Help! Tranny issues! 2002 auto 5 speed

[George W]

Helln my 2002 Ford Ranger. This summer I lost a tranny cooler line ( a rusty spot on the line right next to the cooler hose ).I made it to the parts store replaced the bad part of the line with hose long enough to slip into the cooler on each side. I filled the tranny with Mercon V, (Napa brand).. all was fine till yesterday.. OD light flashes, slips in D and very slow going in R to the point it almost don't. If I let it sit for a min. and she will kind a slid into R.. I didn't hook up a code reader but to me mine feels fluid starved.. I wonder if I crushed the cooler line when I tightened the hose clamps I installed two clamps on each end of the line( I didn't want the hose to slip off. replacing the hose going to the cooler I did both when I was under there.. The tranny never gave me a issue of any kind before this and was 100% after I replace the cooler hoses back a in the fall.. I have about 126000 on the truck.. Fluid is clean and full. in fact I added a tad more just to see if there was a diffidence.. OK Band adj. I can get to the front most band but for the heck of me I could not get to the band that rear most it's rusted .. I have it lubed up now so that should help.. Could some one tell be what the front most band does and what the rear most band does? Could I just adj, the front most band and luck out? Please help!! My wife already put down money on a 2007 Toyota 4X4. D day is end of tomorrow to fix this Ranger.. We just sunk 500 bucks on new rotors brakes brake lines and ABS sensor...PLEASE HELP!! George

 

[George W]

I have a little more info!

I worked on it all this morning on my back on ice for 4 1/2 hours.. I went through all the hose fittings I thought maybe restricting the fluid in the cooler lines I had replaced.. I warmed her up drove her went through all the gears and then checked the fluid level it was well in the crossed pattern on the dip stick to the top of it.. I had some R at that time. I pulled out some of the fluid drove her again and again went through all gears and R and got the level down to the full mark.. I then decided to try and dry the R band clutch with my foot on the brake while still in R but real easy on the gas. Well I have no R at this time..Before that I had engagement of R it just took a little gas to fully engage it..If the solenoid was at fault I don't think I would have felt that R pull and was able to back her up just fine after at that time, Or would that not be the case? Hope when it cool down I have R.. I'll check again when it cools off in a few hours.. Drops right into drive and pulls just fine.. can't help but wander if the Napa Mec V fluid was at fault.. In any case that is were I am now.. any more input would be great.. I guessing there was at least 1 1/2 qts over full in the tranny for a few months.. Could this have caused the issue? George

 

[George W]

Let it cool down!

2 1/2 hours later at 36 degs and still no reverse! I'll let it sit over night but I don't expect any change.. No reverse scares the bejeebers out of me... What do you guys think? I just don't have the money to through at it.. I checked out the solenoid posts and didn't see any with a no reverse issue that the solenoid block fixed.. Is there a way to check to see if I have a bad broken forward band or bad intermediate band? Will that show up as a code? I have a scanner just never hooked it up yet. George