Hi all,

I’ve done some digging around already but figured I’d give my exact situation a shot on here.

Just replaced my Transmission, transfer case on my 1998 Ranger 3.0 V6 4x4. Both were used, transfer case has ~80k miles and Transmission has ~120k miles

Today after driving around normally for a while I was on my way home and figured I’d try the OD toggle just to check. I can’t remember exact results but I believe it was odd because it didn’t directly turn it off it just stayed more or less the same. No light until I went to gas it around a bus making a right, it aggressively downshifted and let itself rev out to around 3500-4000, I had pushed the pedal a fair amount but I wouldn’t say enough to warrant that. It then wouldn’t upshift until I let off the gas to kind of coax it into shifting. From then on the OD light was flashing at a constant steady blinking. I noticed after shifting was odd, a little clunky but no major hard clunks thuds or anything just sluggish and a little out of place feeling. I did make it home, also worth noting I didn’t have reverse while the light was flashing. I shut off the truck and then restarted it, light was no longer blinking and reverse worked just fine after. Parked on a moderately level area of my driveway and checked the tranny level while the truck was warm and running.

The dipstick was reading fairly high above the crossed section. Im suspecting I over filled however I want to be sure.



The transmission was claimed to have been drained when it was shipped. I also used the used torque converter that came with the used transmission. The manual says the 4R44E 4x4 takes 10.3 quarts of ATF. I believe I only got to 8 or 9 quarts before it began reading high like that. I have checked multiple times now all when the truck was fairly warmed up and it’s consistently read high on the dipstick.

I understand too much or too little tranny fluid can negatively affect the tranny so could that be my case here? And if so what would be the easiest way to drain out some of the fluid?

EDIT: Prior to all of this occurring the transmission was doing fine, went into overdrive on the highway as it should with nothing out of the ordinary. Stop and go was the same, nothing out of the ordinary and would shift easily.

 

Yes, its overfilled, drain some out

Flashing OD light means computer has set transmission codes, P0700 to P0803, any transmission shop can read them, some autoparts stores as well, you need an OBD2 reader that can see trans codes, MOST can not

Hard shifts are good, it means trans is in "safe mode", slipping/flaring shifts are bad, means clutches and bands(brakes) are failing

You most likely got a solenoid stuck open or closed which caused a lack of pressure, and set a code or two, and that's why no Reverse, reverse requires the highest pressure to engage, 150psi, forward is only 100psi

Drain the extra fluid out, then go get the codes read, write them down, "I think it was............" is useless