Ford Territory Pricing and Specs

Any time you have oil mixing with coolant, you have a pretty major problem on your hands. In the case of your Territory, it could be that the head gasket has failed, allowing the two fluids to mix, creating the milky murk known in the trade as a 'milkshake'. It’s a bit unlikely but it could be even more serious and your engine may be suffering from a cracked cylinder head or a split cylinder liner. A blown head gasket is a lot more likely, though.

But just as probable is a problem that occurs pretty frequently with this make and model. The Territory’s transmission is cooled via a heat-exchanger that is cooled by the engine’s coolant. If the plumbing on this cooler fails (usually because of friction due to junk inside the tubing) then the engine coolant and transmission fluid can mix and also form a milkshake which you’ll see in the radiator or coolant catch-tank.

Unfortunately, if this is the case, the transmission’s computer and its hardware may also be damaged beyond repair by the coolant diluting the transmission fluid and generally causing havoc inside the transmission.

The best advice is to not drive the vehicle any farther and have it diagnosed by a workshop to see exactly what has happened.

As with any automatic transmission problem, the first thing to do is check the level of transmission fluid in the gearbox itself. These shouldn’t need top-ups, but if a leak occurs, they can lose enough fluid to play havoc with the gear selection and drive-transmission processes. Low fluid can cause a loss of drive in any gear, but could also contribute to a valve-body problem where the lack of fluid prevents the correct gear selection process. Low fluid can also mean the clutch-packs and bands can not exert enough pressure to get the car moving.

It's worth noting, though, that this particular transmission has a finite lifespan and a loss of third and fourth gears could be the first sign that the unit is worn out and requires either replacement or reconditioning. A transmission specialist should be your first port of all.

You have a couple of options here. You can remove the stater motor and take it to an auto electrician who will be able to test it, see what’s wrong with it and give you a quote to rebuild the unit. Or, you can simply buy a new or reconditioned starter motor and fit that instead. Both these options should provide you with a warranty of some sort.

Actually, there’s a third option, and that is to visit a wrecking yard, take a starter motor off a wrecked Territory (making sure it’s the same model and engine) and fit that to your car. This will be the cheapest option, but you could easily find that the new second-hand starter motor has the same problems as the one you already have. Some wrecking yards (who like to be called parts recyclers these days) offer starter motors (and other components) that have been tested, so that would be preferable to just finding one still bolted to a wreck. You might not be offered any sort of warranty, however.