O/D Flashing and codes

Short of the gas can solution — and I know you hate to hear this — but I would consider installing a rebuilt transmission. There are so many things going on in your transmission that I don’t know where to begin, so I’ll start with a biggie: the heater warning.

I’m not sure if you know this — you probably do and I’m repeating myself — but the transmission generates massive amounts of heat. It is just as bad as the engine. Now, here’s the thing about the tranny, unless you have a separate transmission cooler installed — they make them — then your transmission and engine are sharing the same cooling system.

Most of the time this is just dandy for both as there is enough capacity for proper heat extraction from the engine and transmission. And, if things are getting too toasty under the hood, the fan comes on electronically.

For the tranny heat to get into the engine heating/cooling system, there is a separate set of heating/cooling hoses that take care of the transmission’s business. In the usual order of all automotive things, those hoses wear just like the ones on the engine. The only problem with this is that most people don’t think about these hoses and their hardware. They can become mushy or brittle and can collapse on the inside, though they look okay on the outside. And, they can wear at the clamps that keep them attached — a common point of failure.

Are you still with me? Here’s the importance of the transmission hoses, if the transmission can’t shed heat properly, the heat has to go somewhere, and it goes, of course, into the transmission itself. Since the tranny isn’t set up to handle to extra heat, components can fail. Things like the shaft bushings can become soft and deform. And, there is a host of internal bushings that can also deform, causing damage to the delicate parts of the transmission (clutches, bands, gearing which can be thrown out of proper orbital alignment and the like). That’s why your Lincoln’s warning lights are screaming at you.

And, from what I have read in your question, things have gone a long way, the wrong way. And, I realize the $3,400 to $4,000 (depending on your location) is a huge hit on a limited budget (I know, we live on one ourselves) but if you plan on keeping the Lincoln, you will have to bite the bullet and do the fix.

Honestly, if you try to piecemeal the repairs by doing the solenoids and then maybe the clutches and bands and then maybe the torque converter, you will find the cost is far more than just investing in the rebuilt. It does seem cheaper if you do them one at a time but trust me by the time you have finished — and who knows if they will work because there’s always something that’s missed in a piecemeal repair — you will have spent a lot more than the transmission costs.

As for the Lincoln, I wouldn’t take the gas can approach. Who knows, you probably need the transportation and if you own it to the ground, then putting in a new tranny and getting a few more years, is worth it!