Transmission?

[ohiodisneydad]

Recently I drove my 2010 Explorer XLT to work and the ABS light, the RSC light and a wrench lit up on the dash. Then my message center read "SERVICE RSC NOW." From a previous experience I knew this would be a wheel assembly. I made it to work and went back out later to move the vehicle and it would hardly move. If you put the car in drive and let it would idle and move it would creep along but when I accelerated the engine wold rev up and then it felt like the braking system would engage. I had a guy I know check it out and he tried driving it. He had trouble getting it to stay in reverse. It kept jumping out of reverse and into neutral. He was able to read the repair codes and it provided a code for a transmission solenoid. So I had it towed off to his shop and they replaced the front wheel assembly, as expected, and he installed a transmission solenoid pack. Now he is telling me that the vehicle seems to be starting from 4th gear and downshifting to 1st only when you get to 10 MPH. He isn't reporting any slippage. I'm hoping to avoid a transmission replacement or rebuild. I posted this on Facebook as well. Any ideas?

 

[Rcflyer330]

Posting the codes could help. But even better would be for you to look at the live data using a scanner capable of reading transmission data to see what the transmission is doing. The best thing I bought for my car was a obdlink mx and forscan lite for my phone.

A little info on prices an obdlink mx is around $70 but you can also just get a bluetooth elm 327 adapter for less than $20 it can do most of the same things the mx can. Forscan lite is $4 on your app store or cheaper is forscan on the pc it's free (your pc would need to be portable though).

 

[07EddyB]

So I had it towed off to his shop and they replaced the front wheel assembly

Sorry for my ignorance but what exactly is a 'front wheel assembly'?

 

[ohiodisneydad]

Posting the codes could help. But even better would be for you to look at the live data using a scanner capable of reading transmission data to see what the transmission is doing. The best thing I bought for my car was a obdlink mx and forscan lite for my phone.

A little info on prices an obdlink mx is around $70 but you can also just get a bluetooth elm 327 adapter for less than $20 it can do most of the same things the mx can. Forscan lite is $4 on your app store or cheaper is forscan on the pc it's free (your pc would need to be portable though).

Sorry. Code was p1717 for the solenoid assembly issue.

 

[ohiodisneydad]

Sorry for my ignorance but what exactly is a 'front wheel assembly'?

I believe the correct term is the front wheel hub assembly. Wheel bearing is inside it and I believe that is what went out.

 

[07EddyB]

I see now - I thought he was still talking about the transmission but he started with the tone ring issue.

 

[imp]

I believe the correct term is the front wheel hub assembly. Wheel bearing is inside it and I believe that is what went out.

@ohiodisneydad
The front hub assembly contains a wheel speed sensor which is used in the ABS system. Failure of that sensor, for whatever reason, bad bearing, bad sensor, bad connection, broken wire, "throws" the ABS light on, not related in any way to transmission issues. It sounds as though the ABS module considered the fault bad enough to place the operation of the engine in "Forced Engine Idle" mode, as a safety consideration. Meanwhile, the transmission itself was having issues, evidently. At this point, transmission malfunction(s) should have their own code(s) associated with them. That's the next thought: read those codes. If the transmission was not having issues before the ABS event, it's possible your repair guy fouled things up. imp

 

[ohiodisneydad]

@ohiodisneydad
The front hub assembly contains a wheel speed sensor which is used in the ABS system. Failure of that sensor, for whatever reason, bad bearing, bad sensor, bad connection, broken wire, "throws" the ABS light on, not related in any way to transmission issues. It sounds as though the ABS module considered the fault bad enough to place the operation of the engine in "Forced Engine Idle" mode, as a safety consideration. Meanwhile, the transmission itself was having issues, evidently. At this point, transmission malfunction(s) should have their own code(s) associated with them. That's the next thought: read those codes. If the transmission was not having issues before the ABS event, it's possible your repair guy fouled things up. imp

Reader provided a code of p1717 which indicated issues with the solenoid shift pack so that has been replaced. He first used a rebuilt one and that's when he had the starting from 4th gear and downshifting to 1st only when you get to 10 MPH issue. He sent the refmanufactured one back and got a new one but it is still having the same starting in 4th gear issue.

 

[transman304]

A MLPS switch not functioning properly will give these symptoms also. If you change it a word of caution. If you try to loosen the nut holding the shifter lever without holding the lever to keep it from moving you will break the detent on the inside of transmission.

 

[ohiodisneydad]

View attachment 171071 A MLPS switch not functioning properly will give these symptoms also. If you change it a word of caution. If you try to loosen the nut holding the shifter lever without holding the lever to keep it from moving you will break the detent on the inside of transmission.
View attachment 171070

I've been told the transmission has internal issues and will need a rebuild. $2400 in addition to the $1500 or so I'm already in for.