Hey guys.... looking for the transmission gurus....


My dad was travelling in his E-350 down the road and all of a sudden out of the blue it was like the transmission shifted into neutral. he's waiting on a tow truck to get it back to his house. There is no check engine light nor blinking of the OD button. Just like its stuck in neutral.

I am trying to be a bit of remote tech support for dad as hes up in Michigan and I am stuck in Tennessee right now.

Any ideas where to start?

2003 Ford E-350 5.4L

 

Check the fluid level and color.

See if reverse works.

Please explain the symptoms better – doesn't have any forward motion at all? Or does it just rev freely no matter where the gear selector is?

 

Thank you for the reply.

It just free spins in any gear. Park functions but no reverse.

Fluid is full and is not burned smelly or brown.

Was driving just fine... Took foot off the gas as cresting the small hill ... Went to press the pedal again and nothing. Almost like it shifted to neutral and stuck there. Goes in an out of park ok. Confirm lever is actually moving and no debris in the pan.

 

I just sent a Private Message to our resident transmission expert. I suspect he will reply soon. Keep your eyes here.

 

The short answer is something mechanical broke. The trans has to come out.

The least expensive possibility is that the flex plate broke. If this happened the engine won't start again if you shut it off. If that isn't it, it's something in the transmission. A tear down is the only way to know just what broke. There are several possibilities.

 

Te engine starts just fine. No noises what so ever.

What are the odds this is something simple and electronic? Are there any tests we can do to try and narrow the problem. Even if the trans has to come out, because of economics, we will have to fix this ourselves.

could it be one of the selenoids in the trans? How do we test?

could it be the torque converter itself? even if we pull the trans what can we test and how to find the problem? any info or diagnostic procedures you can provide or link too would be a great help.

the van is an 03 and used too be my dads business van till he retired. So its not worth putting an new or rebuilt trans in it. A used one is about 600 bucks. Probably more than what we could sell the van for in the Detroit area. My parents live on their social security. Plus my dad uses this thing for minor trips maybe once or twice a week. Any information anyone can provide is a great help.

thanks
Eddie

 

Then it isn't the flex plate.

Did you read my post above? I didn't tell you that something mechanical broke just to scare you. If there was something simple and electronic I would have told you that.

Read this part VERY carefully:

SOMETHING MECHANICAL BROKE INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION.

The only test that is going to produce ANY useful information is the teardown. This is where the trans is removed and disassembled to find the failure. If you want to run tests I do have many, many tests I can have you do. None of them will help narrow down what failed.

What solenoid did you have in mind? Here's a hint: NONE of the solenoids are used to engage reverse. If reverse doesn't work, it means something mechanical broke inside the transmission.

Yes it could be the torque converter. I consider that part of the transmission. The way to check it is to take the trans out, remove the converter, and inspect the splines. If they are damaged you probably have found the problem. If they are fine the problem is deeper in the trans.

I know of no other way than to tear the trans down and find out what broke. You can get a shop manual from https://www.atsg.us/atsg/

You can replace the trans, rebuild the trans, or scrap the van. You're not going to find something cheap and easy to fix this one. Sorry.

 

wow thanks. i really needed someone to come along and be a dick right now.

Congratulations you won the prize.

So now mister super duper smart guy... read this part very carefully..... I get it... its f@#king broken. it has to come out.

I am not a cool guy like you who is "Former Ford Automatic Transmission Engineer 1988 - 2007"

precisely why I am asking these questions. I was looking for some insight from anyone who may have gone down this road. What do i need to look for.. outside and inside the transmission...testing procedure, tricks, etc.

here is a hint to you and your bold caps...... I am a disabled veteran without functioning legs courtesy of defending your right to be a condescending ***** anytime you choose, and my parents are old. We both live on very fixed incomes. We have to find a way to fix this.

So I am very sorry someone dragged you out of your cave to address my simpleton questions. Please return to being grumpy somewhere else now.

Your attitude just ruined this whole forum for me.

 

he's not a dick
he's a guy who knows what the hell he's talking about
just because you don't like what he said dosen't make your van any better
don't be a martyr
you will not find a better forum for vans, I know, I looked

 

Thank you for your service. Believe it or not, I really appreciate it.

I told you at the front that something broke and it had to come out. I also told you the only possibility that it was something relatively simple was if the flex plate broke AND gave you a simple test (which you did) to find out if that was the problem. It wasn't. Sorry. Too bad.

I can appreciate being on a fixed, small income. I really do. You were already told that if it wasn't the flex plate it was something broken inside the trans. Running other tests isn't going to help anyone, and won't give anyone any insight as to what broke.

I'm really sorry you didn't like the message. If it was something simple and electronic I would have jumped all over that.

 

Does the driveshaft turn? Any chance it could be ring or pinion in the diiff? Or broken axle shaft?

 

Not if park will hold the truck in place. And he said park holds.

 

Oh yeah...duh. I missed that.

 

Another perfect example of an irreverant kid who thinks there must be a way to just push a reset button on the back of his X-Box to make everything work perfectly again! Don't come on here and crap all over Mark who just happens to be THE most consistently helpful person on several forums! Mark used caps AFTER you persisted about a quick test. THEN you resorted to name calling. Cause and effect. Drop the transmission and the bad attitude and find the broken part. There is the answer.

 

Yeah... that's just great and all.....

I was hoping for a more tactful and useful response such as.....

"No there really are no more useful tests you can do externally to help point you to the internal problem. Once you do get it out be mindful of part A, part B and part C. These are what commonly gives up out of the blue with no warning, bang, or otherwise audible or physical indication of failure. Check to be sure the front pump is spinning and watch out for the seal in this location."

That would have been much more helpful, and well... grown up response. You know, the kind of help I have gotten in the past from folks here.


I am not a martyr nor do I care to be one. i don't expect to be handled with kid gloves either. However i expect to be treated as an adult and not talked down too like some child begging for candy. You are supposedly the guy who knows what he is talking about. I didn't ask you to come over and fix my trans for me. I asked for some knowledge, and maybe some lessons learned from your experience, but you gave me your high and mighty attitude instead. Quite frankly I am just not going to put up with that. If you don't like my assessment of your response then... well to borrow a quote form you.... sorry too bad.