2002 Ranger 4x4 Automatic Transmission problem

Anyone have a problem with there automatic tansmission in a 4x4? I have a 2002 Ranger Edge and the tanny started slipping. I checked the fluid and the level and color were fine. Took it to the dealer to be checked out and they tell me that is needs a "soft rebuild" for $2200 or a reman unit installed for $2900. Anyone else have any tranny problems?

94 K on a '99 Ford Explorer with AWD - rebuild in process... forcast by the 'overdrive off' light flickering off and on.. a vehicle that has not been heavily used but it does tow trailers within weight specs..... e

Yes... Hard shifting, slips, and blinking overdrive light (bottom right on dash instruments). This has been a problem for some time for me and I had the dealer work on it under warranty a few years ago; however, periodically, the problem comes back. I have had vacuum problems which cause d rough idles and stalls and am beginning to wonder if this is not a vacuum problem, as well.

Tim, my 2002 ford ranger edge (not 4x4) has the same problem. It shifts the first gear extremely hard, once this happens, the overdrive light blinks on and off. any advice for a not so wealthy college student, without warranty.

I can't answer for the rest, however Gabriel. Keeping in mind that you have an electronic tranny. One item to try first (cheap) is disconnect the negative post of the battery for 30 sec, to a minute or so. Then reconnect, it will shift hard for a period however if it is a memory problem it will straighten it self out. Disconnecting the battery wipes the memory clear, so you start with a clean slate so to speak.....
Hope this helps

I went ahead and tried that already, but turns out the shift solonoids are messed up...any idea how much it costs to fix.

i have a 2002 ford ranger and the automatic trany is starting to slip after take off when it shifts to second gear i am guessing this part. any ideas??

my 2002 with ohc 4.0 all in all has a lot of problems with basiclly every component of the drive train, very very clean truck with 75,000 miles, definatly not one of fords better ideas.

definatly very fun to drive with 200+ hp and 4:10 limited slip though. holds its wheight offroad too. the main problems i was talking about include, the timing chain, hard shifts during quick accelaration, when cold it tries to slip (more like a pause) when it shifts from 1st to 2nd gear, dosen't slip yet, thank goodness, also the thump thud from drivline during light accel/deccel. are these things worth fixing?,should i get rid of it? any informed ideas?

Gabriel wrote:

Tim, my 2002 ford ranger edge (not 4x4) has the same problem. It shifts the first gear extremely hard, once this happens, the overdrive light blinks on and off. any advice for a not so wealthy college student, without warranty.

All you guys with Rangers need to contact the Ford Motor Company and file a formal complaint like I did. My O/D light came and was flashing on in my 2002 Ranger Edge 2X2 with 46,000 miles on it two weeks ago. I immediately came straight home. After stopping at a light, and then proceeding to go once it turned green, it shifted hard from 1 to 2nd gear. I drove it home, approx 3 miles and called the dealer where I bought it. I had to take it for the recall on the cruise control, so I told them about this also. It cost me 160 bucks for them to tell me I need a new transmission!! The cost, 3200!! My extended warranty just ran out in Oct of 2007, and with driving it less than 7,000 a year, I need a new transmission!! I has Aamco pick it up, they will do it for 1800. I have a feeling there is a problem with these trucks, and if everyone that encountered a similar problem called and documented it with Ford, maybe there will be a recall and we can get compensated for it. But if no one calls and complains, we dont have a leg to stand on. Mary

The hard shifting is good, you want it to shift hard under acceleration or towing what do you think a shift kit does. It is an adaptive shift transmissision. The clunk is normal, it is the play in the driveline. Alot of it is people getting played by the mechanics themselves.

i recently bought a 96 ranger with the 4r44e automatic trans, when this one shifts from 2 to 3 it slips then bangs into 3rd gear, also the overdrive light was flashing i would shut the truck off the light would stay off only for a while though, took it a reputible trans shop, he said the light flashing was a code. he put an aniliyzer on it said it was 734 incorrect 4 th gear ratio, he thought that the center support in the trans could be cracked (flouid leak) so i took the trans out myself there was a broken o ring on the center support, but the support wasnt cracked, clutches everthing looked good so i changed the orings put it back together and still have the same problem, i think i will take the valve body off tommorow herd it could be blow out in the gasket, or electronic shift controll in the dash. any help would be appriciated thanks.

I just bought a 2002 Ranger, 78K miles, 2wd with autotranny. Normal acceleration: it shifts hard from 2nd to 3rd. Letting up a little at 2500 on the tach helps the truck shift a bit smoother. What's going on?

Anyone here believe they might be having an electric/electronic problem rather than mechanical? My 99 2wd Ranger auto tranny is shifting hard from first to second, and will only shift when I let off the gas a bit. Then, like everybody else here, the O/D light blinks. However, my ABS light is now on and my speedo stopped working. These other symptoms only began the day the tranny stopped working correctly... a particularly wet day. I've had ongoing intermittent use problems with my wipers, winshield fluid jets, and dome light too for the last couple years during wet weather. Any other electrical sceptics of their tranny woes here?

Adam, here is the deal. Wipers, windshield fluid, dome light, chimes AND speed sensor calibration all are controlled by GEM. It is a black box 2"x4" behind the radio on the left. It calibrates Hole type speed sensor signal to your tire size and passes it to PCM. PCM controls engine and automatic transmission. ABS perhaps gets speed sensor information via GEM too, though I'm not sure.
So, it could be that if GEM is hosed, you may have problem with shifting. I just don't see how moisture can get to GEM, which is behind the radio. It is easy to visually check this out: just take out the radio trim and unplug GEM harness and slide it out. Checking it electronically is tricky: you need special FORD tester, OBD2 won't do. Dealer charges 80$+ just to check GEM out. New GEM is ~250$ and you need a tester to program new GEM with your tire size (or pay dealer to do that). Good luck!

PS. You can always try the junk yard GEM. Just make sure it comes from the truck with exact tire size and configuration (as far as 4x2 vs. 4x4, manual vs. auto, etc.).

2007 ford ranger thunder auto started with eratic gear changes then went completly bonkers shifting into what ever gear it felt like going into took the vehicle to ford under warranty but what a shock ford have not been issued with the factory tools to even check the fluid levels this happened on the 11th OF DECEMBER 2007 now ford say the will not have the tooling to check even the fluid levels till feb 2009.....anybody had this problem.from

I am having problems with my 203 Ranger 4x4FX2, electronic 4x4 selector is is stuck in low gear will not disingage.

is anyone else having this problem?

Did anyone find out if this is a mechanical of electrical problem? I have a 99 Ranger that I'm having simliar issues with. It shifts hard first to second. If I then accelerate to try to get it to downshift back to fisrt it free revs and bounces off the rev limiter. When i accelerate in first gear it doesn't seem to slip, just hesitates on the shift.

Adam wrote:

Anyone here believe they might be having an electric/electronic problem rather than mechanical? My 99 2wd Ranger auto tranny is shifting hard from first to second, and will only shift when I let off the gas a bit. Then, like everybody else here, the O/D light blinks. However, my ABS light is now on and my speedo stopped working. These other symptoms only began the day the tranny stopped working correctly... a particularly wet day. I've had ongoing intermittent use problems with my wipers, winshield fluid jets, and dome light too for the last couple years during wet weather. Any other electrical sceptics of their tranny woes here?

I have the same problems, wipers go on and off, dome light works now and then, but most importantly started having transmission problems. The transmission light started going on and off and now it won't drive in drive or shift into overdrive. Can drive it in 1st or second, get it out to 50 or so and shift into drive and it might go for a while until it just gives out and stops. Also can barely use reverse. and ideas email me at startsavingnow@msn.com. thanks in advance.