2015 F250, Gas engine, has left me stranded multiple times. Four dealers have not been able to solve problem, now I'm thinking some of them didn't do anything except give me a bill. First time it went into limp mode, wouldn't start after shut off. Dealer said loose connections. Since that time, truck acts like it's not in park, which is what I told the dealer. They have changed catalytic, PCM (3), wire harness, cam position sensor, and more. Everytime it seems to be good for a month or so. (I had to buy a new truck that won't leave me in the middle of the desert, not to be a drama queen, but 30 miles off the pavement can be fatal.) The last two times it has run perfect, I parked and turned off the engine. When I went to start, it acted like it's not in park. Left alone for three days, and it started and ran perfect. Giving me a transmission Range Sensor code, which if I was a mechanic, would seem like a no brainier since I told the dealers it was acting like it wasn't in park. I think the range sensor is the only part that they haven't changed. Any idea why it would recover over time?

 

My best guesstimate would be temperature.

 

Did you try neutral? Should start in neutral, too.

 

What is the specific fault code?

Which transmission?

Console or column shifter?

 

I just recently acquired a 2004 F250 with near-identical sounding issues, but I can maybe add some more insight. The previous owner saw the same issue, it would occasionally fail to start, as if it was not in park...whenever he had a mechanic look at it, everything was fine and it started right up.

Fast forward to the day I pick it up, and plan to tow it ~120 miles away...and the shifter (Column) is clearly not putting the transmission in N like it indicates! we messed with it a bit and found that in N it was actually in reverse (we could push the truck backwards, no problem, but going forwards...NOPE then in 1st, (auto tranny) it would go forwards so we were able to tow it a few miles away, disconnect the driveshaft, then get it to my house....but I still have a shifter that apparently does not select the correct transmission setting. Has anyone seen this, or have an idea what would cause such a thing (it seems to be intermittent) also, I have seen people tighten the bracket under the dash - this was not my problem.

Thanks!

 

The shaft that comes out of the transmission and which the trs slips over corrodes and swells, causing the trs to bind, the shift tube to wear and eventually break, and the shift lever retaining pin to wallow out its hole.

The prndl readout on the dash will be slightly off, and there will be occasional no starts.

The fix, cleaning the corroded shift shaft, is easy, and the replacement parts are all readily available and not too expensive.

 

Sounds like the problem I'm having.

a few weeks back when I went to start it the indicator said I was in second right when I put the key in, a few key cycles later it was back to normal. Today however there's no indicated gear and I can't crank the engine.

2014 e-350 5.4