No 4th gear, sluggish 2nd and 3rd...

[westcovinajoe]

Hey there.

I have a 92 X and I wanted a few thoughts on what the deal might be with my tranny.

It very rarely shifts into 4th while in D. I do not use OD.

The shift into 2nd and third are sometimes sluggish, like a little later than ideal.

This X has 210,000 miles on it and the tranny was rebuilt about 2 years ago according to previous owner.

There is a shop near me that SAYS they do rebuild on 91-94 X's for $750.

Any thoughts are welcomed and I appreciate you all!

Joseph

 

[vanionBB]

Isnt 4th = Overdrive? Maybe I am missing something. My X only goes from 1st thru to 3rd because the Overdrive (4th) has an error and will not engage. There is a ton of info about rebuilds in the stickies.

$750 sounds like the price for a valve body rebuild or maybe just the gasket. That is a great price if they are going to rebuild the whole thing, if that is what you need. Valve body rebuild kit is like $200 or so, double the parts for labor so 400+200=600+150 for fluid, filter, gasket, etc = 750. If you dont mind paying for labor and they are going to rebuild the valve body, that is a good price.

 

[westcovinajoe]

I don't know about the 4th gear being overdrive, as I have no clue about overdrive whatsoever.

All I know is it doesn't really seem to go into 4th. Is this truck a 3 speed automatic? That seems kinda lame. Every once in a while there is a subtle shift that seems like it is going into 4th gear though.

The 2nd and 3rd gear shifts are sluggish too.

Here is the ad from the tranny place

You can see, if you squint that the ford explorer complete rebuild is $750 including parts and labor.

 

[MrShorty]

The A4LD is a 4 speed automatic with a locking torque converter clutch (TCC). OD normally refers to any gear ratio less than one (ie the output shaft is spinning faster than input shaft) and, thus, refers to 4th gear.
In D, your shift sequence should be 1-2-3-3+TCC lock. Since you "never use OD", this should be what you're experiencing. In D, the transmission will behave just like a 3 speed automatic (with a locking torque converter clutch). If you really want a 4 speed automatic, start by putting the selector in OD instead of D.
In OD, there can be some variation, but the most common shift sequence is 1-2-3-4-4+TCC lock.

Can you better define a "sluggish" shift? shift "too late"? Such a description could almost be personal preference. You may feel that the transmission is shifting late and the shifts are "soft," but the transmission is operating within design parameters. Or the transmission may indeed be operating incorrectly. A possible cause of late shifts is a vacuum leak to the vacuum modulator, for example. Of course, where the transmission fluid is an integral part of how well an auto tranny works, if the fluid level is incorrect, or the fluid has deteriorated, it can contribute to tranny problems.

 

[LBarr2002]

If you don't use OD, you will only be using gears 1-2-3. That subtle shift you speak of is most like the torque converter locking. With the cost of these transmissions, I would drive it till it breaks. But if 750 is a total rebuild that's a really good price. I'm expecting mine to be a lot more.

 

[westcovinajoe]

Wow! What an education. Gee wizz I feel like such a moron.

After reading this I almost feel like my tranny might be fine! It shifts into 2nd at around 1800 rpm and 3rd at around 2400 rpm usually. After that it never really shifts, just sometimes I notice a downshift when I am going arouynd 55mph, especially if I let off the gas a little. Maybe I will add some Lucas tranny fix, get the fluid changed, or just leave it alone.

I don'y drive it in OD 'cause I have never heard of it, only had Toyotas and Hondas before.

Thanks again and feel free to give me any suggestions. You guys are saving me and other people money and stress. Thank you so much.

Joseph

 

[LBarr2002]

you can just always drive it in OD, as long as you're not towing a heavy load. It'll save you a little on gas if you drive highway much.

 

[BrooklynBay]

If there is no O/D, check your O/D solenoid for a burned out coil. The next thing would be to readjust your O/D band, which is the first adjustment near the bell housing. The next band is the intermediate, which is in the middle of the transmission. This is for 2nd. gear. The governor in the extension housing is for 1-2 gear. The low/reverse servo is in the bottom of the transmission, and is not adjustable. Your modulator could be going bad. Check if your vacuum hose has any fluid inside of it.

 

[westcovinajoe]

Well, I added a half a bottle of Lucas tranny fix, and after about the 4th day the shifting has been much better.

Earlier and smoother 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd shifts and the overdrive-torque-converter-kinda 4th gear but not really thing also kicks in more regularly. That "4th" gear thing makes as much sense to me as alternate side of the street parking in NYC, but I think it is working better now...

I have no freakin idea how a bottle of purplish goo makes a bunch of gears work better but it has in my case. I wonder if the fact that the X sat a little before I bought it played a role.

Thanks guys for the help!

Joseph