My 1996 Explorer 4.0. 4wd 180,000 miles shifts into neutral under light load between 40 and 50 mph. It does not do this all the, just occasionally but it is disconcerting to suddenly have the engine revving to 3000 rpms, I let off the gas and it will shift into gear and perform normally.
Is there a solution to this problem?

 

Have you checked the level and condition of the transmission fluid?

Are you sure that it's shifting to neutral? Does the engine rev freely? Does the engine run smoothly when this happens? Have you checked for any pending or stored diagnostic codes?

-Rod

 

I'm pretty sure it shifts to neutral, the engine will rev higher if I press on the accelerator. I haven't checked for error codes. I disconnected the battery yesterday to do some electrical work. The engine continues to run smooth. It is like instead of shifting into the next lower gear as the load increases, it shifts into neutral.