[kmontez]

I have a 1992 ford escort wagon 1.9 liter. has 147000 miles.

Been a good car, and I have noticed that on my way to work the transmission has been popping out of over drive. This only happens when I nearly get to work about 20 miles away, and when I am nearly home. When I first leave both directions it works fine. But when I am nearly home or at work it seems like it pops out of over drive. I will be going about 60 mph then all of a sudden rpms go up so I assume its poping out of overdrive. IF I drive it around town I don't have problems but when I go a long distance it only seems to stay in over drive until the car warms up good. Once the car is warmed up to normal temp the tranny pops in and out of over drive.

Today was actually the first day I got off at my exit after the car popped out of over drive and it would not start back at 1st. I had to stop the car put it in park then the tranny started over. I have not tried driving all the way to work in just regualar D because my gas mileage would suffer without overdrive. Does it sound like my tranny is dying?

Are used trannys expensive or is it hard to rebuild one?
8O
Kirk
Las Cruces, NM

 

[kmontez]

By the way I have changed the tranny fluid recently, and the inside filter.

 

[juggalo]

try replacing the throttle posistion sensor. someone else had this problem, replaced the sensor and all was normal.

 

[zzyzzx]

Are you sure it's popping out of overdrive or just the torque converter is unlocking?

I'd try cleaning the electrical contacts on the top f the transmission. They are infamous for corroding. Just do some searching here. If that doesn't work, test the VSS. If you have cruise control, it uses the VSS, so presumably, a way to test the VSS is to use the cruise control and see if it works fine.

Also, I am not inclined to think that you need a new transmission. You need a repair, not a rebuild. Having said that, if you take it to a transmission place, an expensive rebuild is the only thing that they are likely to offer, so figure on fixing it yourself. I have over 193,000 miles on my vintage 1995 automatic transmission, and there is one person here with much more.

 

[kmontez]

How do you get to the contacts on top of the transmission?

What is the VSS? How do you test it with the cruise control?

 

[zzyzzx]

What is the VSS? How do you test it with the cruise control?

VSS = Vehicle Speed Sensor. On cars with a manual transmission you haev to remove this sensor to add fluid (they have no dipstick), so there is lots of discussion about it here.

The cruise control uses the VSS input, so if your cruise control works just fine and all the time, I'd be inclined to believe that your VSS is fine. I have never bothered to actually look up exactly how one is supposed to test a VSS.

 

[zzyzzx]

How do you get to the contacts on top of the transmission?

You should be able to find that by searching this fourm. You will have to remove that air intake tube and possibly the battery.

 

[juggalo]

does the transmission shift funny in other gears? like is it shifting way later than normal at part throttle but and shifting too early at wide open throttle?

 

[kmontez]

The car shifts fine all the time around time. It does good around town with no problem. When I drive it to work is when it acts funny, i usually drive around 60 mph for about 20 miles.

It never has an issue until i am almost home, i will be driving then it just either pops out of overdrive or soemting or maybe the torque converter issue happens. I am not sure. basically all of a sudden the rpms just go up and it feels like it downshifts out of no where. Today it did it when i was almost home, i pulled over so the shifting woudl start over and then kept going home.

All i can figure is maybe the tranny or something warms up and it pops out or maybe a sensor gets hot. Cause it works fine untll i am almost home, so i am thinking something warms up and the issues comes back. I am not sure waht this issue is!

 

[kmontez]

Regarding the VSS and the cruise control, my brother said that the cruise control never worked the whole time he had it. BUT when i try to use it the cruise control works.

The first time I ever felt this issue was when I was using the cruise control, and all of a sudden the car had the issue and the cruise control turned off. I have not tried it since. Coudl the cruise control have something to do wiht it?

 

[zzyzzx]

Based upon what you wrote, I'd be highly suspicious of the VSS, although the TPS can cause transmission problems as well and it really easy to check if you have a multimeter set on ohms and a spare wiring harness piece.

 

[kmontez]

So would or could it be the VSS since my cruise control still works? Is it worth buying the 50 dollar part if it doesn't work? Can it be tested out espeically if this issue is intermittent?

Are they easy to remove and replace?

Can the TPS be tested easily?

 

[kmontez]

In the DRIVETRAIN forum on this site there is a post with the title "Same story guys shifting out of overdrive!" and that is the EXACT same issue I have.. HOW OR WHAT THE HECK IS THE ISSUE AND HOW DO YOU FIX IT?????

 

[denisond3]

We still dont know. I certainly expect to get to figuring it out and fixing it - but since the car is running fine otherwise, and I have an engine to rebuild in my daughter's 97 Dodge Neon, need to get my old Winnebago running, and need to put new shingles on the front of the house; the Escort will have to wait a while.

 

[juggalo]

i still blame the TPS cuz if it was the VSS, the tranny won't shift on its own. i've messed with both sensors before to see what would happen when they're disconnected.

 

[kmontez]

Juggalo,

Should the workaround switch for the overdrive fix the issue? Or is it worth replacing the TPS first? Maybe I can take the TPS back if it still has the issue.

Anybody got any other ideas to fix this weird issue?

 

[juggalo]

it is worth it to change the TPS first. if u don't, ur shift timing will be off.

 

[kmontez]

Ok I will change my TPS this weekend, and see if it fixes the issue.

I think the TPS is easy to change. If it doesn't fix it, I will just take the part back.

Lets say it doesn't work, should I try the overdrive Mod that uses the switch?

 

[juggalo]

i don't see why it won't. and i do recommend the toggle switch mod. it has saved me a couple MPG's. i made a how to the the how to section. or u can find the link in the sticky named what can i do to my 1.9 in this section.

 

[kmontez]

I will let you know how it goes.. I will do the TPS and give you a report.. The TPS is up on top of the engine right?

kirk