96 Explorer 4R70W Transmission Problem

[CamDJClimited]

So to make things easier for you to understand, I have a 96 Ford Explorer Limited V8 AWD. Just last week, I checked my transmission fluid, and it was burned and darkish brown, but the transmission was shifting just fine. I made an appointment for the following week for a fluid & filter change.

The next day...the car would still shift just fine, but in every gear, if your accelerating from 1500 RPM's, the car hesitates and kind of jolts, and you hear a couple bangs and clunks. Does anyone know what this is? At first I thought it was the transmission because of the burned fluid, but I got the fluid changed today and it still does it. I even added a bottle of Lucas Transmission Fix to see if that helped, but nope it didn't. It seems to bang and hesitate when accelerating up from 1500-2000 RPMs. Any ideas?

 

[SoNic67]

You never ever never ever do a transmission flush when the fluid is brown/black. Is too long overdue and "flushing" it will just stir junk around inside, blocking new passages.

The only thing that you could do now is:

1. Add SeaFoam Trans Tune:
Add ½ can Trans Tune to the automatic transmission fluid before servicing. Drive for at least 30 minutes and run the engine through all gears. Trans Tune will slowly re-liquefy old ATF fluid residue deposits that can prevent valve bodies, governors, bands, pumps and solenoids from functioning normally.
2. Drop the transmission oil pan, replace the fluid in pan and filter.
3. Add ½ can Trans Tune® to the fresh fluid to prevent future residue and moisture build up.

 

[CamDJClimited]

You never ever never ever do a transmission flush when the fluid is brown/black. Is too long overdue and "flushing" it will just stir junk around inside, blocking new passages.

The only thing that you could do now is:

1. Add SeaFoam Trans Tune:
Add ½ can Trans Tune to the automatic transmission fluid before servicing. Drive for at least 30 minutes and run the engine through all gears. Trans Tune will slowly re-liquefy old ATF fluid residue deposits that can prevent valve bodies, governors, bands, pumps and solenoids from functioning normally.
2. Drop the transmission oil pan, replace the fluid in pan and filter.
3. Add ½ can Trans Tune® to the fresh fluid to prevent future residue and moisture build up.

I never did a transmission flush...I just replaced the fluid and filter yesterday..

 

[SoNic67]

I made an appointment for the following week for a fluid & filter change.

They usually use a machine that flushes all the fluid... Ask them.

 

[CamDJClimited]

They usually use a machine that flushes all the fluid... Ask them.

Theres 2 ways you change the fluid. You never should flush an older vehicle. They drop the transmission fluid pan and change out as much of the fluid as they can. They replace the filter that way too

 

[SoNic67]

Theres 2 ways you change the fluid. You never should flush an older vehicle.

Is not exacly what I said in the second post??? If they did just dropping the pan there is no explanation of what happend.
If they used the machine (like all the shops around me), then is perfectly normal what hapend.

Regadless what they did, I said what I would do NOW - SeaFoam.

 

[Godsday]

Easy to miss read things sometimes. Question!

 

[410Fortune]

I made an appointment for the following week for a fluid & filter change.

if they used a flush machine it is quite possible they dislodged some carbon and is now blocking passages in the valve body

Any codes in memory? Flashing OD light?
How many miles on the truck?
There may be a reason why the fluid was dark and burnt smelling to begin with
You can start by checking the fluid level properly to make sure it is correct
Then by dropping the trans pan and see whats going on in there, check the work of the transmission shop. Make sure the filter is seated, nothing in the wiring was dislodged, etc

I have found over the years many transfer case issues are mistaken for transmission issues, the AWD t cases are known for causing some strange noises and clunking sounds when they go south

 

[C420sailor]

I’d be curious about the transfer case as well. Loud bangs and gnarly stuff will usually throw a trans code. Usually.

You can gravity drain and refill the older 4R70Ws. Drain bolt on the torque converter and drop the pan. They eliminated the torque converter drain bolt at some point, and that makes a “flush” the only way to truly change all the fluid in one go. Well...as close as you can get to a change.

The units the shops use are pressurized, I believe. I avoid them. I change the fluid in my 5R55E by disconnecting the hoses from my aux cooler, and throwing them in a 5 gal bucket with a measuring stick I made, marked in quarts from 1-15 (I added water in the bucket, a quart at a time, to mark the stick). Start the truck, let it piss a few quarts into the bucket. Shut the truck down. Add that many quarts of fresh fluid to the trans. Start it back up. Lather, rinse, repeat until you’ve got clean fluid coming out—I usually do about 14qts on that trans and call it good, and I do it every 30-50k or so. Reconnect everything, check the level, you’re good to go.

No high pressure antics, no expensive bills.

 

[boominXplorer]

Calm down guys the OP was back in 2011.......

 

[imp]

Calm down guys the OP was back in 2011.......

@boominXplorer

But, but.......We WANNA KNOW!!! imp

 

[C420sailor]

Ugh. Why do people resurrect zombie threads?!?

 

[410Fortune]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Dang
9 years ago I bet this truck went crushy
Happy Holidays