95 EXPLORER no reverse no 1st?
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95 EXPLORER no reverse no 1st?
I have a 95 Explorer XLT Control Trac (4x4) w/ auto trans that will not move in reverse OR in 1st gear. It won't even roll backwards in neutral! (It only rolls back if I lift the rear wheels off the ground). All other gears (D & 2nd) work. Any suggestions as to WHY?
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The low/reverse band is used in both reverse and first. With it not moving in neutral, I suspect something happened to the rear one way clutch and that took out the band. Still, I can't believe neutral would lock up hard unless this is a problem with the internal linkage that operates the parking pawl and this doesn't release till you shift to second. Hace you applied gas to the point where the TC goes into a stall at about 2K? I don't usually suggest that you do this because it should only be done for less than 30 seconds. If it locks hard in N with the engine off, I really suspect something with the parking pawl linkage.
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Thanks for the reply! I had thought about the parking pawl, but since it seems to roll FORWARD (without too much effort) in Neutral, should I rule this out as the cause? Also, you mentioned applying gas to about 2k; should I try this in reverse or 1st or doesn't it matter?
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One more thing: we bought this Explorer about a month ago from a private owner. He showed us receipts from various repairs and services he had performed on the vehicle (engine rebuild, mostly routine high-mileage services). He mentioned he had the trans flushed and renewed the automatic transmission fluid about six months ago. The fluid I see in the trans is a honey-brown color but shouldn't it be red in color?
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If the engine is not running there should be no difference in how the wheels turn in any forward gear, neutral, and reverse. The shift lever does not operate anything mechanical except the parking pawl. There is no reaon it should roll in all the gears with the engine off. Fluid should be nice and pink for a long while after a flush. This new information almost rules out the parking pawl. I don't really have that much imformation on the 4R55E. Mechanically it is pretty much identical to the A4LD, but the valve body is different. Manuals are available at www.bulkpart.com for $16. If you just couldn't move in 1st or reverse, I would suspect a problem with the low/reverse servo or associated band. The servo is easy to fix, The band is not. Pan drop would verify that problem. Problems with the one way clutch would allow one of the gears to work. Testing engine speed at this time would only do more damage. Please verify how it rolls with the engine off.
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Again, thanks for the info. The vehicle will roll downhill in Neutral (with or without the engine running) but only FORWARD; it won't roll BACKWARDS (again, with or without the engine running). In the other gears, as expected, it does not roll freely; in PARK, the pawl seems to engage just fine (although it rolls a bit before it "catches"- nothing out of the ordinary).
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More info: I lifted the rear wheels off the ground with a rolling lift and the vehicle rolled BACKWARDS down our driveway in Neutral without a problem. I spun one of the rear wheels and, as expected, the other wheel turned in the opposite direction; it only locks when both wheels are engaged in a backwards-rolling direction. I drove it around the block and it feels like I'm pulling a ton of bricks: it seems to start off in second gear (in DRIVE) and drags considerably. It also won't shift smoothly into third if it shifts at all, and less than a minute into the drive, I heard a THUD come from the rear end (although I believe it originated in the trans/TC area). Our O/D light began flashing, but for some reason have been unable to trigger the OBD code. I parked it on the street, and selected 4WDLO (in neutral) and the solenoid engaged with a CLUNK. I disengaged it and re-engaged it and it did so without a sound. Pulling the pan is my next step.
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From: Cincinnati
Inspect the low reverse servo when the pan is off. This is the four bolt cover in the rear section. With the cover removed the piston will push down from an internal spring. See how floppy the piston is in the bore to see how worn the large O ring is and inspect for flats when removed. Push a philips head screwdriver up the hole in the bore till it hits the reverse band. It will go up a little till the band hits the opposite stop. At that point you should be able to push it about another half inch. The band is double wrap and acts a little like a spring. If it doesn't feel line a spring, the band has snapped. You can look on www.atcdg.com in tech under A4LD for a picture of this servo.
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From: Cincinnati
Also look on www.explorer4x4.com for "My A4LD rebuild story" for some color pictures and "Anybody rebuild an A4LD" for procedures.
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Well, brought the Explorer into a local Ford dealer and had it diagnosed... something broke inside the transmission, and the debris spread to the rest of it- the tech called it an "overwhelming failure". It's a $3,000 fix. MY question is this: how hard is it to rebuild this transmission (A4LD- type) myself?
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Read those threads and you will know. You have a 4R55E but mechanically it the same. Glacier's thread is a little over the top Tou shouldn't need any special tools. They can take a licking and keep on ticking. Franlky it is a logistics problem. If you have the space and can take the time, it should cost about $200 (add another $150 if you go with a new TC). Most rebuilders only know a little more than you do.