Vehicle: 1997 Ford Ranger 2.3L, 4R44E automatic transmission.

Problem: Car is idling in park, I put into any gear nothing happens.

Process of Work Performed: Turned car off (battery still connected), Dropped transmission fluid pan, changed filter and installed new (refurbished) solenoids - 4 x shift solenoids, 1 x TCC solenoid and 1 x EPC solenoid, replaced pan with new gasket, torqued everything to spec, refilled transmission fluid with Mercon V (4-quarts), idled for 10 minutes, checked fluid level, shifted all gears with foot on the brake, re-checked fluid level, tried for a test ride. no movement in drive, reverse or lower gears (i.e., 3, 2). No change in sounds or anything. Car does not stall.

Internal diagnosis and questions: When I changed the solenoids I did my best to keep trans fluid from dripping on the solenoid harness contacts that plug into the actual solenoid valve, but chances are a few drops may have touched the connectors. I made sure all rubber o-ring gaskets came out with old solenoids and new gaskets were on the replacement solenoids. Based on the truck not responding to any change in gear I want to believe this is an electrical issue. I checked a few fuses (i.e., 13 and 16) and they were fine. The truck never jerked when I changed gears or made any odd noises. Just completely unresponsive to changing gears.

Thanks for your help!

 

Welcome to FTE.

Lots of unknowns, so I'll see if I can get things started. Was the tranny doing this Before all the solenoid replacement work??? If so, did the problem come about slowly over time, or suddenly after some event????

Park level & re-check that the tranny fluid level is correct, not under, nor overfilled & if ok, check tranny pump fluid pressure & flow rate over time & let us know what you find.

If all that is ok, use, borrow, or come by the inexpensive ELM scan-tool as discussed here, Low Cost ELM Scantool - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums (ford-trucks.com) as this inexpensive but powerful diagnostic combo can access All the vehicle computer / controllers for trouble code clues, (in case you have more than one problem) & running FORScan diagnostic freeware that's tweaked for Fords, on the viewing device of choice, have it scan for trouble code clues & post All code Numbers, as they can help focus a trouble shoot.

Some beginning thoughts for consideration, let us know what you find.

 

To respond to @pawpaw questions. No issues before the transmission fluid change. Maybe this is just a great case of 'if it's not broken don't fix it."

Here is an update - problem solved, there was not enough trans fluid.

That said, I am not satisfied how this was resolved, mainly because it is clear I was not adding the trans fluid and taking the dipstick readings correctly. So to learn from this, maybe the real question of this post is: what is the process for added trans fluid to my 1997 ford ranger?

Here is the process I initially followed (which did not seem to work for me):

1. Add in 4 quarts.
2. Turn car on, let it idle down.
3. Dip stick on "cold" reading should read below hatches.
4. Let car warm up 10-20 minutes.
5. Dip stick on "hot" reading should read into hatches.
6. Cycle though gears while in park.
7. Check dipstick reading and add fluid if it dropped out of the hatch area.

After I could not get the car into gear I let it sit for about 8-hours, feeling defeated. Later on I checked the trans fluid dipstick while the truck was off and it was dry! I checked and re-checked. Dry. I got underneath, checked the pan and ground for signs of leaks. No leaks. [As a side note: I've read that while the engine is off, the dip stick should read high, then when the engine is running and trans fluid is pumping the dipstick should at first read lower.]

Here is the what I did that worked:

1. Added in additional fluid (roughly 1/4 quart increments)
2. Turn car on, let it idle down.
3. Ignored dipstick readings (showed higher than hatch area for all readings).
4. Let car warm up 10 minutes.
5. Cycled though gears while in park. Tried to engage gears and move truck.
6. If truck did not move, repeated steps 1-5.
7. After about 4-5 iterations, truck moved.

Like I said, I am not thrilled at this approach and I'd like a more precise means for checking the fluid, especially now that I have the truck moving. I want to make sure its not under or overfilled.

 

Ok, good find, feedback & to hear it was just a procedural tally problem.

From the bottom of this forums "Tech Iinfo" thread, is the tranny fluid & filter service procedure I use on all the vehicles in our family fleet Ranger: Technical Information - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums (ford-trucks.com) Full Tranny Fluid Pump Out - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums (ford-trucks.com)

EDIT: Refer to the owner manual for at what temp & how we're to read & interpret the tranny dipstick fluid level. If you don't have a manual, one can be down loaded @ no cost here Owner Manuals (ford.com)