So at around 138K my ATX went last month. The O/D started flashing one afternoon but I drove it home from work anyway. I had it towed to the transmission shop and $2,000 later I got my car back with a beefed up torque converter, rebuilt and honed valve body, new valves, and even an external tranny cooler. The tranny drove great but I had some suspension noise.
I was poking around the engine looking for the noise source when I noticed the shop left out a rubber spacer which is a subassembly of the driver's side transmission mount.
Anyways putting in the part didn't solve the noise problem and the shop manager suggested I replace the control arm bushings. So I thought I'd replace it when my depleted funds made a rebound. I wasn't completely happy, but heh the tranny was better than new. Wrong.
I went out of town and put my Connie in long term parking. On arrival I let her warm up and drove out the lot a happy camper. As I drove I noticed my engine was revving in the 3 - 4 thousand RPMs. I couldn't believe it! I thought I put the car in the wrong gear so I stopped and shifted through all the gears. I started driving very slowly noticing each gear change and then it happened, FLASHING O/D LIGHT. F**K'ng A!! ... tow truck took her back to back to the shop.
The next morning I went to the shop and started her up and checked the fluid after the fans went off. Fluid level was kinda high but I didn't think anything of it. As I backed away from the I saw fluid gushing from the bottom of the car. The shop owner suspected a loose line or something very simple. NOT. I called later and shop manager told me the conical boot that goes on the dipstick was torn or installed incorrectly so my 3rd and 4th gears were burnt due to lack of fluid. Another complete teardown had to be done.
At the shop this morning I noticed the most popular car there was *you guessed it* the Contour. My car was the third one needing a complete rebuild. Thought I would share. Venting helps while I bleed rental car charges.
Yes, the repair is on their dime, but you just know that this time the rebuild will be just as good as the first one and every necessary part will be replaced. Shoot me now please.
