Hey all,

2005 3.0 Edge. Recently (last week or so) I've noticed my transmission isn't really downshifting if I try to accelerate suddenly on the highway or on a hill. If I really punch it, it will eventually downshift, but it seems to 'stick' in the top gear. It upshifts perfectly smoothly from a stop. Does anyone have insights or suggestions on this? Is this normal at higher speeds? (I just moved to the States, the highway speeds are way higher here! But on the other hand, it's a bit more reluctant to downshift even at slower speeds). The transmission fluid isn't burnt (so far as I can tell) and I have done a previous fluid change with no unfortunate effects. Recently, like a couple weeks ago, I stupidly let a Midas assistant top up the transmission fluid when she said it was low, but it hasn't seemed to lose any fluid at any point and when I check the dipstick hot in Park, it's a bit above the top dot and into the crossed area.

I had to drive the Ranger for a couple days with a full bed on steep roads in heat, while moving a couple weeks ago, so I've been planning on doing a fluid and filter change in the next week anyway. Given the above, is there anything else I should look out for or potentially work on? Is this just a sign of a transmission coming to the end of its life?

Thanks for your help!

 

Not sure what would be the issue
I assume speedometer works and no CEL is on

When going downhill with foot off the gas pedal is the engine still engaged, i.e. you can feel engine braking having an effect, you are not "freewheeling" like in neutral

 

Hi Ron,

Yes, the speedometer is fine, no CEL. (It does light up when first turning the key, so it definitely works) And yes, when going downhill with the foot off the gas pedal, the engine is definitely still engaged.

Should I just see what happens with new fluid in the trans? Are there any solenoids worth replacing at this age?

Thanks!

 

Yes, on the fluid change

No, on the solenoids

A Solenoid is just a coil of 1 wire wrapped around metal core that becomes a magnet when it has 12v and ground, if the wire breaks then solenoid doesn't work, computer constantly monitors that 1 wire to see if its broken, if so it sets a code for that
So solenoid issues are easy for computer to ID

The solenoid slides a valve that routes trans fluid thru passages in the valve body, these passages engage or disengage clutches and bands(brakes) in the rotating part of transmission
Sticking valves or clogged/leaking passages are harder for computer to ID

The clutch and bands select the ratio(gear) that the transmission is "in"
The computer has the RPMs of the engine, "input shaft" of transmission and has the Output shaft RPMs, the difference between the two is the ratio(gear) selected by computer, if the ratio is different than computer expects it will set a code

You can have transmission issues without codes being set but its unusual, flashing OD OFF light indicates computer is detecting transmission issue at that time and it usually sets a code for that issue

 

Hmmm, good to know. Well, I'll do the fluid change as soon as I can, and then I'll update for posterity, I suppose, and just hope the transmission keeps more or less working! Thanks very much for the information and insights, those are really helpful to know!

 

Hi Ron,

Quick question, if you don't mind: What should I keep an eye out for if the transmission sometimes does seem to be freewheeling on the highway when I let off the gas? Had a highway drive yesterday and it seemed inconsistent, sometimes (most times) it would very obviously brake when I let off the gas, other times (several times) it did seem to feel like I was in neutral even when not.

I'll be changing the fluid later this morning. Thanks again for your help!

 

There are a few different things that can cause that so can't really diagnose it
torque converter not locked
coast clutch issue
sprag(one-way clutch) issue
Leaking valve body gasket<<<<one of the more well known issues in the 4R and 5R transmissions, lol
couple more I can't think of right now

 

Gotcha. So, something to save until a rebuild happens, I assume?

Thanks again for answering my questions, I really appreciate it!

 

Update for posterity: Problem is more or less fixed! I decided about 6 weeks ago to replace the valve body with a rebuilt body, from Central Valve Bodies (CVB, comes with separator plate and gasket, $239: https://centralvalvebodies.com/). About $300 US wish shipping. For anyone braver than I, one can also just rebuild the kit, but I figured once time, money, and nerves were factored in the $300 was worth it. (Rebuild tips here: 5R55E Valve Body Rebuild Diary: https://www.explorerforum.com/forums...-diary.140987/ and here 5R55E – Stairway to a Diary: https://www.explorerforum.com/forums...-diary.154655/). Anyways, installed a new filter and gasket - the old one had some rtv clumps in it, from my last gasket and filter change, so oops, I think we know what went wrong there, lol - filled everything up with fresh clean new fluid, and surprise surprise, somehow this old transmission isn't slipping at all, and shifts very reliably now! It still feels like an old, weary transmission, and hesitates to shift on the highways - but it has always done that, so it's now restored to the condition it was in before my Rocky Mountain mishaps. It took about 3 or 4 weeks of driving on highways and in start-stop city traffic - especially the latter - for the transmission to shift properly, but once it 'learned' (I guess?) it's been great. It's noisier than it was before, which I still find off-putting, but it runs, it's smooth, no clunks or grinding, and it's reasonably responsive. Anyways, when I was having the downshifting problem before, I saw a few other people had had similar issues, and I don't want to pretend that this particular solution is a universal fix, but it worked great for me, so I just wanted to put that out there in case it's helpful for anyone else.

Torque specs and instructions (I'd never done anything like this before, so I was absurdly reliant on these): https://manuals.plus/m/d213756e504bd...a65e607b5f4975 (Just a pdf I found online, no idea of provenance, but it's titled 307-01-1 Automatic Transmission - 5R44E and 5R55E [in case the link doesn't work in the future])

I also used a pdf I found under "ukrtrans 5R55E complete teardown and rebuild," but I cannot find a useable link anymore. I'll try to scan and upload the copy I printed later, I can't right now.

And one more link, with torque specs, bolt sequence, and a useful diagram. (I took the cardboard from the package my filter and gasket came in, sharpied a large and impressionistic picture of the valve body and 'landmarks' on it, and then punched numbered holes in each location for the bolts; I then stuck each bolt in the appropriate hole when it came out, and simply reversed on the way back in. Note that the last bolt, #28, is the filter bolt, it took me ridiculously long to figure that out and I was freaked, lol): https://d2q1ebiag300ih.cloudfront.ne...f?v=1550164967

Sorry for the length and rambliness! Hope this helps someone someday. Many thanks to the people on this forum, including those who answered other people's past questions; I got a lot of direct and indirect help here.