1999 festiva auto problems

[shane1967]

Hey Guys thanks for the add. Not ever owning a fetsiva before I'm sure this site will come in handy . I have just purchased a 1999 Festiva as my son has turned of age and got his learners. It's a little festiva Trio 2 door. My problem is the auto gearbox is not coming to the party and working correctly. It will drive and go through the gears correctly at random only.When it arrived on tilt tray the tow truck driver said he will drive it up to the road about and bring it up driveway so when he did it went through all the gears properly but once at the driveway would not move at all. We left it sit for a couple of minutes then started it back up and away she went working again. Checked oil and its full , oil is a little brown however. I then started it back up later on and left it in park on idle but it seems like it is trying to engaged into gear without moving the shifter ? its not the aircon kicking in but has the same effect on the engine ? Has anyone got any ideas on how to check what the issue would be , as in torque converter or vacum etc ? Thanks for reading and any help would be greatly appreciated .

[TominMO]

Oz? 99 Festiva sounds like what we call Aspires over here.

[shane1967]

yep mate OZ ford festiva trio

[Skrapbob]

My first thought is to check the cable linkage right above the transmission. Have someone move the shifter while you watch

[shane1967]

Hey Skrapbob will go do it soon. Thanks

[fezzy]

My thoughts are if all external linkages are sorted, then look at oil level, color of oil and smell of oil.
Sometimes if it's "random", oil may not be picked up due to blocked filter at the oil-pickup when the trans sump is removed. Cos if it has not been serviced or changed they tend to restrict oil passage, hence the "random".

I stand to be corrected as I have never taken the sump off one of those , yet. But mine has similar symptoms when oil level is low or it's been sitting for a while, over a month at times, it takes the trans oil to initially circulate a few runs through the gears, then it's ok.

[shane1967]

Hey Fezzy haven't been back to car as yet to check cable linkages however have checked oil and levels , and it is at full mark . However smells a bit like a rotten crouch :highly_amused: and it a little brownish. The guy I bought it from had no issues with it up till the 28th of last month when he was driving it home from bus stop and he stopped at the end of his street at the corner then couldn't gear gears. However towed it home then a short while later hoped in started it up and presto no issues. Thats what its doing now .

[fezzy]

That smell is probably the clutch fibers, they go brown and and either burnt out due to a one time low oil level, or just one of many many reasons, driven hard, never serviced, topped up with oil too late, etc etc etc.

What I'm suggesting is hopefully that is what causing it, (blocked trans oil filter ), meaning a complete overhaul of the trans. if it still does the same, clutches are too worn.

Cheapest way I guess is to drop the oil, change the filter, new oil, new filter. I'm not sure yet if there is band adjustments on those trans, someone else here may know more about that area.
If bands are loose, then that may be a cause to.

However, looking at the HAYNES REPAIR MANUAL, there is a cable for shift adjustment. Levers were mentioned before. See if that is OK.

The other point is band adjustment. That is what wears out and changes color of oil. If it smell it may have overheated at some stage. This to can cause a delay in gear engagement/s

The Adjustments are described in the manual.

[shane1967]

ok guys an update. I have bought a donar car now so I have the option of changing gearboxes. However if I dont have to all the better. Put both cars side by side and had someone change the gears in the 1st car watching where the shift selector was and noticed the cable was very sloppy even though the car was in D inside I had to manually click it into position. The other car just clicked into all the gears nice and smooth. Started the car up and moved it through the gears and was good with R but had nothing in D but moved shifter done to 2 and had gears went up to 1 had gears then to D and so on. Put back into P then D had gears then tried R and nothing. Its hit and miss . If you go straight to 2 then select other gears its ok. It did get a shudder when I put it back into park again like it was trying to select a gear but not all the way engaged ???? Any ideas more then welcome ...thanks