f150 tranny toast?

[JosMN]

Had a 4hr trip yesterday with my 01 supercrew in the ice and snow. Bout 20 miles from fariabult it started reving high like it was no longer downshifting. I put it in two for those last miles at about 20-30mph. I just wanted to get it to town where i could atleast bring it to a friends house if it is something serious. Got to town and put it back in drive and everything was fine. Made a couple stops, gas station etc, shifted nice and normal. Only problem was i had to drive it back the 4 hrs i came from. Checked fluid level 3 times on the way back, all was good, didnt smell or anything. 40 miles away from home it did the same thing. This time i wasnt able to get it to shift to drive. Stopped for fuel in marshall and when put in park the engine revs very high immediately. After fueling it seemed fine, but didnt have overdrive. 5 miles from home i only had up to 2nd gear again. Could this be something electril, a sensor that got snow and iced up? Truck has 147k on it, 5.4. Hopeing its not the tranny itself, its been a solid truck. Thanks for any help and happy Thanksgiving to all.

[harvey lee]

I just sold a Chev Silverado that did close to what you are experiencing. Found out with the Chevy, other than the transfer case, there are like 4 elec boxes or switches that control all the shifting in the truck.

I ended up having a unit put on the transfer case and all the issues went away. Forgot what they called the part but it attaches to the transfer case and tells it what to do and when. It was a cheap fix, like $200 for a part and repair.

Not sure if the Ford's have the same type transfer case and elec components but it cured mine.

[fishing tech]

Check engine light on or overdrive light flashing? Could be as simple as your trany filter is plugging up.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Possibly shift solenoids????? I'm not real familiar with Ford transmissions tho.

[JosMN]

No check engine light at all.

[Ufatz]

Since not much else to do this morning let me go back to the old days. Your truck experience makes me think of the TWO best trucks I've owned. First was a 1967 Chevrolet Apache, red and white, four on the floor, manual hubs, cheap radio. That truck ran around the Yukon for some many years I cannot remember them all and I can't tell you today what became of it. I ran it places you cannot imagine; rivers, bogs, mountain side "roads" and on the old Alaska highway (before it was paved) I suspect I had SOME problems with it but don't recall what they were.

Then a bright orange surplus F-150 with the 300 inch six, four speed,manual everything and unlined doors. Basic radio that I'm not sure worked. I drove that until it was literally falling apart and the last time I saw it a guy had it rigged on blocks and was using the rear axle for a belt drive 30" saw he cut firewood with.

There were no relays, solenoids,transistors,warning lights, fly-by-wire functions, electric doors or windows, power seats of 12v plugs for my phone charger. There WAS a cigarette lighter that worked on both trucks.

Now I have a new Tahoe that is about 11 months old and I still don't understand half of what it does/can do. But the first thing I did was offer to GIVE those silly third row seats to the dealership and they BEGGED me not to leave them behind.....they had a shed full of them!!

Happy Thanksgiving fellas.

[FF_205]

From what you are explaining, sounds like pressure issue, like fishing tech said the filter could be plugged, from my experience with those transmission(4r70w) the reving high and no overdrive, that sounds like the 2-4 band is burnt up, easy way to find that out is when driving in manual 2 gear is there engine braking? If no then I would say that the band is burnt or the hydraulic apply circuit( back to the pressure thing) has a concern, your not that far from me, I'm in Marshall, you can PM me if u have any other questions

[FF_205]

From what you are explaining, sounds like pressure issue, like fishing tech said the filter could be plugged, from my experience with those transmission(4r70w) the reving high and no overdrive, that sounds like the 2-4 band is burnt up, easy way to find that out is when driving in manual 2 gear is there engine braking? If no then I would say that the band is burnt or the hydraulic apply circuit( back to the pressure thing) has a concern, your not that far from me, I'm in Marshall, you can PM me if u have any other questions

sorry, overdrive not the 2-4 band, got the gm and ford trans mixed up in my brain

[knoppers]

I had about the same thing happen to me last winter with my 09, some manifold on the tranny was cracked. I had that replaced along with all new gaskets and filters, lots of tranny fluid needed, it was about 900 to get fixed at the ford dealer. still a lot less than a new tranny. 85 just for tranny fluid, yikes.

I did get those dummy lights to come on, showing a yellow wrench. not sure what the 01 would have for it.

[JosMN]

A little update on this. Truck had been sitting for two weeks. Desided to start it up and take it out for a drive to see how it acts. Everything is fine, shifts fine through out the band. And i wasnt exactly nice to it. [PoorWordUsage] is going on, what sensor got wet? Plugged filter?? Im at a loss. I was expecting a hefty bill on this and now it runs fine...?

[fishing tech]

I still say that the filter is plugging up. What happens is the longer you drive the more fluid gets sucked through the filter, eventually plugging up restricting the flow and causing the slippage. After sitting the gunk drains back off of the filter to the bottom of the pan until you run it and it plugs up again.