I have a 94 explorer with OD that is intermittantly spewing oil out the front seal. Just before it starts to happen the check engine like comes on.

I'll give just a little history here the vehicle has about 130K miles I bought it with around 115K after we put 5K on it it started to shift badly. I put some transmission conditioner in it and ran it about 500 miles then flushed it. This didn't seem to take care of the problem. In the middle of a 60 mile trip it started dumping oil from the front seal. The vehicle was transported to my place and it sat for about a week. I set up an appointment to get the transmission replaced and found out that there was no evidence of a leak. It had resealed and was working fine. Shifted normal and seemed like a strong transmission.

Every now and then when on the road it will start spewing oil from the front seal. Let it sit for a few minutes and everything is fine for a while. The transmission shifts well and seems to be strong no slippage.

Since the Check engine lite has been kicking in I thought I'd check the codes. It was pretty confusing but I think two conditions were stored. 186 which is associated with pulse width for fuel injection and I believe 641 which is shift sensor. I cleared the code and will take the machine out this after noon and hopefully get it to act up.

Is there a sensor that regulates transmission pressure? Because it seems to me that what is happening is that the pressure is jacked up to a point where it blows out the front seal. Then reduces to normal and everything is fine.

Is there a sensor or regulator that is easy to get at that could cause these symptoms.

Another thing when I flushed the oil I replaced the filter. There was little to no evidence of filings in the pan. I would say that the transmission fluid was changed regularly by the last owner.

Any help here would be greatly appreaciated.
Thanks
Gerry

 

The leaking transmission fluid is an intermittenly bad front seal on the transmission. Seems to be quite common on the A4LD. Search around for posts by Opera House Works on the A4LD. He's had his apart and knows a lot about the A4LD's failure modes.
The 641 code indicates a failure in a shift "solenoid" not a sensor. The computer doesn't monitor any "transmission" functions on the A4LD, but does control the 3-4 (aka OD) shift and the tourque converter lockup clutch via two solenoids. The 641 KOEO code indicates that one of the solenoids didn't respond during the KOEO test. I don't have a good '94 4.0 L EEC-IV code list, so I'm not sure which of the two solenoids it's refering to.
The continuous memory code 186 indicates a fault in one of the sensors used to set fuel mixture. Could be a dirty MAF (fairly common and not to difficult to clean), a bad O2 sensor, or some other fault. That will require some more diagnosis. Before resolving that continuous memory code, run the KOER test and see if there are any faults indicated.

 

Thanks, MrShorty

The obvious question is can the front seal be replaced without tearing the transmission apart?
While I have little experience with automatic transmissions, I do have a lot of auto experience and wouldn't be afraid to replace a seal if I don't have to rip the transmission apart. in other words is it a big job to replace the seal?

Also you are saying that there is no condition that would cause the transmission to over pressure is this correct?

 

From what I can gather from sites like this, it isn't that difficult to replace the front seal, but I've never done it myself.

Quote:

Also you are saying that there is no condition that would cause the transmssion to over pressure is this correct?

That isn't what I meant to say. I'm sure there are conditions that would cause the hydraulic pressure to be too high. What I meant to say was that the computer doesn't monitor nor control the pressure in any way. If the pressure is too high, then it's a hydraulic fault inside the transmission.

 

First Problem - I have a1994 Ford Explorer LTD. I changed out the transmission with a used one from a salvage yard. It lasted about 45 days before it would not automatically change gears upwards from low into drive until you had driven approximately 10 miles. After 10 miles it would shift correctly for the rest of your driving for that day. But you could shift it manually upward from low to drive with no problem before driving it 10 miles . That problem still xists but also now, it has
suddenly started grinding gears if you put it into reverse. Twice now I have got it to go ahead and go into reverse without grinding gears but it doesn't last long before it starts to grind gears in reverse again. This problem seems to be intermitant. Sometimes it's days or weeks before it will operate properly again without grinding gears. The Ford dealers and the transmission repair shops in 2 diffeent local towns refuse to talk to me about what might be wrong unless I want to spend about $3,000.00 up front first and agree to let them do the complete repairs on this transmission. - Second Problem - I have a 1996 Ford Ranger XLT of which I have had to replace the Flexplate on it twice of which had torn itself apart. Now the transmission has suddenly refused to start out in low gear and insists upon starting out in either second gear or drive (Not sure which), if you put it in low it moves about one inch and then does nothing but sit there, and if you put it in second or drive it does start moving and will drive ok. However it does shift correctly up into the higher gears of drive after your speed reaches approximately 40 MPH. and then into overdrive after your speed reaches approximately 55 MPH. - I have the same problem with those same Ford Dealers and transmission repair shops about refusing to talk to me about this vehicle's problems unless I want to put forth approximately $3,000.00 up front and agree to let them do all the repairs. Sorry. But I'm getting so very disgusted and angry with the response I'm getting pertaining to my Fords and the fact that nobody will try to explain to me what might be wrong that I have already went out and bought a General Motors product, (i.e., a 2002 Pontiac Grand Am GT 4 door sedan). The problem is I'm on fixed low income retirement pay and do not have that amount of money to just slap-out there to let them do the repairs. Besides, I've been doing my own repairs for my own vehicles for over 50 years now and I've also worked in many diferent auto repair shops so I'm not illiterate about how to repair most vehicle problems. Basically I'm asking...... What might be causing these problems? And are these problems of which might be simple to repair and/or can these problems be done fairly cheap? Or am I going to have to just take a chance and replace the whole transmission in each vehicle from a salvage yard and hope I get a good one each time? Just simply asking if somebody might know what is or might be causing these problems or can somebody point me in the right direction of who can.