03 Explorer sliping in 1st/3rd OD light staying on

[WayneBohall]

I have to slow down my RPM's to get the 1st and 3rd gear to catch and the Over drive light blinks constantly. If any of you have had the same issue and fixed it I would love to hear how.

I have a 2003 Eddie Bauer edition with a All wheel / 4 wheel transmission and a V6 4.0 SOHC engine.

I just bought it used so I don't know to much of its history.

 

[bizzs]

I have a 2003 Explorer that had the same problem 3 years ago. The cause was a broken servo. There is plenty of information on this site regarding this defect that Ford will not admit to. The repair is costly and can average anywhere between 2,000 to 4,000.

I chose the cheap fix from fordservoboretransmissionfixsolution.com. It was around 200 for both servos and the website gives you great video and written instructions. It is not that hard of a job and can be completed within 6 hours, or a mechanic can have it completed within 3 hours.

The first thing is to get a scanner and check for codes. The codes will give you an idea to what the problem may be. Additionally, the solenoid packs go bad in these transmission. You can find cheap rebuilt solenoid packs on the net, but a lot of people on this site recommend to buy new instead of taking the chance of buying a used defective one.

good luck,
bizzs

 

[WayneBohall]

Thanks for the input. The video was pretty in depth and I have a better sense of what to expect before I take this problem on. I'll look into a survo pack.
I'll hookup the scanner to it and see what it throws at me.
I remember my brother in-law had a similar repair to do on his a couple years back. He and I had more trouble taking the transmission out than the actual work needed. He ended up taking the transmission in and having them do the work, saved a bit on labor that way.

I just bought the truck for 800 after someone bought the one i was looking at so I'm figuring out if I want to fix it or sell it. Ether way I'm looking to put in some work on it, hopefully with out buying a whole new transmission for it.
Again Thank you.