Well, it's common because the transmissions in Explorers in these years are not very long lasting.
I have the same code right now P0775. I've done a little research re replacing the solenoid block - I'll send links later when I'm home. I've also read that for some folks this particular code was thrown when it was not the solenoid block, rather, a cracked servo piston.
Let's keep in touch on this one... same code, somewhat similar symptoms. Insights and discoveries between us would be great.
I think I'm going to start by doing a band adjustment and see if it corrects the problem.
Cheers
Jim
Here's a link to a Servo Bore "FIX" kit. $199. Might be a solution for some of us.
http://www.fordservoboretransmissionfixsolution.com/
Here is a description of the symptoms from their "History" page.
5R55W AND 5R55S TRANSMITION FIX Patent Pending Patent Application 61/431,988
We have instructions and fixes that were developed after plenty of research, design, and reasoning into the following issues with the Ford/Mercury Mountaineer 5R55W and other type transmissions with the worn bore issue.
Symptoms of original 5R55W Transmission 2002 Mercury Mountaineer, 4.6L V8, All Wheel Drive, 104,000 miles after one rebuild around 76,000 miles for broken bands:
1. Transmission would not hold in OD/5th gear. It gradually gets worse. Eventually the transmission would not shift back into OD unless you were going down an incline. It would shift out of OD after any sign of load especially after the transmission warms up.
2. Transmission would not shift out of 1st gear into the intermediate range. The engine would redline and not shift unless you let up on the accelerator. It would shift from 1st to 2nd if you accelerated very slowly.
3. A combination of one and or two would produce a flashing OD light and eventually give you a service engine soon light.
4. Codes returned for the described situation P0775 Pressure Control Solenoid B Circuit Malfunction.
Things Checked and done prior to final fix:
1. All transmission solenoids and sensors were checked for the proper resistance. All checked OK.
2. Did a tune-up on the engine. No difference was noticed.
3. Replaced the throttle position sensor. No difference was noticed.
4. Had the Ford dealer check out the transmission. Recommendation was a full rebuild or a replacement with a rebuild at a cost of around $2,600 to $3,100.
5. Discussed with the Ford technician what he thought the issue was, and he suggested that the OD and Intermediate servo bores were wore and needed to be bored out, reamed, and sleeved. This is what got me looking into a design that would fix this much easier and much more cost effective that I could do myself, without dropping the transmission.
After analysis, we concluded that the technician’s diagnosis was probably correct. It fit the symptoms. The two servos work the following way: There is a port in the transmission bore for each that feeds fluid into a cross bore in the servo shaft and up through a counter bore in the shaft to the back side of the piston of each. The pistons have seals that allow pressure to build up between the sealed servo cover and the piston. The shafts for the servos are hardened (very hard!) steel going through a machined aluminum bore in the transmission case (brilliant design!). This gives you a situation of a very hard metal, rubbing against softer aluminum, so the aluminum wears. This causes two things. When the transmission is trying to pump fluid between the cover and the piston, it also pumps fluid on the opposite side of the piston through the increased clearances, so those forces are fighting themselves. Also, the transmission bypasses some of the fluid and, therefore, pressure into the area where the bands are located. So what you have is less pressure available because of the bypass, and a reduced pressure on the bands due to fluid pressure building up on both sides of the piston.
The Solution is to Machine O-Ring Grooves into the servo rods.
We have for sale here and on Ebay, instructions and/or instructions with machined servos including the o-rings for the 5R55W/N/S/E transmissions. With the parts and instructions, you can replace the servos in two to four hours depending on what tools and equipment you have available. We have had this fix in a Mountaineer for 45,000 miles now with no problems whatsoever. We have had people put these in with 160,000 miles and it fixed the problems. The instructions will give you the tricks to get the job done correctly and quickly, without dropping the transmission. The instructions include recommended tools, pictures, and step-by-step instructions. Boring the housing will cost you $400-$500 in tools, and lot more work.
NOTE: One thing that is recommended is to do a band adjustment on your vehicle to make sure you do not have a broken or excessively worn band. Also if you can do the adjustment and have similiar adjustment left on the OD as is left on the IM the bands most likely are not worn bad enough that they need to be replaced.
Please note that this information is proprietary and should not be copied or disseminated without my expressed and written permission. PATENT PENDING
AJ1E Superior Solutions, LLC
Brian
