Transmission Issues

[mcobb]

Okay. I was a contributing member to the forum while i had my 07 explorer. I have sold it and my father in law has a 06 or 07 not sure. But He was intent on changing tranny fluid and filter on it with 29x,x.. miles. Yes 290. He didnt know if it had ever been changed and i have always heard if it hasnt been changed regulary up to like 150,000 miles then dont do it. Probably a matter of opinion. He changed it because it was shifting hard/shuttering but it wasnt terrible. ANyway, gets the fluid changed, it runs okay for a few days/week and then it starts not wanting to go into gear. He would put it in drive and it would just sit there and not move. and after a few seconds it would catch and go. Would do the same at redlights. After it was warm, it would do better.

He was pulling a small enclosed trailer during this period and we got a wrench light and smelled like burning trans fluid.

He was kind of letting things go (has plenty of money to fix) and it has gotten worse. Took him nearly 30 minutes this morning of letting it warm up in the driveway before it would go.

What are your thoughts on this. Something simple we can check first. He does have a guy ready to do a trans swap but we are 4 hours from home for the week for work.

Any ideas...

And please spare me the "it has 300,000 miles, get rid of it or replace trans. I get that. again its not mine.

 

[tripplec]

Difficult to say. Any codes or you haven't checked. Did you use the specified transmission fluid for this transmission. If not it will be a big problem.
You don't have a detailed signature of the build so we have no idea of what the powertrain is nor transmission model.

 

[mcobb]

no codes unless the light isnt coming on. The wrench light came on once but went off when trans cooled down. Didnt check code. It is XLt 4.0 with i believe the 5r transmission

 

[Explorer_PL]

What tranny / engine ?
If v6 sounds like worn out servo sleeves on the tranny ?

 

[Tech By Trade]

Where did he get the fluid "changed" at? and was it a "flush" or a fluid and filter? also which transmission, and what fluid did they use?

 

[mcobb]

he supplied the merc v fluid and it was a change i guess- fluid and filter. not 100% on it. and like i said i think its the 5r55 trans

 

[mcobb]

and it was just a full service place. not for specific but have done decent work in the past for us.

 

[mcobb]

i have answerd every question that has been asked. I said it was a CHANGE not flush. with MERC V fluid . what ? havnt i answered

 

[Tech By Trade]

About all you can do is drop the pan and check resistance on the solenoids. Maybe pull the valve body and check the gaskets, but there is a pretty good chance a rebuild is in your future.

 

[Mitchs07explorer]

I'm sure with that many miles on it he picked it up for cheap so in that regard I can understand wanting to try parts and pieces to try to keep the things running versus a full transmission job. More than likely you will be chasing problems left and right trying to remedy this issue until you nearly exceed the cost of a rebuild. At this point if I were him I would decide on either going full in and investing in this vehicle to make it a good daily runner or dump it and pick up something for roughly the same price as that trans rebuild and take a chance on that. Sorry I know that's not the advice you wanted to hear but unless you have the time and the know how to dig into a transmission the costs are going to add up quickly.