HELP! 1st Gear Not Working ('98 Automatic trans)

[SSS]

have a 98 Explorer Sport 2 door with Auto 4X4 Automatic Trans.. When I put it into Drive the vehicle only revs... I am able to get it moving in 2nd gear but if I drop it back into 1st again it only revs... I suspect 1st gear is somehow shot?? ANy common problems ? Known cases of this? Expense of Fix? Thanx in advance...

 

[Alec]

Welcome!

You say you can get it moving in 2nd, but does it still rev high? If it does, your torque converter and possibly tranny is shot and you need a rebuild. If it only revs in 1st and not reverse or 2nd, then you're probably not going into first gear and it may just be the linkage that you're still in neutral.

 

[SteveVB]

Hold On - it could be as simple as a bad valve body gasket, or the valve body bolts loose. The govenor could be a cause also. Before you condem the TC or the trans have the pressures tested and I would pull the pan and inspect the VB bolts and gaskets since there seems to be a fair amount of problems in this area.

There is a thread on this problem on the site someplace and I think the fix was new gaskets for the sep plate and the VB. Do a search No First gear or valve body gasket that should get you some better information.

Check

 

[Alec]

Guess I jumped to conclusions a bit

Of course it does depend on if you also rev high in other gears besides first.

 

[X24]

I've read other threads about SOHC tranny's doing this. Most cases are caused by some gasket that is on such high demand that it's on back order.

 

[SSS]

Only 1st seems like

Guys it only "Revs" in 1st Gear/ Drive when taking off from a stop ... It will not move ... I am able to get the truck moving by starting in 2nd then upshifting back into drive... but as the vehicle slows down when coming to a stop sign, it downshifts back into 1st and now just revs again.... In other words, no 1st gear.. Also if I move the shift lever all the way down (manually putting it into 1st) from a stop it does the same thing....Does this sound like a possible problem thats an easy fix? I just did a search and found many posts about Trans problems....

 

[X24]

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