• Welcome to the Contour Enthusiasts Group, the best resource for the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique.

    You can register to join the community.

How long has your ATX lasted?

135K on my daughters 99 Duratec. Starting to slip badly. No rhyme or reason to when it doesn't. Anytime it wants in any gear it wants. I have a BAD feeling it is on its way out. How much does a rebuild typically cost on these?

i was quoted $1700 for a full rebuild, that would replace almost everything but the case and give me a 7 year/50k or a 3 year 75k warranty, at a reputable trans shop near me, i said no thanks that's more than i paid for the car. however on my 92 sable when the trans started slipping i used valvoline high mileage trans fluid and it cleared it up, you might could try a flush with this and see what happens, at worst your out $100 or so and if it works you might can hold off on the rebuild.
 
amc49, do you have the TSB info on the reflash? This happens on my brother's Mystique. I didn't realize there was fix for it. It doesn't ever bang during 1-2 shifts, but only if you go hard on the gas and let up before it makes the shift to second. Same as what was described above.
 
http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/paynlessauto/2009-09-23_012258_tsb2.pdf

or...................TSB 98-13-4

To the slipping guy above. These transmissions go in and out of converter clutch and OD so much that it is very easy to think it's slipping everywhere. Think about it a bit and start trying to actively tell exactly which gears are slipping. Could be just 2 and 4 (OD). Meaning a band adjustment via different servo part might be possible. I just did exact same thing on my Focus, many would think before hand the trans ready to go since was starting to slip in 2 gears. On that one I cured it rock solid for $3. Cost thirty cents to fix same problem on my old Tempo. That fix lasted 10 years.
 
To the slipping guy above. These transmissions go in and out of converter clutch and OD so much that it is very easy to think it's slipping everywhere. Think about it a bit and start trying to actively tell exactly which gears are slipping. Could be just 2 and 4 (OD). Meaning a band adjustment via different servo part might be possible. I just did exact same thing on my Focus, many would think before hand the trans ready to go since was starting to slip in 2 gears. On that one I cured it rock solid for $3. Cost thirty cents to fix same problem on my old Tempo. That fix lasted 10 years.

Can you be more specific on what to look for.
It happens in 1st and 3rd.
I really don't know much about the CD4E
 
If you are SURE it is 1 and 3 then probably slipping forward clutch. Unfortunately, no easy fix for that.......
 
Acutally after paying closer attention to it, it does appear to be 2nd and 4th. Can you please detail the cheap fix for this you did? PM me if needed.
 
On this model trans you need a servo piston with longer rod, there were several made. Pull yours and look at number of grooves on shaft, there are 3 different parts, 0 groove, 1 groove and 2 grooves. 0 is the longest and 2 groove shortest. Whatever yours is, pick next longer one to tighten up the band a bit more to stop the slipping. If you already have the no groove one in there, it's new band time. Meaning yank the trans.

This trans takes a special tool to get the bottom servo cover off and back on. The servo has a really strong spring behind cover that can injure you when suddenly released. Don't say you weren't warned..................

Cover is the 4 inch round thing on front bottom of trans, a snap ring holds it in. There may be a fake cover over the top of it, early models used that. Not necessary to reuse that.
 
On this model trans you need a servo piston with longer rod, there were several made. Pull yours and look at number of grooves on shaft, there are 3 different parts, 0 groove, 1 groove and 2 grooves. 0 is the longest and 2 groove shortest. Whatever yours is, pick next longer one to tighten up the band a bit more to stop the slipping. If you already have the no groove one in there, it's new band time. Meaning yank the trans.

This trans takes a special tool to get the bottom servo cover off and back on. The servo has a really strong spring behind cover that can injure you when suddenly released. Don't say you weren't warned..................

Cover is the 4 inch round thing on front bottom of trans, a snap ring holds it in. There may be a fake cover over the top of it, early models used that. Not necessary to reuse that.

This is all greek to me.
Could you please me more specific about what I am looking for and where I am looking for it.
Pictures would help too.
Thanks !!!
-Brent
 
2000 SE Sport v6 ATX 160,000 I change fluid about every 15,000 miles. Only problem so far is the notorious MLPS but I got that cheap from rock auto @ $33. and some change
 
157k, never been flushed or touched lol, I think it needs a vss cuz it does the bang shift from 1-2 under hard acceleration and it feels like its beginning to slip from reverse to drive


only gonna have it for a few more months then its getting traded in
 
2000 2.5l contour SE
Atx trans lasted till 138k (started slipping in reverse then started to affect other gears shortly after)

1998 2.5l contour SE
Atx trans lasted till 204k (started throwing a torque converter code at 120k and started shifting hard when warm between 1st and 2nd, still drove great daily until 202k then it droped 2nd and 4th gear)
 
Well, it's been almost two years since post #12 and the 'Turd is still on the road. It's up to 223.5K with only a new DTR sensor last year as anything transmission-related. Haven't even flushed the fluid since that episode in 06 with the torque converter and valve body...

Need 14 more months to finish paying off the wife's Mariner, then this thing can be put out to pasture and I can get something else. I put new tires on it last fall, so I need to get my use out of them first.
 
Back
Top