i have a ford taurus sedan and for the past couple of weeks, every morning, i can't put the car in gear unless i let it warm up for at least 20 minutes. if i try to do it before, i can shift it into drive but the car won't move and when i step on the gas, it makes a loud screeching noise.
after this initial "warm up" the car runs fine the rest of the day, but i have to repeat the process the next morning.
fyi, the temps here in ny has been below freezing overnight. any ideas? thanks.
It sounds like the trans seals are just old and hardened needing to be warmed a bit to seal. The likely fix is probably an overhaul. I would accommodate it with a warmup as you have been. A fluid change may help - but, if it is a failed seal, a fluid change may also finish it off in which case it was really needing an overhaul in the first place. This is a judgment call depending on how you like to play the table.
Good luck
Lugnut
Before spending money on an overhaul a can of Transmission Conditioner and a can of "motor honey" type stuff is called for. The first will soften the seals and the second will bump the viscosity of the fluid up a bit and that will also help it build pressure with leaking seals. Neither will hurt the transmission so there is no downside to trying them.
IIWM, I may spend 5 bucks the same way. The description as I understood it suggest this is more than just a lazy trans. An additive like TransX may help. I have never been lucky with these additives more than a few miles. In any case, it will need some nurturing to get along with it until it is overhauled.
Lugnut
This additive (below) has received some favorable reports on this group.
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