Help!!

[Camellia301]

I'm like Cindy, poor but I'm also tired of things going wrong with my 2 explorers.

New Scenario for the 2000 xlt:
On Wednesday, I was sitting at a light and went to take off and found that I was no longer in gear(Drive), so I went to put it in park and shut it off and it sounded like a loud screeching noise, but park never engaged! If I took my foot off the brakes I was slowly inching into the busy highway. So after 2 minutes of foot on brake and turned off the ignition, I started the car back up, put back in drive and it drove for a 1/4 mile then fell out of gear in flight. Pulled over did it all again and made it home. 1 person told me it could be the linkage????? 2 person said the shifter????? and the other person said it can't be tranny bcuz it wouldn't have gone back into gear after sitting at all??? Could someone help me pin my problem down.... I have just changed the rear differential & its Fluid & the Tranny fluid which was dark but not burnt..... Please Help!!!!

 

[blenton]

Could be as simple as the transmission being low on fluid. Automatics are just big hydraulic lines (think of a straw that you drink soda out of). If there is an issue anywhere in the line, the whole thing goes caput. In this case, if it is low on fluid, it's like when you get down to the very last bit of soda - you can start to suck it up through the straw, but when the fluid runs out at the bottom, you can't get that last little bit up. So you stop for a second, the soda drains back down to the bottom, and you try again. Thus, if you don't have enough fluid in the trans, it will start out a drive for a short while, then pop out of gear once you run out of fluid.

Also, has the fluid ever been changed? Dark and dirty fluid could cause valve body issues, which tells you transmission what gear to be in. So changing the fluid might help. Personally, I like to drop the pan, change the filter, and refill as opposed to doing a flush. You can also check the pan for sediment (when the clutch packs wear out it leaves a bunch of stuff that looks just like sand in your transmission) and metal shavings which would indicate a more serious problem.

 

[Pensa]

I had essentially the same problem you have. The problem was a dirty filter. The tranny would check full or even over filled but the dirty filter was causing the tranny to not get the flow of fluid it needed.

If you don't know when the filter was last changed I would start there.

Oh, and I did take mine to a transmission shop and they said I needed a rebuild for around $1500. I didn't think it needed a rebuild and I was right. The filter and 5 quarts of fluid was around $45. The transmission has been working fine for about three years now, no further problems with it.

 

[Camellia301]

Could be as simple as the transmission being low on fluid. Automatics are just big hydraulic lines (think of a straw that you drink soda out of). If there is an issue anywhere in the line, the whole thing goes caput. In this case, if it is low on fluid, it's like when you get down to the very last bit of soda - you can start to suck it up through the straw, but when the fluid runs out at the bottom, you can't get that last little bit up. So you stop for a second, the soda drains back down to the bottom, and you try again. Thus, if you don't have enough fluid in the trans, it will start out a drive for a short while, then pop out of gear once you run out of fluid.

Also, has the fluid ever been changed? Dark and dirty fluid could cause valve body issues, which tells you transmission what gear to be in. So changing the fluid might help. Personally, I like to drop the pan, change the filter, and refill as opposed to doing a flush. You can also check the pan for sediment (when the clutch packs wear out it leaves a bunch of stuff that looks just like sand in your transmission) and metal shavings which would indicate a more serious problem.

Thanx I did change all oils except engine in both the 95 & 00 just two weeks ago... it was dirty but not dark or burnt or gritty. added a gallon of merc v and 1 qrt lucas trans fix to both. On the 00 just changed a bad rear diff and did the fluids (tranny, frt&rear diffs and transfer case) Put some of lucas every where... I will check the levels to see but the 00 is now popping in & out of gear also so I will be taking it in for a tranny read too.... If it was the tranny I don't think it would go back into gear and then not do it again for weeks. My dad drove it no prob... never did it, my uncle drove it no prob... never did it.. yet 2 days before it did it to me twice in a 1 mile stretch from the walmart to home!!! What gives, do they hate me or what!!

 

[Camellia301]

I had essentially the same problem you have. The problem was a dirty filter. The tranny would check full or even over filled but the dirty filter was causing the tranny to not get the flow of fluid it needed.

If you don't know when the filter was last changed I would start there.

Oh, and I did take mine to a transmission shop and they said I needed a rebuild for around $1500. I didn't think it needed a rebuild and I was right. The filter and 5 quarts of fluid was around $45. The transmission has been working fine for about three years now, no further problems with it.

Pensa, Tranny shops are Evil!!! I put my cross finger up whenever I have to cross their door thresholds... I leave there enraged every time I go even just for a read..... Hopefully these 2 will be the last reads for a few years or until I can afford and 06+!