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Topic: Kind of an oddball combo...and transmission issue question (Read 1709 times) previous topic - next topic

Kind of an oddball combo...and transmission issue question

1986 Cougar with 3.8 mated to a C5. 

My daughter figured it out when she took the car in for transmission service.  The mechanic assumed it was the AOD prior to looking at the car.  Anyway, the transmission shifts hard and late.  It only has 70K miles and my daughter is the 2nd owner.

What could cause it to shift like that?  The mechanic said it's fine, but I'm not so confident in that statement, as no other vehicle I've owned shifts that way.

Kind of an oddball combo...and transmission issue question

Reply #1 –
The AOD was an option beginning in 1986 on the 3.8L engine. I don't have a breakdown of how many had the C5 that year.

There's a vacuum modulator on the outside of the C5. They're inexpensive to buy and easy enough to replace; that may help the shift situation a little. If a fluid/filter change didn't help then it's likely on the way to a rebuild. I believe my old '84 had to get the C5 replaced before 90K.

Kind of an oddball combo...and transmission issue question

Reply #2 –
Do the c5's  have that pita kickdown cable mounted to the body of the transmission? They get rusted up and gunk up and don't work right.

Kind of an oddball combo...and transmission issue question

Reply #3 –
Well, less than 3 months later, the transmission gave up the ghost.  Daughter was told to take it to the mechanic to have the vacuum modulator looked at, and didn't do it.  The transmission is toast.

The mechanic has located a low mileage C5, 15,000 mile transmission, for around $800 through a buddy of his.  My daughter didn't listen and have the motor mount replaced or the steering taken care of either, so the car is going in for a tranny swap, motor mounts, and new rack and pinion steering...to the tune of $2k.  If I had the physical capabilities, I'd do it myself, but I'm disabled now.  The mechanic is the same one I've used since moving here, and I trust him.  As a matter of fact, the mechanics wife said that she's putting my daughter on a maintenance plan with 6 month check ups to see if anything pops up.  If she doesn't take it in, his wife is going to call me, and I'll make it happen...on the daughter's dime.

Let this be a lesson to anyone that ignores their parent's advice on car maintenance...a bit of money now will save you a lot of money in the future.

Later this summer, my son and I will rebuild the linage inside of the doors so it will lock again, as well as replace the trunk seal.  It's time the men step up and do what the girl child refuses to do.