Just a quick update...I have changed the fluid twice now, got a wifi OBDII reader today and hooked up PCSCAN on a laptop was able to read car but still no fault codes....with laptop in hand drove until I got the "transmission fault" amber mil...nothing on the code reader...but I was able to "clear" fault codes from the laptop and the mil light went away...until I drove some more...the issue seems to be getting worse...when it first happened I could drive awhile before it would give the lamp...now it does it within a block or two...I am hesitant to drive it on the highway since the nearest Jag dealer or transmission shop is about 60 miles from here...I did go into the J-box and chack all the connectors everything looked fine...there was a lot of grime/grease/etc under the carriage but it does not leave drips on the garage floor or driveway, not even once...scratching my head in oklahoma...

 

Was wondering if you dropped the pan and looked at the filter. The reason I ask is that at times when two different fluids have been used it can create a sludge that might be part of the problem. This is often a problem when you do not flush the cooler system.

When you put the shifter in the “4” position from the start did it produce your fault? You know that you can start off from a stop with it in that position and drive it will shift its self.

Did you check the shifter cable adjustment or just inspect it?

That 5R55N transmission has 2 speed sensors inside the trans and one might not be reading properly.

And last the transmission has a temperature sensor that has been a problem but I know little about it. Sorry!

 

Thanks for the response Gus, yes I did drop the pan, cleaned it out and inspected for metal bits and what not...nothing of real note...the fluid this time was actually quite clean...

The donut magnet on the bottom of the pan was the only thing that could be described as "sludge" it was a dark carbon based sludge that was sticking to the magnet, nothing of size, it looked like very fine metal dust and was slimey from the fluid...

The cable was tight and the connectors solide with the bolts in place...

The temperature thing may be something to track down...I wonder if the radiator that is the oil cooler is perhaps not working up to snuff...I do not find a reservoir or fill for it, and I assume it is directly connected to the main radiator fluid...I do need to fill the surplus tank, it is down to the bottom but no one here in town carries the orange Jag radiator fluid...the reservoir is not completely empty yet...

I am starting to think this is a "Jag only code" and it is the amber MIL warning and does not put the car in limp mode and does not show up on a code reader...so that narrows it down to a handful of codes as far as I can tell...

I am going to go through the codes for TCM and see which ones ONLY trip amber and no limp mode...

And yes I have shifted on the fly to the fourth position, but have not started out there from a stopped position...will try that next...

One quick question will "Sport mode" show up on the dash display or only light up on the button when it is engaged?

I get nothing on the dash when it is engaged...

Thanks again...

ps Yes I did try starting the car out from 4th , still managed to get the transmission fault...but one thing I notice it does seem to wait until you have driven it, so it might be a temperature dependant flag...simply driving a very short distance with the temps outside cold will not trip the fault...engine temp needs to be at about half...

 

Over 7 years here. Yours will be the ONLY car with a MIL but no codes. Something's wrong with reading the codes I think.

 

Well my first code reader is an Innova 3100 that is CAN enabled...

One of the shops used a Innova 3030

I just used an ELM 327 (wifi) with PCSCAN (this one I drove with my ;aptop and was able to clear the dash message but not read it)

There was one other reader that I did not get the name of, fairly new unit that plugged into computer after running...

No codes...

I wonder if this might be a sign the ECM is in trouble itself?

 

Ok finally found a tranny shop that gave me back a code

PO731 Gear 1 incorrect ratio...

Fluid is clean...(now)...pretty sure the level is correct (now)...

Notice that when I do drive it does have a slight shift hesitation from 1st-----> 2nd....

So it might be the solenoid?

ps Other codes returned but none related to drive train, things like missing module for windshield rain sensor (windshield has been replaced) and a missing data sensor...

PO731 was the only fault code...

When I drained the fluid originally it was dark (not burnt) but still retained its reddish color...I have drained and refilled it twice since then and the fluid is about 80% clear red...I suppose the easiest first step would be to drain it refill once more...but I think I will look at the solenoid pack...obviously trying to avoid the most expensive scenario until last resort...thanks for all the input, great forum...I will never drive a different kind of car now, sold for life on these cars....

 

Your getting there so follow up on the P0731 as that is a transmission code. Lots of info out there too.
.
.
.

 

Just a quick question as I narrow down the the possible issues...lets suppose I have forward clutch damage or etc...would I find metal in the fluid st some point?

As I have drained/replaced and refilled the tranny fluid several times I have yet to find ANY serious metal bits in the pan...(I have done this in other transmissions and seen a lot of metal b4, but nothing here)....

Before I do a complete rebuild (based on clutch failure/etc) I would prefer to eliminate simple things first...

I am looking for experienced thoughts on what a transmission mechanical failure would LOOK like in the pan...thanks

_Mark

 

All manner of wear just creates tiny particles you either cannot see or look like dust.

 

Just a heads up on where things are...took the solenoid assembly out (while I wait for parts) to see if I could locate problem area, removing the bolt on top of the transmission harness in cramped quarters is NOT a job for the faint or impatient (I actually bent a 10mm open wrench in order to reach and turn the bolt loose)...

Drove the car for a good half hour after cleaning the solenoid pack, shifted really smooth and first gear ratio shift seemed to be at a better rpm than before...however after about 30 minutes of gentle driving with the temperature up I got the fault again...

Here is where I am , ordered a new solenoid pack and also valve body gaskets (I figure if I am taking the solenoid pack off might as well check the valve body for blown out gaskets, worse case is I have the parts on hand best case I can return them unused)...

In the meantime I refilled the tranny according to Grants method in the "How to" section...when I was done I compared what I took out to what I put in and it seemed I was running about 1/2 litre more than his method...bottom line is there is no way I am replacing 9 1/2 litres according to the Jaguar 5r55n manual spec...basically I am getting about 5-6 litres out when I do this and for the most part it is relatively clean and clear now (maybe 80% clear)...

I will get the new solenoid pack on Monday and hoist it up and replace it tuesday, thanks for all the help, great forum, will let you know how it goes...

p.s. Still no other codes only p0731 and the amber mil on dash...I hope my approach to replacing solenoids is not a wasted effort...not sure how else to proceed...

thanks-Mark

 

Just a quick question, I am looking at the thread to rebuild the valve body and all the pics are missing, is there a "saved" version of this thread somewhere that I could see the pics?

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ild-faq-48240/

Thanks

 

Sadly probably not

 

The 5r55n transmission has a known issue for servo bore wear. Google or youtube 5r55n servo bore. Some transmission shops will resleeve the servo bore (usually with no guarantee).

 

Is this what you are looking for?

Link

 

Glad to hear you are making progress. No the pictures were hosted off site and are now gone for good. I have been encouraging people to please post the pictures directly to the forum to prevent this from happening. No hosting site will ever stay alive forever. But if you upload the pictures to this forum they will stay forever until this forum finally goes down.

Not many guys have had any luck on the Lincoln LS forums rebuilding the valve body. It can be done but the better repair seems to be valve body replacement.

Case bore wear is a mileage issue and with 148K it certainly could be your problem. As was posted above there are several ways to fix this now. The first is to remove the transmission and bore and sleeve them back down to size. But now they have come up with a way to do this repair without removing the transmission. You also can do the back yard fix and use O-rings to take up the added space.

Ford Servo Bore Transmission Fix Solution - Ford Lincoln Mercury Explorer Mountaineer Navigator Servo Bore Fix

Here is a good discussion of the problems and fixes too.

Servo pin wear on the bore of 5R55W transmissions? - Ford Explorer and Ranger Forums "Serious Explorations"®

I still think you have a valve body problem because the unit is shifting good and with case bore you start losing gears as it gets worse and worse.
.
.
.

 

Just a quick question to correct my thinking...lets suppose it is the worn bore issue, from what I have read about the servos what happens is over time the tolerances for the servo shaft gets expanded and HYDRAULIC fluid seeps into the bore chamber making the pressure less than optimal...makes sense especially considering stainless vs aluminium...but would that at some point also let hydraulic fluid to mix into the tranny fluid or is the servo completely isolated in it's function from the tranny fluid? Would there not be some contamination in even new fluid or am I mistaking how the servos work? I am under the impression that they operate from the Brake fluid reservoir...

 

Er... this unit is not connected to the brake system and does not use brake fluid. Same fluid in all parts of the trans.

 

Yes thank you...I have read so many ford transmission manuals in the last week its starting to blur a bit...I got the AWSG manual and I'm tracking a little better, thanks for putting up with dumb questions...

 

Hey, no worries. It's tech geek speak sometimes

 

I found two videos on the processes of restoring servo. I was not sure this is what you needed based on your description of your problem.

The second link has a video.

Link
Link Ford Servo Bore Transmission Fix Solution - Ford Lincoln Mercury Explorer Mountaineer Navigator Servo Bore Fix