Transmission Problems....Need Opinions

Status
Not open for further replies.
F

fins

Joined
Jul 19, 2006
Messages
134
Location
ohio
My son bought a 2000 Ford Explorer with 88K miles on it from a guy who said the transmission was going bad and slipping. It was about a quart low, we added fluid and he has drove it for a couple of days and so far it seems to be okay. The fluid is pretty dirty and we were going to change the filter and add new fluid.

Some have said not to change the fluid if you think the transmission is going bad, the dirt and grit in the fluid is keeping the transmission working.........new fluid may make it slip worse.

I say put in a new filter and fluid and see what happens.........what's the opinion??
 
+1 on new fluid and filter

Also allows you to inspect the pan and pan magnet for anything abnormal
 
Last edited:
He bought it with intentions of changing out the trans.

But since it seems to be functioning for now we don't know to drive as-is or service it??
 
Change the fluid and filter and do a few line exchanges or fluid extractions. I'd add LG Red to the final fill, but mentioning additives can be a problem with some members.
 
The 4 speed autos in those were pretty weak.

Drive it for now, but keep it in the back of your mind that you will be replacing it soon.
 
Safest would be to just drop the pan and change the filter. There have been stories of power flushes moving stuff around and clogging up the transmission whereas a standard pan drop just gets the fluid out. There also many stories of the transmission acting strangely, and then once the fluid is at the right level, everything is fine again. Remember to check it hot.
 
What engine do you have? (5L V8 uses the 4R70W which is bullet proof) 4.0L have the 5R55e transmission which is prone to blow out the Valve body separater gasket. Mine blew out right by the reverse servo.

Ford has a update kit for that transmission including a bonded separater gasket.
Google "Ford explorer 2-3 shift flare"
 
Last edited:
Change the fluid and filter and do it 3 times if you cant flush it.. Very important to use the correct fluid i believe the max life high mileage atf is good for that transmission. Use a motorcraft filter.

most times on modern transmissions people change their fluid when things go wrong and when the trans stops working they blame the new fluid, its the same with the people that put in the wrong fluid..
put the correct fluid in and all should be fine
 
Here is a pic with valve body removed on the 5R55E. The reverse servo is shown here. this is where the valve body gasket is prone to blowing out. While in there I replaced the reverse servo O-ring with a Viton D shaped o-ring. This will cure the delayed shift into reverse that these are known for.

 
Originally Posted By: Miller88
The 4 speed autos in those were pretty weak.

Drive it for now, but keep it in the back of your mind that you will be replacing it soon.


not really

the 4r70w was pretty much bulletproof by that time.
(they were weaker back about 1994)

the 5r55e was a 5speed, actually pretty durable if not abused they had a few specific issues.

I'd try changing the fluid if it kills it .. it was going to go anyway.
 
Last edited:
If it's not slipping or otherwise acting up now that the fluid level is full, then it's perfectly OK to change the ATF.

How did the fluid look before you added the quart? Was it nice and red like it had been changed recently? Or was it dark and burnt smelling like it was neglected?

Why would the transmission be low on fluid? It may be leaking.
 
Originally Posted By: Miller88
The 4 speed autos in those were pretty weak.

Drive it for now, but keep it in the back of your mind that you will be replacing it soon.


Yes, but that was the A4LD that was used in earlier models...pure junk!
 
Last edited:
I would drop the pan to change the fluid. You might know if the transmission has completely failed if you find transmission parts in the pan or big chunks of metal. If you don't find those, you may have gotten lucky and only needed a fluid change.

If the transmission has failed, you can use Lucas ATF additive to get a few more miles out of it before rebuilding. Don't add Lucas ATF additive to a transmission that functions properly.
 
Originally Posted By: Bluestream
Originally Posted By: Miller88
The 4 speed autos in those were pretty weak.

Drive it for now, but keep it in the back of your mind that you will be replacing it soon.


Yes, but that was the A4LD that was used in earlier models...pure junk!

I disagree. I have 189k miles on my A4LD and it still shifts perfectly. It's had two pan drop/refills and one flush in its life. Never had any transmission problems.
 
Originally Posted By: exranger06
Originally Posted By: Bluestream
Originally Posted By: Miller88
The 4 speed autos in those were pretty weak.

Drive it for now, but keep it in the back of your mind that you will be replacing it soon.


Yes, but that was the A4LD that was used in earlier models...pure junk!

I disagree. I have 189k miles on my A4LD and it still shifts perfectly. It's had two pan drop/refills and one flush in its life. Never had any transmission problems.


Then you are one lucky person. Go to the Explorer forums and see what other owners think of them...

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=308447
 
Last edited:
I heard lots of stories about those trannys being weak. I heard the same thing about the tranny being weak in my 93 Aerostar, 212,000 miles IIRC of hard use and it went to the junkyard working perfectly. Sometimes it's the luck of the draw.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

C
1990 F150 with AOD transmission seems to be shuddering
Replies
12
Views
402
Chris142
A
change transmission filter before or after the full fluid flush?
2
Replies
30
Views
871
Thebigm
A
Anyone else have a problem with Castrol Transmax Dex VI Mercon LV?
Replies
14
Views
876
kschachn
O
Opinions on Toyota 8 speed Transmission.
Replies
5
Views
2K
JMJNet
K
zf8hp70 fluid change
Replies
16
Views
818
jeepman3071
Back
Top