Transmisson issues?

[Skipper254x4]

Hello, fairly new here on the forums & could use a little input on a problem that has recently come up on my 1995 XE auto 4x4. The problem that has just started is when i went to leave the house last week. I got in started it up ran fine when i put in reverse to pull out of driveway truck shut off. Tried this a couple of times each time started up and ran in park & neutral fine but when put in reverse or drive in would stall out and shut off.

 

Got under pathfinder and looked around and noticed the ground wire to starter was not connected. Not sure how that would be what was causing my problem though? However once i connected the wire back on the starter it started up ran in park good. Put it in reverse which stayed running backed out of driveway put it in drive. Then when beginning to accelerate it felt like it would gain and lose power. So i went to slow down to check things out i pushed on brakes and it seemed like it was trying to give it a little gas still. I ran test mode 3 from the box under passanger seat and got code 51. After driving for a little while these went away & ended up with yet another problem.

 

The new problem was my reverse going out it would only go in if i reved up with a little gas. Then it would slowly begin to work and go. Had reverse work fine a couple more times then had to rev up for it to work. However now i have no reverse at all. Transmission fluid has excellent color and smell to it, tranfer case level good and looks great. I was thinking possibly one of the solinoids might have maybe gone out on me. That is until yesterday after driving it on the highway for an hour abd almost to my destination i heard a noise that sounded like some sort of gear noise when at speeds of about 30mph would let off gas and goes away. Pushed on gas again no issue for 10 min or so then same thing gear noise at 30mph. After not driving for a couple hours. Left from friends house and drove for about 20-30 minutes and then all of a sudden gear noise started again. This time it did it both at 30mph & 41mph.

 

No problems with it today except the no reverse and the injector 51 code in in test mode 3. That is until 2 hours ago when i was making a lefthand turn at stop light and then the gear noise happened again.

 

So any help would be awesome, couple other things with all my issues on these problems that i noticed while trying to find solution. One, is that yesterday when driving and heard noise it also sounded like was stuck in 4wd so stopped put in neutral drove forward a bit, stopped back in neutral shiffted out of 4wd put in reverse and had friend help push truck backward since can't drive in reverse so thought maybe for some reason it was stuck in 4wd causing the gear noise. When we pushed backward sounded like you could hear a gear change there switching out of 4wd. Seemed to fix issue. Until today when making that lefthand turn when gear noise came back. Also feels hot around @!*%ers on floor and by ebrake.

 

Has anyone else experienced any of this before and does any of this sound like could be possible solonoid problem? Also what could be causing this gear noise since it seems to be different problem then the reverse not working and the code 51? My apologies on my post being so long but wanted to be sure to cover everything i could on this from when it first started until earlier today since i don't think i have been able to find any sort of solution so far.

 

Thank you,

[Slartibartfast]

Reconnecting the ground might've helped the sensors read more accurately but probably didn't have anything to do with the other stuff the truck is doing.

 

Stalling in gear isn't uncommon when the engine's not running well anyway. I would check the wiring for the fuel injectors, could just be a bad connection that intermittently craps out (or goes in and out, explaining the power surging feeling).

 

The reverse issue unfortunately is probably inside the trans. From what I've read these things have a seal in the pump that goes bad and reduces the available pressure to lock up the clutch packs, and reverse needs the most pressure to lock up, so it's the first to quit. That would also explain why revving it made it engage for a while (spinning the pump faster, making more pressure).

 

Heat on the floor suggests the trans might be working too hard. That would make sense if it was stuck in 4x. The transfer case lever doesn't actually push the transfer from 4x to 2x, it just lets a spring inside disengage 4x; I assume this is so you can't muscle it out under torque load and chip the engagement splines or something. Under torque bind, it can stick. I had a lot of trouble with it sticking in my '95 until I changed the transfer case fluid.

Is the gear noise you're hearing like the sound of someone failing to drive a manual (grinding it) or more like a whining noise? I had an auto hub crap out on my '95 that tried to either engage or disengage while I was driving (I never knew what those hubs were up to) and it chattered and howled like shifting with no clutch until I got it to disengage. It was loud, too, I thought the wheel was falling off or something.

[Skipper254x4]

@Slartibartfast, thank you for the reply back & great information it is very usful much appreciated.

 

As far as the gear noise I am hearing yes, it would be like someone failing when driving a manual. Couple things I have done so far this morning. I double checked all the injectors wiring & everything checked out good there. I also did another look all around under hood & under the Pathfiner. While doing that I noticed that on one of the solenoid's that are on the outer part of the transmission pan on passanger side of the pan. This solenoid had a wire which connects into the plug and it was exposed with a little damage to it. I also added oil into the front diff after checking it & seeing it was a little low. Also checked transfer case & it looked good for amount I believe. After pulling the fill plug for tranfser case the atf came out of the port fluid was a little darker then a freshly open atf from the store & was not a real dark color and did not smell burnt. I then tightened up the bolt in fill hole. I need to check the rear diff still which i will be doing shortly.

 

After doing what I have done this morning on my drive home to get ready for work. I did not hear the grinding gear noise at all this time, also seemed to have a little more power then usual, i do still have code 51 from the box under passanger side seat & I do hear an exhaust leak now too coming from it.

 

I have read about the solenoids going out on these before which is why i was thinking that one of them may have crapped out? Also if there needs to be pressure build up for it to shift could obe of the outer solenoids be a possibility? I am wondering this because i thought that one of those were for pressure sensor, speed sensor & forget the 3rd one. Also the shift solenoids inside the transmission pan i have heard of these going out causing similar issues. Are you familiar with any of that or have you heard any of this anywhere?

 

I was going to be going to the junk yard after work to look for an after market tranny cooler to

& To look for exhaust manifold and a new y connector for the exhaust. Not sure if i should still be going to junk yard with the reverse issue still happening. On the other hand still want to go to get what i need to fix known issues and hope for the best that my tranny isn't going out on ne and that if i replace the solenoids and sensors that they will fix the problem with reverse.

[adamzan]

It's not the solenoids. If it was no amount of revving would make reverse engage. Your trans is worn out, unfortunately. Happened to me as well, I replaced it, and all is well now.

Edited July 25, 2016 by adamzan