Hi guys.

I slightly toasted my auto a couple of weeks ago on the beach.

She dumped maybe 2.5 quartz of oil in the process.

It still has a drip coming from the inspection plate so guessing the seal is screwed, I did put 2 bottles of additive in recently so hopefully it settles down.

It also threw a code p0603 which means it went to dumb mode among other things, the od light starts to flash at around 35mph, so i guess it has to learn how to drive again, the auto guy said because i pulled the batteries it set this code but i forgot to tell him that it was flashing before i pulled the batteries, so whether there was another code prior i lost because of removing the batteries I'm not sure.

It seems to shift really hard when it drops into any gear, it drops into top gear way too early, and i also noticed today when i was doing 40 it was either top gear or od dropping in and out constantly with revs dropping in and out, i tried to record it but it was intermittent, again, maybe its still learning, but it only started that today where i pulled the batteries a week ago.

I also have trouble reading the oil level, i check it as per book but the white part always has oil on one side rather than horizontally, i did put another litre in today and it seems to show better but maybe I've overfilled it now i have this odd shifting thing going on.

These boxes are 4 speed with od? If so I guess 1 on the stick is first, 2 is 2nd, D is 3rd? Does it go to 4th on its own from there? When does od kick in? At revs or a speed.

I'm going to check a couple of fuses as someone suggested in another thread.

I forgot the code also pointed to the 2wd actuator being faulty so I'm going to pull this and clean, lube and re-install.

Sorry for the long post, just hoping the box doesn't need removal.

Cheers Wayne.

 

When these transmissions get really hot the front seal softens and leaks. Once it cools off it usually will seal again. The bellhousing will get a lot of fluid in it, and it will drip for days, even though the seal isn't leaking anymore. There is an improved seal available in the aftermarket. It's made from a material called Viton.

If this is a diesel it doesn't learn anything at all. If it is a gas engine, depending on model year it can learn some information to improve shift feel. In any case, the flashing OD light means an error code was stored in the computer's memory. Disconnecting the battery cleared that code. That code was important, it had good information to help diagnose what's wrong.

The transmission is a four speed. Fourth gear is overdrive. It also has a lockup torque converter, and when it locks it feels like a shift.

The RPMs rising and falling are a problem. Learning has nothing to do with that, it indicates that SOMETHING is wrong. You need the codes to determine what's wrong.

On the shift handle, 1 is first gear, 2 is second gear, and D will shift automatically from 1-2-3-4. It will shift into fourth gear, also known as overdrive, anywhere from 35 MPH to 70 MPH, depending on how far you are pressing the go pedal.

The 2wd actuator won't cause and transmission shifting issues. You have something else going on.

 

Thanks Mark.


I did see the viton seal and if pulling the box will install one.

It is still leaking, I feel its permanent, I did put some seal fix in it but no change yet, hopefully stops.

It is the 7.3l, the code was def p0603, https://www.obd-codes.com/p0603, keep alive memory, strange you say it doesn't apply to diesels, it still shows that code now, I might disconnect the battery and check it again another time.

If I turn the od off before driving it stays out of od and shifts fine in those 3 gears, no hard ****fing or revs changing, if i forget to turn it off it starts blinking after about 35mph and thats when i have issues, shifting hard and that once revs changing, I think the torque converter is fried myself.

I might need the opinion of another trans guy, maybe its a solenoid.

Thanks again.

 

I oversimplified that. The diesels do have keep alive memory. It doesn't learn anything about the engine or transmission. It only learns the gear ratio in the axle.

 

Hmm, the way its shifting obviously isn't going to get better then so somethings up, will run it past another shop, cheers.