Hello... I'm new to this forum. I hope somebody here can help. Let me describe the problem first:

I have a 2000 Ford Explorer XLT. V6, 4x4

At very low speeds (5-10 mph), attempting to accelerate while turning (like coming out of a parking lot OR out of a curve) the transmission fails to engage. I hit the gas, the RPMs go up, but it doesn't get into gear. I will let off the gas, give it a couple seconds, hit the gas again and usually it engages. Sometimes I will have to repeat this step a second time. This problem started very slowly and has gradually gotten worse. It happens about once a day.

Concerned, I took it to the local Ford dealership and they have thus far changed/flushed the transmission fluid and replaced the filter. The mechanic said he found no metal shavings in the fluid, which might indicate grinding gears. They also said there were no codes coming up pointing to a transmission problem. It is still having the same exact issue however. The trouble now is they cannot "verify" the problem. The mechanics have put 40+ miles on it in similar driving scenarios and it will not act up for them.

After a couple weeks of back-and-forth, I'm really frustrated. My understanding is that they're "not sure" it is a transmission problem. They don't really want to open up the transmission case until they have a place to start. It should either be something mechanical with the transmission or a problem with the computer that controls the transmission, right? After getting off the phone with the mechanic today he said it might be a sticky throttle body? Doesn't make sense to me- I dunno. Help please, not sure these guys know what they're doing... :::sigh:::

Thanks.

 

Welcome to FTE.

That trans is a troublesome POS. Your problem might be related to a worn servo bore in the trans. Something that plauged the trans from day 1 until the last one rolled off the line.

The ultimate downside of what your are experiencing is that maybe it catches when you've mashed the pedal are at 4000 rpms. Broken input shaft time....(possible, not guaranteed)

I hate to do this to you, but go through this thread. Lots of issues and fixes, and probably a similar problem that has been solved many times before.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/5...lick-here.html

IF you can get this cleared up, and keep the fluid clean, you should get many more miles out of it.

 

Thanks. I'm checking out the thread now for a similar issue. Anyone else have an idea?

 

Ignore the ranting of those that just disregard stuff as junk when they clearly know nothing about it. The worn servo bores is an issue, but it usually only becomes and issue after the fluid is allowed to get too old and it turns from a lubricant into a polishing compound due to friction material accumulating. Frequent enough maintenance prevents the survo bore problem to a large degree. It will still eventually happen, but to argue that it makes it a POS is a false idea, since many manufacturers use a similar design, including the larger full sized trucks, most cars, etc.

The problem is likely due to either a bore that is worn, or a gasket that is failing to seal, or excessive wear to a band or clutch, or a low fluid condition. Don't assume that since it was serviced that the fluid level is correct. Most of those issues are actually easy for an experienced transmission expert to diagnose. The dealerships usually don't have ANY transmission experts, because a good transmission guy can make far more money at a trans shop than at a dealership..

 

"........Ignore the ranting of those that just disregard stuff as junk when they clearly know nothing about it.............."

I've had 3 of these:

1st failed at 74,800 or so, replace by ESP
2nd flared right away--fixed via snake oil, sent to the scrappy by a drunk.
3rd one works fine so far.

Ford never fixed this problem. I respect your input and you have a common sense solution to this problem. However, I think in this day and age that an automatic with these issues that requires a fluid change every what, 30k?, to be a POS. Perhaps you tolerate half-assed engineering better than I do. Ditto the cam chain tensioners--tell us how that's a perfect design if you just change the oil every other day.

OP has what he has, now he can see if he can fix Ford's errors.

 

POS? Over 200,000 miles of excellent service with my tranny isn't any POS.
Perhaps if owners would read the owners manual and replace the fluid with Mercon V they would get better experience. I flush mine every 75,000 miles.

 

No cam change tensioner issues either!! How do you drive, man??

 

Thanks for the help, Khan. I may ultimately have to take it to a transmission specialist. The guys at the dealership told me "drive it until it gets worse." Right... when I need it towed in?

 

Well look, I know I'm being the pita here, but my first trans didn't make 75k.

There are some here like yours that go well into 200k territory. Ditto the timing chaings. 50k for some, 120k for others, and then there is a 300k job here somewhere.

As for the OP, I would not drive it 'til it fails. As KhanTyranitar pointed out, there are several easily fixed items that could cause this. Even the servo bore can be fixed, iirc, there was some outfit that made inserts or something.

I would start looking for a trans shop that knows the issues. You know mostly what they are, so if you get a "never heard of it", move on.

Thanks to all for their input.

 

[QUOTE=85e150six4mtod;13458545]Well look, I know I'm being the pita here, but my first trans didn't make 75k.[?QUOTE]

While I can't be there to check, and technically you could post any response you want, and it could never be verified or challenged for validity. However, your first fluid change should have been at 30,000 miles, and the second one should have been at 60,000 miles. So at your first failure you had already missed 2 fluid changes and were halfway towards your third.

Absolutely agreed. There are nice aftermarket fixes for all of the issues. The factory detuned the trans to make it shift smoother, since they figured the average user doesn't want to feel the bumps at each shift. The consumer going for a test drive false perceives a smooth seamless shift as a sign of precision build quality. In reality, its a death sentence to the trans, it is essentially slipping to make that smooth shift. You will never get a real fix at a Ford dealership. They not only are not familiar with the issues, they are not trained how to use them, and none of the fixes are factory parts, and the dealerships are generally discouraged from using any non-factory parts.

In addition to new bore sleeves that correct the wear and make it more durable in the future, there are shift kits that increase shift firmness, which that modification alone typically increases the transmissions lifespan by 50-100% over norm, which is usually around 120,000 miles. So a trans with no other modifications or upgrades with a shift kit will usually last 180,000 - 240,000 miles pretty consistently. Add a better trans cooler and keep on top of the maintenance, they go even further.

Truth is the 5R55e series is an excellent trans that has been detuned to make it feel smoother.

Absolutely agreed. The best transmission shops are usually ATRA affiliated shops that are not part of major chains. They will have an owner on site, and will have a good BBB rating (problem is that so-so shops can also have a good BBB rating). A good shop does on site rebuilds and repairs. Most shops, especially in Metro areas often use off the shelf rebuilds instead of rebuilding the customers trans. Off the shelf rebuilds are mystery boxes with warranties.

The proper, and often most cost effective solution is to have your old one rebuilt, and it is more cost effective to get it fixed while it still for the most part functions correctly. Waiting till it dies causes exponential internal damage, and often leaves you paying the cost of having it rebuilt, but now to add insult to injury, instead of driving it to the shop, you had to pay to have it towed, and you missed half a days work, and your ornery Father-In-Law that doesn't really like you anyway has to come pick you up.

 

"While I can't be there to check, and technically you could post any response you want, and it could never be verified or challenged for validity. However, your first fluid change should have been at 30,000 miles, and the second one should have been at 60,000 miles. So at your first failure you had already missed 2 fluid changes and were halfway towards your third."

I think I still have the ESP receipt for the trans. It was pretty much always Ford serviced, but I do not recall a trans fluid change. If only you had been here....

 

I recently purchased a 2000 ford explorer with a 6 cylinder and 4wd. When driving the car home the od light started flashing. I have had the truck for less than a week and have experienced no real slippage or hard shifting but I have seen the postings all over the net about the 5r55e transmission and various problems with blown valve body gaskets, bad servo, speed sensors and bore hole issues. What I was wondering is if you could help or point me to someone who can confirm a diagnosis prior to me ordering various parts.

I did have the transmission scanned by a repair shop and the returned codes were p0732 and p0735 indicating slippage in the respective gears. I hadn't noticed those codes referenced anywhere on your site.

I am planning on trying to handle this repair myself with a mechanically adept family member and as I said I was hoping to have a better feeling on what the issue is before tackling it.

Any help is appreciated.

 

Some discussion of those codes:

5r55e p0732 & p0735 - Ford Explorer & Ranger Resource "Serious Explorations"®

A little ot (different issue) but he lists the codes down the page a bit:

Bad Transmission will this work - Ford Explorer & Ranger Resource "Serious Explorations"®

and

Servo pin wear on the bore of 5R55W transmissions? - Ford Explorer & Ranger Resource "Serious Explorations"®

From which I spotted the Sonnax link:

This outfit sells parts and servo bore kits etc, info until your eyes glaze over. The more you read and see on these, the clearer it becomes that fluid changes are your friend.

http://www.sonnax.com/system/pdfs/11...BW-106-109.pdf

There's more of course, just do a little searching with those code numbers.

One thing that Ford does on all replacements is put an in-line filter on the cooler lines, like this one:

External Transmission Filter Kit

or

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21KRtcYCGXL.jpg

 

That could be it, the mechanic said the transmission fluid was burnt up pretty bad. Honestly, I hadn't changed the tranny fluid at all since I bought it used in 2007. Not sure if the previous owner had or not. I bought it when it had 91K on it. Now it has 167K.

 

Talked to the mechanic at the dealership again today and they still cannot verify/replicate the problem, so they're reluctant to take apart the transmission and just throw parts at it, without being able to verify if it's been fixed. So, I sorta understand, but still frustrating to say the least. Finally talked to the owner and he's going to keep it another day and see if he can come up with a resolution- he said it might be a clogged valve body (?)

Talked to a transmission specialist and he recommended overfilling the transmission fluid by 1 qt. thereby eliminating any issues with air leakage. I asked him about the SeaFoam Trans Tune, but he recommended another product called LubeGuard.

At this point I'm thinking... if they just tear down the transmission and open it up... would they be able to see/identify any immediate issues? Is a worn servo bore or band/clutch obvious? They told me there were no aluminum shavings in the dirty fluid when it was flushed. And apparently, they DID NOT do a solvent flush.

So... that's where I'm at with this :::sigh:::