4R70W/AODE Delayed/Freewinding Shift Problem

Hi everybody:

I've got a '96 Explorer AWD w/ 92,000 miles on it and it's not shifting properly on the 2-3 shift when under moderate to heavy load. It wants to stay in 2nd until 5,000 RPM or so and will only upshift after I lift off the gas and let the RPM drop to about 2,000. If I blip the gas while the RPM is dropping, the motor just sort of freewinds like it's in neutral. Once the RPM gets below about 2,000, 3rd gear finally engages and everything is fine.

Around town at part-throttle and light load the 2-3 shift is fine. It also doesn't seem to matter whether the tranny is hot or cold.

After several days of research, I'm hoping that the problem is either the

2-3 shift solenoid, the 2-3 accumulator piston or seal, or the EPC solenoid.

I have a couple of questions:

Does it seem like I'm on the right track? It doesn't seem like a clutch or band problem since there doesn't seem to be any slipping. What's the best way to diagnose the problem? Should I take the vehicle to a dealer with a Rotunda/AODE Transmission Tester for diagnosis or should I just replace the above parts and hope I got it right?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I haven't had a lot of luck with my local transmission shops, since none of them seem to be interested in diagnosing the problem. They just say, "Yep, your tranny is screwed up, but we can rebuild it for only two thousand bucks."

Thanx, Curt in Seattle

Reply to
Curt Nelson
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Sorry, Curt... there is nowhere near enough information nor testing done to even form an opinion. One would have to start with a code scan to see if there are any clues hidden there. After that some pressure testing and such. It is important to remember that engine performance concerns can manifest themselves in such a way as to appear to be transmission concerns. I haven't experienced any pattern failures that resemble yours so, again, more testing is a must.

Worthy of mention is the fact that the transmission has 92,000 miles on it - also worthy of mention is that it seems to be ailing....... if it were my transmission, I doubt that I'd be trying to patch repair it, being more inclined to go through the whole thing so I wont have to repeat the process all to soon....

Any techs that I know will want to overhaul the trans completely...... not so much to part you from your money but to protect their reputation. Customers are quick to forget all about that low, low price they whangled while they complain about how sh*tty the bargain job turned out.

Reply to
Jim Warman

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