Please help, no second gear?

[spotdog14]

I posted this in the 1995-whatever topic as well, but thought this might get more response, here is the deal.

Well today on the way home from work i hurd a clunk from the drive train, then the o/d light started to flash. i cannot shift out of first gear unless i let my foot off of the gas, and it goes (from what i can tell) right into third gear. Now i am home and have played with it a little while and still i cannot get anything to happen. And the tranny is hot to the touch, i know that it should be warm after being driven a while but hot?

Anyways i have a 95 limited with a
"T/DM - 4 SPD AUTO TRANS EAO A4LD*PE" according to my print out. What i can i do? We purchased it used (of course) and it had a recently (within 30,000 miles) rebuilt tranny because there was no second gear, and i got a printout from a friend with warrenty work done that says "Overdrive light flashes P49 indicator light is on" and all they did was clear the code.

Anyways WHAT CAN I DO? This is the only vehicle we have that has the proper parking passes for work...

Thanks for any help possible...

 

[410Fortune]

flashing OD light means there is a code in memory, pull the codes, should tell you what solenoid is not functioning properly in your transmission.

95 is an odd year so you will have to find the correct code scanner, its actually OBD-I still with an OBD-II connector.

Do not drive it with a flashing OD light, or you can kill the transmission.

I would also crawl under the truck first and check all the wiring plugs and connectors on both sides of the transmission, your transmission is computer controlled and if the trans was rebuilt it may be somthing simple like a loose wire, but most likely either a bad rebuild or a valve body issue....

 

[Glacier991]

In the 95's, you basically had the 4R series, which was electronically controlled as compared to the A4LD. In this transmission, as in the A4LD, 2nd gear is commanded by applying the intermediate band. It sounds like yours may be broken. I'd drop the pan and see if you find any metal parts (like a band anchor). If it is a broken band, the fix required the trans to be pulled. Let us know what you find.

 

[spotdog14]

thanks for the help so far guys! im not really confortable taking the pan off the bottom of the tranny. But i am willing to give it a try. What is involved, and how much fluid will come out? I have done work on the x before, so its not that i can't do it, its just i have never done it before.

Anywho the last time i had the tranny fluid changed it did (and come to think of it ever since we got the vehicle) it has had more than normal amount of shavings in the fluid.

Is it alright to drive it to the dealership that is about 2 miles from my house to get the code read?

I called a junk yard that i use to work at and they said that a used tranny of my type with about 100,000 miles on it would be about $850, and there are not many that he would sell to me.... lol....

If it is a broken band how much will it cost do you think?

Thanks again guys!

 

[spotdog14]

In the 95's, you basically had the 4R series, which was electronically controlled as compared to the A4LD. In this transmission, as in the A4LD, 2nd gear is commanded by applying the intermediate band. It sounds like yours may be broken. I'd drop the pan and see if you find any metal parts (like a band anchor). If it is a broken band, the fix required the trans to be pulled. Let us know what you find.

wait, so im a little confused... I have the A4LD, is that the same as the 4R series, or are they completly different?

 

[Glacier991]

The A4LD was in the 91-94 Explorer. In 1995 they redesigned it so that the controls were electronic... at first they called it the A4LD-E (for electronic) but soon it was the 4R44E and then the 4R55E. You have one of those. Either way the 2nd gear in all of those trannies used the intermediate band which I suspect has broken. Later we got the 5R55E, and 2nd gear did not use the intermediate band, rather it was an overdriven 1st gear, and 3rd was the intermediate band commanded shift....

Anyway - check the pan!

 

[spotdog14]

The A4LD was in the 91-94 Explorer. In 1995 they redesigned it so that the controls were electronic... at first they called it the A4LD-E (for electronic) but soon it was the 4R44E and then the 4R55E. You have one of those. Either way the 2nd gear in all of those trannies used the intermediate band which I suspect has broken. Later we got the 5R55E, and 2nd gear did not use the intermediate band, rather it was an overdriven 1st gear, and 3rd was the intermediate band commanded shift....

Anyway - check the pan!

How much do you think it will take to get fixed if the intermediate band is the only thing that is wrong with it?

P.S. Thanks very much so far for the help!

 

[BrooklynBay]

The bands are cheap, but the labor is expensive. You have to remove, and open up the transmission to replace it.

 

[spotdog14]

The bands are cheap, but the labor is expensive. You have to remove, and open up the transmission to replace it.

a rough estimate? Under a grand? $800? ish... is what i am guessing (hopefully!!!!)

 

[BrooklynBay]

It's hard to say since they might find other things to replace once they open it up.

 

[spotdog14]

It's hard to say since they might find other things to replace once they open it up.

true, we only owe like $500 left on it... lol.... oh well after this i guess we will drive it till the wheels fall off! lol, i definatly think it is worth it, dont you guys? Or should we "cut and run?"

Its a 95 limited with 158,000 miles on it, exterior is in mint condition, and interior is as well... and everything works great except 4wd low (high works fine)... i guess im just getting myself ready to spend more money than i have right now... lo.