Originally posted by ExDelayed:
Cliff notes: Late engagement from a stop, bang shifts, OD light (that is now off), reverse is good, OEM TSS. Temps never got extremely high.





Sounds like it "might" be a sticking valve in the valve body. The flashing overdrive light meant that the PCM detected something arry in the system. The only way to find out what it was, for sure, would be that you would have to have a scanner attached to the OBD-II port while driving. When the problems arise again and the O/D Light begins to flash, the scanner will pick up the code of what is wrong.

Once the O/D Light flashes, the PCM sends the tranny into "Failsafe Mode". This mode sets the line pressure at a higher than normal amount and leaves it at this setting, which explians why you had the harsh engagments, then once the car was turned off the harshness was gone.

As for the delayed engagement, I would have to guess TC slippage, which leads me back to my first point. The CD4E's valve body's are well known to have a poorly designed TC By-Pass valve and pressure regulator. These valves can stick, due to premature wear (which can be greatly excellerated by not changing the fluid often enough). This wear cause's the bores of the valve body to widen at each end, which in turn allows the valve to stick. When the valve sticks, the approperiate line pressure cannot be obtained where it is needed (in this case, the TC), hince the slip. Think of it as only releasing your clutch pedal only half way out and taking off. Same thing.

Either way, if you take it to a shop, they are going to either rebuild it or throw in a remain. Whichever way you end up going, you at least need to have an updated valve body and TC installed.

Phillip Jackson `98 Mystique LS 262K+ and counting... ATX rebuilt @ 151K "This storm has broken me, my only friend!" RIP Dime