HELP! GF ran @ 40mph in 2nd gear for miles...

[slim2000_74]

Hello. Long time reader, new member. I've looked all over the forums & found invaluable information over the years. Never joined because I didn't want to waste anyones time reading my stupid posts. Just recently I decided to join because I need help!!!

May '07, my now x-gf ran my truck in 2nd gear & traveled several miles to pickup my now x-best-friend/best-man/her new husband from school, only to get home & wonder why the truck, "Sounded so loud"(Rule #1 Nobody else drives my truck)... I noticed for some time after that it lacked power... Some time went by & the truck started making this terrible clanking noise. Took it to the local ford dealer for diagnostics, walked around the dealership for several hours only for the service rep to tell me they weren't going to charge a $99 diagnostics fee cause the mechanic cranked it, listened to it, then shut it off. He said it was the transmission(Big Surprise after what my x did...). Anyway, some friends recommended I drop the trans pan to change the fluid/filter. Did & the sound went away but still wasn't nearly as powerful as when my dad left it to me in his will back in '06.

Long story short, that was at about 82k miles & it now has 123k... Had to replace the flywheel cause I was late for work one day, punched it, & the flywheel broke. Ford dealer sold me a new one, i installed it. Now, occasionally it will "slip" out of gear & the rpms will rev but won't go anywhere till i let out of it. Then it will shift into the next gear. Seems to happen when turning left & going uphill more often. Also, the other day I was parked on an incline & it wouldn't shift into reverse. The trans fluid smells burnt but several friends said if i put new trans oil and filter in it to kiss my tranny goodbye for good??!?!?!

I apologize for this book & realize your time is valuable, but I see how you help others in need & I really need it... 7.25/hr doesn't go very far nowadays & I enjoy working on dad's truck myself anyway. July '08, a friend/member helped me cleane out the EBP tube, which was caked, hoping that would fix the lack of power issue, it didn't. He found a post that spoke about the wiring harness under the valve covers coming loose which could cause a rough idle, so we purchased the expensive plastic from the local dealer and installed. Idle issue fixed. Also, my overdrive light was flashing(which I read that it meant there were codes stored). No codes are present now, but I got these codes when my friend & I did that work in '08:
1249 - Waste gate steady state failure
1670 - EF Feedback Signal Not Detected
603 - KAM memory loss
1211 - ICP pressure above or below expected

My question is, where do I start? I just ordered the Blackstone kit to test the tranny fluids/engine oil & plan to send it off ASAP...


Its a 1999 Ford F-250 SuperDuty 7.3 with a e40d

p.s. Also, I think my dad loaded a program on it cause when my friend took his superchips tune off his truck to put on my dads, it wouldn't load. How can I find out what chip my dad put on it?

Thanks more than you'll ever know in advance and if I don't get any replys, I understand. No matter what, I will continue to scour the forums. I have many other questions but enjoy answering my own with research.

[JMart]

I dont have any ideas for you but here is a bump until someone with more exp with these truck comes along.

[wingnuts514]

sounds like the torque converter might be smoked too. Take it to a good transmission shop. An OE quality TC runs about $350. just have them drop the whole tranny and see if the TC is burnt or there are alot of metal shaving on the pan magnet. If you know someone with a lift you could even drop it yourself. The TC will actaully be burnt brown around the outside face of the case if it is smoked.

[slim2000_74]

This forum & its members rock! Been at work since I left the post earlier today & i already have 2 responses... One of which I was expecting...

Originally Posted by JMart

I dont have any ideas for you but here is a bump until someone with more exp with these truck comes along.

I appreciate all the help I can get & I already received the answer that I was expecting, the torque converter... Might not have got the answer without your bump... Thanks JMart

Originally Posted by wingnuts514

sounds like the torque converter might be smoked too. Take it to a good transmission shop. An OE quality TC runs about $350. just have them drop the whole tranny and see if the TC is burnt or there are alot of metal shaving on the pan magnet. If you know someone with a lift you could even drop it yourself. The TC will actaully be burnt brown around the outside face of the case if it is smoked.

Thanks for the information wingnuts514. I already suspected that might be the issue, but another friend said, "the way they are designed, they don't fail"... Which didn't sound right to me, but I value his opinion... I am going to drop the pan to change the fluid/filter asap when I can verify doing so won't kill whatever time I have left on my current tranny, & send a sample for diagnostics for peace of mind. Thanks again for the info & once again, ANY input is appreciated.

[Bad Night]

Changing the trans fluid and filter wont take any life out of your tranny . Thats a myth . I change mine every 10k and have never had a tranny issue . My 2000 went 200k on the original trans . That was towing and plowing too .

This is said because people think that an old transmission is using the sediment in the fluid to keep it from slipping . I have a good friend that has a trans shop and he says that is not true .

[slim2000_74]

Originally Posted by Bad Night

Changing the trans fluid and filter wont take any life out of your tranny . Thats a myth . I change mine every 10k and have never had a tranny issue . My 2000 went 200k on the original trans . That was towing and plowing too .

This is said because people think that an old transmission is using the sediment in the fluid to keep it from slipping . I have a good friend that has a trans shop and he says that is not true .

Bad Night, thanks for the peace of mind... Hopefully you don't work for one of those shady fly-by-night transmission shops that tell you what not to do so they will see you in the shop a week later. Lol, seriously though, I appreciate your time & info.

[Zaairman]

I don't think your girlfriend could have done much damage, unless she had her foot to the floor with it at 40 and ran it for a few hours like that. Rev limiters really do work. With 123K on it, the transmission is already on the back 9 of its life, especially if its never been serviced.

[Bad Night]

Originally Posted by Zaairman

I don't think your girlfriend could have done much damage, unless she had her foot to the floor with it at 40 and ran it for a few hours like that. Rev limiters really do work. With 123K on it, the transmission is already on the back 9 of its life, especially if its never been serviced.

Yea x2 . And no I do not work for a tranny shop lol . I am a construction contractor .

[Zaairman]

Originally Posted by Bad Night

Yea x2 . And no I do not work for a tranny shop lol . I am a construction contractor .

You don't need to work at a tranny shop to change the fluid...

[Bad Night]

Originally Posted by Zaairman

You don't need to work at a tranny shop to change the fluid...

Lol I know I was referring to this . I flush and change mine every 10k .

"Bad Night, thanks for the peace of mind... Hopefully you don't work for one of those shady fly-by-night transmission shops that tell you what not to do so they will see you in the shop a week later. Lol, seriously though, I appreciate your time & info. "