I am new to this site. I am looking for some help with a transmission problem. I have a 1996 F1 50 4 x 4 5.0. I noticed it started making a weird noise's so I parked it. After some investigation I found a plug had fallen out and all of my transmission fluid had come out. I purchased a new plug and refilled the transmission fluid but now it will not shift into any gear at all. It is an automatic and I have no reverse or drive and when I try to put it in four-wheel-drive it makes an awful grinding sound. I am not a car guy or mechanic any tips would be appreciated, I am an electrician so I know my way around tools I just don't know very much about vehicles. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

So you refilled the transmission or the transfer case

 

Like I said in the post I'm not much of a mechanic. I filled the transmission fluid through the dipstick so I'm not sure if that answers your question or not?

 

That would be the transmission how much did you put in it

Also how long were you driving it with no fluid did any leak out when you parked it or was it gone already

 

I really started to notice the sounds when I was 5 to 10 miles away from my home. I drove it to my house and parked it, there was a small amount of fluid that leaked out after I parked it. Not very much. I'm afraid I did more harm than good just trying to get it home. I filled it quart by quart until it reached the correct level on the dipstick. I have no idea when the plug fell out so I don't know exactly how long I drove it while the transmission fluid was leaking out.

 

FWIW it can't have been fully out of fluid since you were able to drive it. It relies on the fluid to apply pressure to go into gear.

I'm not exactly sure how it's possible to do any good operating something that should have oil in it for lubrication and cooling without said oil. Not to be a dick but this is like rule #1 of pretty much anything with oil and/or coolant in it. You don't run it without the right fluids in the right places.

 

let's back it up a bit (pun intended) ... which automatic trans do you have and what type of tranny fluid did you put in ?

also, since you say you don't know much about vehicles, you do know that the trans. fluid level is checked with the engine running, in park, after you have shifted between reverse and drive, right ?

 

How many qts did you add?

 

What plug did you re-install? My E4OD has no drain plug, my former employer's 4R70W had no drain plug, and I think those are the only two factory options for a 95' 5.0L truck. Maybe take a picture so we can see what you're talking about?

 

Was it one of these plugs? Unless you have a manual transmission these should be the only plugs in the drive line until the differentials.

 

4R100 (e4od) pans and some aftermarket pans have a drain plug

 

As mentioned, a few things don't really add up here. If your transmission drain plug fell out, there is no way you'd make it 5-10 miles. Maybe a 1 mile tops before so much fluid ran out the transmission would no longer engage. As also mentioned, most of these transmission pans do not have a drain plug.

Can you take a picture of what plug you replaced?

 

E4OD transmission. The plug I replaced isn't the drain plug for the transmission. It is a rubber plug in front of transmission pan. Here is a picture.


Once I replaced the plug and refilled fluid, the fluid levels have stayed steady where supposed to. I crank the truck and engine runs fine. When I try to put it in any gear nothing happens at all.

 

I believe that is an inspection plug, that is irrelevant to keeping fluid in the transmission. If you had enough fluid leaking out of that to empty the transmission you have larger problems

 

That plug covers the actual drain plug on the torque converter. Are you saying you replaced the rubber plug, or the steel plug on the converter?