Manual Tramsmisstion shudder / fill & drain access?

[adipose]

My wifes '04 Ford Escape / 2.0 liter / 2WD is experiencing shuddering in 1st gear take-off.
I need to change the transmission fluid first it looks like based on forum feedback. It's overdue to be honest.

How to access drain and fill ports?
Do you need to remove a pan cover of some sort?
My Chilton's manual is not very helpful at this point.

Thanks,
Adipose

[YoGeorge]

Originally Posted by adipose

My wifes '04 Ford Escape / 2.0 liter / 2WD is experiencing shuddering in 1st gear take-off.
I need to change the transmission fluid first it looks like based on forum feedback. It's overdue to be honest.

How to access drain and fill ports?
Do you need to remove a pan cover of some sort?
My Chilton's manual is not very helpful at this point.

Thanks,
Adipose

That would be the clutch. (The shuddering in an auto trans is usually caused by the lockup clutch in the torque converter chattering.)

A clutch will shudder if it's gotten oil on the clutch disk (any rear main bearing leaks?..or maybe the trans input shaft seal is leaking?), or if it has gotten glazed from a lot of clutch slipping, etc.

Does it shudder at all times, or is it worse when it gets hot (like in stop and go traffic?)

How many miles on the Escape? Might be time for a new clutch, or a revision in driving techniques (practice slipping the clutch less).

Not sure where the drain and fill plugs are on the tranny on an Escape, but the fill plug is usually just in the side of the case, and you run fluid in thru a hose till it runs out of the hole (which determines the right level).

George

[adipose]

Vehicle has 140,000 miles (85% freeway miles). It experiences the shudder typically when the car is cold. But acts u randomly from there out also.
The wife if known to crank up the engine RPM's before take off in 1st. Probably leading to the problem.
Better a clutch issue than the transmission challenge is my motto!

[marty600]

It would seem as if this is a common problem, our '01 2.0 manual trans escape
has done the same thing for about 20,000 miles. It is the clutch/flywheel, and it is a design problem, sorry to say. There are some people who had the shop change the clutch ONLY, and the prob. is still there! As ours has the ztec motor, i looked around the web to see if a focus flywheel would fit, no luck..the output shaft is a different size. What is need is a better designed flywheel, machining yours will not solve issue,
at least this is what I could find out about 1 1/2 years ago...maybe the fix is in, nowadays.
Side note: When the shudder is unbearable in heavy traffic, you can usually "fix" it
by slipping the clutch and getting it really hot, like you wife is doing unintentionally.
Of course, it comes back the next day. Strangely, we can go for weeks on end with no shudder, and then all of a sudden it is back with a vengance!

[tcesni]

With 140,000 miles it would be a surprise if it didn't need a clutch replacement. They are a wear item.

[adipose]

UPDATE:
My mechanic shop concluded last week it is indeed the clutch causing the shuddering. Needs replacement. Will keep driving it for now til it gets worse. Just not quite at hte point of needing to be replaced quite yet.
Adipose