NO!!! Not the tranny

[crafty_23456]

So my 193K explorer is finally having tranny problems. Yesterday after getting off the highway, and after leaving the first stop light I noticed my X wasn't shifting out of first. Today I got it to shift into 2nd by running it up past 4000RPM (poor explorer) and then after slowing down it got stuck back in first. After searching around I thought it was the governor in the tranny, but in all the posts that sounded like my problem their X's only did it when it was cold out or before the tranny got warmed up. But its about 65 degrees right now and getting the tranny warmed up doesn't help.
From what I've read it could also be an intermediate band? I believe I can check by draining trans fluid and looking for crap in it?
Unfortunatley my knowledge of transmissions is lacking, so I could use some advice from the wise people on this site.
thanks

 

[Alan_V]

My '93 did the same thing about 6 months or so ago. Wouldn't shift out of first until higher RPM, and it would then skip second altogether. Third and fourth were fine, both upshifting and downshifting. The overhaul estimate to replace the band and drum was like $1100 or $1200. It turned out that the simplest and and most effecting thing to do was have a reman installed. I paid about $1800 for the trans installed and got a 3 year warranty for a couple of hundred more.

Unless you have the time and expertise, you could burn up a lot of money trying different things. Not to mention it's a real b@ll breaker to get it out.

 

[crafty_23456]

I hope its not that serious as I don't have the money for a tranny rebuild. I can take one out and put it back in, but I don't know about changing bands and I dont have 1-2grand to throw at my 1500$ explorer.
Any other possiblities?

 

[Alan_V]

Diagnosing via email is difficult, but from your description, you hvae the same thing I did. It's possible it's something else, but I have feeling it's not.

 

[crafty_23456]

I found a post where someone was having similar problems http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187881&highlight=transmission+shift
Unfortunatley, there is no conclusion, but people were saying it may be the governor.

 

[crafty_23456]

anybody?

 

[camnnikki]

I was having a similar problem with my '91 a while back, only it was all gears having issues. I ended up blowing 2100 to have my tranny rebuilt. However since yours seems to be a 1-2 error, there is a chance that it could be the vacuum modulator. I believe the 1st Gen A4LD's were all vacuum operated 1-2 shifts and everything else was electric but please don't quote me on that.

 

[LXNavajo_94]

I just went through this myself the poor thing one morning decided it didnt want to shift into 2nd but 3rd and od were fine. 2 things could be the problem here first it could be your modulator or your servos are dried out and need replacing, but if your luck runs like mine. It probably will turn out that you've lost the anchor off your intermediate band and youll end up rebuilding it. Or like me and find a good used one from a yard and install it I found one in a yard near me for 500.00 which only had like 86,000 on it.

 

[crafty_23456]

Thanks for the help everyone,
So I checked the vacuum line coming from the modulator and there was no trans fluid in it, so does that completely rule out the modulator?
I took it for a test drive to check some things, if I shift from 1-2 manually it works, if I'm in 2nd and I shift to drive it stays in second but doesnt go into 3rd. Maybe it would go into 3rd if I wound it up to 4-5grand but the poor explorer has been through enough already.
Maybe this will help with diagnosis? If it were the intermediate band, wouldn't it still shift into 3rd or should I drain the tranny andlook for a anchor from the band? Or maybe it could be the governor?
?

 

[BrooklynBay]

Start with adjusting the bands, then replace the fluid, and the filter. The next step would be to replace the governor, and rebuild the valve body if the band adjustment, and filter/fluid change didn't help. Take into consideration that your transmission has almost 200K on it. Was it ever rebuilt?

 

[Alan_V]

Quick question, are you sure it's shifting into second and not 3rd when reving to 4K? Shift to 2 as opposed to using 3 or D. 2 will start you off in second. If it wont' move, you have no second, it's jumping 1-3.

 

[crafty_23456]

I won't be able to work on the X until next weekend and this will drive me crazy in the meantimebut I will chang the fluid and filter while looking for trans parts in the pan when I do, and adjusting the bands. Is there a way of checking the governor before replacing it? I would like to slap new parts in until it works again but I'm low on $ right now.

I'm believe when I brought it up to 4k it shifted into 2nd as it was reving to high for being in third, I kept on it for a little while after the shift and it was humming pretty good at 40-45 so I let off.
and it hasnt been rebuilt to my knowledge, I'm the second owner for the last 100k

 

[boggs1227]

if money is a concern and you can not spend on a $1500-2000 rebuild either go to a local yard and find a good used one like lxnavajo 94 suggested (most yards only give a 90 day warranty ...something to consider) or you can geta good quality used unit from everdrive.com( they drain and clean the unit all the way) .when i was looking ( same situtation your in) to replace or rebuild mine i looked up there web site and they want $800 for them and they come with a 3 year unlimited milage warranty shipping is included i think .they way you get the warranty is to buy a front a rear seal and replace them and take a pic with the reciepts with your invoice and that starts the warranty with them .so fora extra $300 and what looks like good warranty sounds good. the only reason i had mine rebuilt was that i dont really have the time to drop my own and nethier do i have a transmission jack to do it nor did i want to do it (little much for one person to do with out help imo) .

 

[crafty_23456]

Well hopefully I don't need to buy a new transmission,
Fortunatley I had some extra time today because of unfortunate circumstances and I had enough time before the monsoon to drop my tranny pan and there wasnt a band anchor, metal shavings or any other surprises. So would that rule out the intermediate band?
Then I would be down to governor, maybe solenoids? Possibly something that doesn't involve a rebuild? Please give me some good news! I've been researching whenever I have a chance but troubleshooting a automatic trans seems to be a PITA

 

[KingpinVinny]

Why spend $1500-$2000 for a rebuild? Just go to an auto salvage yard and buy one for $300. Just an idea.

 

[trollkepr]

Automatic transmissions for the most part are not fixable without going through the whole thing. Even if a governor were to get stick, there is a reason for that and that reason is the tranny is burnt up and tossing parts in the governor.

Used transmissions are a game of Russian Roulette. If you do get a salvage yard tranny, you want to remove the pan on it and make sure the fluid is nice and red and there are NO grindings or tiny bits of rubber or paper clutch material. Ford trannies run really clean and there should only be a small quarter size area of a gray dust like material firmly attached to the pan. That would be normal clutch wear. Any more and you want to find another tranny.

Automatic transmissions are not something that can be cheaply repaired. You have to break them all the way down and super clean them and replace all the rubber seals and clutches. FYI, any bands that are in them are almost never replaced any more. They don't do much like they did in the 40's and 50's.

Ford valve bodies are also very susceptible to any bit of dirt. A completely rebuilt transmission can be fried due to one sticky valve.

I ran transmission shops for many years and can't believe all the false info... some of which comes from people who are in the business and should know better.

 

[Alaskanredneck]

I just went through this sort of problem you might read my thread theres alot of ideas from alot of folks but it came down to a $20 napa part now my x is driving like a dream
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214378
just make sure to read to the end

 

[crafty_23456]

Kingpinvinny, thers no way I would spend 15-2000 on a rebuild when I can get a rebuilt tranny for 700-800 shipped of of ebay But I'm still hoping that I dont have to do that.
Trollkepr, youre bumming me out man. Getting a rebuild would be great if wasnt broke.
Alaskan redneck, I came across your post while I was searching but your problem was a little different than mine. Although I suppose it could be the same problem. Did the vacuum line coming from your modulator have tranny fluid in it? Because mine did not and I dont know if that means its good for sure or if its broken and just isnt sucking up fluid.

I would like to tear into the X this weekend but I'm not sure what to do.
-checked vacuum line from modulator, it was dry
-dropped pan, no band anchors metal shavings or ugly tranny fluid
-adjusted bands
Now what? should I assume the governor and just replace it? Biking in the rain sucks arse, help me out transmission gods, I know youre around here somewhere........

 

[Alaskanredneck]

sorry bout taking so long to get back. My modulator had no trans fluid in nor did the vacuum line, it and all looked fine on it but i tried the old suck/blow test on the vacuum post on the modulator and there was no movement what so ever so i replaced it and I'm lovin my x again.

 

[crafty_23456]

Update!
So I went to autozone and bought a VM for about 12$and went to replace it. After taking of the access panel, I saw the vacuum line had become disconnected from the VM because the clip that held the line in place had popped out so I put the clip back where I believe it went, connected the line and WOHOO I have shifting again!
I would have posted my results earlier but I've been busy driving my X around. Thanks for all the help everyone!