Ford Powerstroke Diesel Forum banner

Tranny Issue

4K views 20 replies 5 participants last post by  hpcbmw 
#1 · (Edited)
Tranny Issue (Updated w/New Direction)

Today I had my first transmission problem. I'm afraid it's a biggie, mainly because transmission are the part of a vehicle of which I have little/no understanding, and I am constantly reading of the horror stories on here.

I had it serviced a few weeks ago. It never gave any indication that there was a problem. I drove it home from work and parked it. A few minutes later, I started it back up and put it in drive. When I did, the rpm's bumped like they normally would when engaged, but when I pressed the accelerator, all it did was rev the engine. Reverse works just fine. If I rev it closer to 3000 rpm's it MIGHT crawl. When I say crawl, that's being generous with the speed.

I checked the fluid and it was fine. Any ideas of the damage, both to the transmission and my pocket book, that I may be looking at?
 
#4 ·
The transmission shop says that they don't see any problems with the tranny. They feel like it is an engine problem. One possibility they mentioned was that my turbo had a problem, but I don't have a boost gauge to judge by.

Has anyone had an issue like this that turned out to be something other than the transmission?
 
#5 ·
When I talked to transmission shop, he said my truck felt "gutless". I think I ticked him off, because he might as well have insulted one of my kids. I must have taken it a little personal. I had set it back to stock so as not to possible mess up any code it might throw. After getting back in it and driving home, I don't think he has ever driven a 7.3. I might pull down a house, just not real fast. :)

My new hypothesis is an electrical issue. On the way home I noticed my overhead trip computer wasn't on. I stopped at the store and when I restarted it my airbag light came on. The only code it throws is the PCM Memory code (P0603, I think).

There are gremlins in my truck and I'm not sure how to find them.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Same Problem as Wild Red

Wild Red, I've got a 2001 7.3L with exactly the same problem. First started this time last year after pulling camper to Colorado. Had 11 months with no events, then exactly the same thing happened this month, again after pulling. Spoke to transmission mechanic and he thinks it is a seal that is not expanding properly, which prevents tranny from locking into first gear. Would welcome anything you have learned or comments from someone who reads this and can help Wild Red and me out.

BTW, I've also had two odd warning lights which I have never had before: Check Engine and Overheating. Both lights came on for about 3-5 minutes and then went out never to return again. I had the repair shop put it on the computer to see if it would throw a code but nothing came of that.
 
#7 ·
what kinda miles do you guys have on your trucks.
 
#9 ·
No tranny pro here, and I send out all my auto tranny work. But I've blown a few up in previous vehicles. So this time I had Woods build my tranny a while back. But if the tranny shop says they can't find a problem I would go to another. Sounds to me like bands are slipping and or solenoids aren't working. I've been stranded by a blown tranny. No forward gears but a perfect reverse=good pump no clutch bands in forward gears. Broke shafts too:mad: As for the gremilens in the electrical No clue? My only problem with my 01/130k miles, is the idiots at D.O.T. and all manufacturers that let all cars go to drive by wire!!!!!!! On my third or fourth f__n go pedal. and old one in the truck to limp home
 
#10 ·
@Dumas, so far I don't have any update. Both shops told me to just drive it until it shows a problem again, otherwise, they will be chasing ghosts trying to find the issue.

I've never wished something to go wrong with a vehicle, but I am about to pull my camper on vacation with the wife and 2 little girls. I would rather something strand me on this road by myself locally than 500 miles from home with the family.

@1BADTON, my truck rolled 200k miles this past weekend. I even pulled over to take and took a pic of the odometer when it happened.
 
#12 ·
Wildred; I too feel for your situation, with a 27' 5er that is why I spent with john woods a while ago. I had a bad pedestal leak out of vegas and had to get towed back to the tune of 600 and paid a shop to upgrade and do the work I could of done. The plus side was a week later I had to go back to vegas to get my truck:rofl: Give it a once over including what timmyboy76 said and then make the decision. But start saving up for that new tranny. At 200k I would not be pissed you've gotten a lot out of her and is cheaper than a 60kplu new truck. As long as I can make upgrades to my 01 it will probably be the last truck I get.:ford:
 
#13 ·
It has happened again. I drove my truck all week without even a hint of a problem. I picked up my camper and towed it all over town, no problem. I park the camper, go to pull out, no "Drive". If I dropped it to 1st, it would move and felt like it was lunging even under brake. I have reverse. Each time this has happened it corresponded with either hooking up or unhooking my camper.

I'm at a complete loss of ideas.
 
#14 ·
Once again, this morning, my truck ran fine. For the second time, I let it sit overnight (I didn't have it towed this time) and it ran fine the next morning. Again, NO codes.

I just got spoke with a second transmission shop (since the first didn't think there was tranny problem). His opinion was that I have an electrical problem, not a transmission problem. His recommendation was to take it to the dealership and have them scan for all codes and flash the PCM. He said the same thing the others have, "I have never even heard of this problem." Not what you want to hear from multiple shops.

It almost seems like hooking and unhooking my camper is confusing it. When it does this, it acts like it is trying to take off in O/D. If I push the accelerator hard enough, it will crawl. Let me qualify the "lunging" statement in my post from last night. It is more of a bump in power with the rhythm of the engine running. I have never had an occasion to use manual first gear, so I don't know if that's normal for this truck.

I wonder if letting it sit overnight is allowing it to reset whatever is "confusing" it?
 
#15 ·
Wildred just for the sake of not tearing it apart, try hooking up the trailer tow it around and before you park it (if there has been no tranny problems) un plug it for the night. Next morning start her up to warm up, plug her back in and see if towing the camper around causes the problem? I've never heard of a problem like this but I think your on the right track with electrical. I have a set of lights under my rear bumper for loading my trailer. They are on a toggle switch on my dash and somehow backfed my ignition and I had my first and almost RUNAWAY:eek:hnoes: with my 3yr old sleeping in it. Found out how to stop that though. also I will ask my local guru Brian
 
#16 ·
Well, looks like everyone who said this is a mechanical problem and not an electrical problem deserves a cookie, and I subsequently reaffirmed my non-understanding of transmissions.

The common factor involved each time the problem surfaced was our camper. I went to pull the camper (not plugged in) to the dealership so they could replicate the issue. As I was inching the hitch over to get directly under the tongue of the trailer (going from drive to reverse a couple of times since I was by myself), that's when the problem showed up. Plugging the trailer in wasn't triggering it. It was the act of lining up to the camper in order to connect it.

With this said, I still don't know what the problem is, but I do feel like I have eliminated my "electrical" hypothesis.

If I put it in drive and press the accelerator, it might lunge and then crawl at a snail's pace if I push the accelerator hard enough. If turn off the O/D, it begins to move forward without the accelerator but it does shake if I press the pedal. 2nd gear doesn't seem to work, but 1st gear and Reverse seem fine.

Looks like I will be borrowing my father in law's Duramax (hanging my head low) to pull our camper on vacation.
 
#17 ·
Wildred well I guess I won't get a cookie? But if back on the 15th the truck worked fine, but now you say that shifting it back and forth too hock up cause the problem? then I still say it is electrical. Don't forget you only have 3 forward shift position on your indicator, therefore you have to hit abutton to get into overdrive. With that being said I will try and narrow it to the solenoid I think it could be. Going to work right now but will try tomorrow.
 
#18 ·
@1BADTON, nah, you still get a cookie. :) I appreciate your help.

The dealership couldn't get the problem to replicate yesterday, so I left work early and went over there. I told them to give me my keys and I'll take care of it. Went over to where the truck was parked, began pulling forward, then reverse, park, repeat, repeat...and surprise, it became non drive-able. I had 3 guys over there scratching their heads in confusion. There were no codes or anything showing when he hooked up their laptop. My 9 yr daughter quickly noted, "so it only messes up when YOU are driving??" Not sure what she's getting at.

In addition to the solenoid that 1BADTON thinks, someone else mentioned there were problems with the transmission and loose feeder bolts. They said that they had repaired 3 different trucks' trannies all with this same problem, and the symptoms were similiar.
 
#19 ·
Wildred, any luck getting this figured out? My 2000 F250 4x4 auto trans with 170k miles just started to do something very similar. Last week I drove it 120 miles into the hills and back for a camping trip. Was not towing a trailer, but had my 1500 lb slide in camper on it. When I got to town, stopped at a light and when I hit the gas to go, it revved, and finally lunged forward. At next light, same thing. I shifted into first and it ran fine until I got home a few miles later.

Last night I took it for a drive. It initially revved when I put it in drive, so I started out with the lever in first and it seemed fine for about a mile. Then it started slipping going up a hill in 2d or 3d. I turned around to go home, but on the next hill it slipped really bad and smoke started coming from under the truck. I couldn't tell where the smoke was coming from in the dark. Now, it won't go forward at all, no matter what I do, but it drives fine in reverse.

Trans fluid looks and smells clean. I can't remember for sure, but I think I changed it about 2 years and 10k miles ago.

Any ideas? I'm afraid I'll have to have it towed to a trans shop in Monday.

Thx for any ideas.
 
#20 ·
hpcbmw, sorry that I am just now seeing this. I never have gotten it figured out. It drives fine as a normal daily driver, as long as I don't do much shifting between D and R (that is when the problem shows up). The shops just tell me that if it's not throwing codes or something is not broken, they would be chasing ghosts and I simply don't have the money to pay someone to "chase ghosts" not knowing if it will fix anything. Unfortunately, I guess I am down to waiting for something to break.

I would be interested to know if you find anything out about yours.
 
#21 ·
Wildred,
I towed my truck to a local trans shop after it stopped running altogether. $3500 and a full rebuild later, I've got my truck back today. The shop says the internal center support gear went bad and I think they said was throwing chunks of metal into the fluid, causing other damage.

They had to replace the center support gear, which is not a normal part included in a rebuild kit. They assume the truck overheated in the past and spit out lots of fluid, causing the center support gear to go metal on metal and start deteriorating. This is as best as I can recall from my conversation with the shop today. I don't know much about trans (obviously) so don't know how accurate this is. This is a shop with a good reputation in a small town for 30 years, so I chose to trust them.

I'm moving my 30' 5th wheel this weekend, so hoping they put everything together well. Put 100 miles on it today and it's running and shifting well.

Good luck with your truck.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top