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I have a 1993 Mercury Topaz--won't shift out of 1st gear but will downshift from drive to 2nd to 1st. It is an automatic---what could possible be the problem??I have a 1993 Mercury Topaz--won't shift out of 1st gear but will downshift from drive to 2nd to 1st. It is an automatic---what could possible be the problem??
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check the condition of the teeth on the ring gear of the engine. They can become burred and cause improper engagement of the starter pinion. Check the adjustment of the pinion action.
Sounds like you are having a problem with the starting motor. When activated, it throws out a gear to engage with the flywheel on the end of the engine. If there is not enough energy to fully engage the gear, or the gear does not engage properly due to misalignment, you may hear a grinding noise. Have the starting motor serviced or replaced.
This may be an issue with the solenoid of the transmission. The one that controls the flow of fluid for each gear. Other than that if there is dirt or debris in the oil, there may be some in the gear valve which may cause the gears not to engage.
1) Ringgear/pinion gear worn, causing them to remain meshed 2) Starter axle shaft worn causing pinion to not retract 3) Electrical fault causing soledoid to remain engaged
First, disconnect main lead on rear of starter (large wire from battery to starter) and try the key, using the test lamp to confirm that the signal wire (small) is only live when the key is in the start position (when key springs back to on, it should go dead) If so, then problem 3 can be ruled out
Remove the starter motor from the engine and inspect the starter pinion gear, check for wear on the pinion gear, if it has scalloped enough to catch and not be able to retract, check ringgear on flywheel.
Inspect pinion axle shaft, depending on starter motor design, it may have multiple axles, the main place to check is where the pinion slides up to engage the ringgear, bad wear on that shaft can cause the pinion to become stuck engaged.
Last test is to fire up the starter out of the car, and see if the pinion fails to retract after the solenoid feed is stopped.
Usually I find one of three problems that cause a manual transmission to be stuck in a single gear. If the gear oil level is low then the shift forks and rails can get dry and bind enough that the rail sticks and won't move. The same low fluid problem can cause the sliding gear to become stuck hard enough on the splined shaft it slides on that it won't move or the shift interlock parts between the shift rails [which prevent two gears from being engaged at once] can break or bind which will also prevent the shift lever from moving. The shift lever and tower [the part the lever is fastened to on top of the transmission] may have to be removed to see if the problem can be fixed from the top or if the problem is internal and the transmission has to be taken apart and repaired. There are other problems that cans cause this such as bad internal bearings, broken or worn shift forks but they are fairly rare if the oil level is maintained and changed occasionally.
The whining noise you are hearing is the pump starving for oil, due to a clogged filter. If you drove the car as you sadi for a week, with nothing but third, and it quit moving, you have severly damaged the transmission, and will be looking at either an overhaul, or replacing it.
Sometimes the motors on these electric shift transfer cases can become seized. You could try shifting it back and forth a bunch to see if it will free up, however you do run the risk of burning the motor out if it's getting stuck between gears. You could also take it off and try to clean it, sometimes that helps. Unfortunately a lot of the time it requires a new motor, which is not cheap. I make sure to use my shift buttons at least once a week to keep it moving freely.
sometimes it is necessary to put in reverse and then forward after settting 4 wheel. That ensures all pressure on any gears is removed. The older the vehicle the more the gears need help to align and engage. Good luck-Ned
I would drop the trans pan and change fluid & filter. If you find an extreme amount of debris in pan, filter may have become partially plugged, which can lower internal pressure. Only problem is that if there is enough debris to plug up filter, it indicates wear inside unit, which a fluid change will not correct (no chemical will) But, if problem becomes somewhat better after oil change, an additive such as Lucas conditioner may prolong useful life somewhat.Otherwise, have unit rebuilt. good luck
I have a 1993 Mercury Topaz--won't shift out of 1st gear but will downshift from drive to 2nd to 1st. It is an automatic---what could possible be the problem??
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