Transmission struggles to engage

2003 FORD ESCAPE
197,000 MILES • 3.0L • V6 • 4WD • AUTOMATIC
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FORDGUYF250
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  • 1 POST
When I put the transmission in drive or reverse it won’t engage until I tap the gas then after that it drives fine. even taking off from stop signs no slipping or codes showing up. But you have to give it a little gas or it won’t engage. thank you for any help.
May 20, 2019 at 6:39 PM
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KASEKENNY
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  • 18,907 POSTS
Hi FordguyF250,

Sounds like you have a pump issue. When the pressure is low it will not engage. You giving it a little gas, will raise the pressure and that will force the engagement.

However, I would expect it to slip but it is not. So let's start with monitoring the line pressure and go from there. If this checks out then most likely you have an accumulator or solenoid sticking.

Let me know what the pressure is and we can go from there. Thanks
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May 21, 2019 at 5:44 PM