97 Cont Transmission Shift Problem

[MKE]

I have a 97 Continental with 267,000 miles. The transmission was rebuilt at 214,000. It ran fine for 20,000 miles. I have had nothing but trouble since. It has been in the shop 4 months of the past 12 attempting to work out the problems. The shop now tells me I have a completely new transmission. They have replaced all working parts except the case. They have now narrowed the complications down to only one problem. Sporadically there will be a very hard shift from first to second. It acts like there is no "phase in" to second gear. This hard shift happens approximately every 10th shift. Everything else is working fine.

Current conclusion of the repair shop is the computer is malfunctioning. Old engine etc. and sensors aren’t sending correct information to transmission to shift properly.

Is this a possibility? I also have a 99 Continental. Are these computers interchangeable so I could switch computers to test their theory?

 

[bradyelich]

check with ford if the parts are interchangeable. Are you asking about EEC or PCM? Can the shop working on your car reprogram the computer?

 

[napoleon1072]

Sounds like crap to me. My 97 has 170k miles on the clock. I have kept up with all the maintenance and she's been a great car until the transmission went out a year ago. Been in the shop on and off since last october (07) with various trans issues, and each time I'd get it back it'd be fine for a day or two then BAM. Well about a month ago the trans crapped out again, went into the shop they redid it (again) and then the check engine kept coming up with a transmission code. The shop said it was the computer since the car drove well and shifted perfectly, they kept deleting it and it'd return so they had to look at it said they couldn't figure it out so they had to call a tech (I assume a lincoln tech) Turns out the computer had its A game and kept trying to tell (the experts) that they had messed up and installed a wrong part in the trans .

 

[MKE]

check with ford if the parts are interchangeable. Are you asking about EEC or PCM? Can the shop working on your car reprogram the computer?

I will check with Ford when I get back in town. Which one has the most to do with the transmission? Are both involved?

 

[bradyelich]

PCM - powertrain control module
EEC - electronic engine computer/controll

PCM is the computer for the tranny. Mine had been reprogrammed once before by Ford.

I doubt I would believe the computer is bad.

Were all/any sensors replaced and with the correct parts? Intermittent wire short from a bad/broken sensor plug/wire? The techs obviously messed with them all.

Any OBDII codes?

 

[MKE]

PCM - powertrain control module
EEC - electronic engine computer/controll

PCM is the computer for the tranny. Mine had been reprogrammed once before by Ford.

I doubt I would believe the computer is bad.

Were all/any sensors replaced and with the correct parts? Intermittent wire short from a bad/broken sensor plug/wire? The techs obviously messed with them all.

Any OBDII codes?

No codes. They claim everything has been replaced. I studied the work shop manual. I am convinced it is mechanical. Each time it returns from the shop, there is a new and different complication. In the trouble shooting section of the manual, all the complications are related to the torque on the valve body head or the valve body head gasket not correctly placed. I will have them work on that next week and let you know what happens.