I have a 2004 S-Type with 34,000 miles on it. It seems like whenever I start to go up a hill it tends to have a sight surge to it (slight lurching forward and backward). Is this a common issue or is there something I am missing and an issue that needs to be fixed?

- Russell

 

Unfortunately it's a very common problem and there's a 95% chance that it's your converter going bad.. It will get worse and worse until one day the car won't move.. My recommendation is that if you don't already have a warranty go buy one now because they all have a 15-45 day starting period where you can't file a claim... Eric

 

Also: Mines been like this for just under 6 months and hasn't really gotten any worse, but my warranty covers the entire tranny including the converter, so I'm just waiting till it goes..

 

So this defect involves both the ZF 5-speed and the ZF 6-speed transmissions and is a common problem? I thought these ZF transmissions were virtually bulletproof and a major upgrade from the old Ford transmissions in the early S-Types. What happened? Are the torque converters too flimsy to handle the weight of the vehicle? Do they gum up with debris? So much for the $60-per-litre Shell ATF mineral oil being the magic lubricant that solves all the transmission issues....

 

Luckily when I bought the car a year ago I got a really good after market warranty on it that should cover this. Would you suggest taking it to the dealer or to a local shop?

 

Unless your warranty has a cap on labor rates, I would go straight to the dealership.. I'm guessing it'll be between $900 & 1500, I think just the transmission fluid alone runs just short of $500...

 

The transmission in our 2000 4.0 SType failed around 60k. I don't recall the surge going uphill leading up to the problem. So maybe the new transmission's have a different point of failure? I certainly haven't read about many people with newer models having failed transmissions but maybe the miles aren't enough to know yet.

What I do remember however was a smell whenever we would drive up a steep hill. I always suspected something in the transmission. Eventually it did what STR says....just decided it wasn't going to leave our driveway.