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Lost Overdrive?

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Old Oct 3, 2019 | 06:56 AM
  #1  
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Lost Overdrive?

2000 7.3. 176k miles. 4WD. Original owner. Original tranny. Limited yearly towing since new.

Local Ford dealer replaced drive shaft U-joints due to vibration/frozen rear joint.

First time at highway speed next day noticed overdrive will not engage.

Usually ~2100 revs at 70 mph........now over 2500 revs at 70 mph.

Tranny hit 190° with ambient temp of 60....usually always 90° over ambient temp.

So far no other symptoms such as speedo failure, low charging voltage, etc.

OD cutoff button on end of gearshaft lights when pushed, but no rpm change when pushed in or disengaged at speed.

Tranny fluid and filter change a month or so ago with Ford Mercon V....(label sez Mercon compatable.....). Fluid full and regular red color.

Obviously going back to dealer to read codes, etc. but what are the best places to start?

OD wires in shifting column?
Speed sensor rear end and/or tranny?
Something jostled with effort required to remove frozen U-joints?
Merely very weird coincidence?

All thoughts appreciated.

Thanks in advance
 
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Old Oct 3, 2019 | 08:14 AM
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Double check electrical connections are in place on the trans. I wouldn't suspect the speed sensors.
 
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Old Oct 3, 2019 | 08:55 AM
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If it's hitting that temperature that high of a temperature, you either have an obstruction of the cooling lines or the bypass valve is stuck open. My understanding is that there are bypass valve rebuild kits and they don't seem too complicated or time consuming to rebuild.
 
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Old Oct 3, 2019 | 11:00 AM
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Temp

The temp was a result of pushing the tranny at 70 mph for about 5 miles while trying to get the overdrive to kick in, fooling with the OD button, etc.

It cooled back down when I brought the revs under 2k.
 
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Old Oct 3, 2019 | 03:26 PM
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Originally Posted by Andyinlz
Usually ~2100 revs at 70 mph........now over 2500 revs at 70 mph.
That's not enough RPM change for it to have shifted out of overdrive. If it was turning 2100 RPM in overdrive and shifted to third gear the RPM would now be 2958 RPM, essentially 3000 RPM. Since you are only seeing 2500 RPM your problem is that the torque converter is not locking, but it is shifting to overdrive. This would also account for the higher temperature, since an unlocked torque converter makes A TON of heat. RUnning in third gear instead of fourth gear will not make much, if any, change in transmission temperature.

Get the codes, then we can go further.
 
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Old Oct 3, 2019 | 03:40 PM
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No Overdrive

It never makes it into overdrive.

And the revs were more than 2,500.

Maybe way more.....It would not make it to overdrive, regardless of how hard I pushed it (I briefly hit almost 3k revs, but quickly backed down when it was clear that overdrive was not along for the ride).

The lower gears all shifted as expected....just never made it to overdrive.

It was as if the OD button was pushed in.

Is this a more fulsome description?
 
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Old Oct 3, 2019 | 03:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Andyinlz
It never makes it into overdrive.

And the revs were more than 2,500.

Maybe way more.....It would not make it to overdrive, regardless of how hard I pushed it (I briefly hit almost 3k revs, but quickly backed down when it was clear that overdrive was not along for the ride).

The lower gears all shifted as expected....just never made it to overdrive.

It was as if the OD button was pushed in.

Is this a more fulsome description?
Get the codes. Without codes it's all guesswork.

If you get an OBDII adapter (~$25) and Forscan (free!) you can use a laptop to read all of the codes yourself. That's probably a lot less than a dealer will charge you to read the codes.
 
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Old Oct 3, 2019 | 04:29 PM
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Agreed

Codes to come.......my story is they broke it, so I do not anticipate paying for codes.

Thanks.
 
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Old Oct 3, 2019 | 05:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Andyinlz
Codes to come.......my story is they broke it, so I do not anticipate paying for codes.

Thanks.
Yes, but if you get the adapter, you'll have the ability to run and clear codes whenever you have an issue. For only $25 dollars, that's invaluable.

Stewart
 
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Old Oct 4, 2019 | 06:27 AM
  #10  
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Andriod Forscan?

My laptop is unable to download Windows Forscan (work security thing!).

Will the Forscan Android pay version accomplish what has to be read here?
 
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Old Oct 5, 2019 | 03:09 PM
  #11  
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Code Pulled....P0783.....3-4 Shift Error

Well, title says it all.

Screenshot below:



FORscan Ex screen 10.5.19

Used FORscan. Neat tool.

Where do I go from here?
 
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Old Oct 5, 2019 | 03:41 PM
  #12  
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Next step is to get a factory workshop manual and follow the diagnostic routines.
 
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Old Oct 6, 2019 | 06:42 AM
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Subscribing
 
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Old Oct 6, 2019 | 11:53 AM
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More Data

Seems my problem is not electric....or, at least, not with the PCM.

Factory info. shows 2 solenoids, working in combination, are responsible for all 4 forward speeds.

For 4th gear, both are off.

Since each are also "off" for other gear combinations, and the Ex otherwise shifts and drives fine, it seems weird that 4th won't work.


Factory Info.

I found scanning data for the 2 solenoids in FORscan and went for a ride.

Each solenoid went through its steps with no apparent faults showing.

Interestingly, the PCM thinks both are closed when speed gets to around 45. But, of course, 4th gear never gets to the rear wheels.


FORscan screengrab 4th gear

Even stranger, pushing in the OD button will turn on and off the 2d solenoid....with no change to the actually selected gear at the rear wheels.

So, the PCM is as happy as a clam.....but something is failing to occur between the PCM and the rear wheels.

I will check the mechanical/electrical connections to the tranny next.

Any ideas from the hive?

Is the mechanical movement of solenoid #2 different for 4th gear?

Thanks in advance.
 
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Old Oct 6, 2019 | 01:11 PM
  #15  
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What does Forscan show as the gear ratio across the trans when it thinks it is in fourth gear? If I remember correctly the parameter is called gear_rat.
 
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