# NEED Your advice before I ruin my transmission

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-your-advice-before-i-ruin-my-transmission/14332>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [May 22, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-your-advice-before-i-ruin-my-transmission/14332 "2008-05-22T20:36:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![childersmb50](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@childersmb50](https://community.cartalk.com/u/childersmb50)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-your-advice-before-i-ruin-my-transmission/14332/1 "2008-05-22T20:36:44Z")

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MY OD light keeps flashing on my 2002 Ford Explorer. The dealership says it needs a new shifter solenoid? If I keep running my car without replacement of the solenoid, will it ruin my transmission?  
  
 Thanks!

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**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 10:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-your-advice-before-i-ruin-my-transmission/14332/2 "2008-05-22T22:01:02Z")

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The conventional wisdom is that failure to repair an electronic fault such as this will lead to much more expensive mechanical problems with the transmission. However, I will leave it up to transman and others to verify whether this is correct.

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**Author:** ![cappy208](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cappy208/32/31_2.png) [@cappy208](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cappy208)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 10:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-your-advice-before-i-ruin-my-transmission/14332/3 "2008-05-22T22:12:11Z")

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unfortunately you have stumbled onto a large, repetitive grinding problem with this year explorer.

i assume you have no warranty left, and need to get it looked at.

take it to a transmission shop (ask friends, neighbors and co workers for references) and get it looked at, and fixed.

what may be a 1000 dollar repair now may ward off a 3000 dollar transmission replacement pretty soon (if you don’t do anythign now)

sorry, no good news!

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**Author:** ![cappy208](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cappy208/32/31_2.png) [@cappy208](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cappy208)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 11:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-your-advice-before-i-ruin-my-transmission/14332/4 "2008-05-22T23:13:55Z")

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for your reading pleasure, [http://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Explorer/2002/transmission/o\_d\_light\_is\_blinking.shtml](http://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Explorer/2002/transmission/o_d_light_is_blinking.shtml)

many many people are having these exact same issues with their explorers.

read # 25 it sounds exactly like you!

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**Author:** ![Beadsandbeads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@Beadsandbeads](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Beadsandbeads)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2008, 11:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/need-your-advice-before-i-ruin-my-transmission/14332/5 "2008-05-22T23:52:49Z")

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What transmissions do these have, 4R70W?