I have recently had some problems with what seems to be my transmission. This past weekend I had my filter and fluids replaced. Today my car will not go into reverse. Could it be a sensor? transmission? I am a single female and would like to have an idea what I might be dealing with before I go to a transmission shop…please help…
Were you already having problems and that is why you had it serviced? Or it was perfectly fine, you had it serviced, and only now will it not go into reverse? What kind of shop performed the service?
How many miles are on it? What has the service history of the transmission been? (i.e. how often and by what method?)
Did you at least check the fluid?
I was having a little hesitation going into gears, so I had my friend’s husband (master mechanic) take a look at it. He does not specialize in transmission work, but said the fluid levels were fine, but the color was dark and seemed thicker than normal. He said we could replace the filter and fluid because it was an easy and inexpensive fix. That seemed to help. It has been a week since he changed that stuff, and there really were no problems so to speak until today. My son was driving it and seemed to have issues going into gear, so he brought it home and parked it in the garage. When I tried to take it out to drive it, it would not go into reverse. The car has 115,000 miles. I have had it for one year, so I dont really know the history. I have changed the oil every 3 months, and do not drive long distances. Other than oil changes I have not had to do any other maintenance .
First you need to check the fluid. It would not be uncommon to have it serviced and then have the pan leak afterwards. Don’t assume the leak will leave you a big noticeable puddle or anything. Its also quite possible that you have developed a leak unrelated to the service (there are lots of things that can leak).
You also need to find out what kind of fluid he put in it. I’m almost positive that that transmission required Mercon V. There is a new Ford fluid spec out called Mercon SP and the two are not interchangeable. If he put SP into it that could very well cause problems. If, by chance, that is what happened then you’d need to have a complete fluid exchange done while you cross your fingers - though a trip to a local transmission shop would be best for an evaluation before spending any $$ on that.
He actually gave me a list of what to get…and I purchased Mercon V. I have no idea how to check the fluid level…or even where it is located…???
Sorry - I actually need to back up a minute.
When you say it won’t go into reverse, do you mean that the gear shifter won’t go there. Or do you mean, you put the gear shifter on R but the truck won’t go? What exactly happens? Does it just sit and rev as you hit the gas? Does it matter whether its hot or cold? If you let it sit in reverse for a few minutes will it eventually show any sign of movement?