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1995 Ranger Tranny Failsafe Is Driving Me Nuts!!!


Brenda

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I'm at my wit's end here. So, my '95 is supposed to be an OBD 1 but is a 2. So the year??? It's an XLT 3.0L 4x4 automatic tranny. Bought it used in March 2016. At that time the only thing wrong I could see was the in dash gear indicator didn't work. It just stayed there in 1st. And the power locks didn't work right, which I've come to learn might be directly involved with my problem. In August 2016 I had my first issue that led me where I am. I came out of work, climbed in, (not seeing or hearing any problems), put the key in, and got not even a sound. No warning, no nothing...but everything else had power. Made no sense, but ya know. I've had weird things start cars that shouldn't start therm so I tried a jump even though I knew I wouldn't have lights, radio, etc. if the battery was dead. Didn't do a thing. My daughter brought me a brand new battery. By this time it was like 3 hours later. We put it in and it started. They followed me home, I shut it off, turned the key, and was back to it not starting. Terminals looked fine, blah, blah. But after that day i had no more issues...for a bit. Couple months later in November it did it again. This time my friend changed the oil, filter, and did a minor tune-up. Next day it started and ran fine again. Next problem wasn't until August 2017. By then I was pretty sick of this, but had no clue what it could be. The month before I had been to O'Reillys and was trying to figure out why it rrrrr before each start. Was it my ignition switch, battery, starter? Battery, starter, alternator all checked out. Maybe the solenoid? Was told to try that. Well, a month later there I was. I knew what the heck it wasn't, but the boys still seemed to think they had the answers. It's either the starter or the solenoid they said... i told them about bypassing the state starter through the solenoid and they didn't know what I was talking about. I have up and said let's try the solonoid, since it failed the YouTube test I'd watched. Not the solonoid. So, I let 'em go ahead and change the starter, even though knew better. And, of course, it started. Next incident was different though. Big-time!! I'm late leaving for work and I didn't warm it up a lot. Backed out of the driveway, put it in drive, get no more than 8 yards and drive just stopped. i didn't lose power, but more like the gear just quit working. If only I knew then what I know now... But at that time I'd be in the middle of the road and I'd put it park, rev the engine for a few, and off I'd go. Kept getting a bit worse each time, but it didn't do it every time. I knew I was in trouble, but I had no other way to get to work...so on I kept going. Last incident was me inout to go to work, put the key in and turned it, and getting 5 second of the sound of a start when it did it. No power at all for the first time. Kept turning the key for nothing. Took out the key and got a hold of a possible ride to work. While waiting I tried to start it again. I had power this time but it was the same as before. No start. Only thing that I saw really weird was my radio presets were gone. I'm like, what the hell??? After work I tinkered around. The battery terminal was more corroded than I've ever seen any before. Cleaned it off and it started better then it ever had. I put it in reverse, backed up and thought I better not. Put it in drive to get all the way in the driveway and that's when I found I had NO gears. I swear...I know more about cars now than most. I found out about limp mode for the first time, and realized that everytime we "fixed" my truck we were resetting it so the truck thought it was fixed. And clearing codes. I skipped limp mode and went straight to transmission fail safe. Secondary strategy, to be precise, is what I'd been going through while leading up to this. This is where I'm going bald. I've even gotten to where I'm figuring out wiring diagrams. Lol. The only code I got was P1401, which could mean way too many things taken all my ups and downs. I just have a little nagging suspicion that if I get the DDFE sensor it won't work. I thought it was going to be the MAF sensor myself, but with my luck I thought the gas cap was more likely. Just so happens that I was losing fuel economy and thought my gas was being stolen. Didn't know at the time what was going on. So I went to Walmart and got a locking cap a few weeks ago. Having hell getting it off, and with the timing....I was so hopeful. Ha... Right. Put the old cap on. Not fixed. I don't get it though. Even though I knew it was in fail safe the OD didn't start flashing until just two days ago, and when I put the old cap back on it has stopped. Oh, one more detail. Just a few weeks ago too my check engine light started coming on when my fuel was low, and going off after I got gas. And that's the ONLY time it came on. I'm losing the heart to keep trying to figure this out. I've come across the answer to everyone else's posted questions, but can't get a complete answer on my own. Please clue me in if you have any insight. It's just me here. A 46 year old gal that's lucky to get a ride to the store for food now. I could really use a hand! Thank you much. :)
 


rusty ol ranger

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Um....i truely dont know where to begin...

First off, trannys have a "limp" mode, what you have going on sounds like total pump failure or something much more serious then a sensor. Limp mode just gives you firmer shifts and no O/D.

The starting issue sounds like a ground wire. Id first start by checking the place where your neg cable bolts to. It could also be in the ignition/steering column, i had a 89 F250 do similar weird stuff like that.
 

wildbill23c

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You need a different vehicle.

So your fuel issues and starting issues have nothing to do with losing gears, that's a whole problem by itself. With all those issues I would have shot the thing a long time ago....Its not an A4LD automatic transmission anymore, but yet another variant of it, and commonly those valve bodies fail and take out the rest of the transmission while its at it. About $2400 for a rebuild that may or may not last. Been about 18 months with the A4LD in my 88 Bronco 2 and so far the rebuild is doing fine maybe AAMCO did this one right because Cottman Transmission sure screwed up the one in my 93 Ranger.

Starting issue could simply be the truck thinks its in gear seems how your gear selector indicator is way off, try next time when it won't start shifting the transmission to neutral, that'll tell you if its that sensor, or what.

Is there a gremlin under the hood of your truck LOL.
 

Brenda

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Oh....the fluid. The only fluid problem I've noticed is coolant. I've put it on the reserve times it vanished Both time it vanished. I'm so desperate because of my lack of help, and I still owe 2000 on it. This is a nightmare!
 

Brenda

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Thanks for replying. This little ditty said really well what the tranny did, and limp mode, safe mode, survival mode are really all the same. The difference is hard or soft codes. Mine is the hard code.
"Signal value way too far from range
If the signal value is way too far from the acceptable range, it is quite dangerous to operate the car. What the computer does is to shift to a secondary “survival” state. At this mode, also known as a “hard code”, the computer shuts down the electronic shift solenoids disabling the transmission system’s capacity to shift gears."

And, yes, I think I do have gremlins. Lol. So it seems denial is not a river in Egypt. This car is a loss. I was so hoping to hear it would be OK. Haha. With owing as much as I do on the truck each month i can't do two payments a month. It was either try to find out myself, get it towed to a mechanic and cross my fingers, or hope the about $1500 I can scrape up after taxes will not just buy me a worse problem. So, I guess my real question isn't help with what's wrong. It's should I bother or try something with the $1500?
 
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wildbill23c

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Its going to be far more than $1500 to get that transmission rebuilt which is exactly what it will require, the valve body is bad in it, and there's a very good chance that it has caused damage to the rest of the transmission as well. Resetting the computer just erases the codes until you drive it again or attempt to drive it again and then the problem comes back because of the damage to the transmission. Unfortunately these transmissions were a common failure point :(.

Your best bet would be try and sell it for what you can get out of it, try and get the remainder of the loan paid off, and go car shopping.
 

Brenda

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Actually, my gremlin friend, ask the problems listed can lead to to the fail safe strategy. Told you... I've read so much on this I'm a guru. Haha. Even the power lock issue because of a possible grounds short. I'm still reading up on that though. That's whyi haven't quite given up. I've spent way more in truck payments then it was worth.... And all for nothing if it's a dead end.
 

Brenda

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That's what I needed an opinion about wildbill. Thank you. I really just needed someone else to say the money i have would be better spent on something else. Appreciate it.
 

Brenda

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My only other question is pure curiosity. If it's the tranny then why no signs of anything wrong with it until wham!! And it's dead?
 

wildbill23c

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I have a 1988 Ford Bronco 2 4x4 which I love, but yes, I have poured far more money into it than its ever going to be worth, sure it runs and drives, but its also needing an engine overhaul or a replacement engine because its burning oil like crazy...bad enough that I replace the spark plugs every few months because they get fouled so bad it starts running on only part of its 6 cylinders...its already not exactly the greatest for power so when it fouls a plug or 2 its really gutless LOL. Luckily I owe nothing on it, otherwise I'd be pulling my hair out like you are. Someday I'll rebuild or replace the engine but it'll have to just keep burning oil for now as I continue to pay off past debt.

I only paid $800 for my bronco 2...$100 less than I paid for the 84 Bronco 2 I had prior that was falling apart and I had to haul 60 miles home on a trailer...My current 88 Bronco 2 I was able to drive home...didn't have overdrive but I was able to drive it home as a regular 3 speed automatic and drove it that way for a couple months then took it to AAMCO and spend $2400 for a transmission rebuild and an auxiliary transmission cooler, plus another $1500 for rebuilt drivelines front and rear with new u-joints. Then spent $1900 to have the hood and lower tan color repainted...they wanted another $4000 to paint the rest so I quit at that point...someday maybe I'll repaint the rest of it myself, but I'm not paying a paint shop $4000 to do that LOL. My Bronco 2 might fetch $1,000 if I tried to sell it...I enjoy driving it way too much to think about selling it.

In your case you have an issue because you owe money on it...trouble is you need a reliable vehicle for work so I'd be dumping that truck, either back to whoever you bought it from or sell it private sale, pay the balance off that is owed and go car shopping.
 

wildbill23c

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I have a 1988 Ford Bronco 2 4x4 which I love, but yes, I have poured far more money into it than its ever going to be worth, sure it runs and drives, but its also needing an engine overhaul or a replacement engine because its burning oil like crazy...bad enough that I replace the spark plugs every few months because they get fouled so bad it starts running on only part of its 6 cylinders...its already not exactly the greatest for power so when it fouls a plug or 2 its really gutless LOL. Luckily I owe nothing on it, otherwise I'd be pulling my hair out like you are. Someday I'll rebuild or replace the engine but it'll have to just keep burning oil for now as I continue to pay off past debt.

I only paid $800 for my bronco 2...$100 less than I paid for the 84 Bronco 2 I had prior that was falling apart and I had to haul 60 miles home on a trailer...My current 88 Bronco 2 I was able to drive home...didn't have overdrive but I was able to drive it home as a regular 3 speed automatic and drove it that way for a couple months then took it to AAMCO and spend $2400 for a transmission rebuild and an auxiliary transmission cooler, plus another $1500 for rebuilt drivelines front and rear with new u-joints. Then spent $1900 to have the hood and lower tan color repainted...they wanted another $4000 to paint the rest so I quit at that point...someday maybe I'll repaint the rest of it myself, but I'm not paying a paint shop $4000 to do that LOL. My Bronco 2 might fetch $1,000 if I tried to sell it...I enjoy driving it way too much to think about selling it.

In your case you have an issue because you owe money on it...trouble is you need a reliable vehicle for work so I'd be dumping that truck, either back to whoever you bought it from or sell it private sale, pay the balance off that is owed and go car shopping.
 

Brenda

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Um....i truely dont know where to begin...

First off, trannys have a "limp" mode, what you have going on sounds like total pump failure or something much more serious then a sensor. Limp mode just gives you firmer shifts and no O/D.

The starting issue sounds like a ground wire. Id first start by checking the place where your neg cable bolts to. It could also be in the ignition/steering column, i had a 89 F250 do similar weird stuff like that.
Hahaha... You want to buy a truck...??? jk :p
 

racsan

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i wonder about something within the ignition switch, dad had a 96 big bronco he bought new, a couple of times it did this strange thing where there was extremely hard shifts, a/c wouldnt work and windows wouldnt go down, i think the radio also wasnt working either. i dont recall if the lights or turn signals were affected....but anyways it ended up being something with the ignition switch.
 

rusty ol ranger

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