95 Ranger XLT 3.0L Vulcan Nicknamed... RangerBurger

The auto transmission has had a bit of a hard shift from 1-2 and sometimes 2-3 since I have gotten it from my dad. Now I received the truck with what we later found were bad head gaskets, so that has since been repaired and its been driven for roughly 5000 miles. Truck has roughly 230000 on it. My understanding from my dad however was that the transmission had been replaced maybe 30000 to 60000 miles prior to me getting it.

The transmission today (while my son was driving) was going down the road and the OD light started flashing. Then he said he had to coast into a neighborhood and parked it. He had to go on to school so about 30 min later I arrive and test it out. It put it into 1st and started driving, moved the lever to second but it would not upshift. Then I moved it to drive, then it would bang into what seemed like 3rd gear and stay while I drove home a good 20 minutes. I felt like it may have slipped or bogged while starting off from a stop sign in drive (may have been my imagination) so I would just put it down into first and then try second (second never would engage) then moved to drive. Fluid seems fine. It may be a tad over filled but has always been that way since I got it. Maybe that's a problem.

Any advice? I dont have a scanner yet to check for codes.

 

A 1995 Ranger 3.0l will have a 4R44E automatic, its generic name is "5R55E" so use that when searching for diagnostic info about this model

At 200K miles it wouldn't be wise to just service it, the bands(brakes) and clutches are passed 1/2 life, maybe 3/4 life if it was slipping, but that's not the issue currently

If Trans doesn't move forward in D but does in 1st that is usually a symptom of failed/failing one-way clutch(sprag), in 1st the coast clutch is used
Sprags are in the rotating part of automatic transmissions, so can only be service with transmission out of vehicle

Automatics basically have two parts, the Valve Body and the rotating part
The Valve Body sends ATF fluid under pressure to the Bands and clutches(in rotating part) to select 2, 3, 4, or 5th "gears"(ratios) using solenoids connected to valves
D and R are selected mechanically, not by solenoids, 1st is also selected mechanically

trans needs ATF at 100psi pressure to move forward, 150psi pressure to move in Reverse, this is why Reverse is often lost or slow to engage when there is a Pressure issue in Valve Body of an automatic
Not a Ford thing all automatics work the same way

Valve body can be serviced with trans in the vehicle, and if you just had slipping issues or slow to engage Reverse then servicing seals and gaskets in Valve Body would be the first thing to do, and it has to be done even if you pull the transmission later to service the rotating part, so not a waste of money
But in this case as described, it would not solve the no D engagement

You need a Code Reader that can read Transmission Codes, P0700 to P0803, most CAN NOT read these codes, so you will need to pay a bit more for a Coder Reader that can
Codes are most likely "Incorrect Ratio" codes because transmission is not shifting correctly
Ford Code list here: https://www.therangerstation.com/tec...II_codes.shtml

If you drain the fluid you will most likely find metallic flakes or pieces in the pan and fluid, from the failed sprag
These will be spread through out the whole system, i.e. inside torque converter and trans cooler, so just replacing fluid and filter won't get rid of all the metal bits


Assuming 2WD not 4x4 Ranger
If you look for a used transmission you can use 1995 to 2008(last year for 3.0l) from 2WD 3.0l Ranger or Mazda B3000, must be 2WD, can't use 4x4 trans
If its 1998 to 2008 trans you will need to swap around tail shaft housings, 6 bolts, easy to do, so you can use your 1995 speedometer VSS hook up that's on the tail shaft housing
All wiring is the same, plug and play
And you would need to Flush trans cooler(and lines), and use a new torque converter

The 2001 and up were re-named 5R44E but are exactly the same internally as your 4R44E, they have 2 extra sensors on the outside that you don't need so they are just not plugged in

If you are going to have it rebuilt make sure Pump is new, one-way clutches are new, and OD drum is new
Rebuilder's often just replace bands and clutches(soft parts) which pretty much guaranties another failure in 18 to 24 months of use so just out of warranty, lol

 

I tested a little further this evening. The transmission is very slow in drive, like its slipping, but im not sure it is. It engages fast, but when giving it the gas, its Way slower than it was, but it will still move forward and pick up speed in drive. It works much better if I put it in first gear. Putting it in drive also seems to lock the truck in place, even when sitting on a hill. Reverse engages fast with a hard thunk and pulls well.

Well I have wanted to tear into an automatic transmission so I guess I have an opportunity now.

Is there a code reader that is recommended? Say no more than a $170.00 unit that would work well? I wanted one anyway to play with on my other vehicles. Something that reads abs systems, srs as well. TPMS if possible.

 

Look at the BlueDriver, it is wireless, Bluetooth, so uses your phone or tablet as the display
Had one for a year or so and no complaints
Just under $100us, I paid $120can

Next level is Forscan, really good software for Ford, not others, and not expensive, runs on a laptop, needs an OBD2 to USB interface wire
Can add PATS keys and change things in Computer
There is a Forscan Forum as well with How-tos

 

I spoke with my dad about the transmission. He said he had to have it rebuilt at some point due to him busting the sun gears while trying to back the truck up and the tire got caught on a concrete driveway ridge. He did not feel that he had any more than 40,000 to 60,000 miles on the rebuild. I have read some that the loss of 2nd and overdrive may be caused by a solenoid regulator valve that may be out of position. Where is that located and is that easy to check? Id rather get my hands dirty and check some easy areas before swapping it. I need to keep this very low budget. Would a rebuild kit that I often see for the valve body be something that might repair the issue?

 

Yes, you can rebuild the valve body, all the solenoids are in there
If there was leaking seals or gaskets that would fix that problem, if that's your only problem, don't know, but reads more like an issue with rotating part
Automatic transmission diagnostics doesn't work that way, not even a 30 year trans expert could say "thats the problem" without doing some pressure tests

What you read about loss of 2nd and OD was about the 5Rs not the 4Rs in that case

About all you can do is drain the fluid, remove the pan and check it for metal debris, if none is seen then change filter and refill, see if it helped
If you see metal debris then trans will need to come out, valve body work won't help

 

I will remove the pan this weekend and inspect for metal. What I read about the loss of 2nd and OD was specific to the 4r, but Im not a transmission guy either so I have no real basis except to believe all I read on the net, which would be bad anyway. I am hoping however that luck may be on my side still with this ranger. I have grown to enjoy it, as has my son. Will update sometime tomorrow with my findings.

 

Drained pan and removed. Some metal dust that reacts to a magnet that I stuck beside it is all I see so far. Pine needles are for size reference. Is that metal normal? Nothing else noticed.

 

No, no metal would be "normal", especially if its fluid has been changed before, something in the rotating mass is loosing pieces/material

 

Well bats. That’s not what I wanted to hear. I may be checking the wreaking yards then for a replacement. Maybe in the meantime I will pull the transmission and start taking it apart on my bench.

 

Good News!!! for now anyway. While the pan was off, I decided to make a few quick checks on the solenoids and the fuses. I had read where the PCM that controls the transmission can sometimes have a blown fuse. Anyway, I R/R and checked each fuse associated with it, and all looked good. I checked each solenoid with a ohm meter for shorted condition and resistance (all checked fine). That is where I noticed something. Prior to checking them, I removed the large plug than connects to the side of the transmission. It came off VERY easy. I was surprised at how easy it slipped off. It would slip on, and slip off each time I tried. It would not fall off, and did not seem that it would shake off, but it was not as secure as I would have expected. I wondered if there is a clip or something that would hold it more secure.

Anyway, I made sure to press it on as secure as i could get it. Then I reinstalled the old filter and put the pan back on. I purchased 8 quarts of super tech mercon V and added to the transmission. After the 4th quart, I cranked the engine and had it running while adding fluid and checking. I noticed that the OD light was off (and not flashing). I ran it through the gears and had it going from r to d to 2 to 1 and back and forth (while stopped). Then I checked the level after 7 qt and it still was low, so I add the 8th qt. This brought it up to full.

Then I test drove it last night and it worked properly. I drove about 20 min total. Today I have driven it to work, back home and back to work, about 15 min each way on the interstate. Shifting is fine without the hard shifts it had before. Feels very normal. Up-shifts, downshifts while in D. I can turn OD off at will. I have engine braking in 2 and 1. It will take off in 1 as well as 2 correctly. R is fine as well.

Do you think it was a dirty fluid issue, or a main plug issue or both? Poor connecting fuse perhaps? I Will keep testing but I feel good. I'm going to drop the pan again in about a few days and replace fluid, gasket and filter with new, then call it done.

 

Good stuff and good work

Connector not making good contact full time should set codes, for sure
So not sure if it was the issue
Could be if it was a bit loose the metal pins/slots built up a bit of corrosion, as loose contacts do, and the unplugging and plugging back in cleaned them up enough to take way extra resistance and made sensors and solenoids more accurate and responsive

With the debris in the pan maybe some bits were in some of the solenoid valves, not sure how they would get in there, lol, and new fluid did a bit of a flush