2002 Explorer XLT Tranny kaput | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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2002 Explorer XLT Tranny kaput

tdeasley

Member
Joined
September 28, 2004
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Location
Louisville, Ky
City, State
Louisville, Ky
Year, Model & Trim Level
2013 Explorer Limited
This may be long winded but I am need of help. I have an '02 Explorer that has less than 46,000 miles and the transmission has gone south. It decided all of a sudden that it could no longer shift from second to third anymore. And there was no advance warning. When I left work Friday evening I got in my truck, started it up and drove off. Shifted fine from 1st to 2nd, but all of a sudden to get it to shift from 2nd to 3rd I had to wind the engine up to 3000-3500 rpm, get off the gas and then accelerate again to get it to shift up. Then, after the second or third time doing this, the overdrive light started blinking rapidly. Great! If I pull over and restart the car it resets the light but it still doesn't shift. Got it into the dealer Monday morning and they are telling me that they have no idea what is going on with it just that 3rd gear is gone and that they'll have to pull it out and take a look, starting with a $650. price tag just for doing that. Now I have read posts on here where people have experienced the exact same problems, so what I need is e-mails, url's, whatever I can get to document that this is a problem so I can show it to the dealer. It may not do any good, but if I have enough documentation, they hopefully can't ignore it and give me a break on the service. I am in need of help here everyone!

Tim Easley
 



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if third gear was gone then it would try to shift to third gear but when i goes into third gear it would just slip.. that trans is electornicaly controlled do a search on this forum for transmission problems and you should find something that might help
 






Isn't there a drivetrain warranty that would cover this? Did they pull the computer codes for the drivetrain? The intermediate band is applied and the overdrive band is released for the 2nd-3rd shift in the 5R55E (which is the transmission model you have). This model number might help you search out the posts that contain this problem. These bands are controlled with solenoids (electronic valves) from the computer, so it could be an issue where the computer needs to be "flashed" (updated with new instructions). I've read that this has had to be done on some people's Explorers to get the tranny to shift correctly.
 






The 2000 model year 5R's (some of them at least) DID need a PCM reflashing procedure... check for TSB's on this. At 45K I'm FAR more suspicious of the electronic components than the hydraulic or mechanical ones.... remember, ALL the shifting is electronically controlled.
 






Where can I find the TSB's?

Where on the internet can I find the Technical Service Bulletins for this truck? I used to have a url where I could find them, but it is long gone. Thanks!
 












Well I got the bad news today from the dealership. The intermediate shift band is broken, and the shift packs are inoperative. $2100.00! All on a transmission that has less than 46,000 miles on it, and even the service manager says the transmission shows no signs of heavy use or of any misuse or damage. This is insane. Has anyone out there heard of anything like this?!?
 






The '02s did need reflashed. Atleast the V8s. Ours has just completed its first build at the dealer with only 33k miles. Welcome to the club I guess. :(
 






I have heard of intermediate bands breaking from Glacier991. This concerns me because I was planning on oversizing the servos (pistons that put force/tension on the band) on my A4LD rebuild to the 5R55E sizes (they are larger but fit in the same case). I had an overdrive band wear down to the point where the rivets let go (kind of like when your breaks are so worn that the rivets holding on the brake pad wear agains the disk or drum) and had a freed band anchor wedge underneath a drum, causing all sorts of problems.

Shift packs also? I could understand one thing going wrong, but two simultaneous failure events....questionable at best.

Here's some pitures of the end of the band after the anchor came off (it should be attached with rivets through the holes):
2713339.jpg


This is one of the anchor that came off and got wedged under a drum:
2713340.jpg


This is what was left inside the drum (those used to be springs):
2713356.jpg


And last, these used to be springs and little posts that the springs sat on:
2713357.jpg


If a band broke, some very intense damage can happen in a very short amount of time. One of the problems with just reeplacing the tranny is that the contamination (metallic sludge/mud/muck) is spread throughout the transmission and transmission cooling system (including the torque converter, cooling lines, radiator, and auxilary cooler). I don't know how bad it was, if metallic contamination was a problem, or if you caught it so soon after it broke that the contamination wasn't generated, but you should ask. It is one of the major causes of returns on transmission jobs (and that is only to get you past the warranty period).

Contamination after a failure is such a problem that Ford put out several technical service bulletin on it - I think this is the lastest one for the coolers (others involve the torque converter, etc.):
http://www.alldatadiy.com/alldata/A...56351048/34853741/34850750/42063452/101829619

Sorry you this happened to you. Did you ask if the broken parts (band) can be given to you (keeps you from getting scammed and maybe you could post or e-mail a pic for anaysis)?

BTW, I was quoted $2500 from a dealer for a cheaper version of that transmission (A4LD, cheaper because it doesn't have a number of the expensive electronic parts).
 






The "inoperative" clutch packs raise some red flags in my mind. An intermediate band breaking... maybe it's just bad luck. The operation of the clutches is controlled by the valve body applying pressure to a piston within them. If true, you probably gunked up the valve body in the process.... I mean if the band broke, and was driven a while "sick" it could throw some debris...

I will assusme for purposes of argument they pulled the pan, pulled the valve body, put on an air pressure test plate and air tested each circuit. That is about the only way one could make such a statement regarding clutch packs that I can think of.
 






That's what I was thinking....it doesn't take very much debris to clog up the small ports on the electrically controlled solenoids, causing the clutch packs to not engage or not engage with enough pressure to give it adequate holding force (which would burn them up in a short distance).

But besides what diagnostic procedure they followed, the tranny would have to be pulled to replace the band, and since the removal/intallation labor makes up half the cost, not rebuilding/replacing it would be putting dimes before dollars.
 






Well, I certainly concur that if it is out of the car, at that mileage, go ahead and rebuild...only makes sense. I'd also want them to pay close attention to flushing everything flushable (lines and cooler for example) if there's metal contamination, and replacing the TC in the process. FORD used to have a flushing machine for TC's. I don't think they use it anymore... the safest course is anytime you have metal contamination... FLUSH The cooler and REPLACE the TC.
 






and get them to put a least one strip magnet in the pan...it does help. ; )
 






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