P0735 Ford Ranger 5th Gear Ratio Error Explained PX1 to PX3  6R80 Transmission.

P0735 Ford Ranger 5th explainer. If your Ford Ranger PX1, PX2, or PX3 just coughed up a P0735 fault code, take a breath — you’re not broken down yet, but the gearbox is waving a big red flag. And this flag isn’t saying “Ignore me, mate.” It’s telling you 5th gear is slipping, and the heart of your 6R80 transmission is crying out for attention.

This article P0735 Ford Ranger 5th breaks it all down — no fluff, no sensor voodoo. Just facts, failure modes, diagnostic logic, and what it’ll take to sort it out before you’re Googling second-hand transmissions on a Sunday.

What Does Code P0735 Actually Mean?

P0735 = Gear Ratio Error in 5th Gear.

To put it in everyday terms: your transmission thinks it’s in 5th, but the speed sensors say otherwise. The TCM (Transmission Control Module) compares input and output speeds, and when 5th gear doesn’t deliver the expected ratio, boom — P0735 is logged.

P0735 Ford Ranger 5th gear is NOT to be ignored

You might hear that it’s just a software thing. It’s not.

A one-off limp mode? Maybe. But if P0735 shows up more than once, you’re likely looking at real slippage — clutch, pressure, solenoids, or torque converter — not just a moody sensor.

Symptoms You Might Be Noticing

Here’s how 5th gear slip usually shows up before the code hits:

6R80’s Weak Spot: Direct Clutch + 5th Gear

In the 6R80, 5th gear relies heavily on the Direct Clutch Pack. This clutch gets worked hard — especially when towing, running oversized tyres, or with a weak torque converter upstream.

This is particularly common in PX1 and early PX2 models. Ford didn’t exactly overbuild the apply pressure in this clutch stage, so once the friction wears or the solenoid leaks a bit? Boom — slippage.

Once clutch packs start slipping, the pressure demand on the system rises. If the valve body can’t keep up (due to wear or fluid loss), the problem multiplies across other gears.

Step 1: Scan + Dyno Diagnosis (The Brisbane Tuning & Turbo Way)

At Brisbane Tuning & Turbo, we don’t do guesswork. Every gearbox quote starts with data — and P0735 requires both scan tools and a dyno test.

Scan Phase

We connect Autel, Snap-On, Forscan, and HP Tuners to confirm:

We simulate real-world load in-gear. This tells us:

Root Causes: Where It All Falls Apart

Slippage in 5th isn’t the whole story (P0735 Ford Ranger 5th)— it’s just the symptom. Here’s what’s usually behind it:

Can It Be Saved?

Yes — but only if you catch it early.

Stage 1: Early Diagnosis, Clean Fluid

Cost: ~$2,850 to $3,900

Minimal downtime, saves the original box.

Stage 2: Sludge, Metal, Multiple Codes

Cost: ~$5,800 to $7,000+

Especially if gears 3–6 are all involved.

Ignore It and… Well… Don’t.

A customer once brought in a PX Ranger that’d been slipping for 4 months. “Didn’t want to spend $285 on a scan,” he said.

By the time it arrived:

Scan First, Quote Second

The smartest money is spent on diagnosis. At BTT, our Scan + Dyno booking is $285, and includes:

Transmission Science, Without the Voodoo

Here’s a helpful analogy:

Your clutch packs are like brake pads. The valve body in your transmission is like the brake master cylinder. Your solenoids are the brake lines, and your converter is the guy driving with one foot on the pedal. If one goes funny, the whole system suffers.

You don’t “patch” this stuff and drive on. You test it, match the fix, and verify on the dyno.

Internal Links You’ll Want to Check

The Aussie Wrap-Up

If your Ranger’s slipping in 5th, don’t be the bloke who “just clears the code and hopes for the best.” You wouldn’t drive 200km with the bonnet up, right?

P0735 isn’t a death sentence — not if you deal with it quickly. Whether it’s a converter dragging, a clutch slipping, or pressure dropping, the answer starts with the right scan and ends with the right fix.

Let Brisbane Tuning & Turbo show you what’s failing — and how to sort it out properly.