99 Ford Escort Automatic Transmission Won't Move

Dude,

It's busted.

98 auto Ford Escort won't go into gear. The shift. moves but not ..

Gear shifter goes from park to drive with no effect. Won't ...

Find some Ford forums, Dude.

Maybe some symptoms? Any fluid in it? Etc.

Oh, Spacoli? Never mind. Still need information.

You might try flushing the automatic transmission fluid....it costs about $75 to have it done last I checked....I would check the fluid level and color and smell of the transmission fluid as a regular maint duty...I would also check for leaks...any drops under the tranny? The fluid should be checked for any discoloration or smell....the fluid should appear as new....

http://mechdb.com/index.php/Ford_Escort_specifications

http://www.ehow.com/how_6303557_check-ford-escort-transmission-fluid.html

http://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/2798/ford/x/transmission-fluid-change-which-method-is-better

http://www.carcarekiosk.com/video/2002_Ford_Escort_ZX2_2.0L_4_Cyl./transmission_fluid/add_level

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYv58W3kU4I

Nothing likes to move when it's cold

Did you check the fluid level? If not, you should, Just being 1/2 qt low when it's warm can be low enough that the transmission won't engage when it's cold.

The rubber band that connects the squirrel wheel to the tires probably snapped.

Either that or it saw a broken down Chevy Cavalier along the road getting looked at and got jealous and now wants attention too.

clearly you don't have enough "go go", add a turbo!

Look on the floor under the car. Unless there is a flood of fluid all over the floor and not a drop in the tranny, then fluid is likely not the problem. Even if it were just low, the car should try to move. Any funny noises from the transmission when it is in gear? Whines, gurgles, hisses? Any sickeningly sweet burned smell?

"I do see the linkage or cable moves the arm that is attached to the transmisson"

Is there a pin, set screw, or other item fastening this arm to the transmission shaft that has fallen out,loose, broken?

Any diagnostic codes from the transmission?

For his good humor he should get a GA

You didn't mention whether you tried every gear. I've had overdrive go out, then drive, and finally replaced the transmission.

How cold is a "cold" morning? This could be caused by several things, but, with catastrophic failure and "out of fluid" ruled out and no terrible noises, there are a few things to think about. There is a vent somewhere in/on the transmission, and some moisture may have found its way into the interior of the gearbox. Some of this moisture could, conceivably, freeze in the valve body passages, rendering the transmission inoperative until things thaw out. Also, if the temperature is low enough, the fluid itself can gel like Diesel fuel does and not move well through the valve body and so on. Either one of these problems will likely correct itself if the engine is allowed to run for several minutes; this will warm the fluid up. If there is a problem with ice in the valve body or a passageway, it might take up to thirty minutes or more, depending upon the ambient temperature.

A more likely problem is that the lever is slipping on the selector shaft or, possibly, the selector shaft has broken. Another possibility is that the brakes are iced up or, even, that the tires are frozen to the ground. It's hard to say without seeing the car.

Stuff happens.

Sometimes my Ford van's transmission won't engage when it's cold.I shift into different and let it warm up a little bit and then it seems to work just fine. On colder mornings I plug in the engine heater a couple hours before departure and it seems to work just fine.

It sounds like the seals have harden in the transmission. Whatever you do don't put any additive in it to soften the seals, or you will be rebuilding that transmission way sooner then letting it be. You could go several years with it like that but if you add a transmission product that has a seal softener it will work great for a while about 4-8 months then it just looses all pressure in the trans and just stops pulling.Ask me how I know.Duke

I don't think it's a freezing problem. I have tried it a number of times in in warmer weather and let it run for an hour. I don't know if I mentioned, during these warm up attempts, I did notice the engine idle down slightly when putting it in gear.

Thanks again Jeff

Sounds like the torque converter is no longer building pressure to drive the slushbox (Automatic Transmission)

I use synthetic fluid in my Ford. It just seems to work better.