5 speed with automatic code errors?....WTF

94 Ranger · Jun 9, 2011

hey guys
i have a 94 ford ranger with a 4.0....(5-speed!!!!!). my check engine light came on and i took it to a local garage to have the codes read...they looked at me weird and said you have three codes and they are all automatic trans codes?....shift sensor 2 and 3...and two others?....WTF
my one budy says that it sounds like the computer took a dump?....any suggestions? :icon_confused:

adsm08 · Jun 9, 2011

Sounds a lot like it has an auto trans computer in it.

How long have you owned the truck?

94 Ranger · Jun 9, 2011

i have had the truck for almost two years....but the truck was never an automatic, will a auto ECU work in mine?...

i dont know what to do....get a new computer?.....how in the hell do you get this one out?

bttlscrs00x · Jun 10, 2011

My truck is an auto with a 5-speed ECM... Maybe we should trade.

BRUTUS_T_HOG · Jun 10, 2011

well if it runs and drives with no problems... why fix it?

bttlscrs00x · Jun 10, 2011

Mine drives just find with the wrong ECM, but fuel mileage suffers.

lil_Blue_Ford · Jun 10, 2011

bttlscrs00x said:
Mine drives just find with the wrong ECM, but fuel mileage suffers.

That's because the computer has some control over the shift positions and also controls the torque converter lockup. The auto trans will shift without the computer's input on older vehicles, but it will be neither smooth shifting nor fuel efficient.

On 5-speed vehicles, you can use an auto trans ECM, the only thing that happens is that sometimes the computer throws a CEL because it can't find the auto transmission that it was programmed to look for. Other than that, it'll run just fine (although it can also cause a higher idle and the like because it was programed for running an auto trans vehicle). It's a common thing to grab an ECM from a junk vehicle when there is a problem suspected because they usually cost a couple hundred bucks for a new one.

bttlscrs00x · Jun 10, 2011

lil_Blue_Ford said:
That's because the computer has some control over the shift positions and also controls the torque converter lockup. The auto trans will shift without the computer's input on older vehicles, but it will be neither smooth shifting nor fuel efficient.

On 5-speed vehicles, you can use an auto trans ECM, the only thing that happens is that sometimes the computer throws a CEL because it can't find the auto transmission that it was programmed to look for. Other than that, it'll run just fine (although it can also cause a higher idle and the like because it was programed for running an auto trans vehicle). It's a common thing to grab an ECM from a junk vehicle when there is a problem suspected because they usually cost a couple hundred bucks for a new one.

Ahh smart man, thank you! I know mine was a quick junk yard swap done by the guy I bought it from. He didn't realize until he was back home that he'd picked up the wrong one. I'll end up buying a new one if I don't find a used auto one.

lil_Blue_Ford · Jun 10, 2011

bttlscrs00x said:
Ahh smart man, thank you! I know mine was a quick junk yard swap done by the guy I bought it from. He didn't realize until he was back home that he'd picked up the wrong one. I'll end up buying a new one if I don't find a used auto one.

IIRC, I'm running an auto trans one in my choptop because it's what I had when I put the truck together....

What year truck and what motor do you have?

bttlscrs00x · Jun 10, 2011

lil_Blue_Ford said:
IIRC, I'm running an auto trans one in my choptop because it's what I had when I put the truck together....

What year truck and what motor do you have?

I have a 4.0 out of a 93 Explorer, I believe.. I'd have to double check. It was either a 93 or a 91

My truck is a 93 Ranger but that doesn't even matter at the point

94 Ranger · Jun 10, 2011

ok....the truck runs like a bag of dog shit...i will be driving along and it will buck real hard like it shuts off for a minute then comes right back.
it is VERY sluggish up till 3k then it clears a little, i want to say it has 1/2 the power when the light comes on...sometimes it goes off for a couple minutes or seconds then it will come back on after the jerking around?....idk?....guy at work says the throttle postioning sensor....what should i do guys?

oh yea 94 XLT 4.0

lil_Blue_Ford · Jun 10, 2011

bttlscrs00x said:
I have a 4.0 out of a 93 Explorer, I believe.. I'd have to double check. It was either a 93 or a 91

My truck is a 93 Ranger but that doesn't even matter at the point

I'll have to check, but I may have a 4.0L auto trans computer laying around. I have need for a manual trans 4.0 computer though if you had a need for a swap....

94 Ranger, it does sound like it might be a TPS. IIRC you use an analog test meter and probe the center wire on the TPS with the positive lead and ground the negative lead with the engine running. Move the throttle and see what the test meter reads, it'll show if you have a flat spot in the TPS.

adsm08 · Jun 10, 2011

94 Ranger said:
i have had the truck for almost two years....but the truck was never an automatic, will a auto ECU work in mine?...

It will run the engine, but won't fix your problem.

94 Ranger · Jun 10, 2011

lil blue
shouldnt i use a manual trans computer?....

ok i will check the TPS and see what happens?....i have to work this weekend so i will have to get back to ya on monday....thanks for the help guys

lil_Blue_Ford · Jun 10, 2011

94 Ranger said:
lil blue
shouldnt i use a manual trans computer?....

ok i will check the TPS and see what happens?....i have to work this weekend so i will have to get back to ya on monday....thanks for the help guys

You could probably benefit from a manual trans computer, I had quoted bttlscrs when I talked about swapping computers.

I'd start with checking the TPS among other things, IMHO, it doesn't sound like your comp is doing anything other than kicking out funny codes at this point.

5 speed with automatic code errors?....WTF

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