Another one of the MANY trans questions

[EMK]

OK heres what I'm dealing with. If I manually shift I can feel every gear all the way through D. After a few miles or so I get my OD light flashing. If I push the OD button I can feel it kick out of OD.

I have stock size tires 245/xx/17 and at 55 MPH I'm at around 2200 RPM's now I though it was a lot lower than that when I first got the truck but its my wifes and I rarely drive it.

Tonight I tried to tighten the intermediate band, as per a post on this site. No I didn't use a torque wrench I just snug it up to where I feel was 10 lbs. It was completely loose when I broke the jam nut loose. I locked down the jam nut and backed it off the ramps and it felt like I had the breaks dragging, so back on the ramps I go and I backed it off one turn and it it loose again but seems to role fine. But the stinking OD light came back on.

Tomorrow I am going to Auto zone and getting a torque wrench and doing both band adjustments, am I doing something I shouldn't with these adjustments? I'm breaking the jam nut loose and screwing the center bolt in(clockwise) till it snugged up.

Also how do I tell if I have a 55E or a 55W trans?

02' Explorer XLT, 4 door, 4.0L flex fuel, 4x4.

I'm trying not to get suckered into a very expensive rebuild or a replacement. And diagnose this POS myself. Where does Ford get off with not recalling these trannys with all the problems they have. I read a tech bullitin that states the servo bores have an average lifespan of 70,000 miles????? I put twice that on a vehicle before even thinking of getting rid of it.


Thanks ahead of time guys for your help.............Mike

 

[EMK]

I guess I stumped everyone with this one. All these tranny threads I thought for sure I'd have and answer by now??????

 

[muhl5443]

you are best off getting the codes read first before you do the guess and check method. it can be any number of things!

 

[Willard]

Maybe you should get a Mod to move this thread into the transmission section for you, that would probably get you some replies.

Also realize this forum is big and threads get overlooked all the time.

 

[wth]

If your running 2200 rpm @ 55 mph with the OD on, then I'll guess you don't have fifth gear, and the band won't apply. Same band has to apply for 2nd gear also. This is what happened to my '02 EB with 67000 miles last month. Had local shop OH it for $2,000.00 with 1/12 warranty. The "popmetal" piston for mine was cracked, letting fluid bypass through the piston. Does yours have a good auto 1-2 shift and not slip in 2nd gear? I want to think that 2000 rpm should get you 70 mph.

 

[EMK]

It does feel sloppy going into 2nd. But the whole trans always shifted different to me. Would that be the servo for 2nd and OD? I can get the servos fairly cheap so to speak.

 

[35Remmy]

EMK, to be perfectly honest, for every 20 people you hear having problems with their transmission, there's 10,000 people who have never had a failure.

Mine (5R55E) failed at 90,000.

My brother's got 150,000 miles now and my dad has a little less, both with no problems.

My neighbor's 2002 Blazer dropped the transmission at just 60-something thousand miles...although even a 2002 is already 7 years old...far from new.

 

[wth]

I was on the highway yesterday and double checked what I said the other day, you should be running 70 mph @2000 rpm. If your rpm is 2200 @ 55mph, then you have a problem.

 

[markwillenbrock]

Just my thoughts, but..

My 4.0 doesn't generally get into OD until you are doing 60-ish - after which it will hold OD, on a light throttle, down to about 55mph which is 1600 - 1700rpm.

EMK, maybe you aren't going quick enough to get it to shift into OD?