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Transmission rebuild again???

bigfld63

Member
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
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City, State
Texas
Year, Model & Trim Level
1992
So, last May (2012) I had the transmission on my '05 explorer (4.0L, 4wd) rebuilt for $2300. Came with that wonderful 12 month 15,000 mile warranty which conveniently ended about 6 weeks ago. Yesterday, the check transmission light and check engine light came on. Went to autozone first to pull the check engine code and they said the only code that came up was the infamous P0745 code.

So I stopped by the local transmission shop that did the rebuild last year and had them take a look and drive it. No slippage or funny sounds. It doesn't drive any different than it has. But the transmission shop tech drove it and thinks the 1 yr old torque converter needs to be replaced ($300 parts, $600 labor).

I am not convinced. Is it possible that the torque converter crapped out after only 1 year? Sure, but I thought I would notice more trouble. For example, before the rebuild the car really had problems shifting. Is the torque converter really the problem? If so, I might try to replace myself. What else should I look for?

Thanks!
 



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If they used a cheap after market torque converter 1 year might be about right. I'd definitely put some pressure on them to give you a really good deal on doing it right. Warranty or not, a tranny rebuild should be good for a lot more than 12 months. Failing so soon indicates they did something wrong or used crappy parts. $2300 seems really cheap. Hard to do the job right for that price.
 






Quick update. My CEL code was P0743, the original post contained a typo. After much research this afternoon it looks like the problem could possibly be the TCC solenoid or the TC itself. Since the solenoid can be swapped out on the vehicle I am thinking that may be the way to start and then drop the trans to change the torque converter if necessary.

Thoughts?
 






code 0743="Torque Converter Clutch (TCC) solenoid circuit failure during KOEO test". The Torque Converter Clutch (TCC) solenoid is a pulse width modulating type of solenoid and is used to control the apply and release of the TCC. Like the others, it is located in the solenoid body assembly. This means that you have to replace the module, as expensive as the TC.
You can test the TCC solenoid with an ohmmeter at pins 3 and 14 for 9 to 16 ohms.
Good Luck.
 






Thanks luisabad for the info. I completely forgot that I would have to replace the entire solenoid pack. Looks like that may be a little more expensive than the torque converter. I think I will get a second opinion from another transmission place and see what they say.

Any ideas on how long it should take to pull trans, replace TC and reassemble?

Thanks.
 






For a first timer it would probably take a weekend to complete. One day to take out, another to install. I would test the solenoid first before removing the tranny, you can do it from the connector in the firewall without taking the module out.
Besides the code, what are the symptoms you feel when driving?
 






Well, I got a second opinion on the trans and this technician drove the car several times and could not feel anything other than a slight shudder when the torque converter locks up in 4th and 5th gear.

This place wants to drop the pan to check for material in fluid and assuming the fluid is still clean then they suggest changing solenoid pack.

I can't really feel the shudder when I drive it but then again I don't know what to really expect. So at this point I think I will try and check the solenoid at the harness then drop the pan to inspect fluid quality followed by new solenoid pack.

Thoughts?
 






If it was my truck, I will keep using it as is until I get something more substantial. These solenoids can act up and then continue to run normally. Dropping the pan seems like a good idea, you could replace the fluid at the same time. Depending on the miles since the last repair the fluid might be darker and you might find some fine metal filings on the magnet, this is normal.
 






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