Before anyone suggests anything, I've already done several drain/fills and tried LGR. That being said:
My Focus is still having that shift slip from 2nd to 3rd gear every morning (only on the first shift). I can't know for absolute sure, but all the signs are pointing to a failing solenoid. So, I can get a complete solenoid kit, 6 in total, remanufactured for $160 shipped. I think I only need the one solenoid, but if I'm going to bother taking the pan off, etc., why not get them all. $160 isn't that much for some good PM on something as expensive and complex as an automatic transmission. I'd replace the pan gasket and trans filter while I'm in there too. My only concern is that it's not the solenoids going wrong but something else. Evidently there's also some actuating rod that can somehow become disconnected/sheared, causing slips, but mine only has the issue right after I start the car, then everything is fine.
I figure that if the issue lied in the valve body or clutch pack, the slipping would always exist. A solenoid has o-ring seals, which could potentially leak after shutdown, causing the first actuation (or shift) to slip until sufficient pressure builds within the solenoid. This is all of course, just an educated guess, but I think I'm on to something here.
My Focus is still having that shift slip from 2nd to 3rd gear every morning (only on the first shift). I can't know for absolute sure, but all the signs are pointing to a failing solenoid. So, I can get a complete solenoid kit, 6 in total, remanufactured for $160 shipped. I think I only need the one solenoid, but if I'm going to bother taking the pan off, etc., why not get them all. $160 isn't that much for some good PM on something as expensive and complex as an automatic transmission. I'd replace the pan gasket and trans filter while I'm in there too. My only concern is that it's not the solenoids going wrong but something else. Evidently there's also some actuating rod that can somehow become disconnected/sheared, causing slips, but mine only has the issue right after I start the car, then everything is fine.
I figure that if the issue lied in the valve body or clutch pack, the slipping would always exist. A solenoid has o-ring seals, which could potentially leak after shutdown, causing the first actuation (or shift) to slip until sufficient pressure builds within the solenoid. This is all of course, just an educated guess, but I think I'm on to something here.
