I'm really starting to hate Explorers (trans)

[Mainfraim]

So this is my 2nd Explorer but my family has had it longer. My '91 went til ~162,000 before the transmission crapped out. The '94 that I drive now crapped out at ~62,000 and it was shifting late when it was started up in the morning. Thought it might be the governor. Took it to my trans. guy that did the repairs on the '91 and '94 and he said that it's shaving and that it's time for a rebuild. The car has only put ~34,000 on it since then. The transmission is about ~2 years old.

I think that it's retarded that X's transmissions can't last longer than that. I think once I get it back, I'm putting a secondary trans filter and a trans cooler on it. I can't afford to do this a third time.

 

[410Fortune]

Well if you use synthetics, change the filter and fluid every year, the A4LD will normally see 150K miles +.

It's an automatic, automatic tranny's wear out, especially the Overdrive units in the A4LD.

Use Overdrive only on the highway and that can help.

There are also SEVERAL TSB's your tranny re-builder must be aware of. Many times the rebuild is where the nightmare begins. Make sure you have somebody who really knows how to build Ford automatics, dont settle for the cheapest rebuild you can find, be careful, they have been building the A4LD since 85 and lots of times rebuilders just sell whatever A4LD is on the shelf, not good. A rebuilt (more like gone through) 85 A4LD behind a 4.0L will not last very long at all....

If anybody needs a true performance rebuild on a A4LD I know a guy here in Denver, one of two guys I know of in the entire country capable of building a monster of a A4LD.....

 

[Mainfraim]

The guy that we go through we've been going to with a lot of cars for a long time. My dad found him forever ago. We trust him pretty well. He said that we can come out and look at it if we want and he'll show us what's going on.

I don't even know if the fluid ever got changed... One of the problems was that this was my mom's car before I took it and she didn't know ANYTHING about cars. The first time it went out I was driving it and told her about it and she said "oh yeah it's been doing that for a couple of days." Well now that it's going to be in the hands with someone who actually cars, I'll take care of it. Hopefully this one lasts until I can figure out how to make ALOT of money and buy a new car.

 

[sideswipe]

Originally posted by 410Fortune

Use Overdrive only on the highway and that can help.

Is this really true? I've heard conflicting opinions on this...

 

[410Fortune]

Yes it;s true. The EEC controlls the 3-4 shift (overdrive)
The overdrive in teh A4ld is the weakest part, most of it is aluminum. The less you use OD the less the OD in the A4LD is being used, the less wear it;s gonna get.

Now this wont "double" the life of the A4LD but it can double the life of the OD....


Keep it in D unless you need the OD and the extra mileage that comes along with it.....

 

[Mainfraim]

Interesting... I've never used anything but OD in any vehicle.

 

[sideswipe]

This is an interesting discussion, because from what I remember, the Ford manual reccomends using overdrive. And also, by overdrive you are meaning pressing that little button on the shifting stick, correct? Or are you talking about like 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears?

 

[Mainfraim]

Well on the 2nd gen. Explorers, yes the little button. On the 1st gen. Explorers, however, it's a different position to shift into on the column.

 

[410Fortune]

WELL with an A4LD transmission ( on my truck the shifter has a OD and a D, early Explorer's with column shift are similar, eventually they have an OD button)
if you dont turn the OD on it will only use geaars 1, 2, and 3 and the torque convertor lock up. The lock up convertor feels like a shift so dont let it fool you. Unless you put the shifter in OD, or have the Overdrive button in the on position the computer will not allow the A4LD to shift into overdrive and the overdrive in the tranny will not be used.

Does that make sense? It's been a long day.....

Basically my tranny guy (Ford auto tranny builder for 30 years plus) tells me that if you leave the OD off the A4LD will not last any longer, but the overdrive in the A4LD will. The OD in the A4LD is usually the first thing to go, so therefore you can get moremiles out of an A4LD if you only use the OD when you need it.

Besides I dont know about you guys but my OD kicks in WAY too early and leaves me with no power, making it so I have to shift her into D anyways to climb the hills....

This is due to 31" tires, 3.73 gears, a close but not exact speedo gear, and some intake mods which I believe are telling the EEC false things. the EEC uses information from the speed sensor, tach, and the throttle position sensor in order to control the 3-4 shift.

 

[Mainfraim]

Why do they have to make them so GOSH DARN COMPLICATED?!

 

[410Fortune]

emissions, emissions, emmissions, and a little bit of technology.

Thats why. Otherwise we would all still be carbed and our automatics would still work only based on hydraulic pressure. Federal Emissions requirements and standards force them to make more and more complicated fuel management systems to get less emissions, better fuel mileage, and the computers gotta control all this which means more sensors and more control over how you drive and why.

Of course you can still buy old stuff! Thats the great thing about it.

My OBD-2, EEC-IV controlled OHV 4.0L is about as advanced as I want to get..........because it is still fairly simple...........

 

[Mike 92 XLT]

Scott, I'm interested by what your mechanic meant when he said that your trans is "shaving." I've never heard that term associated with a dying trans before. The reason I am wondering is that mine is doing the same thing (holds first gear too long when it's cold). I've decided to just live with it and hope it makes it the next three months before I trade it in.

Mike

 

[Mainfraim]

Yeah sometimes I'm glad that I do'nt have a newer car... they're so hard to tweak with... the only real thing I don't like about my car (other than it's not a V8) is that the spark plugs are pain to get to (well compared to H*ndas and V*lv*s)

 

[410Fortune]

Next time try going through the fenders to get that last plug on the pass side....I removed my AC so it's pretty easy to get in there with a long extension and a wobbly.

Oh and dont be afraid to climb up in there, it's common to seeme with my knee on the upper intake manifold....

 

[sideswipe]

When I had my tranny rebuild on my 91, the tranny guy said that "shaving" was little metal pieces, or shavings, from the tranny that he found in my tranny fluid when he dropped the pan. I guess it meant that tiny metal pieces of the gears were being shaved off for whatever reason.

 

[Mainfraim]

That's what I meant by "shaving." I meant that there are shavings in the pan when he pulled it, meaning that it's starting to flip out and strip stuff. Funny though, when I took it in like 2 weeks ago to the same guy and he pulled the pan they said there was nothing wrong with it.

Mike by the way, have you decided what you're going to do with the box when you turn it in?

 

[Mike 92 XLT]

Ah, yeah, that makes sense, shoulda thought of that myself.

Scott, I'm about 90% sure that I'm going to take the stereo out when I sell the car. I think I'll probably just trade it in, especially if the trans is still being flakey (if I trade it, I'll definitely take the stereo out). I'll keep the sub, but the box is yours if you still want it. I'll keep you updated, but most likely it'll be about three months from now when I'm going to be in a position to buy a new car.

Mike

 

[Mainfraim]

3 months may be a little too late, but we'll see. I'm sure that if I don't take it you could sell it for sure on here.

Just drop me a line when you're in a position to talk about it.

 

[Jason94sport]

That's why I choose to get a remanufactored tranny, instead of getting a rebuild.

 

[410Fortune]

remanufactured by who?


Sounds like a "rebuild" to me.....

I agree howver, dont take any chances with these auto's, make sure you use sombody who knows all about them, dont just call until you find the cheapest one in town with a good core exchange policy, do your homework.