After replacing the rear differential, the vehicle is experiencing multiple issues?

Tiny
SICIDE6
  • MEMBER
  • 2003 FORD EXPLORER
  • 4.0L
  • V6
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 256,783 MILES
I replaced rear differential and now my speedometer is showing I'm going 100 MPH and is engaging governor when the actual speed is 40 MPH and the transmission is shifting gears very fast. None of this happened until differential swap. Cruise control doesn't work but my O/D is working fine no wiring other than differential speed sensor was unplugged and I replaced sensor and wired a new plug connector in also. Getting ABS code, PCM codes, every gauge works on cluster just speedometer is misreading. I removed transfer case driveshaft and front cv axles because front differential problem so 4x4 light blinks 9 times every few minutes but even tried putting it all back and didn't make a difference and I can't find anything online to help fix the problem. The images are the most recent codes it gives. Please help and thank you for your time
Sunday, February 12th, 2023 AT 10:32 AM

15 Replies

Tiny
KEN L
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Hello,

The first thing that comes to mind is the gear ratio of the replacement rear end. If it is an open differential lift the truck up in the back so the rear wheels can spin. They have a helped hold one of the ear tires still while you spin the opposite tire two times while you count the driveshaft revolutions, it should be about 3 times. If it is way more than someone has switched the gears out with a lower ratio which is the problem. The correct ratio should be 3.08. Please check the image below and let me know.
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Sunday, February 12th, 2023 AT 2:40 PM
Tiny
SICIDE6
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Mine is 4x4 XLT it come factory with 8.8 3.55 or 8.8 3.73. I'm 2 wheel drive version which according to Ford is interchangeable I pulled the tag off original rear differential myself and I counted the teeth on both I tried rebuilding original without a runout gauge and none of these were an issue until I swapped rear end according to live data on scanner every speed sensor are reading correct speed but the it says no fault in the speed sensors but under speedometer it says I'm doing 100 mph how is it possible that sensors are reading correct speed but the speedometer isn't but both systems being monitored at the same time I will get someone to spin wheel like you said cause at this point I feel it is something stupid and it is worth a shot thank you it'll be tomorrow morning but ill post what I find out.
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Sunday, February 12th, 2023 AT 7:34 PM
Tiny
KEN L
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That would be great, to confirm none of these problems occurred until the rear end swap correct?
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Monday, February 13th, 2023 AT 1:49 PM
Tiny
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Correct this all started when I swapped it with an 02 explorer 8.8 3.55 differential and just too be sure I went and swapped that rear end out and pulled one out of an 03 like mine but same gear ratio and still the same problem but before that I didn't have a single abs light on or nothing and every symptom I'm having says it's the rear speed sensor the only difference is my O/D still works where everyone says their O/D light blinks mine doesn't.
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Monday, February 13th, 2023 AT 4:32 PM
Tiny
KEN L
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Okay, can you unplug the sensor and clear the codes and take it for a drive to see if anything changes? With those codes it looks like the PCM when out but that would be a heck of a coincidence. :/
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Tuesday, February 14th, 2023 AT 12:36 PM
Tiny
SICIDE6
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Yes, I can do that and afterwards I'll scan again if it gives code and post a pic of the results for you to look at. I just hope I can get it figured out soon because this is my daily driver. Thanks again for your help.
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Tuesday, February 14th, 2023 AT 12:45 PM
Tiny
KEN L
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Sounds good, this is a strange problem and I would like to know what's going on.
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Tuesday, February 14th, 2023 AT 1:20 PM
Tiny
SICIDE6
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I unplugged the sensor and didn't change anything. It turned my ABS light on, and the pics are the codes it threw after I drove it and I had cleared all codes before driving last night but today the ABS light is off, and I still have the check engine light. But I've noticed the past few times I was running live diagnostic with scanner and my entire cluster would quit working except for warning lights no gauge would function and my scanner said no connection and it would be retrying and cluster would function again, and scanner reconnects after a min or two and never does it when unplugged from the obd2 connector. It's happened every time the past week that's why I think it's something really stupid I'm missing somewhere ground wire or short that's causing the issue vs mechanical failure, but the only wiring touched changing the rear differential was the sensor plug and I even wired a new pigtail in just to eliminate that possibility.
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Wednesday, February 15th, 2023 AT 3:47 PM
Tiny
KEN L
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With these codes it looks like the GEM has gone out, which is common. Here is the location so you can check it out. Please let me know.
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Thursday, February 16th, 2023 AT 4:54 PM
Tiny
SICIDE6
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Now I'm only showing 1 code which is heated oxygen sensor bank 2 and system readiness not completed. None of the other codes are showing now. If I remove the gem, I have to have the module flashed with the old ones configured right? This is what the scanner said yesterday, and I got to looking at the engine and noticed the speed control cable was off the outside nipple beside the throttle cable and I reattached it and now it's not giving the code anymore today.
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Friday, February 17th, 2023 AT 10:52 AM
Tiny
KEN L
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It sounds like you found the problem nice work. Please start a new question for the heated oxygen sensor bank 2 problem.
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Friday, February 17th, 2023 AT 2:34 PM
Tiny
SICIDE6
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It didn't fix the main issue, it just narrowed down some of the codes I was getting. I'm going to check a few more spots of wiring and if I find nothing then I'm going to do like you said and replace the gem.
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Friday, February 17th, 2023 AT 6:57 PM
Tiny
KEN L
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Okay, let me know it does sound like the GEM is out.
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Saturday, February 18th, 2023 AT 6:02 PM
Tiny
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Is there any way I can test the GEM? Because I don't want to go through all the hassle and have to spend a few hundred bucks just to be in the same boat I'm in now.
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Sunday, February 19th, 2023 AT 1:54 AM
Tiny
KEN L
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There is not easy way to test the GEM, sorry.
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Sunday, February 19th, 2023 AT 11:12 AM

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