Q: The transmission keeps dropping out of overdrive.

asked by on January 14, 2017

Hi, my 2002 ford escape has a V6 ,automatic transmission, My transmission keeps dropping out of overdrive continuely ,but seems when its warmed up it still does it but not as often , it shifts perfectly in all gears ,but when you get to 55 or higher it continually drops out of overdrive, and shifts back in overdrive, back and forth all the time driving down the road, ,Is there a sensor or a vacumn hose of something that might be bad or need replaced on it to correct this problem? i dont think its the transmission going out because it shifts perfectly in all the gears, it does have high miles but runs great ,it has a little over 200k on it its all wheel drive ,4 wheel drive Suv. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated , thank you

My car has 200010 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Hi there. If the transmission is coming out of overdrive and back into overdrive, either the downshift solenoid has an internal leak or there is an internal issue with the transmission overdrive clutch. Check the downshift solenoid and see if it’s functioning. To do this, slow down the vehicle and see if the rpm’s slightly raise up as the vehicle descends to a stop. If the rpm’s are not raising up as the vehicle is slowing down, then I recommend replacing the downshift solenoid. If the rpm’s raise up, then there is an internal part failure in the transmission. I recommend seeking out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you diagnose your transmission.

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