no overdrive ford says in need new tranny

[pete99ex]

does this make sense to anyone else. my overdrive isnt engaging i took it to ford to have the codes pulled they said i had torque converter problems and i needed a new transmission at $3200 im goin to take it to other places to have it looked at but it shifts fine except in wont go into overdrive
pete

 

[BrooklynBay]

You could have a bad sensor, like a TPS, or a VSS, the OD solenoid could be defective, or it could be a bad connection in the internal wiring harness. Did you scan your computer for any stored codes? Your OD band could need a little adjustment, or the OD servo could have a little rotting that is causing some pressure leakage. Your OD band could have broken too. There are a lot of things to check.

 

[Glacier991]

I'd not be in a big hurry to replace the transmission quite yet. Typically many dealerships (and shops for that matter) do not possess the expertise to properly diagnose some transmissions and rush to suggest replacement.

 

[pete99ex]

yeah im gonna get the codes from him when i pick it up. the guy says " your toque converter... basically you need a new transmission" thats when i new he was bullsh**ing me. im about to go pick it up. when your driving it you cant tell anything is wrong with it until your on the highway and see your doing about 500 rpms more than you should and the od light is flashing. its not slipping or anything they cant convince me in need a whole new tranny

 

[Glacier991]

I'll be curious to know the code. You could be lacking OD, OR, you might be lacking torque convertor lockup. The code should help us there.

 

[Doubt Incarnate]

it seems people confuse od and lock up alot. just because the od light is on doesnt mean that od is messed up.

od, if you have it, is normaly top gear. be it 5th, 4th, 6th... whatever is at the end of the pattern, it just depends on what you drive/if you have od at all. od is any gear that is less than 1:1.

newer cars with computer controled transmissions usualy have a clutch in the torque converter that locks up when certain parameters are meet, like mph, rpm, throttle position, temp, etc.

pushing the od off button does exactly what it means, turns od off, eliminates 5th gear. lock up still happens, just in drive.

i can feel most of the shifts in my explorer, being always paranoid of automatics, i pay attention for them. mine shifts into 5th (od) at around 40 most of the time, and i can feel the lock up happen ~45mph depending on where my foot is. the cool thing is you can get an idiot in there and tell them you have a 6 speed auto and they'll problly belive you.

 

[pete99ex]

aright i just got back from the stealership. tehy pulled a code P0471 and said the PCM commanding TCC solenoid in and torque converter not engaging, sliping. he said that i might could replace the solenoid and torque converter and be fine but he cant do just that he would have to at least to an overhaul before he could warranty anything and said he cant do anything without being able to warranty it. on the drive home i tried something that was suggested in a different thread. i turned the overdrive off and got on the highway up to about 60 then i turned the overdrive on and it shifted down inot overdrive properly it wasnt until i got off the interstate that the code started flashing and it wouldnt shift into od. so i turned the truck off and did it again it did the same thing. so what i think i need to do is find a shop that will replace just hte torque converter and solenoid any help or advice would be appreciated
thanks pete

 

[pete99ex]

oh and they said my tranny fluid was dirty i cahnged it about 8k miles ago so they said something might be burning or clutches might be going bad

 

[Glacier991]

I assume you meant code P0741. I would almost have guessed that code.

There IS a possibility it is a bad convertor, but equally possible is that the TCC solenoid is wearing out, or that you have some valve body issues. I'd be inclined to put new valve body gaskets in it and replace the TCC and see if that fixes it.

Also, and although I wouold have expected a code, a bad computer input can affect this... typically something as odd as engine coolant temperature!

Anyway all of what I described are well within the realm of DIY and even if it doesn't fix the problem, you will have replaced a wearing part with a new one.... which is good insurance down the road.

 

[pete99ex]

well my truck has been running hot im in the process of running some flush and clean stuff your supposed to leave in their for 6 hours of driving time. thanks for your input is there any other suggestion of what i should do first.

 

[BrooklynBay]

When I looked up that code, it said: P0471 Exhaust Pressure Sensor Range/Performance. P0741 Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck Off.

 

[BrooklynBay]

The EPC, and TCC solenoids in that transmission are modulated, and high wear parts. How many miles do you have on it?

 

[pete99ex]

yeah as far as the code i typed it wrong its P0741 i have 93K on the truck

 

[BrooklynBay]

That is about the lifespan of those solenoids.

 

[pete99ex]

what would be involved in replacing solenoids i looked at glaciers rebuild diary and that looked kinda scary to me is a adirty driveway and a set of tools with little knowledge on transmissions

 

[BrooklynBay]

You would have to drop the pan, disconnect the wiring harness inside of it, remove the valve body bolts, and then remove the valve body. Once it is out, you could work on it inside of your house. I would recommend reading the rebuild diary, and Bigg_Billy's stairway to a diary. Here is the link to that thread: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=154655&highlight=stairway+diary. By the way, did you replace your taillight bulbs with LED bulbs? The LED bulbs have a problem pulling down the current to a ground (-), therefore they will tell the PCM that the brakes are being applied when they are not. Here is the link to that thread: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=157011&highlight=led+tcc.

 

[pete99ex]

so you cant remove the solenoids without droping the valve body

 

[Glacier991]

Yes you can on the 5R55E.

Also, you said you changed the fluid. Did you do this by dropping the pan or by flushing? Dropping the pan to change the fluid only changes about 40% of the fluid, so if it was bad to start out, it won't look great afterwards.

 

[boominXplorer]

get the soloniods and I'll help you do it. But I want a case of bud light or my truck detailed.

 

[pete99ex]

chris your the man im only 18 so i cant get the beer. my only concern would be dropping the vavle body in my drive way because its covered with leaves and stuff my brother just got a job at casey cheverolet and hes gonna talk to his tranny guy and see what he can do or if we can use the shop and he can double check our work or somethin but ill keep yall updated on what i find. its just 3200 for a new tranny would be a semester of college out of my fund so my jaw kind of hit the ground win i heard the estimate

thank you everyone for your input and help
pete