I've just bought a secondhand 2002 Transit 350L, Engine D2FA, 2.4 DuraTorq Diesel, 238,000 km on the clock. The previous owner assured me he never had any problems with the gearbox, yet I'm just finding out he may have been covering up..
The van drives very nicely and shifts gears smoothly, except occasionally when taking off. I believe it is dropping the clutch too quickly, usually even before the revs go up, which then causes the van to stall. Most awkward in city traffic!
I found a way to prevent it from stalling though. When stopped at the lights, I put it in neutral, and when just about to go I rev it up (while still in neutral) and then quickly press the D button to put it into gear/auto. I've never had it stall on me using this procedure, but it is very awkward. Sometimes I can still hear and feel the clutch being dropped a bit roughly but because the engine is already revving up enough it does not stall, it just gives a little knock or jerk. I've never noticed the same rough gearbox changes at any other speeds and gear changes, only when taking off.
Does anyone recognize these symptoms and is able to point me in the right direction?
Thank you.
PS : I'm not a mechanic by trade, but I have always been able to service and fix my own vehicles, including swapping an EPIC fuel injection pump for a Bosh mechanical pump (best thing I ever did to my previous Transit!!).