I have a 94 Explorer XLT 4x4 with the A4LD four-speed automatic transmission. First thing in the morning, or when the vehicle has been sitting long enough to really cool off, it won't shift out of first. Funny thing is, I can shift it into second using the shift lever, and it goes fine, then into D, etc. After it has warmed up a bit--less than a mile--it shifts fine the rest of the day, or until it cools all the way down again.

Another weird symptom is it sometimes won't shift into overdrive, but if I shift it manually into neutral and back (while driving) it will shift perfectly into overdrive from then until it cools down.

I figure this probably means a total rebuild, but I've been down that road before just a year and a half ago. I'm hoping someone will have an idea based on the symptoms so I'll at least head into the shop with some knowledge. And I also hope maybe it is a part that can be replaced or adjusted short of a $1500 repair bill.

Many thanks.

 

Take the tranny in an get a flush done. Could be lack of fluid volume getting to the valvbody. Take it to someplace with a flush machine. You would not beleive what comes out. Maybe add a can of transtune about 1000 miles before you take it in, and that will help get the garbage out of there. The filter could very well be plugged. From what i understand, when in D, the tranny will prefill the next piston assembly before shifting for a smother shift, and there might be eitherr a leak in one of the piston cylender assemblies, using oil volume great enough that there is not enough pressure to prefill the next assembly, making it not want to shift. When you shift manually, there is no prefill, making a firmer shift. Now atf just like any other oil can sludge up, overtime from heat and extreame conditions like flooring it to see why there are 5 firetruck going down the main drag, can make the oil vicosity improvers shear out of the oil, and it sludges up. If that sludged up in the pump, or in the line regulator, there would be a lower volume of oil than stock. It is worth a shot, otherwise you are going to need a rebuild because the internal seals are shot.

 

Thanks very much for the kind response and good advice.

I have searched the forum and discovered that several other people have reported this "won't shift when cold" problem on the A4LD. In addition to advice to flushing the transmission, they mention things like the vacuum modulator (I'm pretty ignorant about this stuff, so I can only guess what that is) and some other control devices whose names I have forgotten (shift sensor? speed sensor? something along those lines, electronic or vacuum devices to sense operating conditions and initiate the shift).

Any thoughts on which, if any, of these other things might also be the culprit, short of an overhaul?

Also, if I drive real nice and do the manual shift for the first mile or so when cold, can I keep doing this indefinitely? It is a pretty minor pain in the rear, and I would gladly keep it up to avoid a big repair bill if it won't damage the truck. But it is in great condition overall and I will bite the bullet and pay up if need be.

Thanks again.

 

Any thoughts about the above? Thanks!

 

I have the same problem not even a year after a rebuild. I have been told the internal seals were shot. There was a lot of metal that got dragged back into the tranny when they re-hooked up the cooling lines. I was told that if they would have put an auxillary cooler on and bypassed the radiator this would not have happened. Live and learn. Maybe going to try the flush thing.

 

Thanks for the post, Baddaryl. How long have you been putting up with the "won't shift when cold" problem? Or have you gotten an overhaul? How long have you lived, or did you live, with the problem by shifting manually?

I am going to try and nurse this baby along for as long as I can. It could last a day, a month, a year. . .who knows. But right now I'm not very high on the abilities of tranny rebuild shops. It seems like once they open up the case, it is never the same.