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