Ranger No Reverse After Tranny Leak

[19redbird90]

I lost reverse in my 2001 3.0 Ranger 4x4. Went to leave the house and had no reverse. Shifted through the gears and back into reverse and it worked. Next stop, same thing...didn't work at first, then did. I dealt with this for most of a day, then reverse stopped altogether by that evening. Next morning I see a puddle under the truck. Looked like a pan gasket, so I changed it and the leak is gone. After getting the fluid level right, I still have no reverse. I keep reading online about an internal "band" (engaged by a pin on a servo) that can break inside the tranny, but seems coincidental to my bad leak. If the band went bad, I wouldn't think it would sometimes work, sometimes not for a whole day. Would low fluid due to a leak damage a solenoid? Servo? Pretty desperate and would appreciate some insight.

 

[alohamonte]

when reverse gives out, it makes a loud bang and you can feel it "pop". did you experience any of that?

 

[19redbird90]

No bang or pop whatsoever. I noticed it when I tried to back out of the driveway in the morning...it acted as if it was in neutral and just revved. Initially, I thought it was in gear and my wheels were just spinning on the ice. Then I realized reverse wasn't engaged at all. It was about -4 degrees outside when this occurred. My mind keeps going back to the leak, which happened the same day...

 

[19redbird90]

Anyone?...

I gotta do something with it (tranny shop) tomorrow and I hate to drop it off blind. I read this and that about solenoids but don't know how to check them or if that isn't even a possibility.