Hey all

I have a '97 F250HD with a 5.8 V8 and a E4OD transmission, 2WD. The truck is equipped with a service body, and it is heavy.

My transmission slips and pops out of gear occasionally. More often when its warmer outside.

This week I will be replacing the filter and fluid in the transmission, and installing a temperature gauge for the transmission.

What should I expect for temps? From the newer trucks I've driven, I feel like I should expect 180 - 195 empty and 190 - 220 with a trailer. So with my service body, probably 190 - 210? Is this about right?

I'll post here with what it's actually running after I get everything changed, but I wanted to know what others were averaging and what I should expect.

Thanks!

 

Temps sound reasonable to me.
Does your truck have radiator cooler as well as auxiliary cooler? should since it is an HD.

Sounds like a torque converter(TC) lock/unlock issue.

Is your check engine light(CEL) on?
Does the overdrive light on end of shifter work, and is not blinking?

 

Could also be a false neutral from a bad MLPS. Computer sees false command for neutral, goes to neutral, sees command for drive, slams back into drive.


In any case, checking for damage at the two connectors on the transmission (one on either side, MLPS and Solenoid pack) is a good idea.

 

Temps sound reasonable to me.
Does your truck have radiator cooler as well as auxiliary cooler? should since it is an HD.

Thanks, I was hoping that I was right with those numbers. Now I'm hoping the truck actually makes those numbers. Yes, the truck has cooler lines in the radiator as well as a smaller transmission oil cooler in front of the radiator.

Sounds like a torque converter(TC) lock/unlock issue.

I have heard this opinion from a friend of mine as well, however, you can also hear gears grinding in the transmission.

Is your check engine light(CEL) on?

No. I am 97% sure it works, but it is not on.

Does the overdrive light on end of shifter work, and is not blinking?

Yes, it does work. When the truck is driving fine, it stays off. Sometimes it will slip, and not start blinking. Sometimes it will start blinking and nothing is wrong. Most of the time it does blink when the transmission acts up though.

 

If the light is blinking, you have codes to help inform you about what is going on.

 

I'll check the connections, but that doesn't sound like the issue. The truck shifts fine and I can force it to downshift into a gear it will drive in when it slips. Also, flipping it into neutral does have an effect on it when it is slipping, so I am fairly sure it is slipping and not popping between N and D on its own.

 

I do have a tool for reading codes, but, I am not familiar with OBD-1. Are the codes retained like OBD-2, or do I have to read them while the light is blinking? Does one tool do both engine and transmission codes?

 

If your computer is working properly, it can and will still codes. Study up on the process and procedure for pulling EEC-IV codes. What kind of code reader do you have? I have found many combo OBD I and OBD II readers can pull KOEO codes but not do the KOER testing correctly.

On your truck one computer controls the engine and transmission, and will display codes for both.

As you have a 97, you might have a OBDI and OBDII connectors, but probably just the OBDI under the hood, which is what I would use.

 

Thanks! My truck only has the OBD-1 under the hood, no OBD-2 for the 3/4 ton truck. I'll take a look into it and see what I can dig up, maybe it'll be something simple!

 

If you hear gears grinding, the trans is toast and won't work anymore. Unlike a manual transmission, all gears are engaged at all times in an automatic transmission. It can NEVER grind gears until it breaks, and then the transmission is destroyed.

If it blinks there are codes stored that you will need to diagnose what's wrong.

 

The most common cause is a bad MLPS. Rarely does it throw a code...

 

Removed the pan today. Good news, I think. Fluid looks clean, and nothing crazy in the pan I don't think. Anything look off to you guys?

 

Also, if anyone is wondering, a 2-1/16" gauge fits perfectly where the electronic 4x4 module goes.

 

Side note, that hopefully saves someone from making my mistakes.

When changing the transmission filter, only add 5 qts of fluid, then top off. Do NOT add 16 qts of fluid. You'll have issues.

 

Oh lorde....
few things,
1) you should have drained the torque converter when you had the pan off, it would have made you closer to about 13 quarts to add back in.
2) OH LORDE.
3) Been there on the fluid overfill, just not this...
4) You are... you have a 97, correct? You have an E4OD from the best time they were made and there are a few important things to consider that ford had TSBs for and stuff.. ill detail that in a sec
5) 97 Trucks have a OBD 2 connector under the glovebox visible from the driver seat, should have a cap with data link or something wrote on it. You can use an OBD2 reader to find the engine or trans related codes, even if your CEL Is not lit. (cel doesnt light for all codes, they are in memory) if your CEL comes on at key-on, it is functional. if it does not, it may be a bulb wiring or other issue
6) can you show us both your MLPS(the switch on trans) as well as the shifter cable where its bracketed ? How are your trucks engine and chasis and battery ground cables? Is the shifter asy to move
7) I believe a blinking OD switch means codes, fluid low problems, and engine managemt or electrical issue that will not allow torque converter engagement. You are in a gas truck, right? DOES your third brake light and normal brake lights work properly, and are they incandescent or LED? LED? Resistors wired in?
8) you said gear grinding noise, but sir Im frankly inclined to believe you are mistaking a different noise that possibly is from another system or source, but unsynchronized gear meshing money noises are quite wincing to hear like, you wouldnt keep driving if that was the noise I feel.
9) are your cooler lines pinched anywhere and can you confirm the auxillary cooler part. there should be a top and bottom metal line going to your trans and I believe one goes to the cooler as a send and then it returns to the radiator one as a send, where it then pipes back to the trans, but i might be wrong. Also the diameter, show us a pic pls? You have no pics, show us picssssss
10) I didnt catch but do you have a transfer case and if so does it function fine
11) Your fluid looked like maybe it was a little hot.. but it could be my eyes. the fine particles floating in the fluid isnt comforting, there should only be mud(which you wiped with finger off magnet, that is fine)

So as I said, i would come back to the TSB thing. I do believe your trans cooler lines, because of the size of your truck, had a TSB for using larger diameter trans cooler lines because the factory ones were resulting in too little flow or perhaps the slightest blockages were causing it to be insufficient or maybe it was check *****... Something about cooler lines. And me personally, I have a smaller duty E4OD and I tremendously lowered my trans temps so it now is 190 at worst regular driving(hot out etc) but its almost always 170 or hanging around there now and it was going above 200 and i was puking fluid and having fun with that.... now it doesnt, and what I did to fix it was 1) fixed some engine management issues like my TPS and also puked enough of the fluid(which was the wrong fluid) and have put mercon spec in to replace it that it was probably flowing proper then, (will do mercon v soon), and also use a can of keyboard duster and carefully passed air through the trans cooler. I had the fittings off the rad and it spit a blob out and became a lot freeer, i didnt do any special treatments just didnt apply full pressure just kinda sealed the opening and slowly pushed air in and it didnt need much. i then drained the lines by drooping them so as not to be full of fluid at the ends, then did a little shot both lines of air and one of them flowed out a bit more. Currently one of the lines looks slightly kinked and I have a feeling the lack of rubber sections is allowed it to be a pivot which a tube will kink with that kind of scenario given time. But I eventually will put the bigger lines on.

If your truck has the bigger lines, I believe it has a factory cooler bypass block which circulates more flow but handles the excess of fluid that the bigger lines make I THINK so that it doesnt become a restriction or starve stuff for fluid. maybe.

So last question.. how much did you drive with the fluid overfilled..? please tell me nowhere and just at worst in idle please dont say reverse either LOL