03 Explorer 4wd 5r55w going into neutral while in drive or reverse

[Rock Benedict]

Serious? I didn't intend to damage any nerves. My own are shot, too!

At that, fluid level check is easy on my '04 5R55S, as it has a DIPSTICK!

 

[Rock Benedict]

EMG testing and IMG testing showed 92% nerve damage to my right side, and 72% on my left...85% disability when combined with fibromyalgia, Asperger's, Spinal Degenerative Disease, and titanium medical implants...but I still 4WD & ride Super Bikes ~ this Ol' Rooster ain't goin' down without a spur / LOL.

 

[jk7294]

What is the difference between the 5R55 Transmissions? I have seen the S and W. Mine has the W. Is it the AWD vs 4WD or does it have something to do with Gear Ratios or tire size? My 02 has the 245 tire size and is 4wd and has the W. Also can you go from the smaller 235 size tire to the 245 without any issues? I also believe I have the 3:73 gearing and other trucks have a different gearing. Any information on this?

 

[Rock Benedict]

Quoted word for word from WoodrowUSMC:
This is directly from the ATSG Manual.

The Ford 5R55S and 5R55W transmissions are both very similiar in design to the Ford 5R55N transmission and use electronic shift controls. The 5R55s/5R55w are both "Syncrounous" units, as they do not use the intermediate clutch and intermediate sprag that the 5R55N incorporates. The Ford 5R55S and 5R55W transmissions were introduced in 2002, found in the Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer vehicles, and are available in both 2WD and 4WD configurations. For model year2003 they are also in the LincolnLS, Lincoln Aviator and Ford Thunderbird. They are designed for operation in longitudinal powertrains for rear wheel drive vehicles.

5R55S Gear Ratios 5R55W GearRatios
1st Gear 3.22 3.22
2nd Gear 2.29 2.41
3rd Gear 1.54 1.54
4th Gear 1.00 1.00
5th Gear 0.71 0.75
Reverse 3.07 3.07

I don't have any information on 5R55E transmission.
Hope this answers your question

 

[TechGuru]

@TechGuru
Good point. Rarely turn my OD off except to "gear down" long hills. And when that is done, the TCC disengages with closed throttle, as it always does.

I'm currently having to drive with the O/D off because my O/D band is slipping, I don't think it's the band itself because sometimes it actually works. Also this means 2nd gear does not work because it uses the O/D band. So I'm driving in "3" to start in 3rd gear (feels like a CVT or go-kart) then shift to D for 4th once I reach 40mph. If I use D I have to totally let off the gas for it to jump from 1st to 3rd.

I ordered the fill adapter to try adding transmission fluid first before anything else.

 

[Rock Benedict]

I'm currently having to drive with the O/D off because my O/D band is slipping, I don't think it's the band itself because sometimes it actually works. Also this means 2nd gear does not work because it uses the O/D band. So I'm driving in "3" to start in 3rd gear (feels like a CVT or go-kart) then shift to D for 4th once I reach 40mph. If I use D I have to totally let off the gas for it to jump from 1st to 3rd.

I ordered the fill adapter to try adding transmission fluid first before anything else.

 

[Rock Benedict]

From DDCDave~
Another possibility -
Servo Bore Pin ? :
https://redirect.viglink.com/?forma...ruck Enthusiasts Forums&txt=<span>gear</span>

 

[imp]

EMG testing and IMG testing showed 92% nerve damage to my right side, and 72% on my left...85% disability when combined with fibromyalgia, Asperger's, Spinal Degenerative Disease, and titanium medical implants...but I still 4WD & ride Super Bikes ~ this Ol' Rooster ain't goin' down without a spur / LOL.

Thanks for sharing. Only poisitive thing I can add, is Ilike your location.

 

[imp]

I'm currently having to drive with the O/D off because my O/D band is slipping, I don't think it's the band itself because sometimes it actually works. Also this means 2nd gear does not work because it uses the O/D band. So I'm driving in "3" to start in 3rd gear (feels like a CVT or go-kart) then shift to D for 4th once I reach 40mph. If I use D I have to totally let off the gas for it to jump from 1st to 3rd.

I ordered the fill adapter to try adding transmission fluid first before anything else.

Have you tried backing off the adjustment, tightened back to spec, then back off 1-1/2 turns instead of 2? I did that, and the shuddering on 5th. went away. Why risk this? Ford Shop Manual states 1-1/2 cars, 2 for trucks. Car or truck? Moot point. Driven it several months now with OD OK.

 

[Rock Benedict]

Thanks for sharing. Only poisitive thing I can add, is Ilike your location.

 

[Rock Benedict]

Yeah, lots of desert and mountainous terrain to play in; and, the weather can't be beat!
70°F+ mid day - this time of year, and in the summers - it's a dry heat.
When four-wheelers at night with the KC's turned on...in a wind storm with tumbleweeds bouncing past... the landscape is surreal; and, in regular weather at night, the landscape in the KC's look like something out of Jurrasic Park.
During the day, the mountains, canyons, Arroyo's, and the landscape in general make for a not-to-be-missed four-wheeling experience. Also, we have the largest deposit of white gypsum sand just 17 miles away - & 1 1/2 hours away, in the other direction is a world class ski resort. This time of year we can go sunbathing w/BBQ and snow skiing on the same day.

 

[Rock Benedict]

Yeah, lots of desert and mountainous terrain to play in; and, the weather can't be beat!
70°F+ mid day - this time of year, and in the summers - it's a dry heat.
When four-wheelers at night with the KC's turned on...in a wind storm with tumbleweeds bouncing past... the landscape is surreal; and, in regular weather at night, the landscape in the KC's look like something out of Jurrasic Park.
During the day, the mountains, canyons, Arroyo's, and the landscape in general make for a not-to-be-missed four-wheeling experience. Also, we have the largest deposit of white gypsum sand just 17 miles away - & 1 1/2 hours away, in the other direction is a world class ski resort. This time of year we can go sunbathing w/BBQ and snow skiing on the same day.

 

[Rock Benedict]

From 2J's Automotive:

"How can you tell if the overdrive is the problem? There are a couple of red flags you should watch out for that can give you a good idea of what could be the problem.

• Shifting in and out of gear
• Shifting out of overdrive on its own
• Faulty transmission temperature sensor
• Low fluid levels
• A bad connection in the transmission
• A bad cooler check valve

If one or more of these things are the problem then your overdrive may need to be looked at. Often times small errors can be fixed by cleaning connections."
p.s.
Bear in mind that I'm grabbing at straws on this part...but being a syncro' / wonder if there is an overdrive issue involved, or.... *
I had an old 150F years ago that was doing all kinds of weird stuff as and I couldn't quite nail down the issue - finally I have up and bought a new transmission (certainly nOt tHe wAy tO gO!)....long story/$hort-
After crawling underneath again, to begin the removal procedure, I noticed a split in the vacuum tube going to the shifting solenoid..... *
~ cutting 1/4 " off the end of the vacuum line and placing it back on the shifting solenoid fixed the problem. 'Course I still got stuck with a $150 restocking fee on the transmission I just bought - BUT, I didn't have to do anything after that. It was a pocket knife & slice off and replace vacuum line 1 minute repair.
That wordy response being said, have you checked the shifting solenoid¿? I think Imp is more on top of this than I am, but just offering my 2¢ in the hopes of helping.

 

[imp]

Ahhhh, well.......that location is wrong. In 2012 we moved to the Colorado River area of western Arizona, across the river from Laughlin, Nevada.

 

[Wakeboardrb]

So the story continues...

Truck drove perfectly up until last night when I noticed that it hesitated about 5 seconds before going into reverse backing out of my driveway. About 30 minutes later it started doing the same BS sitting at a stop light, shifting in and out of first gear.

I drove it again this morning and when I came out of a store I noticed a puddle of bright red ATF on the concrete under my truck. Either the trans cooler has ruptured or a line broke, but it's losing a lot of fluid. And come to think of it, when I was up under the truck to fill the ATF fluid a little while back, I noticed a lot of fluid around the front of the truck, but it was dark so I chalked it up to my leaky oil pan gasket.

Went to the junk yard and pulled a pretty good looking trans cooler and lines for $20. Looks like it will be a royal pain in the ass to replace though, as it's sandwiched in between the AC condenser and radiator. It was decently hard to yank out, anyone have any experience with putting one in?

No idea what caused the rupture, but it did start when we had that cold snap and lots of snow a few months ago. Not sure when it started leaking, but it did start shifting funny when temps were getting down to -10F at night.

 

[Wakeboardrb]

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