2004 explorer OD light blinking

[Andy96XLT]

Hi all,

Haven't been here in a while but having an issue with my parents 04 Eddie Bauer with the V6. My parents were driving along and all of a sudden the od light started flashing and they lost power. They were able to get home and I checked it out the next day but the od light wasn't flashing anymore and drove fine on a short drive. My dad then took it to work and has no issues (about 15 min drive) but on the way home it happened again and he said he could smell something weird like burning and same symptoms. The next day I again tried to read codes but it started up fine and no OD light again. Any idea on what I should start looking at first since I can't get a code? The burning smell concerns me, but I haven't smelled it myself. To my knowledge the "lifetime sealed" transmission has never had a fluid change, so I'm sure it's overdue. They're at about 150k miles but again they have been told the fluid should be lifetime which sounds false to me.

Any tips or help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Stynx]

So there were no codes?

Trans fluid definitely does not last forever. Heat will degrade it to the point where IMO it should be replaced at 30 and no more than 50k intervals. The 5r55s transmission on these things is known to have issues.

In any case with the burning odor I would get it to a shop or up on blocks ASAP. Something is getting way too hot. IMO At 150k every drop of fluid should be changed - oil, coolant, brake fluid, differential oil, transmission and transfer case fluid should all be done. I have an 05 and have everything but the diffs, transfer case and coolant done. (friggin rain every friggin weekend lately!)

Unfortunately the OD light could mean trouble shifting which means a trans rebuild might be in your future, but at 150k that might be expected.

 

[drdoom]

Andy you're going to have to get the trouble code(s). Anything on a Ford transmission won't show up on a run-of-the-mill scan tool. So if you check and get nothing, know that if the MIL was illuminated or flashing, the codes are present and being stored in memory.

 

[Fix4Dirt]

burning=bad. could be a burnt clutch, etc. any debris on the dipsticj? lifetime fluid dont mean nothin to me, sure its good for the life of the vehicle, but tis shortened. if it was slow, may have been in limp mode which=bad, that means line pressure is cranked up to 11, just to get ya home. not somethin you wanna see. as mentioned as drdroom get codes