92 4WD automatic won't shift to 2nd

[superwombat]

I have a 1992 4wd explorer with overdrive that just stopped shifting into second gear. I place it in drive, and the RPMs get up to about 4000 and then it just pops into neutral. It won't engage again until I am at a near stop.

I checked the Fluid, and it's a dark brown color, but it's not low. Any ideas what this might be?? Or am I looking at a new tranny now.

 

[Opera House]

Try it in manual 2. If it doesn't move, you likely snapped the intermediate band. Nothing to do but pull tranny and open it up. Likey find a small strut block in the pan if you drop it.

 

[superwombat]

Manual 2 behaves the exact same way as drive. The truck DOES move, but only up to about 25 Mph....

Thanks for your help....

 

[Blee1099]

I see two problems right now.. Your transmission fluid is dark brown and it is low.. The A4LD is very tempermental, try seeing if doing a pan drop & filter change on the tranny will help. If not it might be time to do a rebuild on the tranny. I just wish Ford would have put a more bulletproof trannsmission in the Explorers..

 

[Opera House]

There is a big difference between going into "neureal" and having high rpm in first and not shifting into second. This could indicate that the speed governor is sticking. Your last post indicates that 2nd stays engaged. You need to be very specific in your terms.

 

[superwombat]

OK.... both of the above are true.... it goes up to 25 MPH and then shifts into neutral instead of second. This happens in both Drive, Overdrive, and Low 2. It sounded like he was responding to my first post assuming that the truck was not shifting into any gear at all, which is why I attempted to clarify and apperently muddied the waters more.

Also the fluid is NOT low, but it is brown.

Hey thanks a lot for all of your help and answers here. I appriciate you guys taking your time to give me some assistance.

 

[Opera House]

"it goes up to 25 MPH and then shifts into neutral instead of second. This happens in both Drive, Overdrive, and Low 2." I can believe that in D and OD but not in Low 2. It should start and stay in low 2. There is no shifting out of low 2. It will either move you or it won't. It sounds like you problem is a sticking speed governor located in the extension housing. The valve spool gets scored but can easily be polished with some light sandpaper.

Do you also have a delayed engagment in reverse? The low/reverse O ring in this servo is known to leak and lower pressure. This causes slipping of the band in 1st and reverse.