2003 Explorer Transmission solenoid and overdrive servo

[DENALIJOE]

Hi All, My 2003 Explorer XLT 4x4, 4.0 77K miles driven lightly and never towed..Had a problem with the transmission not coming out of 1st gear unless I let off the gas pedal and kind of manually shifted it with the gas pedal and it would not go in to overdrive(5th). Then the overdrive light started to flash and it threw a service engine light. I went to auto zone to get the code read and it said P0775 and another code that said 5th gear ratio wrong. After reading these threads I replaced the solenoid in the trans and it did the same with no repair. I talked to a Ford tech at the local dealer and he said to replace the overdrive servo and adjust the band. I got him to do it and he update the trans programming and now it is back to new. I wish I knew if it was fixed before the reprogrammed was done but he did it all at one time. I wrote this thread because I was told by the dealer earlier and a trans shop that they would have to pull the trans for more testing or a rebuild which was expensive. The overdrive servo was done in 2 hours or less and only cost $30.00 for the parts and I gave the tech 200.00 for labor and the reprogram. I was going to do the servo myself but thought for 150.00 labor he new what to do if something went wrong(which I don't with transmissions).
I hope this may help others with these symptoms like mine, he said this is now common.

 

[shadowless127]

i had my 3rd gear servo and solenoids replaced @ 60K.... I am resigned to the fact that in the next 30K-40K (most likely) I will have to get a rebuild....****ty 5r55 series trans

 

[flsabeti]

My 2003 Explorer XLT, 4x4, 4.0 73K miles

Hi All, My 2003 Explorer XLT 4x4, 4.0 77K miles driven lightly and never towed..Had a problem with the transmission not coming out of 1st gear unless I let off the gas pedal and kind of manually shifted it with the gas pedal and it would not go in to overdrive(5th). Then the overdrive light started to flash and it threw a service engine light. I went to auto zone to get the code read and it said P0775 and another code that said 5th gear ratio wrong. After reading these threads I replaced the solenoid in the trans and it did the same with no repair. I talked to a Ford tech at the local dealer and he said to replace the overdrive servo and adjust the band. I got him to do it and he update the trans programming and now it is back to new. I wish I knew if it was fixed before the reprogrammed was done but he did it all at one time. I wrote this thread because I was told by the dealer earlier and a trans shop that they would have to pull the trans for more testing or a rebuild which was expensive. The overdrive servo was done in 2 hours or less and only cost $30.00 for the parts and I gave the tech 200.00 for labor and the reprogram. I was going to do the servo myself but thought for 150.00 labor he new what to do if something went wrong(which I don't with transmissions).
I hope this may help others with these symptoms like mine, he said this is now common.

I tried the same thing but Ford Dealer refuses to follow this, they want to do what they want and to charge you arms and legs. So we will drive without the 5th gear, keeping rpm below 2500. This way is better, police cannot give us tickets for speeding. I will never buy automatic trans again.
Thanks.
fs.

 

[BrooklynBay]

This link has more information on how to replace the servos: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=262491

 

[flsabeti]

I went back to Taylor Ford and asked them just that:fixed

Hi All, My 2003 Explorer XLT 4x4, 4.0 77K miles driven lightly and never towed..Had a problem with the transmission not coming out of 1st gear unless I let off the gas pedal and kind of manually shifted it with the gas pedal and it would not go in to overdrive(5th). Then the overdrive light started to flash and it threw a service engine light. I went to auto zone to get the code read and it said P0775 and another code that said 5th gear ratio wrong. After reading these threads I replaced the solenoid in the trans and it did the same with no repair. I talked to a Ford tech at the local dealer and he said to replace the overdrive servo and adjust the band. I got him to do it and he update the trans programming and now it is back to new. I wish I knew if it was fixed before the reprogrammed was done but he did it all at one time. I wrote this thread because I was told by the dealer earlier and a trans shop that they would have to pull the trans for more testing or a rebuild which was expensive. The overdrive servo was done in 2 hours or less and only cost $30.00 for the parts and I gave the tech 200.00 for labor and the reprogram. I was going to do the servo myself but thought for 150.00 labor he new what to do if something went wrong(which I don't with transmissions).
I hope this may help others with these symptoms like mine, he said this is now common.

$393.17 fixed the problem! It was it! Piston and Rod - Overdrive Ser $24.60, GB Cover $23.82, AA Ring $5.48, Seal $3.50, 3 HRS Labor $300 Completely Satisfied.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Thanks for the update!

 

[osheam]

Same problem; replaced the solenoid, no joy: the problem was the overdrive servo. Suggest to others to check the servo before replacing the solenoid pack, its alot cheaper!

 

[Drivembig]

I have a 2002 Explorer with half the problem......I have to lift off the pedal to get it to change from 1st gear to 2nd, but it seems that it shifts in all other gears fine. It doesn't do it as bad when O/D is on, but if I turn O/D off it does it worse.

I have no blinking O/D light, nor do I have any check engine light on. And, it seems to be shifting into O/D. although, I noticed last night that I was doing 70mph on the interstate and was running 3000 RPM....

My wife drives the truck, I have a PSD F350, so the truck seems week to me most of the time and I really don't know what the norm is for it.

At 70MPH, does 3000 rpm sound about right?

Thanks for any advice...

 

[miker104]

70 mph @ 3000 rpm seems high to me.

In my 4 speed auto Subaru 80 mph = 3000 rpm.

Think my Explorer @ 70 mph is around 2000/2500 rpm?

 

[Drivembig]

Yea, I'm thinking maybe mine isn't going into overdrive afterall. Does the overdrive servo affect both 1st gear and overdrive?

 

[bklusa1]

These were similar symptoms to mine ('03 XLT) a month or so back and I ended up needing a full rebuild... good luck though, hopefully it's something simple for you! I had no 2nd gear and 5th wouldn't go into o/d, just got the flashing light and service engine light out of nowhere one night at around 69k miles... $2150 later and she's running good again...

 

[loneinventor]

common problem

:thumbdwn: just got my 02' mounty back. 3 weeks and $2200 later. tranny runs and shifts awsome. was told very common problem with early 3rd gens..
in the mean time had to get my ass to work, found a 05' limited 4wd v-8. want to set it up for surf fishing this one has the low range that mounty's awd doesn't.

 

[Drivembig]

Well, I was able to drive the Explorer for a bit this weekend. The problems that I am having is that it will not shift from 1st to 2nd without lifting off the throttle, and the tranny isn't shifting into O/D at all. While crusising down the interstate at 70mph, I turned O/D off and on and no difference in rpm. There isn't any check engine lights on and the O/D light isn't blinking. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Check the bands to see if they are broken or out of alignment.

 

[RickOTR]

I started having the same problem with my Overdrive servo at around 210K miles, but the tranny lasted until 270K before I had to have it replaced. In warm tempertures it would shift into overdrive fine, but when it was below freezing it would take at least 10 minutes to shift into overdrive on the highway. Now I am wondering if the OD servo was my problem all along.

 

[Drivembig]

The tranny had some work done on it just before I got it and it's still under warranty. The only problem is that I have to take it about an hour and a half away and leave it. The bill was in the truck and the parts that were replaced were all pertaining to the overdrive. I guess I'll take it back to them and let them tell me that something else is wrong with it and the warranty only covers what they repaired........That's what I figure will happen anyway...

If I could be pretty sure that it is the overdrive servo then I would just go ahead and replace it, but I'm not a good tranny guy....

 

[exploder1042]

I have a 99 EB with the 5R55E, and one day while taking off from a red light, the engine flared up in rpms between the 1st and second gear. Then my O/D light started flashing! This was at 98K miles. Took it to trans guy he said and showed to me that the intermediate/overdrive band was broken right at the clip! 800 bucks later the band was replaced and it did it again 1000 miles later! And he told me that this was a possibility because something was wrong for the first one to break! So now at 189K miles same trans same broken band, trucks still goes! I just have to manually shift it from fisrt to second after O/D light starts flashing! So the point to my story is if your 5R55E is shifting way too fast through the gears, then your servo is bad!!! Replace it before it breaks the band!!!!!!