Few months ago I bought a 1996 Ford Explorer XLT with a 4.0 V6 engine and a/t transmisson with 96,000 miles on it.The guy that I bought it from said he had the transmission rebuilt at 50,000 miles. When I'm in Drive with o/d on...the shifts between 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd are really rough. Once in awhile, it would shift perfect but other wise im thrown to my seat everytime it shifts. A buddy of mine told me that I should do a tranny flush because either the filter could be clogged up or the fluid could be dirty. The fluid seemed to be clean when I flushed the tranny and filter but I went ahead and did it. That didn't help at all. I was playing around with the steering colum shifter and decided to put it in 2nd. Every time it shifted, I was getting smooth & perfect shifts. When I pop it back to drive with o/d on it would be shifting once again really hard. Once in awhile the shifts are so bad that I hear a loud clunk sound. I have no idea what I am going into of whether its the PCM or torque convert (clutch)? I would really appreciate if someone could give me some advice of what to look for or do to hopefully fix this problem. I'm somewhat handy when working on cars but hoping that I don't need to take it to a tranny shop. I had the codes checked and nothing came out.

 

The torque converter has no effect on shifting. It sounds to me like you might have a problem with the MLP (Manual Lever Position) Sensor. It mounts to the side of the case and tell the PCM what gear you have selected with the lever.

The first thing to do is have the codes read. If there are codes we need to know what they are. If there are no codes, I would replace the MLP and reset the PCM.

Steve
'95 Clubwagon XLT

 

I had the codes check again today at autozone and nothing came up. The guy at autozone had me put some transmission additives but that didn't really work. Is there a specific way in order to reset the pcm. I'm going to unplug the battery all night and see what happens.

 

I wouldn't trust Autozone to read a Stop sign. I don't care what they tell you I have seen them come up with unbelievable stuff. Have the codes read by a professional shop with a real scanner (Snap-On or Genisis).

Resetting the PCM is accomplished by disconnecting the battery for about 5 minutes and touching the cable ends together (with BOTH cables disconnected from the battery). No need to let it sit overnight.

After doing that, do a full throttle run through the gears about three times and see if that doesn't help. Sometimes the PCM will recalibrate quicker when using full throttle upshifts.

Steve
'95 Clubwagon XLT

 

Where would I look at to purchase a new MLP sensor. The only place I can think of is a Ford Dealer. When you say the MLP sensor mounts to the side of the case, are you talking about the steering colum or the actually transmisson case. Thanks alot for your help.

 

The MLP mounts to the side of the transmission case just above the pan rail on the driver's side. You will find it mounted along side the shift linkage and a large wiring harness bundle plugged into it.

You can buy one at the Ford dealer but you may be able to get one from an Autozone store for less money. I have bought them from Autozone many times. And it is most likely made by the same company that makes them from Ford just packed in a different box and if you look closely, you may find where the molded in Ford part number has been ground off with a dremel tool. However (and this is important) Autozone may have a difficult time locating it in their computer system. They may call it a "neutral safety switch" instead of an MLP.

If they can't give you a part that is an EXACT match for the one on the truck, skip them and go to your Ford Dealer.

You can also buy them at Transtar cheaper than Autozone and they for damned sure will know exactly what it is and it will come in a Motorcraft box. To find out if there is a Transtar warehouse near you go to:

http://www.transtarindustries.com


Steve
'95 Clubwagon XLT

 

Is this what i should be looking for of the mlp? <a href="http://www.uploadfile.info" target="_blank"><img alt="Image Hosted by Free image hosting" src="http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/ece71238e8.jpg" /></a>
<a href="http://www.uploadfile.info" target="_blank"><img alt="Image Hosted by Free image hosting" src="http://www.uploadfile.info/uploads/9ed1d7cf48.jpg" /></a>

 

Can't tell anything about the upper picture but the lower picture is of the connector for the MLP.

Good Luck.

Steve
'95 Clubwagon XLT

 

I think that did the problem. Its not shifting rough and the old plm sensor looked pretty bad.

thanks a lot

 

Great. Hope you are done then.

Steve
'95 Clubwagon XLT

 

i thought i fixed the inconsisting rough shifting with my 96 explorer xlt by putting a new mlp sensor. i've heard about ecm (engine control module) could have an affect on the shifting. what should i do about it? I have a 96 ford explorer with a v6 4.0 engine and a 4 speed auto with od transmisson