We replaced a starter in our 1999 ford contour this evening. When we went to drive it, I noticed that the transmission is jerking everytime it shifts. I am not sure where to look, but could this just be a loose wire of somekind?

Also the speedometer isnt working. How do I find out where the wires are to that.

Also while we were trying to find out what the problem was before we figured out it was the starter, someone had pulled off something called a netural "lockout" switch to see if that was the problem. Could messing with that have caused it to go bad, or maybe it got a loose wire?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks, JR

Julie,

Ford used the 4EAT automatic transmission in the Contour, and this transmission is electronically controlled. The ECU monitors the input from the vehicle speed sensor (VSS) and controls the shift solenoids from that information. If the ECU doesn't receive any input from the VSS, the transmission will shift, but it will be jerky. Don't drive the vehicle like this for an extended period of time because the transmission can be damaged. Since you said the the speedometer doesn't work after replacing the starter, my gues is that the plug was knocked loose from the VSS. The VSS is located by the mount on the driver's side of the transmission and sticks upward from the transmission. There should be a plug with two wires connected to it that connects to the VSS. I've dealt with this Probe with my Probe GT that uses the same transmission, and the cause was the the plug was loose. Hope this helps.


Jim