Ford Explorer OHV 4l OD Light flashing! | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Jovnna0901

Active Member
Joined
November 10, 2013
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Location
North Norway
Year, Model & Trim Level
Ford Explorer 1995
Hey, i got the infamous OD light flashing on me... And at first the truck was all normal. But now when i stop at a Junction to wait on a car its like the converter stops working. You can push Down the throtlle, and rev the engine. But you won't move before you change it from "drive" to "1" gear. It's similar too when the converter don't have enough ATF in it, so it can't build up pressure...

All startet when i went offroading. Standing still, i put the gear from "D" to "N" and then turned on 4x4 LOW. When i then did put in "D" the light startet flashing on me.

I run 32s, and i have not been driving that much miles with them. Maybe 7k km. The truck has 250k km on it in total.

After the OD light startet flashing, i did a fluid change, with new ATF fluid and filter. In hope it was a sticky solenoid.

This problem startet AFTER i did the fluid change. Changed 5 liter of fluid. Can it be, that i filled on the wrong ATF? Because i did not buy Ford OEM fluid. but something els, that was recomended for Ford.

It's also feels like the converter are "slipping" when you push down the throtlle to get "kick down".

So, do you fellow explorers have any sugestion on this problem?

Kindly regards
John :)
 



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Hi John, unfortunately you have classic symptoms of a broken low sprag, I think when you went offroading it put a little more stress on a already worn and weak sprag and caused it to fail. When it can't hold it wont have forward unless manual low is selected, it you had lost reverse as well the failure would be with the input sprag.

The low sprag is in the bottom of the case and requires a complete tear down to get to it, so it's either replace or rebuild the transmission at this point.
 






Hi John, unfortunately you have classic symptoms of a broken low sprag, I think when you went offroading it put a little more stress on a already worn and weak sprag and caused it to fail. When it can't hold it wont have forward unless manual low is selected, it you had lost reverse as well the failure would be with the input sprag.

The low sprag is in the bottom of the case and requires a complete tear down to get to it, so it's either replace or rebuild the transmission at this point.

Hi James! Thanks for reply!

will it not be alot of metal in the oil if the low sprag are broken? When i did the oil change the oil was fine, dirty, but fine. No metal in it. Maybe i shall check the old filter for metal pollution?

the sprag is like a bearing right?

The reverse work and all the other gears. But it happend to when i drove it at 10mph, the trans just dropped out. And i needed to stop, and change to gear "1", then the trans worked again...
 






But as you say, the truck is old. And the sprag is proberly damaged...

I tough it had to be something with the converter or a solenoid... But i'am not a genious at Automatic transmissions so are more then willing to listen. :)
 






What happends if i drive it more? Will the transmission damage it self more, and more?

Because if you drive with a bad rod bearing in an engine, it will spread to other tings aswell... :)
 






I run 32s, and i have not been driving that much miles with them. Maybe 7k km. The truck has 250k km on it in total.
Unless you regeared the axles, I would think running the 32s had something to do with the problem.
 






A failed sprag can fail and create very little debris, a sprag is a one way clutch that locks one way and free wheels the other way, what usually happens is that the metal locks wear to a point and flip over and allows a free wheel situation when it should lock.

You could drive it more if needed and there is always a chance of further damage if you continue using it.
 






Unless you regeared the axles, I would think running the 32s had something to do with the problem.

I did not regear the axles, that was the next mode on the plan :p Stupid chose to run 32s before regearing axles then. :p
 






A failed sprag can fail and create very little debris, a sprag is a one way clutch that locks one way and free wheels the other way, what usually happens is that the metal locks wear to a point and flip over and allows a free wheel situation when it should lock.

You could drive it more if needed and there is always a chance of further damage if you continue using it.

Okay, i see. that's why it feels like it slipping when you give it some throttle. because the metal Locks is so worn that it's flips over because of the torque.

The tires is 32s, so the gearing will have some inpact there to, but it did not feel like that in the start.

but, will not the converter have anything to do with this? Or is it more a interaction with the diffrent clutches in the trans? :)
 






Nothing to do with the converter, the converter doesn't do anything different in reverse and manual low, you have lost a mechanical connection inside the transmission.
 






Nothing to do with the converter, the converter doesn't do anything different in reverse and manual low, you have lost a mechanical connection inside the transmission.

Roger that James! Thanks for the input!

Now is the hard choose between a rebuild or replace. :)
 






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