Won't shift from 1st to 2nd

[jahribar]

I have a 2010 Explorer XLT with a 5R55N that first had a problem with the transmission not engaging reverse. This was at 170k miles or there about. Took the transmission to a local shop to have it rebuilt. Shortly after I was at a car the wash where the interior was being detailed with the engine running. When finished, I pulled out and the transmission would not shift from 1st to 2nd. I pulled to the side of the road for a minute and tried again. It shifted from 1st to 2nd and all the other gears just fine. Took it back to the shop and they said no codes were stored and it wouldn't fail for them. So they wouldn't do anything.
This was maybe a few months after the rebuild. This has continued to fail intermittently throughout this year. I took it back to the shop again and I received the same answer as before. No codes, wouldn't fail for them, they won't do anything.
I noticed that when the car gets hot, then sits idle/off for 5 to 10 minutes(stopping in a store), or sitting with the car running in park, then attempting to drive away(such as waiting in line to fuel up at Costco then leaving) it won't shift from 1st to 2nd. I have to manually shift to another gear(1st or 3rd) to get moving again. After it gets moving, it will shift normally again. But, it may intermittently not shift from 1st to 2nd. It shifts out of 1st, but 2nd doesn't engage and the RPM's rev up and we go nowhere. Once it's driven for a short period of time, it will shift normally again.
Seems to me it's a problem related to heat.

I have no experience or facility to work on a transmission. So I'm at a lost.

Can anyone help me out?

Thanks
Jim H

 

[94Fexplorerxlt]

Have you checked if water from the A/C condensation drip has seeped into the main wiring harness on the transmission? There was a Ford TSB issued years ago and recommended buying a special patch kit to go over it since stupid Ford designed the A/C drip to drip right on that area. I took a piece of heater hose and routed it up to the nozzle and have a drain going all the way down to prevent that and I have 201K miles original transmission - 2008 XLT . You should check that and unplug the harness and spray some electronics cleaner into the connector and the port and plug it back in.

Also, something to note is around 50K miles I installed the AJ1e aftermarket modified O-ring servos into the side of the transmission. There's issues with the original steel servos wearing down the servo bores since they are aluminum cases. That causes pressure issues and the servos to slam into the bands within the transmission causing many problems such as loss of gears. Usually if you ever get these transmission rebuilt shops will re-sleeve the servo bores with brass inserts but these problems can still happen so if you don't already have them you should order a set of the AJ1E servos.

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