[ignernt]

Here's the dealio...

A couple weeks ago OrangeCat drove my car and complained about the clutch feeling weird. Of course i didn't think anything of it because i've never had to have a clutch replaced.

So here i am today... busted cellphone to take back and 75 degrees so i figure i'll take the Cougar out of the garage. I get out of my neighborhood and go down the road toward a stop light and i'm about to downshift from 4th to 2nd and for some reason it just won't go into the gate... like how reverse is locked out when you're going forward. When i got to a complete stop it went right into first. So about 2-3 miles down the road i come to another stop light, and put it into neutral. When it turned green and i pressed the clutch and put it into first the car stalled. i got it to restart, but then couldn't get it back into gear. So i ended up pushing my Cougar across the opposing travel lanes and into a vacant lot. When i started trying to figure out the problem i noticed that i could put the car in gear only with the car off, but once i started it and tried shifting gears with the car running it would drop out of gear but wouldn't engage another. Realizing that there's no way i could get the car towed without about ripping off my front bumper and valences i figured i'd try to get it home. Put it into second and got it home. Had one hell of a time at the stop signs, but luckily there wasn't much traffic.

So in the driveway i noticed that there's a rumbling sound coming from under the hood. After a while it will allow me to go into all the gears with the car running, but it still has the noise.

Luckily i'm still under powertrain warranty until 75000 miles... but what's the problem? Any ideas? Is it the clutch or is the whole tranny just plain jacked? Let me know... i'm raising up the ground control later so i can get it towed over to the dealer.

 

[tropiccougar01]

I had a very similar problem at 32,500 miles. Took it in and had my tranny replaced under warranty. Then again at 33,750 miles, had the same problem, and had my tranny replaced again. They arouns 37,000 I had the shifter cables pop and had to pay for that from Ford. Well, I am on the third tranny right now and it feels good. I came to find out that my local Ford's transmission guy was a newbie and had never installed a tranny on a Cougar. I had to ***** at the guy and tell him that its the same tranny in the Contour, and he finally got it. Anyways, sounds very similar to what I had, so try and get them to replace the entire tranny. Of course, they are going to make you pay for the clutch, so you might as well have them put in a SVT clutch or order a aftermarket one.

 

[Zalec]

Im gonna say the clutch.

 

[dv6cougar]

like i said on aim - best bet is that your syncro's are messed up which in turn messed up your clutch... so both syncro and clutch is my Neco knowledgeable thougth.

 

[Rikenbomb]

Have they synchros looks at. For all you know they could have just popped out or something. :shrug: lift the shift boot up and make sure everything is connected there. Next step would be to make sure it's connected at the tranny. I doubt your clutch is going cause you would know.

Sounds like a synchro prob to me.

Luckily I haven't had that prob for the almost 5 years I have had my car. Best of luck dude.

Henry

 

[gamiller]

sucks, dude. replace that tranny under warranty! then consider upgrading its internals...

 

[CougarGT]

Try bleeding the clutch.
It sounds like there is air in the system, and it is not completely releasing.

 

[PuckPuck]

doesn't sound like clutch... clutch going would be slipping, and you would still get gears... sounds like syncros to me

you can actually shift without a clutch... clutch is only to help the transmission from blowing to **** when you shift hard