1997 Ford Taurus car doesn't shift properly

1997 FORD TAURUS
190,000 MILES • 3.0L • 6 CYL • FWD • AUTOMATIC
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DANDIVIS85
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
I have a 97 Taurus and when you first start driving, instead of shifting from first to second gear it slips to neutral and just revs. Once the car warms up to operating temp it shifts fine. The only way to make the cold car shift to second is to rev it to around 4+ rpms. Any ideas?
Aug 17, 2014 at 3:27 AM
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FREEMBA
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 1,152 POSTS
Did you check the transmission fluid? If so, what color is it? It should be red. Let me know.
Sometimes when the fluid is contaminated it will become a little thicker when cold and the pump can't supply enough of it to make the transmission shift correctly. However, if the fluid is contaminated it would likely mean the beginning of the end of your transmission.
Aug 17, 2014 at 4:07 AM
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