. I would most likely not be doing any work on this car, since I don't have much time. Tomorrow it is probably going to the mechanic. The fluid I looked at yesterday was clear/pink, like you said, but I don't know what my mechanic used last time. Also, i'm not completely sure if it was a true rebuild.. No CEL's or flashing OD light. Just awkward driving characteristics..

My money is on the MLPS.

Ok, thanks. I'll tell the mechanic. Any ideas about that thing in 2nd gear? After it shifts from 1st, it feels ok for a second, then feels like all the power is not being delivered through the transmission, and when it passes about 4000 RPM, you'll feel a little jolt or bump and it will pick up. I friggin hate that transmission sometimes.. I'm trying to see if I can get extended coverage on the tranny (MBC).. maybe through my insurance company, if its a reasonable price. You guys will probably think that is a terrible idea, but I just hate the idea of worrying that the tranny on this car will keep on having problems, and that I will have to continue to dish out money. Its either that, or we will have to sell the car sooner than expected.

it sounds like you are experiencing runaway line pressure. by having a Trans-Go runaway line pressure kit that would solve your problems. i have one installed for almost 3 years now. my 95 tranny shifts like butter. well it did when i drove it a year ago. i haven't been close to the car for a while now.

Ben