The tranny appears to have gone out in my wife's minivan, and I was wondering if someone could give a possible diagnosis.

It's a 2000 Windstar, 3.8 L V6, AX4S tranny, w/ about 105,000 miles. I bought the van about 3 years/35,000 miles ago and had to have the tranny rebuilt due to it slipping and bucking (the repair was compensated for in the purchase price).

Last week my wife was driving it and went to accelerate while coming up out of a dip in the road, and the engine revved up like it was in neutral. All forward gears and reverse act like it is in neutral, but Park holds. I was getting ready to change the fluid again when this happened, but the fluid still appears to be in relatively good condition - it still has the red color and it still has the sweet smell and doesn't smell burned.

The check engine light is on (rough idle), but I had it checked 2 days before this occurred and the code was for "Running Lean - Manufacture's Emission". I was told I would have to take it to a dealer to get a diagnosis. No tranny related codes were present.

It hadn't been slipping or shifting hard, nothing clunked, popped, or thudded - so does anyone have any guesses as to what broke and a possible repair price?

Thanks,
36

 

I read on another site that these symptoms could by caused by the pump going out. Anyone know whether this is accurate or not?

 

It's possible. If the pump doesn't work either does the trans.

 

Probably the splines on the input shaft stripped out. The engine is spinning the converter up, but the converter isn't turning the input shaft.

 

Just put a converter in an 03 windstar about a month ago, because it stopped moving while on the way to wal mart. The splines in the converter strip out, and the pump won't turn. Good luck.

 

That's exactly what's wrong with it. It's very common on the windstars and the 3.0 12v taurus. It could be the pump but highly unlikley. A good way to tell if it's either a converter or a pump is to check the dipstick. If the fluid is high up on the dipstick it's a good indication the pump isn't turning. If it's in the normal range then it's possible there is another problem.

 

Thanks for the replies everyone, but it's someone else's problem now.

My uncle bought it from me in 'as is' condition, right after we got it loaded onto the trailer to take to the tranny shop. His son-in-law works for a junkyard and his plan is to sell/give it to his daughter. Her hubby can get a tranny from the junkyard and install it himself.