2000 Ford Explorer 2000 Ford Explorer Sport - Skipping Firs

JCG7617

MEMBER
2000 FORD EXPLORER
6 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
117,000 MILES

I felt like my truck was running a bit sluggish and lagging on shifting. Went to a transmission shop, they told me that the truck had no Low Gears Manually upon driving and that from a stop, it skips over first and starts from second. Upon pulling the pan - the oil was reddish-brown with metal sediment at the bottom and more black colored sludge. I had the tranny flushed a year ago - and this problem started less than a week ago. The other mystery is that there is no code when the transmission was checked. The oil was changed - new filter put in, and the problem still continues. Has anyone heard of this? If so - is it possible for an AT vehicle to skip 1st. Is there a fix or are we talking going car shopping?

Any info will help. Thanks. Carlos

3 Replies

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,709 POSTS

Carlos:
Is the trans slipping at all? Also, can you get it to go into 1st gear manually? Finally, are you sure the linkage is correctly adjusted? If it is off and the trans is actuall in 2nd gear, that is where it will start. Unlike other vehicles, if you place the shifter in 2nd, it will start from that point.

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Thursday, April 1st, 2010 AT 10:23 AM

JCG7617

MEMBER
1 POST

Slipping no. Sluggish yes. When I step on the gas it goes, and it does not slip out of gear. Just feels sluggish to take off. I have never had the linkage checked on the transmission, would that produce a code? I checked the other two gears by manually down shifting - I get the low gears if I shift into them and thru to the higher gears. (Stop Drop into 1 accelerate to approx 15mph and manually shift into 2, accelerate to approx 20-30mph and Shift into Drive) When I did this - upon shifting to drive I could feel the Jerk of the shift and the Transmission went into Third lowered the RPMs and kept on going. Judging how the car rides it does feel like it starts in 2 and progresses upward.

"Unlike other vehicles, if you place the shifter in 2nd, it will start from that point."

Are you saying that in my car if I shift into 2, it will continue to shift thru the rest of the gears or are you saying if the linkage is on the 2 it will be in "D" and start from 2nd because the linkage is off of where its supposed to be?

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Thursday, April 1st, 2010 AT 11:20 AM

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,709 POSTS

On Fords, they have designed the transmission to start in 2nd gear if you place it in lo2. The purpose of it is to lower power to the wheels to help if you get stuck. It would stay in second. I was thinking that maybe the linkage slipped and it was starting and staying in 2nd for you.

This sounds like it could be a problem with the TCM, trans control module. You will need to have it checked with a scanner.

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Thursday, April 1st, 2010 AT 12:12 PM