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Official A4LD Problem Thread!


Neusser

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Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
i figured out that the 2pin connector is for the lockup. Maybe thats the reason why the overdrive shifts so late. Please help me to wire the lockup. Ive got the wiring diagram it says that pin 53 is a white wire but dont have a white wire in the ecu harness.. What should i do?
 


SCOTTY

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1990
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Ford Ranger XLT
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Cologne 2.9 V6
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
'90 Ranger XLT, 2.9 A4LD:
Around 2 yrs ago she quit shifting into OD. Found that the Engine Temp Sensor connector had worked its way loose from the unit due to a broken clip on the connector that holds it in place on the ETS.
(The connector had worked its way upward from the ETS terminating the circuit.) I pressed it back down, went for a drive & she started shifting into OD just fine. I replaced connector & VOILA !!
It's been fine ever since.
 

Neusser

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Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Many thanks for your response.

Can you tell me how the overdrive is activated? Is it only activated when there is enough vacuum in third gear? Does the vehicle speed sensor or the clutch lock up have anything to do with it? Unfortunately the ranger doesn't have a rev counter so I can't say how much RPM is going down.

My plan is to check the vacuum hose going to the gearbox.

And to build my own wiring harness that goes from the control unit to the 2pin connector and vehicle speed sensor. I hope it works, I'm unsure because the connector of the original wiring harness to the pin has no cables. So I have to pin them myself. I hope that the control unit outputs the signal to the pin.

Thank you for your help
 

1996_XLT

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XLT Ranger
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What To Post Here:

We see a lot of threads in the forum about A4LD problems.

I would like for everyone who has or had a problem with their A4LD to post it in this thread. Please post what the problem is/was and how you fixed it if it's been fixed. If you post the problem now and get it resolved later, edit your post. Don't add it further down the thread.

I want this thread to be simply problems and known fixes. Not a long lengthy thread with a ton of suggestions as to what might be wrong. Try to keep the thread on topic to just A4LD problems and known fixes. Don't wander off in to what ifs and shot in the dark suggestions.

Thanks.
Just purchased 94 with 3.0 A4LD Are these transmissions NORMAL with the hard or jerky shifting? Have a neighbor with a 96 & his does the same, not sure how to describe as maybe a QUICK, hard, or jerky
 

Ranger101

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Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Since this is a thread for A4LD issues, here we go.

My 89 2WD starts fine but I have to let it warm up and go from reverse to D to D2 to D1 and back and forth until it engages. It’s frustrating when you want to get in it and go!

Once it gets going, it hangs in 1st. After hitting higher rpms, it goes into 2nd and on longer stretches it will go into 3rd and 4th ‘normally’. Once I stop, the same process begins. Easing up when she is in 1st and revving will get her to kick into 2nd sooner.

I got on the highway once and the same process worked and she hit higher speeds with no problem. Ran like a dream. Once I left my destination and ventured back onto the highway she slowed down to a limp as soon as I got onto the acceleration lane. I was fortunate enough to creep in the emergency lane to the next exit. Once I got off the highway, shut it down and let her rest, she started right up and went through her standard process of hanging in 1st, revving, and then going into 2nd until I got home.

The speedo doesn’t work in any gear so I checked the gear from the Vehicle Speed Sensor into the transmission and its in good shape. I haven’t changed the VSS as of yet.

The transmission fluid looks fine and it does not leak.

I’m ready for any input or suggestions.
 

sheep herder

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My credo
If it ain't broke, break it.
@Ranger101 It might be time for a rebuild. Transmissions don't last forever.
 

weskmsub

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Have a 1989 Ford Ranger with only 91000 miles on it. All of sudden it has been having delayed engagement in Drive gears, will go in reverse with no issues.
I dropped the pan and magnet was only hairy, replaced the filter and gasket. And added new fluid, still had same issue.
If I put my ODB1 on and in test mode. The Transmission engages in the drive gears right away.
Any idea what the ODB1 is doing that is telling the Transmission to engage?
 

zachwabbit

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Jamul
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1989
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Ford Bronco 2
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Driving my B2 from SoCal to Colorado the trans started shifting oddly, wouldn’t stay in gear like the computer couldn’t figure out what rpm range it was in so it would shift up or down sporadically under throttle. Turns out on the steep climb into Flagstaff the old stock cat started clogging up and because of a broken wiring harness clip the trans harness hung a little too close to the cat which had heated up excessively from the partial clogging, and melted through the outer coating of the wires and they were shorting out and touching as they swayed causing the solenoids to engage and disengage at incorrectly. Luckily no permanent damage happened (that I know of), and splicing in some new wires, and moving them up and out of the way along the frame rail has returned everything back to normal. Didn’t realize finding an a4ld harness that’s in good shape would be so hard, hence why I just ended up just fixing the old one.
 

weskmsub

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Have a 1989 Ford Ranger with only 91000 miles on it. All of sudden it has been having delayed engagement in Drive gears, will go in reverse with no issues.
I dropped the pan and magnet was only hairy, replaced the filter and gasket. And added new fluid, still had same issue.
If I put my ODB1 on and in test mode. The Transmission engages in the drive gears right away.
Any idea what the ODB1 is doing that is telling the Transmission to engage?
Does anyone have any insight on this?
Is it something I can fix in my driveway while crawled under the truck?
Am like so many unemployed so don't have much money to invest.
Hate to get rid of it as it has such low mileage being I only average about 100 miles a year on it..
If I do decide to get rid of it is there any value in it being a 1989 with less then 100,000 and with a body with no rust? Have maintenance records from when I bought it in 1991
 

Ranger101

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1989
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Ford Ranger XLT
Engine Type
2.9 V6
Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
2WD
Does anyone have any insight on this?
Is it something I can fix in my driveway while crawled under the truck?
Am like so many unemployed so don't have much money to invest.
Hate to get rid of it as it has such low mileage being I only average about 100 miles a year on it..
If I do decide to get rid of it is there any value in it being a 1989 with less then 100,000 and with a body with no rust? Have maintenance records from when I bought it in 1991
weskmsub,

There is a Forum for sale of vehicles and parts on this site. Since you are here on this thread, why not post what your truck looks like and what price range you might consider? With this thread, readers know what issues you are having. Give it some thought.
 

Transman304

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Transmission
Automatic
My credo
If you can’t fix it with a hammer, you have an electrical problem
With your code reader plugged into vehicle it engages faster?? That is bizarre to say the least. It is a hydraulic controlled unit with only electric input to engage lock up. That year will only have one solenoid. You can’t look at it as “only” 91000 miles you have to look at it as a 31 year old vehicle. Seals shrink and get hard with time, maybe at some point in its life it was run low on fluid, or overheated and incorrect fluid was added. The engagement thing has me baffled.
Brad
 

weskmsub

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Transmission
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With your code reader plugged into vehicle it engages faster?? That is bizarre to say the least. It is a hydraulic controlled unit with only electric input to engage lock up. That year will only have one solenoid. You can’t look at it as “only” 91000 miles you have to look at it as a 31 year old vehicle. Seals shrink and get hard with time, maybe at some point in its life it was run low on fluid, or overheated and incorrect fluid was added. The engagement thing has me baffled.
Brad
In a conversation with another , they said that because the ODB1 Test mode revs up the engine at the beginning of the test that the revving of the engine may be why it is engaging.
 

Momohenri

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Ford Bronco II
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Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Here are some symptoms of my A4LD gearbox, when I start the engine, I put myself in O, I feel a firm engagement and then I have to wait 20-30 seconds before the car moves, after 2-3 minutes to drive quietly , the box is going well except that if I stop at a crossroads, on restart I have to go up in the towers so that it passes in second or then I restart on 2 and there it passes easily

If I stop the engine for 10 minutes and restart it again I have to wait 20-30 seconds before I can move forward.
Now what I did: I tested with odb1 for solenoids, no faults
I changed the filter and put new oil, it does not change anything but after about 30 miles it has already changed color without having had the time to overheat I only did small trials of 3-4 miles

the level is difficult to do, I rarely have 2 times the same result. If the level is good I notice that the oil has frothed while if the level is a little low it is normal (tube not pressed down?)
The oil having changed color makes me think of a clogging of the box, some garage offers a rinse, is it useful?
 

fryesauto

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et, Ca
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94
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Ford Ranger
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Hello, so here recently I took a crash course in automatic transmission rebuilding. Picked up this Frankinstien Monster of a "'94 Ranger" Love It I Do!! Custom built unequal length, Big Beefy front end parts....
Anyways, So it started not wanting to go forward, then it happened, no more forward. Drove it 2miles in reverse to get it home. So, wnet through FrankinTranny thread and proceeded, swaped out the internals from a 5r55e, had engaement after first go at it bit would only go a few inches then stop as if e brake engaged or a block was put in front of tire. So I looked over thr the frankintranny thread again and found that I needed to remove the rear wave whasher. So apart it came again, this time I put new friction plates. Ok, so renise out valve body and a little brass piece fell out the valve body, sent pics to dude i know at a local trans shop they said idk. So i opened the pandoras box and cleaned it out and since reinstalled no engagement, no movement. I am litteraully stuck!! Idk what eles to do
Help Me Please!!I started looking at manual trans to swap in. Really dont want to, enjoy not having to shift all the time. But I really REALLY need this thing moving!! Any help would be apreicated
 

Zoopatrol1

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Hello,
I have a 1986 ranger with the A4ld and I’m having problems with getting the truck to move while in gear. If it’s in park or neutral it’s fine. But once it’s put in reverse or drive it idles the same for short amount of time then it starts to spit and sputter then stalls out. But when left in park or neutral it’ll run just fine and it does not stall. Until put in gear. Anyway information on what it might be would be great. I’m thinking torque converter but I’m not really familiar with automatics and I’d like to get opinions before I go diving into it.
 

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