Here is the history. Five years ago it started having problems. At a stop, the transmission would seemingly disengage from Drive and the truck would not move. It would have to be downshifted into a lower gear, then accelerated, then it could be moved back into Drive. The Ford dealership shop replaced the transmission with a remanufactured one (6/2014, 3 yr unlimited mi warranty). Less than 3 years later, the truck started having the same problem and then transmission fluid appeared to be leaking. Ford diagnosed and repaired a leak at the tail shaft seal (4/2017) then eventually replaced the trans under warranty with another reman trans (8/2017, 1 year 24K mi warranty). Now not quite 2 years later (5/2019) that transmission exhibited the same symptoms. It was taken to a shop (not Ford) to check out the sloppy column shifter and parts were replaced with a shift tube kit. While someone from the shop test drove the truck after the repairs, the trans failed, becoming un-driveable.

A transmission-specific repair shop initially discussed just replacing parts, but then changed and said he would want to totally rebuild it since they guarantee their work with a 3 year, 24K mile warranty. I am now faced with either shelling out approx. $2000 for the rebuild (assuming the housing isn't cracked, which would cost more) or essentially "junking" the truck. I cannot afford the debt, but I do not want to get rid of the truck, we need a backup vehicle in the family, and we/I cannot afford to purchase another vehicle.

Some more history: Due to health issues, the truck has not been driven a lot over the past fourteen years. After the original trans problem, it was suggested that perhaps the lack of use could have contributed to the trans failure. Since the last reman trans was installed, the truck has been driven an average of 1-2 times per month for a total of 724 miles over two years.

Questions: If the lack of being driven contributed to the failures, why did the original trans survive 9 years of minimal use, while the first reman lasted less than 3 years, and the second reman only 2 years? Could there be another issue (besides the trans itself) contributing to the remans failures? Could the remans be faulty? Even if disuse caused failure, I can't imagine that all of the guts of a 2-yr-old reman trans would require rebuilding. I was hoping for a minimal repair of the failed part(s) at the lowest cost possible. Is that reasonable, or would there be very little savings from doing that because the labor is the bulk of the cost?

HELP! I don't know what to do - fix or get rid of.

 

What failed on the current tranny & post up All of the trouble code clue Numbers, as they can help focus in on what has failed & if you have more than one problem.

What failed to cause the Dealer to replace the OEM & warranty tranny's? With the rear seal leak did the warranty tranny get driven with low fluid & burn up the pump & clutch pack?

How many miles on this ride & other than the current tranny problem, what kind of condition is the overall truck in? What can you buy for $2K that's as good as, or better than the current Ranger, is another consideration.
If funds are really tight right now, maybe consider a salvage yard tranny & have them do a pan drop, filter change & full fluid pump out, so you know what's circulating in there & what the tranny pan deposits look like.

Some initial thoughts for consideration. Tell us more about the vehicle condition & what the root causes of the current & other tranny failures were & maybe the forum can suggest some other precautions you could take to preclude another tranny event in case you fix & keep the Ranger.

 

Hi PawPaw! I looked back at my Ranger paperwork and notes and see that you had replied to previous threads I had posted some 15 years ago!!

I do not know what has failed on the current tranny. The trans shop asked the regular mech shop (where the truck was when it totally failed) to run the codes, but I can't remember if the reg mech said that nothing came back or if something about solenoids did come back. I do not think that the trans shop where it currently is sitting has run any codes yet. The mech said "it could be anything." They are waiting for the go ahead to rebuild.

As far as what failed on the original and re-manufactured trannys, I don't know on the original and don't see anything on the paperwork that specifies. For the replacement of the first reman, the paperwork says: "Completed electronic trans diag pinpoint test P0731 P0732 P0741 had to tear down after failed pressure test mount to bench disassy and found damage completed cost cap and was insturcted to replace assy due to damage.... etc." But, no, it was not driven with low fluid. Even now with the current tranny the reg. mech said "the fluid looks perfect!"

94,613 miles. There may be a rear main seal leak, but oil isn't showing up on the driveway so it can't be too bad (and was told it wasn't horrible). I can't buy ANYTHING decent for $2K, would have to look for something newer and more money, which I can't afford. The trans shop isn't going to do a salvage yard tranny swap as that isn't what they do and they give a 3 year 24,000 mile warranty for their rebuilding work.

I did talk to a totally different Ford dealership shop today - the technical service manager - and he did say that disuse could contribute to tranny failure. He said it should be driven at least once a week, whereas it was being driven once or twice a month. Do you concur that that level of use is inadequate and could contribute to the failure?

Thanks. Sorry I can't answer any better.

 

Have the tranny shop scan for & give you All of the trouble code clues found & a estimate to fix those items Before you give them the go ahead to start. The codes you posted are for shifting problems in 1st & second & for torque converter lock up, maybe stuck off, or a wiring harness problem. Seeing as how you've had so many tranny problems, to me it kinda suggests the shop should take a Close look at the wiring & connectors to the tranny valve body & torque converter solenoids, if the current tranny woes turn up the same trouble codes.

Sounds like the Dealer tried to honor the warranty, any reason you didn't go back to them this time?

 

Red flag right there. IMO, knowing the symptoms and how the tranny was behaving can really help narrow down what the problem is. And with that said, I know what I'd be doing if I had a vehicle sitting at a shop that told me that.

 

RUN away from a diagnostic professional that says "it could be anything"

 

I couldn't go back to the dealer because there is no more warranty. I talked to a different dealer to ask questions and asked about the warranty. What I was told is the replacement warranty would be based on when the first transmission was installed. Technically, that first warranty (3 years) was gone, so they may have been being generous in giving me an additional 1 year with the second transmission. But it is now 2 years past.

My usual mechanic (which is where the ultimate transmission failure occurred during a test drive after they repaired a shift column issue) did run codes and said nothing came back. I just looked back at all of my previous paperwork. There was no mention that I see on the invoice for the original transmission replace about codes or running for codes (hmmm). When I initially took it back in almost 3 years later, it said "road test normal and no codes" (it has always started out as an intermittent problem). When I took it back in a couple of weeks later, they found and fixed a tail shaft seal leak. When I took it back in a month after that is when the P0731, P0732, and P0741 codes showed up, it said it "failed the pressure test, mount to bench disassy and found damage" and the transmission was replaced under warranty.

 

I plan on calling the transmission shop tomorrow and asking if they have run for codes (I'm not sure they have really done anything).

On another note, how do you edit your signature line on posts? I see edit options for all personal info except the signature line.

 

The transmission shop did run for codes and there were none - which is the same thing my regular mechanic did and said. The transmission guy said that not getting codes back means there is something mechanical that went really bad. He (like another trans shop I called and talked to) said probably a "planetary seized together" or a drum or band busted. He said no, it wouldn't be a torque converter (something both my reg mech and a relative suggested as a possibility). I just have to decide if fixing this (and having rear main seal and oil pan seal replaced during the process - because I already knew there was a problem so I asked about it) is financially wise for me to do given all the circumstances and personal financial situation. Still in a quandry...

 

With only 94K miles, if otherwise its still in good mechanical condition sounds like its worth maintaining. My 99 4.0L just tripped 90K miles &I'm in the process of performing its Ford 90K scheduled maintenance call outs.

On the pan & rear main seal leak, I agree its a good time to do while the tranny is out. Seeing as how it has 94K on it, has the engine PCV valve ever been changed ? If not I'd do that too, as if its mucked up & stuck, it could cause a crank case over pressure condition from piston ring blow by, that could be forcing oil out a weak rear main seal, or pan gasket.

Just because the tranny warranty is up is no reason to not let that Dealer quote you on a repair & seeing as how you've had past problems, they might cut you some slack & quote you a reasonable price to fix this puppy.

More thoughts for consideration

 

First off, the dealership would not be an option. From calling another dealership and talking to their parts department, I learned that Ford no longer even has remanufactured transmissions for my truck (4R55E). I was already told 5 years ago that to have Ford rebuild the tranny would cost as much as a reman with a much shorter warranty. Dealerships are way overpriced and the one where I took my truck for both remans did NOT want to do the rebuilding themselves (if they could avoid it).

So, end result is:
* Sprag came apart and damaged the case (I've seen online where this happens to Rangers and the mech said the sprag system has a bad failure rate).
* Mech said driver's side rear brakes somewhat locking up and he thinks that might have contributed to the trans problem as it would put stress on it.
* Got "new" used case; transmission rebuilt; torque convertor rebuilt; 2 rear wheel cylinders replaced, master cylinder apparently ok
* Rear main seal determined to not be leaking; oil pan determined to not be leaking; Valve covers ARE leaking but were not fixed (a job for my reg. mech eventually)
* Total cost: $2521.50 with a 3 year 24,000 mile local limited warranty

(I can't remember if PCV valve has ever been replaced, but forgot to mention it and trans mech did not mention.)