I have a 98 ranger 2wd 4.0 and it’s been the worst vehicle ever. I bought it and it instantly blew the AT, I had it rebuilt. New torque converter. It was driving great a few months but now I keep getting the flashing OD lights after 20 minutes driving with the code P0741. It said the tcc solenoid was stuck closed so I replaced it. Still having the same problem with all new solenoid, fluid and filter. Any ideas? I’d love to just take it in to get diagnosed but it’s my only vehicle I need it for work and I am broke as I have been since I bought this POS in August. I’ve searched threads but can’t figure this out and it’s driving me insane.

 

You most likely have a wiring issue, do you have a Volt/OHM meter?

The solenoids in the transmission all get 12volts with key on, so they share a common 12v source

Each solenoid has its own Ground wire that runs back to the computer, this is how the computer controls shifting and also how it "monitors" the wiring, i.e. when key is on the computer should "see" 12volts on each solenoids "ground wire"
A solenoid is just a coil of wire that becomes a magnet when it has 12v and a Ground, so the 12v just passes thru that coil of wire to the computer, until computer grounds it which then activates that solenoid

TCC is the name of this one solenoid, these are some of the TCC codes the computer can use

P0740 Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Malfunction
P0741 Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck Off
P0742 Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Stuck On
P0743 Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Electrical
P0744 Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Intermittent

I would expect 740 or 743 for a wiring issue, but wiring is not off the table

P0741 is usually a seal issue, or solenoid failure, since you replaced the solenoid the seals would the next step
But I would test the TCC wires first

You can see the TCC 12v and Ground connections, 1 and 5, with wiring connector attached
Use a sewing pin to pierce wires, check if TCC 12v has 12v with key on, just to be sure
Then unplug connector and test OHMS on pins 1 and 5, should be 9-16 ohms as shown

This connector is the same for 1995-2011 4R/5R 44E/55E Ranger/Mazda transmissions





If this all tests as OK then there is most likely a leak in the TCC seals

A solenoid just pushes or pulls a sliding rod inside the valve body, this rod has seals/o-rings that routes pressure to passages, these seals or passages/gaskets can leak

Since this was a recent rebuild I would say there has been a blowout in the valve body which should be covered under warranty


These are all just best guess answers

It is also possible that the new torque converter is bad, not locking up, the computer determines if converter is locked by looking at(comparing) engine RPMs and Transmission shaft RPMs which should be the same when converter is locked, P0741 means RPMs are not staying the same, so converter is not lock, so as far the computer is concerned "TCC is OFF" when it should be "ON", so P0741 Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck Off

 

Thank you so much for all the information. I tested the wiring and they seem to be just fine. So now I supposed the next most likely thing is the valve body seals. This is where Im not sure what to do. I think I can possibly figure out how to replace the seals and gaskets, I have seen kits online for around $40. I just dont know if Im gonna need only the seal kit, or a whole new valve body. So I have to remove the valve body to see how all the seals are looking? Correct? Is removing the valve body difficult? The TCC solenoid was pretty easy to replace, and I have a torque wrench so I can torque everything down proper. Im just not sure how to go about this. Im pretty broke and in a serious time crunch to have a reliable truck for my landscaping business. I put so much money into this truck, the AT i paid my friend to remove and install, who is a certified transmission mechanic, so i know he did it right. The rebuild was done by a shop, and I dont think they touch the valve body on the rebuild, so I dont think theres any warranty as far as that goes. Im just trying to figure out the fastest way to either get this truck going successfully

 

A rebuild MUST include valve body, thats HOW a transmission shifts, thru the valve body, call them and tell them the code and that you have tested the wiring
DO NOT tell them you replaced the TCC solenoid

 

I called and they said that 99% of the time they dont touch the valve body unless its damaged. One thing i wanna mention, about 15 minutes before the OD light started flashing and it went into limp mode (after i replaced the TCC) I was sitting idle at a traffic light and the truck suddenly started making a loud humming noise Ive never heard before on this truck or any vehicle. It lasted like a minute, and it went away when I started moving again. Something might have happened then and there that is related to my issue.

 

Another thing I wanna mention that might be a good clue is that when I put the truck into 1st, 2nd its very responsive, but its just slightly delayed shifting into Drive and putting it in reverse is a little more delayed. Not super bad, Ive had rangers that took longer to shift. But its definitely more responsive shifting into the right side of the shifting column than on the left. Seems like a pressure issue. This indicates the seals once again I would think.