I have a 2005 f350 6.0. This weekend I was pulling about 10k lbs of concrete to my home site. I was attempting to back the trailer right next to where we had a mixing station. The trailer was sinking in the dirt quite a bit and I went forward and back a handful of times trying to get it where we wouldn't have to carry the concrete bags as far. I went from R to D several times and also put it in 4x4 at one point. (I was pretty slow and gently through all this by no means was i banging the gears or trying to rock it)

Well I finally got the trailer where we needed and put the parking brake on and we went to work. Later in the day we needed to take back about 25 bags of concrete so I started the truck and started to leave from where I had backed it in originally. This is when I noticed the problem. It started shifting weird and sometimes would not shift at all. Taking off from a dead stop felt like it had a stall converter in it. It would rev to about 1500 rpm then engage. It was also very tricky trying to change gears from park to reverse or to drive. The tow haul light would blink sometimes also. Sometimes when I put it in reverse and I gave it gas it would not rev or do anything. I could floor it and it would just idle. I also noticed at one point my Trans temp went up quickly and then back down quickly. It also shifted hard sometimes but would also shift normal and smooth and even go through the gears at random times perfectly. It actually ran pretty normally when we limped it home. But now at home it is stuck in park.

Now before I started spending money I want to get it scanned but it is now stuck in Park. I am working on getting someone with the correct scanner that can scan the stored transmission codes to come to my hoouse. But from what I have read the past couple days it seems to me the likely culprit is the transmission temp sensor. But the part that I don't understand is would that also be responsible for it getting stuck in park?

 

Likely the cable bracket is loose on the steering column.

Josh

 

Ok I am gonna have a look at that. I hope that's the stuck in park problem. It has always kinda had a sloppy feel when selecting gears also, hopefully this is it. Then the tranny temp sensor makes sense for the other problems.

 

Ok well that bracket is nice and tight. It is like there is a wall blocking reverse when I try to move it. The truck also rolls a little when I try it.

 

I had a similar problem, and the linkage cam loose on the trans......actually a bolt fell out......replaced the bolt....all better

 

The shifter cable and bracket that go into the side of the transmission are tight and appear in good working order.

 

I guess brake shift interlock is the next possibility? How would I check this?

I don't know if it has to do with the other problems related to what I'm thinking is the transmission temp sensor or this is it's own problem that showed up the same day.

Thanks for your quick replies!

Also does anyone have any thoughts on the sensor front?

 

I looked at the brake interlock switch above the brake pedal. It is firmly plugged in and I can hear it click when i push the brake. Not sure if that means it's functional??

Also another thought. I read that the wiring harness in the transmission can be a culprit of my other problems if it was this could that affect the shifter not working?

I sure would like to find someone to scan it.

 

I think you have 2 issues

Shifting & Temp sensor

These dash gauges are Dummied up pretty good so if you saw a Fast Spike and Fall back down that's a Classic sign of Bad Temp sensor

You need a Digital gauge to watch sensors

The shifting issue could be in the trans

Separate the shift linkage at the Trans right there where it goes into the trans then shift it

That^^ should give you a Direction to go if Gear Selector Moves unhooked from trans then you know its Inside trans

Or if its Still locked up you know problem is in shift linkage

Been a Few since I Looked at all that trans Info so my theory of Testing with that linkage unhooked could be Wrong I cant remember that Brake INTER LOCK Switch exactly how or really where it worked

 

Your going to need a FORD Enhanced Scanner to see trans stuff

Is there a SVS Light on (Service Vehicle Soon) going to be different then a CEL or most autos separate Drivetrain from Powertrain lights

 

Thanks Blade for the replies...

We disconnected the linkage where it goes in the trans and we were able to shift it at the trans but the shifter still won't move. At first glance everything appears ok throughout the linkage but we did not have much time to spend on it yet.

Yes the stock temp gauge did jump up one point to about 3/4, I noticed it because it's never above half way, and later when we were limping her home I noticed it seemed to be lower than halfway which I thought was weird for the amount of time it was running there is no way. The more I think about this the more I think and hope it's the sensor.

And good news, I have someone coming tonight to scan it. I believe he understands that I need one of the certain scanners that can read my stored trans codes but time will tell. I'm also curious if this will help me with the stuck shifter or if that would even through a code. Or maybe it's linked to the sensor?

Anyways hopefully my next post will be codes to interrupt and then not to severe of repairs.

And yes I would like to purchase some digital gauges in the near future.

 

My trans temp sensor went bad last month. Would occasionally drop it in tow haul, temp gauge dropped to zero, tow/haul would come up on message center. $13.00 part replaced, problem solved. Can't speak to the shifting issue.

 

The stuck shifter won't set a code. Do your brake lights work? Non working brake lights is a common reason for the shifter to be stuck in park.

 

Thank you I hope it's that, I found a write up on changing it and I'll be happy if this is my problem.

 

Just checked and yep they all work.

It's weird this issue started at the exact same time as the shifting issues. When it first started that day it was just tricky and a little hard to change gears. I didn't force it hard just fiddled it and it would go but not to hard. Well I got her home and a couple guys and I were trying to figure it out and we started it and moved it back and forth a couple times to see if the issue was still there. (we tried reflashing computer by unplugging batts etc.) And at one point it just decided it was stuck in park and it's been stuck since.