This is a longshot, but I want to make sure I am not missing some connection here... my battery has been shot for a couple years and I did not notice it... engine turned over fine, but now looking back, ever since I installed my external XM radio, it would always shut off when I start the engine... I just though there was a momentary interruption in power and the radio would not tolerate it. After replacing my battery 2 days ago, my radio now stays on through starts... showing that my batt was in bad shape and with the starter current drain could not maintain voltage enough to keep the radio from shutting off.

Now, my question... I had been having trouble with the transmission slipping when I first put it in drive... started a year or so ago and has become more frequent, up to last week where it was almost 50% of the time I shift into drive. A wiggle of the stick or shift out and back to drive would normally cure it and once it was cured there would be no slippage until the next time I shift out of drive... well, since I have changed the battery the problem seems to have disappeared! I think it is just coincidence, but is there ANY possible connection between battery power and the transmission? Is the steering column shifter hard linked to the transmission or is it an electrical connection? Is there anything involved in getting the car in drive that could possibly be dependent on battery power? Anything with the computer that could have been getting screwed up by the voltage drop when starting? As I said, this has been getting progressivly worse over more than a year... and now seems all better... coincidence or connection?

Jeff

 

You didn't state what year your Explorer is, but I doubt there is a connection. Most of the electronic controls on the transmissions only work the upper gears, not 1st or 2nd as I recall (at least on Gen 1 Ex's).

 

Sorry... 1996 Explorer XLT 4x4, V6.