Hi, super glad to be here and I really need help.

[MIngramExplorer97]

Hi all, my name is Mike and I've been following this site for a year and a half now. I've found some amazing advice and I'm hoping for some of that amazing help.

I have a 97 Explorer 2dr, nothing on it, or in it says anything about it being a sport so not sure about that. She, her name is Betty, her paint job is White. Lol.

She has 247k miles, and I've had the truck for a 1.5 years or more. I've replaced more parts than I can remember. Right now she is stuck in my driveway, engine fires right up, but when I put it in gear she won't go. Before any of this happened I had done 2 partial transmission fluid changes, the truck tries to go in gear, it will kinda jerk forward but that's it, I've done a pretty thorough trans fluid change, painfully got the pan out (exhaust is rusted bad enough I didn't dare mess with it) I let it slowly drip out for over 2 days. The fluid wasn't just dark, it was thick. Refilled with new fluid after installing a new trans filter. Now she jerks forward a touch more than before and it's gotten harder to shift into different gears, I replaced the neutral safety switch a month or 2 back for a electrical issue, it wasn't the issue but a buddy let me use his discount so figured why not. I'm currently in the process of tightening the steering column up, but I can tell you now that she's always been able to shift gears without the brake, I don't do that as I want everything to last as long as possible.

Sorry for the long post, just want to be specific as possible. I've recently become disabled and what I'm capable of doing has changed. I've looked through a lot of the posts here and don't think I've come across this before. If I have please point me towards the right thread, thank you so much in advance. Mike

 

[gmanpaint]

Welcome Mike!!

The automatic trans runs on hydraulic pressure from the pump moving the fluids. When you did the partial fluid change, how much came out, and how much went back in?

What does your dipstick read?

Did you find an odd piece of plastic in the pan when you first removed it?

Dark fluids can be old, or burnt. Burnt is not good, but old is much better than burnt.

Thick fluids is a new one on me, so can't comment, but someone else reading this might be able too.

 

[MIngramExplorer97]

On the partial changes I took out 4 qrts and that's what it would need to get back to the right level. Right now the fluid is reading that it has to much in it, however I know I haven't put in near as much as I took out, I've been letting it get warm and cycling through the gears hoping it sucks up some. There was what appeared to be a flexible magnet, rectangle shape. I put it back in the spot I found it. Should it have not been there? I'm starting to fear it is beyond my ability to fix, and I know my wife won't go for me putting much more money into it. Especially considering the amount of miles on it and the fact I only paid $400 for it. But I love my truck

 

[gmanpaint]

Sounds to me like the pan is full, and the pump is not picking up the fluids. Like the pump is blocked, and why you have a over full reading. Normally a pan drain, filter change only, takes about 6 quarts.

I would drop the pan again, make sure nothing is blocking the pump, double check the filter is installed right, and only add what's needed with the fluids. If it is blocked, continually running it, will harm it by overheating with no fluids. Clutch plates, do not survive that scenario.

I'm not sure what the loose magnet your referring too is. There is a magnet in the pan that catches metal shavings, but it's not supposed to be loose.

There is a plastic plug like object used from the factory for initial install. It is found loose in the pan, on the first pan drop. Its discarded, and tells us that was the first filter service it received. If it's gone, you know someone has already been in there.

 

[410Fortune]

A 2 door explorer IS a sport
Check the O ring on your trans filter, make sure the filter is attached properly and make sure its the same filter you removed (size and shape)

 

[MIngramExplorer97]

I appreciate all the advice, however I'm not able to drop the pan again. First time damn near put me back in the hospital. Plus right now I don't have two nickels to rub together, let alone buy more trans fluid. I did make sure when I put the new filter in that it was in properly and that the O rings were both in place on the new filter and did not shift as I installed it.

I was hoping maybe it had something to do with the steering column. One thing I completely forgot to mention is that during a previous repair the shift indicator cable broke, I was ignorant towards the fact that it is an important piece, I honestly thought it was there to let people know they had the shifter in the right location. How much damage did I cause?

 

[410Fortune]

the shift indicator cable is just that an indicator for you to know what gear you are in
The transmission is either in gear or not, having no indicator on the dash does not effect anything

It is quite possible that at 247K miles your auto transmission is in need of a rebuild and that is why it will not move
Try forcing 1st gear by putting the column shifter in 1, does the truck drive?
How do you know you have enough fluid in the transmission? Is the driveway level? Did you check the fluid level with the engine warm and after running the trans shifter through all gear positions?
That is the proper procedure for checking the correct fluid level
It sounds to me as if you were having problems with the transmission and dropping the pan and replacing the filter did nothing to fix it = bad trans?

 

[MIngramExplorer97]

410

I have no idea if there is enough fluid in the truck, I assume not. Truck is parked facing front end on an incline. The side of the driveway it is on is not level at all. Drives me nuts. Truck does not drive right now. Engine runs no problem, but it doesn't move, it tries. It will lurk forward a little when I have it in gear forward and reverse. but it's like it's stuck. And now moving the shifter has become harder to move, I need to get it tightened up. At least to the best of my ability. I already have a new plastic O ring deal that goes around the column where it's tightened up as I can see the old one is broken.

Thanks so much for confirming that the indicator is not a major part at all, I know how to count lol. Plus I don't know about anyone else but shifting it has just become second nature and I never did need to look to make sure I was in the right gear.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! Did you compare both filters to see if they look similar? A shallow filter is for basic RWD, and a deep filter is for 4WD. Do you have 4WD with a deep filter? Was a shallow filter installed? If so, then the sump is missing which draws fluid out of the pan, and into the transmission.

 

[MIngramExplorer97]

I did verify they were the same. I actually took the old one to the parts store to do that so I didn't have to make 2 trips. I'm wondering now if it's the solenoid, but I'm just grasping anymore. I can't seem to bring myself to get rid of her.

 

[BrooklynBay]

A 0 - 300 PSI test gauge is useful for checking the main pressure, and the EPC pressure ports. Do you have a scanner to check for fault codes? Do you have a check engine light or a flashing overdrive light?

 

[MIngramExplorer97]

The od light had flashed on and off for a day a couple of months before this happened. I just switched the od button to off and drove it for a bit then turned it back on and drove it again and haven't seen it since.

Before it went completely unusable reverse was the first thing to stop working, I swapped out 3 qrts of atf, let her run for a bit and reverse worked again, then a week or so later when I put it in drive all it would do is Rev even though I could hear it click into gear, I was able to put it 1st or 2nd gear and drive that way, and when the rpm got around 3.5k I would switch it over to drive and it would go into the higher gears with no issue. (pretty sure that's the solenoid) then reverse went out again, I made it home and was able to back it into the driveway with gravitys help, my driveway is on a slope and I currently have it on the most level area but its still on a slope. After that day the truck wouldn't go into any gear.

Hopefully the added info that I should have included in the original post will help.
I don't remotely know what you are refe to about check the psi,

Thank you for the help

 

[donalds]

When I drain my trans a gallon of atf came out and it took a gallon back in
Tip use a $10 transfer pump from the local auto parts store to pump your new fluid out of th he dipstick tube then you don't have to buy any more

Sounds like low fluid or missing or a ripped o ring on the filter to me