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Question: 1998 Mercury Mountaineer  mileage: 98,000. This SUV is all-wheel-drive.... Transmission problem: Shifts fine through all gears, except between 45-55 MPH overdrive downshifting under acceleration or steady throttle (when climbing a moderate grade) shifting shudders. Dealer's service said they changed trans fluid and cleaned filter, but only with modest improvement as a result. I'm still under a used dealer warrantee so far, and I wondered if you could give me some insight to what might be wrong with this.

Answer: It sounds like the torque converter in the transmission is causing your shuttering and will need to be replaced.

Question:  1998 Mercury Mountaineer mileage: 102,000.  We took my car in for an oil change, and afterwards it wouldn't start (unfortunately, our local neighborhood dealership didn't have an opening for twelve days, so we had to take the car to a quick lube and oil place - Valvoline) We had to have it towed to a local Ford dealership, and the mechanics there said the wrong oil was put in the car, and now the motor is destroyed.  What is our recourse?  Is the quick lube shop responsible for the cost of a new motor? 

Answer:  The type of oil (Valvoline is a good oil) would not have caused your problem as you described it.  We can only guess at what might have happened.  If the lube place forgot to put oil in your car and started it up, it would have seized the engine.  When it was realized that a mistake was made oil was probably added after the engine seized.  Have the Ford dealer check to see if there is any oil in the oil filter.  If the lube place replaced the filter as normally is done during an oil change, and they forgot to refill with oil before they started the engine, there will be no oil in the filter.

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