Sorry about the length of this, my first time post. I believe the more information provided, the better the chances of getting a proper diagnosis.
I have a 2016 Escape SE 2.5L with 70K miles. Prior to the following events this SUV has functioned flawlessly. A couple days ago My wife was driving her father to a Doctor's appt. and it began to act up. Her description of the failure was vague and unnecessarily complex. I went to Louisville and picked her and Dad up, took them to his appointment and had the car towed home, complements of AAA. Later that day my wife and I took it for a test drive around the neighborhood. At first it functioned normally, accelerating from first thru second gear. Then it began to act as if the transmission was slipping. I would push the accelerator pedal down to the floor and nothing happened, we just coasted to a near stop. Then it would jerk violently into gear, thrust us forward a few 100 feet then begin the slip cycle over again. When it was "slipping", with the accelerator pedal to the floor the engine would not rev up, the tach would not climb and we would not move. I tried putting the car into manual shift mode and it would just repeat the same action. Again, accelerate violently, jerking forward with very little input on the pedal, then coast, despite the pedal being on the floor, till the forward speed was near zero, then repeat. My wife said no check engine light came on when she was driving, but the instruments were "wacky". On our test drive everything was normal, at first. When the first malfunction cycle began, the odometer/information screen went blank. The tach would not respond and the speedo dropped to and stayed at zero. At first there were no warning lights and nothing in the information window. After going thru several "cycles", necessary just to get us back to the house, a ! symbol appeared in the information window along with a "Transmission Malfunction" alert. That was it. So here's my take-a-way from all this: Despite the pedal being pushed to the floor the tach stayed low and the engine would not rev. Throttle position input was not reaching the ECM and/or TCM. But what is causing the sudden and inexplicable transmission issue? We have in the past had issues with rodents making nests in vehicles, chewing thru wiring. Could that be the cause of all this? And if so, where should I begin to look for the damage? Or, is this a common failure seen by others with a well known, often expensive fix. As for the "Transmission Failure" warning, I have a pretty basic code reader, $200. from Auto-Zone. I've yet to check for a code, I've had to work these past few days. Not even sure my reader would read a transmission code. I'll check it tomorrow morning before heading to work. Will update the post with my findings... Any ideas???

 

Could you please provide some maintenance history for your vehicle, say the last 6 months?

 

Sorry about the delay answering, it's been a bit crazy at my H.D. getting ready for the annual inventory.
As for the Escape, I just learned this a few days ago. About 18-24 months ago, when he was still living alone, my father-in-law did in fact have a rodent problem. He said the issue was with the instrument cluster alone, no transmission issues. He said the information window went blank, tachometer and speedometer stopped working, APS and anti-skid lights came on, etc. He said he took the car to his local mom and pop garage, where he's gone for years. He did not remember what repairs were done but my wife found the recept. It said: Left front wiring harness replaced. $289.76. Because of work I've yet to get the car in the air. All I have is a floor jack and some stands. I've no idea what I'll find once under there. As for the scan tool: Codes were 1. Gear ratio 1 incorrect. 2. Gear ratio 2 incorrect. And 3. Gear ratio 3 incorrect. Also: throttle input incorrect. Sorry I don't remember the code numbers, I'm not at home right now or I'd look. Doesn't really matter I guess as the codes match what I detailed in my initial post. I'm leaning towards a wiring harness issue, though the issues are more complex than they were for Dad. He bought the car with 16K on the odometer, had all his services done at the same garage and this, with the exception of the previous wiring repair is the first main issue this car/SUV has had. I'm off Thursday and plan on getting it in the air in the A.M. I'll tell you all what I find. Do you all have any ideas?

 

I believe your vehicle has Electronic throttle control. There may be a problem with that system and you might consider having that section looked at.

 

I'd like to begin this update with the following statement. I'm an idiot. It is not a 2.5 L, it is a 1.6 L EcoBoost. I cannot believe I made such a fundamental, rookie mistake. I trusted the scan tool and not my own eyes. My scan tool, being an older, cheap POS will not allow me to go beyond a 2014. I cannot explain why it self-identified this vehicle as a 2014 2.5 L, but it is incorrect. It is in fact a 2016 1.6 L EcoBoost. But even my cheap POS scan tool does have the ability to look at some live data. In live data mode, I was able to bring up throttle position sensor data. While in park, pushing the throttle pedal down resulted in a change of the live data PID. So is it safe to assume the throttle position sensor is working? I am assuming so, and yet the engine RPM did not change and the tach did not move. Similar situation in both forward and reverse. With the front wheels elevated and spinning, PID data changed, speedo and tach did not, and the transmission sounds like it's flying apart under the hood. I do not understand how this vehicle, in the span of one afternoon went from running like a new car, to not even pulling itself down the road. I am perplexed. I have a fundamentally basic understanding of Automotive mechanics, but I'm the first to admit automatic transmissions are not my forte. I still believe this is a communication issue of some kind between inputs and outputs, given the way it initially behaved. But a thorough visual inspection revealed nothing out of the ordinary, at least that I could see. All harnesses, all connectors seem tight. I do not have the money to take this truck somewhere, and frankly I only trust dealerships. I could really use some help...

 

You are trying to determine a cause for a particular problem with one hand tied behind your back.
First you need the information, without which you are driving blind. . This info is only obtained by subscription to manufacturers website. Then you need a quality scan tool that costs more than most folks are willing to spend.. Today's vehicles require a lot more from a "Mechanic" than earlier vehicles.That is why I usually recommend having a dealership check the vehicle , they have what is needed to get to the "Root cause". A good shop with the needed info, and ability is hard to find.

 

Since our last correspondence, I've purchased and downloaded the entire Ford Service Manual for this truck. All 9,912 pages. Of course it is digital, and designed to work in conjunction with the OASIS, Ford Factory Scan Tool which I do not own. my copy, for $22.00 is a PDF.doc which is NOT interactive. After HOURS of scanning thru the pages, this is the list of troubleshooting recommended, in the order that I will perform, after clearing all current DTC's. 1. Jack up and level the truck. 2. Confirm transmission fluid is full and at temp. 3. Lower truck and test drive a short distance till DTC's are set. If it is the same 3 DTC's: PO731, PO732 and PO733, as per the service manual I'm to focus on the Forward Clutch Assembly controls; Electrical, Hydraulic and Mechanical. A list of diagnostic methods are detailed in the manual. If everything checks out, then the fault is the Clutch Assembly itself, at which point the transmission will need to be rebuilt. This is where I'm at. I will begin tomorrow, wish me luck.

 

After you get done checking all the things you want to check,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,what if you checked how the info is supposed to get to the trans module and the PCM?

Something that might be common to all the 3 codes might be to check the connections at all the trans plugs/wiring for corroded connections. Could be something as simple as some "Green stuff" around the pins of a plug connection.
As you know the first steps of a good diagnostic check is a visual check. Sometimes it can be obvious and easy to spot and save a lot of trouble looking for a problem.
If you do find a corroded connection, contact cleaner is preferred , but sometimes a good penetrating oil spray thoroughly cleaned will suffice.

 

As I said in an earlier post, all transmission electrical connectors "seem" to be well seated. Most are somewhat difficult to get too, but not impossible. The main transmission connector attaches very near the vertically mounted valve body/cover, just above a coolant hose. To get to it I'll have to drain and disconnect said hose. This is on the list of troubleshooting possibilities listed in the service manual. One of the Electrical ones... Thank you for your support and encouragement. Ill' keep you advised on my progress.

 

The transmission connector is access from underneath the vehicle. Thats really all I have thats helpful.