I having problems with my auto shifting gears. When cold the vehicle runs nice and well. After a while of driving, let's say after a hour including stops, it begins to act up. I even have to let the gas pedal go so it could shift (mildy pressed). It overrevvs the engine. Makes me seem like I'm learning to drive stick, like yesterday I was making a turn and it cut off on me. Any idea(s) what could be wrong? Thanks in advance!
That is also symptomatic of a fuel pump going out too. Mine never really 'cut off' on me though it did act like it would stall once. However, the thing that really called my attention was that I could drive it and once driven for a while if I floored it, it would reach a point where it would be in the upper RPM band but no real forward movement. It was like you said, the motor was overrevving and it felt like the thing had absolutely no torque at all.
I never had a CEL until I chased a storm in Arkansas and the fuel pump completely died and it finally lit up the CEL. At that time I could give it all the gas I wanted and it was going no where. As long as I tried to put a load on the motor, it gave me trouble but would work fine when I sat in park and just revved the motor.
The fact it cut out on you is even more of a clue to me that it may be the fuel pump. My suggestion would be see if the fuel pump recall applies to you, you certainly have the model year for the trouble (2000 - 2001), tell them its cutting out on you and what have ya and see what they say. I would have thought you would have recieved a letter in the mail late last year letting you know of the recall.
Anyway, keep us posted.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
The vehicle is carrying less than 56,800 miles. The engine seems to run great, the problem is more focus to the torque problem. I do need to get that Fuel pump checked, I'm sure that's a problem. But like I say the engine overrevs, which means the tranny is not shifting well. If tranny fails someday, I'll check on Lentech for a qoute.
What's the sign of the CEL, of heard it a lot, but never knew what it was about.
FocusOnBlue wrote: The vehicle is carrying less than 56,800 miles. The engine seems to run great, the problem is more focus to the torque problem. I do need to get that Fuel pump checked, I'm sure that's a problem. But like I say the engine overrevs, which means the tranny is not shifting well. If tranny fails someday, I'll check on Lentech for a qoute.
What's the sign of the CEL, of heard it a lot, but never knew what it was about.
I dont mean to be argumentive, so please dont take it that way. Manninej may be correct since he has had experience with the tranny issues, however the engine overrevs is a red flag to me because that is EXACTLY what mine did when the fuel pump was getting overheated and I thought the EXACT same thing you did, transmission problem except I could manually shift with absolutely no problems.
Since Ford will replace the fuel pump for free and you arent going to be out anything other than your time I would definately recommend going that route before forking out money on a tranny.
Look at it this way, if Im wrong, I'll eat my words. But you if you go to Ford and they replace the fuel pump and it doesnt correct the issue then what have you lost? You can still go back to ebay and get a tranny.
Normally I wouldnt take such a stand with someone except for the fact my fuel pump did the exact same thing yours is doing with the overreving. I wish you were closer to me, I could hook up my scan tool and I could tell you instantly whether or not it was the fuel pump or not. Ive had it hooked up to another Focus that had a fuel pump going out and know exactly what to look for on the scan tool and the various symptoms it will cause in the car.
Like I said, Im not trying to be argumentive or cause any strife but I really think it would be worth the time to have the fuel pump checked out before you bought a new / used tranny.
If you know someone with a scan tool and will do it for free or wont charge you an arm and a leg, take it to them and have them monitor Fuel Rail Pressure. It should be around 35 - 40 psi. DONT check it while its at idle because it will almost always check fine then. You have to leave the scan tool hooked up while driving and road test it. The hotter the day the better. As you drive and floor it and things like that, if the fuel pump is indeed going back you will see that fuel pressure drop like a rock. You will then be able to pull over and let it idle and watch it steadily climb back to normal as it cools off some from not being under a load.
At any rate, I'll leave it at that. Hopefully the info will help you out in some way.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
I'll take in consideration of your note, and seriously to get that fuel pump thing over with, Ima make an appointment tomorrow morning for the car. Thanks for the help, and I'll keep ya informed on the stats of the car.
It could be the fuel pump. You can neaver really tell with these new cars cause there is so much going on in the background that you never know of.
I would say the tranny might be slipping. I know that automatics should have the fluid changed every 20,30,40K???? (I can't remember exactly when to change it)
I can add my experience. My 72 Truck (no electronic fuel pump and no EFI). That tranny (C6) got to the point where if I took a hard enough turn to the right (only noticed it when going right, may have happened on left turns also, I cant remember it was about 3 years ago) I would loose forward momentum. I did not know if it was the carb or the tranny but after rebuilding the carb I had the same situation. I never had the tranny slip on me when taking off or driving just the loss of momentum on a turn. I have sence had the tranny rebuilt but it is sitting in my garage waiting to be installed into the truck.
Yea it could be, today after hitting road to get food and necessity because of the hurricane, I was driving the Foci and about an hour of the car running it began to act up. When ready to shift like the engine stutters to make the tranny shift mostly around the 3's rpm. I have to let the pedal go so it could properly shift, if like pumping with the pedal. I make the appointment, but that's until next Wednesday, the dealer didn't want to check vehicles either because of the storm.
damn SS, youre imagining persecution again! I agree 100% with what you say. Always try the cheap fix first. 86 the pump and if its still fucked, get a new tranny. Personally Id get a manual. The ford auto trans is the biggest hunk of shit ever made. They have been crap since the early ninetys and probablly before. My friend's Probe just got auto trans number 3!
Yea I'm getting to the pump Wednesday. If more problems presists then I'll have to go further. But it not only can be the tranny, it could the torque converter. Can it be because the car needs an alingnment?
I dont see how your torque converter could be bad. It operates on pure physics. Its spins fluid around untill it reaches a stall speed with the input shaft.
Mr. Versatile wrote: Thank God it was the fuel pump. Last time I checked, they were just a tiny bit less expensive than a new tranny.
Yea it is, especially since it was free. It seem more like a transaxle thing because the problem was in shifting, but still now I need a tranny flush and it'll be good.
FocusOnBlue wrote: Yea it is, especially since it was free. It seem more like a transaxle thing because the problem was in shifting, but still now I need a tranny flush and it'll be good.
Thanks for all help.
I think it would be fair to say you wouldnt be the first that was led to think it was the tranny, it certainly had me thinking the same thing for a while until I finally tried manual shifting and all was well there. At that point I was not 100% certain, but almost, it wasnt the tranny and then thats when I ran across a few others that had the same issue that resulted in them getting the fuel pump replaced.
As for the tranny flush, you might want to look into flushing it with some Amsoil synthetic tranny fluid. You wont have to worry about it for quite some time once you do. Rick, Chelly are Amsoil dealers, maybe you can hook up with them and get some info and pricing. Trust me, its well worth the price.
____________________ My car is a synner! It uses Amsoil Synthetic Lubricants.
2001 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP
It whines a lot, but I like it
SyntheticShield wrote: FocusOnBlue wrote: Yea it is, especially since it was free. It seem more like a transaxle thing because the problem was in shifting, but still now I need a tranny flush and it'll be good.
Thanks for all help.
Rick, Chelly are Amsoil dealers, maybe you can hook up with them and get some info and pricing. Trust me, its well worth the price.
Hold on a sec - so are you Dan
____________________ Get in, Sit down, Shut up and HANG ON!
I agree 100% with what you say. Always try the cheap fix first. 86 the pump and if its still fucked, get a new tranny. Personally Id get a manual. The ford auto trans is the biggest hunk of shit ever made. They have been crap since the early ninetys and probablly before. My friend's Probe just got auto trans number 3! 
