I need help with the transmission in my 1997 Explorer.

[07zx6r]

Im new to this forum my name is nicholas and im working on my wifes 1997 2wd explorer with what is supposed to have a 5r55e i need to know how to make sure it is a 5r55e the tag seams to be missing My father in law previously put in a tranny from junk yard anyways assuming it is a 5r55e i need to know what solenoid will not allow it to downshift into first. It does not shift in to first or od. If i take off in drive it is in third and cuts out real bad almost like its flooding, downshifts when i shift into 2nd manually but not first. when im at highway speed and press od off button it does not downshift The check engine light came on and autozones scan tool said "deffective shift solenoid 1 circuit" , "deffective tcc solenoid" , deffective epc solenoid" i have purchased and replaced shift solenoid 1 but the diagram i found on this forum was labeled shift solenoids a b c and d i assumed a was number 1? I am going tomorrow to purchace epc and tcc solenoids which i found for 33 dollars each I was just wondering if anyone else know anything more about this and if ssa is shift solenoid 1 thanks in advance for any input! also i could not find any better place to post this thread on this forum this is pretty much the first forum i have ever joined any better suggestions are welcomed

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! I've renamed your thread, and moved it into the transmissions & transfer cases section. I suspect that the internal wiring harness is bad or corrosion is in the bulkhead connector. It's unlikely for all of the solenoids to be bad.

 

[07zx6r]

Thanks for the reply... I thought the same thing but the connector and harness showed no corrosion. The problem started towing a small trailer Loaded with four wheeler up to ozark national forest. It was kind of a steep rocky gravel rd. The epc and tcc solenoids we $165 for the pair. I hope it fixes it. I'll repost after the install!

 

[BrooklynBay]

$165 is a big price swing from your original price of $66. Where did you purchase them from? Make sure that they are the correct solenoids for your 5R55E. You should have a red band around the EPC filter.

 

[07zx6r]

I do have a red band and the one I bought does to. The shift solenoids were about 35 each. The epc and tcc were more than I anticipated. Also when autozone did the check engine test it brought up two o2 sensor alerts... The check engine light was not on before the trip on the bumby rd. Is it possible a connection/fuse has been lost else where. I purchased the solenoids from tranny parts supply in little rock Arkansas. The dealers had the shift solenoids at 75 and 115 each so I figured they would be cheaper on epc and
Tcc. They were the cheapest around.

 

[07zx6r]

Well $225 in solenoids fluid and filter fixed nothing! Anyone know of any connections anywhere else that have to do with the solenoids and o2 sensors that may of come unplugged...maybe up behind the firewall? But if that were the case then all six solenoids should have given a alert to check engine light scan right? Also I read somewhere about doing an ohm test on solenoids I need more info on this if anyone has some to share thanks.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Was the internal wiring harness tested from point to point with a continuity tester?

 

[07zx6r]

No. I didn't think the wiring would of gone bad like that. I have a multimeter with dc amp setting. What is the best way to check continuity of the harness....

 

[BrooklynBay]

Use the continuity setting to check each wire. Follow the color code from the external bulkhead to the internal connectors. You could use the regular resistance scale to check the internal temperature sensor.

 

[07zx6r]

Will they have power going to them all with the tranny in park and key on? I don't have a power probe or anything similar that provides the power to test for shorts or broken line.

 

[07zx6r]

How common is it for the wiring harness to go bad? Thanks for your help btw

 

[BrooklynBay]

They could go bad just like any other part.

 

[07zx6r]

Did you read my post about getting power in park?

 

[BrooklynBay]

A multimeter or a continuity tester is battery powered to provide the necessary testing outside of the vehicle.

 

[07zx6r]

Well it turnes out it was an oxygen sensor fuse in the power distribution block under the hood. I allways check fuses,circuit breakers, fuseiable links and relays when a problem comes up but in the rush to fix my wifes explorer I forgot the most common rule of thumb. Also never in a million years would I of thought one 15 amp minifuse would affect two 02 sensors and three shift solenoids. ALSO why does ford not label the fuses/relays on the inside of the cover to fuse panel and dist. block? Me not being the original owner I did not have the owners manual to reference too and my chilton repair manual did not show my particular distribution block, only the fuse panel. The fuse was blown beacuse when m father in law put in the tranny he did not use the brackets and push in grommets that are in plain view to hold the wiring in place, so when we hit all those bumbs the 02 sensor connector on the passanger side came into contact with the exhaust and burnt it just enough to cause a short. When I first took a look underneath the truck I found the connecter slightly melted and stuck to the cat. The wiring has now been secured to where it should of been in the first damn place!

 

[BrooklynBay]

Thanks for the update!