I've been having shifting problems with the automatic tranny in the >> 4-cyl. '93 Mustang I bought last fall. It would not go into>> drive right away when the car was first started especially when the >> outside temp was cool. Once the car ran a short while it would>> go into gear and be usually would be fine after that, however it's a >> little dangerous to back out the driveway or pull out into an>> intersection and have to sit there blocking traffic until the tranny >> decides to behave. Anyway did some research on the net and>> found out the tranny "modulator" was likely the source of the problem. If >> you pull the vacuum hose off the modulator and fluid pores>> out the modulator diaphragm is bad and the modulator needs to be >> replaced. I check it and indeed the modulator was bad, so I changed>> it out yesterday morning. Started the car, backed out of the driveway, >> put it in drive and still no tranny motion. Decided to take>> it for a test drive, let everything warm up and check the fluid level. >> Drove about five miles to a nearby park & ride lot got out>> and checked the fluid with the engine running. The dipstick showed that >> the fluid level was way overfilled, I rechecked it five more>> times just to make sure. I know I had added some fluid in the fall and >> had overfilled it but didn't realize how much. I drove home>> in a panic, how could I pull out some of the fluid without having to drop >> the transmission pan and have to replace the gasket, etc.>> Got home, pulled the dipstick again and figured that if I got a small >> plastic tube I could draw off some fluid with a suction tool.>> Anyway I was just about to head to the hardware store to pick up some >> tubing when I decided to take one more check under the hood.>> No sooner did I open the engine compartment then I realized the problem, >> instead of pulling out the tranny dipstick I had pulled out>> the engine oil dip stick. Well, as you can imaging with the engine >> running the oil had splashed all over the dipstick and thus the>> very high reading. My first though, what a dumb sH#@! I've been working >> on cars (backyard mechanic) for far too many years to not>> know the difference between the engine oil and tranny dipstick. Is this >> what old age does to us? Anyway once I checked the tranny>> dipstick I found the tranny fluid was down about a quart (with the >> modulator diaphragm gone, the vacuum pulls the fluid out and into>> the engine where it is burnt up), filled it up to correct level and >> checked it this morning (cold start) and everything seems to be>> working fine, with the possible exception of my pride.