5r55e No overdrive & shifting rough 1st to 2nd

[SonicBlue302]

Hey guys/gals. I've read thru a few threads on the 5r55e n common issues but wanted some feedback from you all. My 01' Ranger has 168k and about 1k miles ago the "o/d off" light flashes once i'm over 60mph or once the car has reached normal operating temps. Once i come to a stop and take off it also shifts rough from 1-2 with a thud on the tranny(Not sure if this is what's considered as shift flare). If i turn off the truck n turn back on, it stops shifting rough from 1-2 but recently the o/d won't engage anymore. I recently changed the fluid, TCC solenoid, & VB gasket but its still doing the same thing n its killing my MPGs but i sure would like to fix it before matters get worse. Based on the reading ive done around im down to the conclusion that it may be the O/D servo, although i'm not sure of the symptoms, or the Torque Converter since i've read that many people confuse the o/d not engaging, when in fact its the converter that isnt locking up. Funny thing is when i first got it scanned and the p0741(TCC no converter lock-up i believe)code came up, it would still engage the o/d sometimes when driving over 60mph. Once i changed it and put in a new TCC solenoid though, the car just won't go into o/d at all and ive noticed that im driving around 400rpm more when going between 60-65mph. Any feedback from you would be greatly appreciated since i'm sure someone on here has had the same issue and hopefully i can find a solution. Thanks once again.

 

[JK080]

It sounds like the converter is not locking, its a common failure and can be caused a few different reasons. The most common failure is the converter itself and the everything thing else is in the pump and valve body. The extra 400 RPMS would fit with a converter that cannot lock, plus it set the code.

When the code is set the computer raises the line pressure and thats why the shifts are more noticeable, fix the P0741 code and the hard shifts will go away. When you cycle the key it resets the computer and the shifts will return to normal until the code resets.

 

[SonicBlue302]

Thanks for the feedback JK080. I thought that by changing the TCC solenoid the p0741 code would go away but it came back. It makes sense that its probably the converter as the tranny shifts fine with no slippage until i go 60+mph which is when the converter is supposed to lockup and it doesnt. Also when i changed the fluid i havent seen any metal shavings or anything showing any major damage occuring internally but i'm not a master tranny tech so I can't really verify that so i'm open to any feedback on that. Prior to all this happening i remember sometimes when driving between 40-50mph it felt like if the tranny/converter wouldnt make up its mind whether to go into o/d or not. Im also guessing that since recently i started hauling a 12x6 enclosed trailer from time to time this added to the converter going out faster. So, in conclusion, do you think my next step should be to remove & replace my converter since i had already changed the TCC solenoid and VB gasket and the problem remains? Also, should i consider a converter thats slightly more "heavy duty" compared to stock since i haul a trailer every once in a while, or should i just get a factory replacement one? When it comes to me hauling a trailer on the highway, I was told that its recommended for me to drive with the o/d off in order to put less stress on the tranny and the converter. Once again thanks for any feedback in advanced.

 

[SonicBlue302]

Update

Hey guys forgot to update you all on the issues i was having with my truck but wanted to thank JK080 for his advice as he hit the nail on the head with my issue since it was indeed a bad torque converter. I went ahead and purchased a tc from a guy up in Cali. thru ebay for around $120 and spent around $400-450 at the end of the day for everything including labor, which beats paying $1,200+ for a complete rebuild. Now my truck rides n shifts smooth like before and my MPGs have gotten alot better. Thanks for the expert advice once again JK080.