Transmission Problems???

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Fastbird

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I'm hoping not, but expecting the worst. Just got home from taking the fiancee' to work and while I was on the highway doing about 70, I went to go around someone and put the gas to the floor. Figured what the heck. Car downshifts, and RPM's rise to 4500 and that's it. So I back off the throttle a bit and the car comes up a gear and starts pulling. Odd, but ok. Tried it again and same thing. Gas on the floor car wouldn't go above 4500 RPM and wasn't pulling at all. Let it come up a gear from third to fourth by backing off the throttle some and it starts pulling.

So I purposely take a side road home with some stop lights in hopes to see what would happen to a WOT run from a dead stop. Green light, ease into the WOT, and this time it only hit 3000-3500 RPM before stopping dead in it's tracks. Back off the throttle some and it starts pulling.

This brick wall feels just like that. One second the car is pulling along then suddenly the RPM's (and speed accordingly) just stop moving up. I can feel the tranny trying to lock up but it just won't.

Cliff notes: Wide Open Throttle = brick wall at 3000-4500 RPM depending on gear/speed. Less than wide open throttle = 1 gear higher than max accelerating gear but no brick wall.

Anyone have any experience with this?? I hate to think the car is going to have to go in the shop less than a week after the purchase.
 
I too last night was driving my 00 LS that i have had for 25 days now and exprienced the "brick wall ", but only once. I floored it to pass a slower car and I was cruising along at 95 or so and let off the car, jerked up into 4th gear. I looked at my friend (a bmw man) and said thats not right. On the way home we tried it again and no luck. I was reading here, Fastbird, that we need to check to see if we should have our transmission re-flashed or if has been done. I am contacting my local dealer and giving them my VIN number to get answers to my "brick wall".

Good luck!

-Scott-
 
Fastbird said:
Cliff notes: Wide Open Throttle = brick wall at 3000-4500 RPM depending on gear/speed. Less than wide open throttle = 1 gear higher than max accelerating gear but no brick wall.
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My car hits a Saran Wrap wall, at times. It seems to cut for a second or two but continues on. It does not feel like a studder or misfire of any kind. It is smooth. I feel that it is a engine/computer related issue and I assumed it was Traction Control. Did you turn that off? I do notice my car is more consistent at 3/4 throttle than full. I don't think my problem is as extreme as yours, as I thought it was strange but assumed it was "a feature". Also, at WOT from a stop, I don't remember an issue, except in first where I am sure it was traction control, but I have only done that twice. This is where it would be extremely nice to be able to datalog events.
 
Yeah, I tried both with traction control on and off, with no difference in performance.

The "brick wall" point is smooth, the motor holds VERY nicely, doesn't feel like it's misfiring or surging at all, but it doesn't advance either. I get a couple of jerks out of it which feel like the tranny trying to catch itself and lock up, but it can't.

My biggest question is whether or not this can be remedied by a PCM reflash or if it is indeed a transmission internal thing. Either way, I purchased a warranty with the car (thank god) but am not too pleased about this happening.
 
Sounds like a possibly fuel delivery issue. Could be the transfer pump (the LS has a "saddle" tank, just like some trucks) or one of the fuel pumps.
 
LS4me said:
Sounds like a possibly fuel delivery issue. Could be the transfer pump (the LS has a "saddle" tank, just like some trucks) or one of the fuel pumps.
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I wouldn't think so just from the way the car acts with absolute minimal backing off the throttle. It just lurches forward and keeps on pulling.

I just got back from a short chat with the good people over at the local Ford/Lincoln/Mercury service dept. What they speculated was that it was prematurely going into "overrev" mode, I.E. not letting it rev higher for engine safety. Doesn't seem right to me, and also the Lincoln service advisor wasn't there, go figure. So, I'll be on the hook for this later.

Other than the WOT stuff, the thing is acting fine. No problems or complaints.
 
That is what I think mine is doing, going into overrev mode. Mine is even more extreme than yours. I used to have this problem, it has progressed to my car completly stalling out. First the gas cuts, then then rest sometimes even the brakes aren't as strong. Pretty dangerous. I wish I had my old Lincoln back. :(
 
I think I'm going to retract the previous statement about it not being the fuel pump, as it's starting to act like it is. Yesterday it was just a medium to high RPM/high load situation, and this morning this is how it went:

Taking her (my fiancee) to work, it was absolutely fine, although I didn't put it into the previously mentioned high RPM/load situation. Accelerated just fine up to 80 MPH on the highway on ramp. After dropping her off about 25 minutes later, having never shut off the car at all, I get back on the highway, and the sucker (car) would barely make it to 70 MPH under normal acceleration. It took a feather touch to get it to accelerate to 80. Then once off the highway, I noticed it "slipping" everywhere, and surging while trying to maintain 45-50 MPH!!!!!

My observations is that it's heat failure related, and could very well be fuel system related.

Of note, there was a leaking valve cover when we first looked at the car which has since been fixed. Although I have my doubts as to 1 or 2 coils being the cause of the issue.
 
My son has a 97 Mark VIII, what your saying definetly sounds like the fuel pump. The tanks are very similar between the Mark & LS I call them saddle tanks. Anyway we went CRAZY with the same problem I live in Florida, so as you know it gets pretty hot here. Whenever the temperature went over 80 the had no power at all. We thought the same thing at first, the trans was slipping or something. We took it to Lincoln, they were stumped. Then finally we put a fuel pressure gauge on it, as soon as the problem started to happen we saw the pressure drop.... Bingo change out the fuel pump. That did it. Good luck. We were able to cut out the floor under the back seat and change the pump in 1/2 hour. I don't know abou the LS....
 
Fordman said:
My son has a 97 Mark VIII, what your saying definetly sounds like the fuel pump. The tanks are very similar between the Mark & LS I call them saddle tanks. Anyway we went CRAZY with the same problem I live in Florida, so as you know it gets pretty hot here. Whenever the temperature went over 80 the had no power at all. We thought the same thing at first, the trans was slipping or something. We took it to Lincoln, they were stumped. Then finally we put a fuel pressure gauge on it, as soon as the problem started to happen we saw the pressure drop.... Bingo change out the fuel pump. That did it. Good luck. We were able to cut out the floor under the back seat and change the pump in 1/2 hour. I don't know abou the LS....
Click to expand...

Wow, that sounds a lot like changing the pump on an F-Body (cutting the floor). I just went through that!!! The dealership is gonna pick up the tab for that one though. I talked with the dealer I bought the car off of, and his mechanic is going to take a look at it, but I think I'm going to locate the schrader valve and do the old "tape the gauge to the windshield" diagnostic.

Thanks for the info!!
 
Hello everyone,
I have 2000 Lincoln LS automatic transmission, my transmission change the gear very smooth but when put to R or D it's jerk too hard and there is clunk on the bottom so anyone here has same my problem and what should I do? One thing is no warning light comes on and gear change very smooth from 1st-5th even I sudden accelerate the gear respond right away and smooth too. It's bother me when put to R or D form P and D to R or R to D it's jerk too hard. Please, help me an idea to figure out.
Thanks a lot
 
9 out of 10 times, a harsh engagement from R to D or P is due to a faulty solenoid body.
 
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