Overdrive problems

[simon]

Hi everyone, Happy St. Patty's Day

I have a strange problem with my 01 Excursion 7.3 power stroke. This is the problem. I was having a fuse blow every once in awhile that controls the idiot lights on the dash, like the glow plug light, chimes, door ajar, it also powers the throttle. This fuse at times could last a minute and then up to three weeks and everything in between. I had changed the TPC as advised. But that did not do it. Now it's getting even more interesting. I was driving my son home the other day and he thought he seen some smoke coming from the bottom of the steering column. It was dark out and I did not notice it or smell anything odd until a couple of days ago, which was about three weeks after my sons first sighting. I pulled into a parking lot and put it into reverse to back into a parking spot, that's when I seen the smoke coming from under the steering column. It was smoking pretty good. I pulled the cover off to see what was burning and couldn't find anything. It must have stopped after I shut the truck off. It did not smell like wires burning it was a different smell that I really can not explain. After this happened the same fuse went out and a check engine light came on. I replaced the fuse and it did not smoke again as of yet. What is happening now. My overdrive shift button at the end of the shifter is out and the button does not work now. Also when driving I am getting a late shift into overdrive. The check engine light went off by itself. I also am noticing that when it does go into overdrive and when I touch the brake at times there is no down shift and at times there is. When I drove it home last night it shifted late into overdrive so I didn't fool around with anything, as I was driving it started dropping down a gear as if I was hitting the brake and up shifting. Up and down sporadically. Is there a overdrive control switch under the dash that could be the problem?? If anyone had experienced anything like this or knows what is going on PLEASE help me out.

Thanks

[mschn99]

You need to replace your shift lever (the whole black part you can see that you use to change it into gear). The wires for the overdrive button fray at the top of the steering column and sometimes short out, and they are part of that lever......people who use thier tilt on thier steering column a lot usually get a more "intermitant" concern because when they tilt the wheel sometimes they make it so the frayed part doesnt contact the metal and then it doesnt short....eventually it touches again, shorts, and blows the fuse.....

[simon]

I take it this is some what common? I can get this shift lever at the dealer? Do you have an idea on the price? Is it a big job? Thank you very much for your information.

[mschn99]

Originally Posted by simon

I take it this is some what common? I can get this shift lever at the dealer? Do you have an idea on the price? Is it a big job? Thank you very much for your information.

it is relatively common.....yes, you can get the lever at the dealer....it isnt a real big job, you have to take the trim for the column off, then there is a pin you need to knock out of the column with a punch that holds the lever in place. The hardest part is just getting the wires routed right....

I dont know a price off the top of my head...sorry...

Marc

[simon]

Does this effect the brake? What I mean is, when the tranny is in overdrive and I touch the brake the tranny drops down a gear. It as you read is acting crazy. Is this all related? Thank you very much. Your an ace.

[mschn99]

Originally Posted by simon

Does this effect the brake? What I mean is, when the tranny is in overdrive and I touch the brake the tranny drops down a gear. It as you read is acting crazy. Is this all related? Thank you very much. Your an ace.

if its shorting but not enough to pop the fuse its really tough to say if they are related or not because electronics can do wierd things. The only thing i can tell you is fix what we know is wrong with it, and then go from there and see if the other problem gets fixed too....