Lost a sensor cable?

[oxic_berry]

hi forum. So I just rebuilt my explorer - new engine and transmission (both stock so nothing new or incompatible) and it turns over with no leaks!!

Alas... It only stays on for a second before turning itself off and from doing work on my buddy's jeep not too long ago we found out that that is due to wiring/sensor problems.

I have found half of the sensor but that's it... It seems to be missing it's other half. It's a female plug that attaches to the driver side of the transmission and has three little Tetris "T" shaped holes in it. It's wrapped in orange tape and has about three or four inches of movement so the other end has to be somewhere nearby, but there is literally nothing else near it...

What do I do??

 

[96firephoenix]

Is that for an oxygen sensor? that's the only thing on the trans that I could think of that would shut down the engine.

 

[oxic_berry]

I haven't the foggiest D: if it is an O2 sensor, where should I find the other half?

 

[Stick4503]

If it's an O2 sensor wire the other half will be coming out of the O2 sensor that is screwed into the exhaust pipe.

 

[96firephoenix]

hmm....what is at the other end of the cable that you have? you say it is attached to the side of the transmission, but where does the cable go?

On my ranger, there was a set of 3 connectors that were right at the back of the engine... basically the 12 o'clock position of the bell-housing. I think one of them came down to the side of the transmission.

 

[MostlyNewExplorer]

It would have to be an O2 sensor, unless you have the transmission with the overdrive drum speed sensor on it. Looks similar to the output shaft sensor except it's more towards the front of the transmission.

I'm thinking your old transmission had one, but the new one doesn't have it. Not 100% sure, but you might have to reprogram the PCM to stop it from looking for it.

If not, then it's an O2 sensor, and that's normally screwed into the intermediate pipe, the one that attaches to the driver's side exhaust manifold, it has a catalytic converter in it, and the other end bolts to the flange just forward of the muffler. You probably had to take the intermediate pipe out to drop the trans. Are you running it without the exhaust hooked up?

Thing is though, neither of those plugs look quite like that one. That looks like a light connector.

 

[JK080]

Your 94 should have a A4LD transmission, and there is a case connector on the driver side that has three offset pins like that harness.

This connecton is for 4th gear and TCC for the transmission, it wont be the reason for the vehicle shutting off.

 

[96firephoenix]

lockup solenoid can kill the engine by locking up when it shouldn't...

Looks like you may have found where this goes.

 

[JK080]

lockup solenoid can kill the engine by locking up when it shouldn't...

This is true, the lock up solenoid if clogged or stuck on can cause the engine to stall when selecting a gear, however the case connector being disconnected won't cause the solenoid to close.

 

[oxic_berry]

I found it!! It was behind a bracket!! Thank you for all the help!!