need help diagnosing

Asked by GuruB29G Apr 11, 2017 at 09:30 AM about the 1999 Ford Explorer 4 Dr Limited 4WD SUV

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

While on highway, seemed to have lost all
gears. Motor acts like in nutrel. Have the
rpms but didn't go forward or backwards.
Managed to limp to work using only 4x4
low. Will no longer move in 4x4 auto and
4x4 high. A few times I tried to engage
park and heard grinding noise. Help!!!

11 Answers

221,015

Check the transmission fluid, but it sounds like the trany is done for.

1 people found this helpful.

Transmission fluid is good. Oil level is good. When I could drive it in 4x4 auto, I had no slippage. But the moment I released the gas I no longer had power to go forward or back wards. Just rpms.

221,015

Smell the transmission fluid. If it smells burn, there is a problem.

1 people found this helpful.
221,015

Send some of that warm weather toward the Mid West...You'll have to get this to a transmission shop for proper diagnosis.

1 people found this helpful.

Lol it is nice and sunny here.....there is no burnt smell to the fluid and it still looks like transmission fluid (I had a previous used vehicle that I almost bought that transmission fluid was almost black - needless to say I didn't get it lol ). Don't have a lot of money to do trial and error type of thing. I'm reading that it's either tranny or the transfer case that controls the 4x4 auto, 4x4 high and 4x4 low

157,475

Check the transfer case fluid level and look for metal particles in it.

1 people found this helpful.
221,015

It could be a pressure solenoid of some sort, problem is on this sight we all know symptoms and a course of action to take. None of us are transmission re-builders, thus asking someone at a trany shop, And hey, it just stop snowing here, got dumped on with 3". Tomorrow sunny and 50° and then some.

1 people found this helpful.

New symptom: park won't engage. Dash Baird says it is but have to throw e brake on to keep it in place.

221,015

Well, just have to see what is going on down there. Also, not sure if it is tied in with this problem or not, but there is a shift interlock system on this that is tied in with the brake light switch. And Ford did have a problem with there transmissions coming out of park at one time.

1 people found this helpful.

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