reverse issues

[buckdropper]

My wife's 96 4x4 automatic explorer will not backup when placed in reverse. She used 4x4 coming up the drive tonight and had some issues with the road being icy and some slippage of the tires but nothing hard. It does not wind out it just seems stuck it goes forward no problem . It seems like something is binding up. I feel it go into reverse but the truck will not move back wards???. Its like the brakes are on or something. Anybody have any idea where i should begin to look, could it be in the rear end?. Never had a tranny problem or any symtoms...?? HELP guys!!! :exporange

 

[Glacier991]

I doubt this is a trannie problem... I would guess brake or transfer case. I once had a brake lock up and wondered for a little while if I had some other problem, yet it FELT like it wanted to go, was just boundup. Sure enough one of the rear brakes was stuck. Q. Did she use the E-brake when the setup was wet and then it froze?

Very difficult to diagnose this from afar. I'm just not betting it's the trans. Can you easily jack up each wheel? And then check for free movement? THAT eliminates brakes. Other smarter folks may have other and better ideas. Hope this was a start for you.

 

[buckdropper]

She did not use the e-brake and they are disk brakes on the rear and are newer. It is like it is bound up even if i try and push it backwards with it in netural it won't move. Never had this problem before, i am at a loss here.

 

[Glacier991]

There are three main possibles.... brake locked somewhere..... linkage disconnected from parking pawl lever in trannie.... or,Transfer case. If it is the linkage (#2) you can find it by dropping the pan and looking at the connection, if it is #1, brake, you can shift it into neutral, block a wheel and turn each wheel and see if they spin.... that won't work it the parking pawl is not connected though (in other words stuck in PARK - in which case the driven wheels will not turn), which is why #2 became #1. If not those it is, and my main suspect, the Transfer case...

Having said all that I'll probably find it was a dead frozen squirrel somewhere.

 

[buckdropper]

lol on the dead squirrel. I can feel the truck go into reverse it just won't move but moves easily forward. transfer case mmm Big bucks???

 

[Glacier991]

I lay no claim to any real expertise on a transfer case... let's see who else weighs in on that.... (I am wondering to myself if it could be a shift issue on the TC)

 

[buckdropper]

could be its the last thing she did coming up driveway was lock it in

 

[glfredrick]

Driveline bind?

 

[buckdropper]

come on guys help a bro out here

 

[bitchinexplorer]

the only thing i can think of is the brakes....but u said its not that

 

[Glacier991]

I really am sorry guy... let me run down ANY possible trans issues, but you said it feels like it is trying to move in reverse. I am as certain as I can be, with little back it up in expertise it is the TC.... I wish I was smarter in that area.... heck I am not even sure what TC you have!

 

[glfredrick]

I might start to diagnose your condition by lifting all 4 wheels of the truck off the ground - then see what it does when shifted to R. If the tires are able to spin, you likely have some pressure issue internally in the tranny - if not, then I would go back to looking at brake problems (like a pad that has shattered and wedged into rotor or an e-brake that has come apart inside the rear disk hub or something).

Without more understanding of what it is actually doing, it is difficult to diagnose over the Internet...

The ATSG manual for the transmission says that no reverse is a blown or worn low/reverse servo - a broken low/reverse band - a failed reverse sprag - or low/contaminated/incorect fluid.

I am not sure if the T-case can bind up in reverse only - but I would want to also drop the driveshafts (do one at a time) and see what it does with all the wheels off the ground) as a diagnosis tool. If you can spin the T-case, but not the axles, then your problem is in an axle (could even be a blown front or rear spider gear!). So, you have some work to do to start to isolate the problem.

Other checks - have you checked the T-case for proper type and amount of oil? Is there water in the oil of the T-case? (One of mine stopped driving at all due to water mixed with the oil.) At least do a drain and fill on the T-case - and watch (run through a cloth or something) the oil that comes out for chips/chunks - another diagnosis tool.

Keep us posted.

 

[Glacier991]

If any of the things glfrederick mentioned were the problem, I doubt it would feel like it wants to move in reverse.

 

[glfredrick]

Just a thought - my 97 also does that sometimes - it is the transfer case binding up. It will move - just step on the gas hard - the 4x4 is locked on, and not releasing...

Mine did it again tonight (disapointing becasue I just got the new tranny back in place - first time I backed up and turned at the same time - it grinds to a halt... Then, it will moan and groan going forward or backward for a while until the T-case decides to release (typically with a loud snap sound - and a freeing of the front axle).

That is a GEM module issue on the earlier models with the selec-trac option - and as far as I can tell, there is no fix for it... I'm on my 3rd GEM - and I've had the newest one flashed with the new routine - still no difference.

I'm going to try synthetic tranny oil in it tomorrow to see if it is better.

The word on the street about that condition is that Borg Warner developped their own computer for the T-case which sensed all 4 wheel speeds - but Ford went cheap and did their own in-house part that doesn't sense side-to-side (steering) wheel speed and adjust the T-case accordingly... Typical Ford deal. I think it is time for a class action - and they know it - there are several bulletins out about the problem and they continually say that it is "normal" for them to do that... BS... :thumbdwn: :fire:

 

[buckdropper]

Okay guys i took the X in to the tranny shop today and he called and said he found metal parts,peices in the pan bottom. Its way to cold her for me to do anything myself and with xmass knocking on the door i just took it in. He said 400 to drop and reinstall it plus what ever is wrong. I will let everyone know what the problem is but it is the tranny for sure. Not to bad i guess its got 161,000+ on it and first tranny. What does a rebuild cost any ideas.