Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Transaxle Tranmission banging intermetently (sp?)

Good afternoon all.

I love my contour but it is driving me (literally crazy). On Feb 16th, I had all sorts of trouble and brought the car to the ford dealership. They told me 3 seals had broken and charged me 10 hours to replace all three. They assured me that since the rips on the seal happened so suddenly the day before that nothing else was wrong at all. Charged me over 11k CAN.

Anyway, since then, on 4 different occasions, while driving home from work (about 41miles -- or 62km -- highway at 120Km on the cruise typically for app 90% of that), when getting to my home, the transmission would bang very hardly on gear changes. I wuold get home, turn off the car.

The next morning, there was never a spill on the ground and the car would drive absolutely fine. Like I said this happened 4 times. Only on the fourth time was there ever a Check Engine Light on.

Last time this happened, with the light and bangs was Friday. I brought it to the dealer on Saturday who said they couldn't see me before today(Wednesday). I got a call back just now saying that the code in the CEL was a TORQUE converter code.

They said on the phone that back in Feb all tests lead them to believe everything was alright then. The person I spoke to said they reprogrammed the transmission to adjust it. They said they did plenty of hot start tests today and that it went well but that they want to keep it overnight to do a cold start test tomorrow.

I am very worried that I will have more problems very, very soon and I don't know what to do. I can't seem to find anything about "reprogramming" the Torque converter on here like the person on the phone mentioned. What do you all think?

Your harsh shifting is probably caused by a worn valve body, hince the TC code. More often then not, that TC code would say that the PCM noticed excessive slippage during lock-up. This means that the TC is worn out. Why? How?

The TC lock-up circuit, in the valve body, is well known for wear out and causeing the pistons to seize up. This causes a low or even no pressure condition to the TC Clutch. So, to repair it, you have to change the valve body and the TC.

The harsh shifting comes from that point I made about the PCM detecting the TC Slippage. Once this happens, enough times in a row, the PCM shuts down the transmissions shift program and turns to a "failsafe" (aka Limp Mode) program, which boosts the pressure of the tranny way high. Because of the high pressure, the tranny shifts firmer. In this case, harshly.

Matt... He said 11K CAN. That means, 11K Candadian dollars. That is not the same as $11,000 US Dollars. I will agree though, that it does seem excessive.

If you paid that much for just seals to be replaced, you should have went ahead and got the entire tranny rebuilt.

As for the reprogramming of the TC, yeah it's possible, but I have never heard of dealer actually doing it. Well, besides "TC Shudder" issue with the CD4E in the Escape/Tribute.

HOLY SH!T $11,000 to fix a tranny?!?!?!?!?!?!

Take that f'en car back and demand they fix it PERFECT or give you a new CAR - hell for that kind of money.

I'm stilll in shock.

I hope to god you hit the 1 key once too often. Holy Fauck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In all my years I've never heard of anyone getting taken to the degree. Getting taken for 2k extra maybe but the cost of a car!!!!!!!!! What is this reprogrammed the transmission. Someone would be going to court BIG TIME!

Yeah Phil, I knew it was $11,000 canadian, but that is still w/ current rates, that is $8,927.85 american. A new car would cost less that that!

I wonder what happened to this guy - did he go home and blow his brains out after realising he got had bigger than anyone else in the history of car ownership, or what?

I can't fathom being told "Ok, total costs of repairs on your transmisson is $11,000..." and me just whipping out my check book and going "Ok, I'll write you a check."

Unreal....

And to top it off the thing is still screwed and instead of taking it back and demaning a refund and them to fix it he comes here and asks "What's wrong with it?"

I know we're here to help, but damn, the situation at hand is just unbelievable.

My bad: 1,100 Can, not 11,000 sorry about that.

Anyway, here`s what the service report stated:
Correction: Road test and complete electronic transmission diagnosis. There was a special service message from technical hot line to re-calibrate the power train control module for a harsh engagement concern. Re-tested several times no further concerns noted at this time.

Road tested and complete electronic engine diagnosis. There was one code in the e system for transmission torque convertor clutch. When the vehicule was road tested the clutch was operating normally according to the monitored pids. The code was removed and the vehicule re-road tested ok.

There you have it.
I hope I don`t go back within another 3 months for more tranny problems.