My '95 F150XL 4.9 E4OD is slamming into reverse and stalling, and also shifting very hard into 2nd gear. Also, my speedo needle is swinging wildly at about 45mph and above. All of these problems started one morning and have not stopped. I took it to the dealer, and they said the PSOM tested bad, and the transmission needs a new torque converter, front pump, and solenoid pack, to the tune of $2400. They said that if only the PSOM were replaced, it would quickly be ruined by the bad transmission, and likewise a repaired transmission would be ruined by a bad PSOM. Is this likely? I have no problem replacing or repairing anything that needs it, but don't want to throw away money. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

the weak trans wont hurt a new psom,and vise versa. i work at a dealership,some one is trying to snow you.i dont think the trans parts you described will fix the trans problem.i could be wrong.if you have a torque converter slippage code it will raise line pressure and cause harsh engagmentsand all shifts.i dont understand replacing the shift pack.good luck and let us know what you do.

 

Need a little more information on the "slamming into reverse and stalling".

If this happens while going forward in a forward selected gear then I would say you have a bad Transmission Range Sensor (TR) or more than likely a bad plug on it, a common problem. I think there is a TSB out on this and should be a free fix or there is a kit to up date it to the newer style plug.

The Transmission has no information going to the PSOM, so I see no way a Transmission can hurt a PSOM.

Sounds like you may have a bad VSS Sensor on the rear end also, your speedo needle problem.

A PSOM does feed speed information to the PCM. The PCM does tell the Transmission when to shift but I would think if the PSOM were bad it would just stop feeding information altogether.

I do not know how they would know if internal parts were bad without taking them out and checking them.

I think I would take it someplace else for a second opinion.

 

I would ask the "Steelership" for a copy of the "technicians" suggestions and diagnosis. If they had a "technician" look at it, there should be codes listed that they would have retrieved. let us know what they said and the codes they retrieved and one of us should be able to diagnose your issues for you. I think the Dealership is pulling your leg and is out to make money at your expense.

On to the diag, with the PSOM and the trans shifting erratically I am concerned that you may have a bad VSS sensor which would be in the rearend on top of the center section as SubFord stated.


What is the condition and level of the transmission fluid? let us know about all these questions.

 

Thanks for the replies. Sorry I didn't respond sooner. The slamming into reverse and stalling happens when the truck is started and put into gear. It also does it when put into drive, but it doesn't seem as harsh. The dealer's estimate was done for a one hour labor charge of $59. They said the PSOM "tested bad". Is there a test for this or is it just by symptom diagnosis? The trans fluid condition and level are ok. I removed the VSS and cleaned it and the problem remains. I called another dealer's parts department and the PSOM cost is $341. This is for either a tach or a non-tach version. I figured I would get the tach version since I want a tach but don't want an aftermarket one on the steering column. They recomended their service department replace it (for a one hour labor charge) so that the odometer could be set to the original mileage. It sounded ok to me so I took it, but when I got there the service advisor said he could not install a tach cluster because the wiring is not there for it. At this point I just said forget it and figured the list could help me. Thank for any advice you can give me.

 

I forgot to tell you that the dealer apparently did not pull codes. I used my code reader and it passed all checks (code 111). The mystery continues.

 

I do not know if this will work or not, but after reading the prints there are two of the three plugs on the back of the PSOM (a gray and a black) that you would have to move two wires and add one wire for the Tachometer input.
The wires are:
For Tachometer input add wire on pin 9 of C250 the Black Plug. Wire source is
from ignition side of the coil.

For ground, move wire #398 (BK/Y) off of pin 7 to pin #10 leaving wire #57 (BK) on pin #7. This is within plug C250 (Black Plug).

Move wire on pin #5 wire #29 (Y/W) (Fuel Gauge Input) C250 (Black Plug) to pin #6 of C251 (Gray Plug).

 

The code you retrieved (111) means that someone at the dealership either cleared the codes or removed the negative battery cable for more than a few minutes. I very much DOUBT that the dealership DIDNT pull codes. If they didnt I would not return to that dealership and find another one to go to. When I work at a Ford Dealership as a trans tech the first thing we did is test drive to verify the concern, pull codes and start diagnosis. I think they are putting one over on you and/or are not giving you ALL the information so you will not go anywhere else. The ford dealer said what they said because they (dealerships) do not do or know about parts swaps or are unwilling to take on the liability. That is why there are websites like this one for people like me that have tried things and found them to work because they wanted that option to pass on information. You cleaned the VSS but it still could be bad or shorted and cleaning will not repair that. The sensor is a hall effect type which is sensing teeth on the ABS ring as on or off. If small metal particles have gotten to it for an extended time they can short it out leaving the sensor less sensitive.

TSB's at Ford Dealerships do not mean "free" repairs, they are designed to help technicians in there diagnosis and repairs and are used to share findings on repairs between dealerships and Ford. Only RECALLS are free repairs mandated by the government saftey group.