95 Ford Explorer needs help 911 - Ford Explorer Ranger Enthusiasts "Serious Explorations"®

popeye_59 · 12-23-2006, 09:25 AM

I have a 95 ford Explorer with 226,00 miles of troubleless driving My son was driving last month and the transmission went out. no gears at all foward or reverse. Check engine light on smoking black hard to keep running.
I took it to the transmission place best in town. I thought? They told me that their was so many updates to this transmission that they don't rebuild them their self's and it would cost 2,600 for a rebuild not including instalation. I have been a mechanic on military trucks for 25 years now and decided to replace it myself. Located one at the local salvage yard and put it in. The transmission shifted in to reverse and forward but no over drive light and no upshifting and still burning coal (black smoke). Back to the transmission place they said that I put the wrong transmission in it was a 97- GT. The salvage yard said it came out of a 96 Explorer. It took me two weeks to convince the salvage yard that it was the wrong transmission had the transmission place explane it to them. They gave me another transmission It was ugly and black and looked like it was rebuilt at one time had a sticker on top that said 4R55E and certified. Behind the TPS the casing said 95 GT and numbers. So I put it in. It has the same symptons. so the transmission place said I have to take it to ford. I did they wanted $80 to read the computer and reprogram it for updates. right after I brought it to them they called me and said thecheck engine light was missing and it would cost another $150 to raplace the instrument cluster. I took it home took the dash and the socket was missing. So I took the seat belt light socket and put it where the Check eng socket was. It took them two week to get me back in at ford. I drove it to work everyday no shifts but no slippage either. I finialy got it in to ford and they had it all day. they called a 4:00 and told me I had another wrong transmission. So I asked them what transmission I needed they wrote it down 95 GT-GAA AALD/4R44E. I picked it up and less than three miles away the transmission went completly out again no gears. How do I determin which transmission I need and how do I identify them. I now have about $1600 in this and a nice piece of yard art PLEASE HELP. its my daily work truck.

Bent Bolt · 12-23-2006, 01:03 PM

The engine exhaust is black?? Is it still running like that?? That is a indication of extremly rich fuel mixture. You need to fix that. Look at the MAP sensor, check for vacuum at the sensor.

If the engine is running like crap, the trans will have delayed or no shifts. Why ?? Because the driver is applying more throttle in order to get more acceleration which pushes up the shift points.

popeye_59 · 12-23-2006, 03:02 PM

The scan tool will not comunicate with the PCM says can not read data and the problem started after i put the new transmission in thanks I'll check the map senser. for vacume. It will not shift even at 70 MPH weather I'm on the throttle coasting or all the way off the throttle. when its cold or first started it runs fine until I put it in drive and then you'll see the RPM drop and the truck usualy dies I have to open the throttle part way and it will start up but its black. No hesitations or anything just slow to pull away from a stop. once you get it rolling it seems to have lots of power. Just dont think the computer is regestering any sensors at all.

**Glacier991** · 12-24-2006, 12:40 PM

As for which is the proper transmission - your vehicle had the 4R44E according to the FORD dealer. The 4R means that it was a 4 speed, rear wheel drive transmission. The 44 means it could handle 440 ft lbs of torque. The "E" means Electronic shifting.

Ford upgraded that transmission internally and it could then handle 20% more torque, and it became the 4R55E. (55 = 550 ft lbs of torque) As far as I know the 4R55 should work in any previous 4R44 application (someone correct me if you think I am mistaken on this).

FORD kept tinkering and added a computer generated 2nd gear by causing 1st gear to be overdriven to give us another gear (2nd) and voila the 5R55E - the 5? you guessed it, 5 speed.

I'm with BENT. You have had similar symptoms with all trannies you have tried. These transmissions rely on the computer to tell them when to shift. The computer in turn relies on the sensors to feed it good information. The general rule of thumb is to fix all known problems that cold throw a check engine light before any work on the transmission.

popeye_59 · 12-26-2006, 11:42 PM

I took it to ford and my problem got worse. They had it for a day and when they got done with it they told me the computer was not comunicating. and that i needed a new transmission. When I left the transmission was making a clicking noise. I got three miles away and the transmission quit and I had no forward or backward gears. the oil level is fine which makes me believe that the front pump is working. any idea what the clicking noise could be. The transmissions I put in came from a savage yard no guarentee they were good. But I do agree why would the engine be running so rich the only code I could get from the history was a bad air inlett temp sensor. I also had a throttle positioning sensor that I put on the map sensor vacume line looked deterated so I replaced it but no difference in the way it is running. Please keep sending me recomendations and I will try them. Is it possible the PCM shot craps.

NHale623 · 12-27-2006, 12:45 PM

The transmission on a '95 Explorer with the 4.0 OHV engine was the 4R55E. I believe the 4R44E was used on the Rangers.

Popeye, in your first post you said "Check engine light on smoking black hard to keep running.". Later on, in the same post you went on to say "the check engine light was missing ...". Is the light there, does it illuminate when you go to start the car, and is it lit while the car is running?

I think you need to sort out the PCM and engine problems first. You shouldn't need a scanner, go to the EEC-IV forum and MrShorty gives a good explanation of how to extract codes from your computer using a paper clip. Here's a link: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/...d.php?t=147734

You may also want to look at all your fuses and make sure they are intact.

**Glacier991** · 12-27-2006, 01:29 PM

Some of the 95's do not yield codes in that fashion from my experience.

12-23-2006, 09:25 AM	#1
popeye_59 Wannabe Elite Explorer Manhattan, Kansas 95 fotd Explorer Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 5 Vehicle Specs	95 Ford Explorer needs help 911 I have a 95 ford Explorer with 226,00 miles of troubleless driving My son was driving last month and the transmission went out. no gears at all foward or reverse. Check engine light on smoking black hard to keep running. I took it to the transmission place best in town. I thought? They told me that their was so many updates to this transmission that they don't rebuild them their self's and it would cost 2,600 for a rebuild not including instalation. I have been a mechanic on military trucks for 25 years now and decided to replace it myself. Located one at the local salvage yard and put it in. The transmission shifted in to reverse and forward but no over drive light and no upshifting and still burning coal (black smoke). Back to the transmission place they said that I put the wrong transmission in it was a 97- GT. The salvage yard said it came out of a 96 Explorer. It took me two weeks to convince the salvage yard that it was the wrong transmission had the transmission place explane it to them. They gave me another transmission It was ugly and black and looked like it was rebuilt at one time had a sticker on top that said 4R55E and certified. Behind the TPS the casing said 95 GT and numbers. So I put it in. It has the same symptons. so the transmission place said I have to take it to ford. I did they wanted $80 to read the computer and reprogram it for updates. right after I brought it to them they called me and said thecheck engine light was missing and it would cost another $150 to raplace the instrument cluster. I took it home took the dash and the socket was missing. So I took the seat belt light socket and put it where the Check eng socket was. It took them two week to get me back in at ford. I drove it to work everyday no shifts but no slippage either. I finialy got it in to ford and they had it all day. they called a 4:00 and told me I had another wrong transmission. So I asked them what transmission I needed they wrote it down 95 GT-GAA AALD/4R44E. I picked it up and less than three miles away the transmission went completly out again no gears. How do I determin which transmission I need and how do I identify them. I now have about $1600 in this and a nice piece of yard art PLEASE HELP. its my daily work truck.

12-27-2006, 12:45 PM	#6
NHale623 Wannabe Elite Explorer Eliot, Maine 95 XLT Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 384 Vehicle Specs	The transmission on a '95 Explorer with the 4.0 OHV engine was the 4R55E. I believe the 4R44E was used on the Rangers. Popeye, in your first post you said "Check engine light on smoking black hard to keep running.". Later on, in the same post you went on to say "the check engine light was missing ...". Is the light there, does it illuminate when you go to start the car, and is it lit while the car is running? I think you need to sort out the PCM and engine problems first. You shouldn't need a scanner, go to the EEC-IV forum and MrShorty gives a good explanation of how to extract codes from your computer using a paper clip. Here's a link: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/...d.php?t=147734 You may also want to look at all your fuses and make sure they are intact. __________________ 1995 Explorer XLT 4 Door 1931 Model A Tudor Sedan Last edited by NHale623; 12-27-2006 at 12:46 PM. Reason: clarification, checks for fuses

12-23-2006, 01:03 PM	#2
Bent Bolt Wannabe Elite Explorer Edmonton,Alberta Think Canadian ,eh !!!! Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 114 Vehicle Specs	The engine exhaust is black?? Is it still running like that?? That is a indication of extremly rich fuel mixture. You need to fix that. Look at the MAP sensor, check for vacuum at the sensor. If the engine is running like crap, the trans will have delayed or no shifts. Why ?? Because the driver is applying more throttle in order to get more acceleration which pushes up the shift points.

12-23-2006, 03:02 PM	#3
popeye_59 Wannabe Elite Explorer Manhattan, Kansas 95 fotd Explorer Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 5 Vehicle Specs	The scan tool will not comunicate with the PCM says can not read data and the problem started after i put the new transmission in thanks I'll check the map senser. for vacume. It will not shift even at 70 MPH weather I'm on the throttle coasting or all the way off the throttle. when its cold or first started it runs fine until I put it in drive and then you'll see the RPM drop and the truck usualy dies I have to open the throttle part way and it will start up but its black. No hesitations or anything just slow to pull away from a stop. once you get it rolling it seems to have lots of power. Just dont think the computer is regestering any sensors at all.

12-24-2006, 12:40 PM	#4
Glacier991 EF Tranny Guru Sacramento, CA 95827 1992 XLT Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 9,805 Vehicle Specs	As for which is the proper transmission - your vehicle had the 4R44E according to the FORD dealer. The 4R means that it was a 4 speed, rear wheel drive transmission. The 44 means it could handle 440 ft lbs of torque. The "E" means Electronic shifting. Ford upgraded that transmission internally and it could then handle 20% more torque, and it became the 4R55E. (55 = 550 ft lbs of torque) As far as I know the 4R55 should work in any previous 4R44 application (someone correct me if you think I am mistaken on this). FORD kept tinkering and added a computer generated 2nd gear by causing 1st gear to be overdriven to give us another gear (2nd) and voila the 5R55E - the 5? you guessed it, 5 speed. I'm with BENT. You have had similar symptoms with all trannies you have tried. These transmissions rely on the computer to tell them when to shift. The computer in turn relies on the sensors to feed it good information. The general rule of thumb is to fix all known problems that cold throw a check engine light before any work on the transmission.

12-26-2006, 11:42 PM	#5
popeye_59 Wannabe Elite Explorer Manhattan, Kansas 95 fotd Explorer Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 5 Vehicle Specs	I took it to ford and my problem got worse. They had it for a day and when they got done with it they told me the computer was not comunicating. and that i needed a new transmission. When I left the transmission was making a clicking noise. I got three miles away and the transmission quit and I had no forward or backward gears. the oil level is fine which makes me believe that the front pump is working. any idea what the clicking noise could be. The transmissions I put in came from a savage yard no guarentee they were good. But I do agree why would the engine be running so rich the only code I could get from the history was a bad air inlett temp sensor. I also had a throttle positioning sensor that I put on the map sensor vacume line looked deterated so I replaced it but no difference in the way it is running. Please keep sending me recomendations and I will try them. Is it possible the PCM shot craps.

12-27-2006, 01:29 PM	#7
Glacier991 EF Tranny Guru Sacramento, CA 95827 1992 XLT Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 9,805 Vehicle Specs	Some of the 95's do not yield codes in that fashion from my experience.