Tranny glitch

[Mark McQuaide]

Thanks all for your reponses to my little list of problems. I'll bring 'em up with the dealer at the 5000.

Tonight on the way home, I had a tranny problem:

1) Lock out OD
2) Manually shift to 2, then 1, stop at light
3) Pull out, manually upshift to D, get up to highway speed
4) Unlock OD - tranny won't shift out of 3rd.

I didn't feel like driving all the way home in 3rd and didn't want to pull over, so thought I'd try going to neutral while cruising. As soon as I pressed the button and moved the shifter slightly forward, it went into 4th, and shifted normally thereafter.

I'll try to duplicate this tomorrow and if I can, the dealer can fix it as well. Hopefully some owners out there can try this and let me know.

[looking97233]

I have noticed that too. Seems to me that the 2-3 shift detent is kinda sloppy. I have had to give it a slap a few times then felt the shifter "click" in.

[Mark McQuaide]

The shifter was locked in "D" and it stayed in 3rd. The 3-4 shift should be controlled by the OD lockout button but it didn't respond to it.

[Donald]

Mark,

Mine did the same thing. The guy that test drove with me did not think what we were doing was 'legit'. I got the car back and it now works correctly. Don't know what they did.

[MMM2003]

Had the same problem. When shifting up from 1st to 2nd to D it won't go into OD. Have to move shift lever just past D to have OD kick in. Had the car at the Dealership. Mechanic said there is no adjustment. The detent locks in correctly. Just the way it is, I was told.

I also noticed that when I first start up and get going, there is a slight hesitation with acceralation. The Dealer checked it and said there is a service bulletin out on that from Ford. The will need to reprogram the chip for that, but maybe they will never update, since it doesn't cause anf harm, according to the dealer.

Don't get me wrong. I love the M'Rauder, but my dealer seems to be kind a "yeah, what ever...!"

Love the web site. Gotten a lot of info from it.

[russ in VA]

There is an 18mm nut you can loosen and adjust the linkage where the cable attaches to the lever arm at the side of the transmission. I was having the same "does not go into overdrive problem" (it only did this after I had manually selected 1st or 2nd and then gone back to Drive) and this fixed it. I know that it seems like it should be controlled by the button, but if the linkage is off a little to where it will barely engage 3rd(D), then it won't engage 4th (OD). A little linkage adjustment fixes it.

I was going to take it to the delaer and have them adjust it, but the service writer tried to tell me there was no adjustment so I looked it myself and fixed it. Now they don't get to collect any money from Mercury for a warranty adjustment. Their lo$$ (dummies). It took less time to do it myself than it would have to take it in AND I got to bond with the car. While I was there I lowered the rear of the car about an inch and a quarter by adjusting the ride height sensor. Got rid of that silly tail high stance and MAN did that improve the look of the car! Wish I had done that a month ago!

[schuvwj]

If it is like my other Fords the service manual says to adjust the trany shift cable while the shifter is in "D" position and the trany lever is in center of the detent position of "D". Then Lock and Load!
Looks like assembly people did not follow the planned method.

[Donald]

russ,

more info on the height adjustment procedure, please.