5-speed 97 escort wagon... on the dash, there will be an orange arrow light that pops up in between shifting gears. the arrow points up/forward. what does it want? does it want me to shift into a higher gear? lower gear? i just started driving this car last night, and haven't driven a stick in ten years. the arrow is freaking me out. i'm used to shifting 'by ear', you know?

run the fault but all you describe is operated from the VSS sensor ( vehicle speed sensor)
it tells the cruise control the vehicle speed , tells the TCM the vehicle speed so that ratios can be changed, activates the speedo,and will report with a check engine light to report a transmission problem
run the fault codes first

Depending on what gearing setup the car was originally put on, most cars that I have owned that were automatic shifted between 3000 and 4000 RPM. My 97 Ford Escort ZX2 needed to shift around 2000 RPm from 1st into 2nd, but it was a manula which allows you to feel the point of shift alot better. maybe have your onboard computer checked and tranny serviced.

starter will be on the gear housing,sounds like a damaged ring gear or starter gear

their is a forlk conected to the pedal that when you push the clutch the forlk pulls back and allows you to shift between the gears. when the car is off the forlk is in a nutral state but inguages when the engine starts

My brothers 2000 ford ranger the fuse went out to the speed sensor. I change the speed sensor because it did not shift out of 1st gear and the speedometer stopped working. I then found out the fuse was missing in the fuse panel. My brother could not tell where the fuse went but when I put a fuse in it started shifting and the speedometer started working. everything was good. You should have a code if it is the speed sensor.

you can locate and fix the problem with the help of repair manual it will also help you to repair the fault your self to get the manual go to the given link from where you will get the manual very easily http://toolsnyou.com/

Yes, many. The automatic transmission shifts through gears relatively similar to an manual transmission, except it does the work for you. Kind of like one of the auto shift 10 speed bicycles shifts as you reach the maximum speed for the gear it's in. As opposed to a regular 10 speed bicycle that has to be shifted manually with the lever.

im assuming this is a five speed manual transmission. In this case,YES this is a shift light, this light is supposed to appear when you should shift the car,its supposed to help with gas mileage,and engine performance when you shift at the indicated point.Does it really make that much of a difference? NO. You usually can tell just by listening to your motor, to know the proper time to shift. I had one of these too! More annoying than anything! Dale

You don't say whether it is a manual or Automatic trans ( they both have an electric overdrive). Assuming it is an Auto trans the problem is most likely the Orange colored OD relay to the left and behind the Glove box. Or the push switch on the gear selector may have an open circuit but less likely.

It sounds like your clutch is slipping. Does it do it more when the wagon is loaded or going uphill?
Most likely needs a new clutch.