Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Ok last time before I gotta send a PM to someone..

Ok, I've tried to post this 3 times now, so this is the last time. I need some help, from anyone who can give it... I have a couple major problems with my 'tour, a 1998 GL 2.0 Zetec ATX with 111,000 on the odo. Now for the problems.

1. Tranny prob. Here is what happens. A while back (4-5 months ago) My tranny started slipping, not badly, just noticeable, so I put some fluid in and it went away for a couple weeks. Then it started shifting hard and slipping every day. I put more tranny fluid in it, and checked it every time I got in and out of the car. Well, one day I shut the car off and heard a dripping sound. I thought it was water from the A/C. Wrong. It was a nice puddle of tranny fluid (maybe about 1/2 to 1 quart of fluid.) So I tried the miracle Lucas, and it worked.... for about 2 weeks. Then it started leaking again. If I put fluid in it, it is ok for a couple days, i.e. it won't leak. But after those couple days, puddles start forming again. I have had my father look at it (being he is a bigger Ford nut than me), and a couple of more mechanically inclined people that I know, and they have said it was the front seal on the tranny? Sound about right as a cause? I really need help on this one, because I need it fixed, simple as that.

2. Temp Gauge. It seems like my temperature gauge doesn't work anymore, it won't move more than maybe 1/32 of an inch on the gauge and that is it. What could cause this? Is their anything I can do to fix it besides get a new gauge?

3. Tailight problem. My mom owned the car before me, and she backed into a dumpster and cracked the light housing. The light was fine and worked fine until one day it just stopped working altogether. I tried replacing the bulb, and it still will not work. Any thoughts?

4. Body work on driver's side. I got hit by an old GM boat awhiles back, and it hit from the front driver QP back to the rear driver QP. Kinda bad dents on it, and just wondered on a guess for how much it'd be to get the body fixed, nothing huge or to worry about, just wanted an estimate.

5. Suspension problem. When I go over some bumps, potholes, dips, etc., I hear a nasty metallic thunk from the right rear. It sounds like the strut is messed up, but I've had the car at the Ford dealer, and the techs said nothing was wrong that they could see. I asked if it was the strut and they said it couldn't be that...... Any thoughts here?

I appreciate anyone's help, because I just want to get my 'tour running like the champ she was, she has been a good car for the most, and I just wanna get it fixed and running great again.... Thanks again for the help.

Regards,
Smorganin a.k.a. Morgan

2. Disconnect the temp sender wire from the sender. Alternately short the wire to ground then remove it. You should get a full scale deflection on one of the conditions (probably shorted to ground). If this works, replace the temp sender. If it still doesn't deflect, the guage in the dash is most likely bad.

3. Brake light (turn signal) or parking light? IS the front lamp also out for the same function? If so, check F33 - 7.5A i the under-dash fuse panel. If the fault is only with that corner, the problem is in that corner whether it be the lamp socket or the wiring to it.

5. Suspect the sway bar end link and/or bushing. Inexpensive part (end link) from the dealer only). Bushing is available aftermarket from Moog. If indoubt, remove the link and see if the problem is gone. Just don't drive curves very fast as you will experience a large increase in body roll with the sway bar disconnected. Check the other side also.

Steve

Thanks for the help so far, but I am kinda confused on the Temp gauge answer, could you elaborate a little bit in laymen's terms? I don't understand wiring other than audio stuff, and I don't know everything about that even....

The body damage sounds kinda big I would expect at least $1000 if not more if doors and quarter panels are involved due to welding and cutting of the quarter panelsand new doors, plus paint. Sounds like your tranny is dying, not a leak, although it appears to be one. Mine did this too before it died, a leak would occur whenever the car ran not just occasionally. Tranny rebuild cost $1500 plus. As for the suspension like the other guy said, probably just a sway bar endlink or maybe a loose strut. If the car has more then 100k miles and this many problems, cut your losses. I am just saying the car may not be worth fixing.

true, but how am I supposed to do that with no job at the moment? I have to rely on minimal family support right now, and that is all I can do, so I am getting my car fixed so I don't have to worry, even though I have to come up with 2/3 of the money and my mom is helping with the other 1/3... so I am basically funked here....