Hello all

I hope someone can give me some ideas as to what the heck is going on with my truck *pout*

I just bought a 95 F350 Powerstroke. Really nice, what I always wanted to pull my horse trailer (even though I still need to set it up to pull) and just plain flat good looking too. It is 4X4 and has the off-road package (might be relevant). Anyways, I bought it in TX and drove it home to AL. The tranny slipped and the guy I bought it from who hoped I wouldn't notice when he picked me up from the airport gave me a warrenty (I promise not to b**** about used car dealers) and did make good on it. Before I had the tranny replaced I ran it through the dealership up here for a diagnostic and some other small repairs--well, small compared to a tran overhaul--and got the exact codes from them. P1728 (tran slipped and needs overhaul) and also P1111. They never mentioned the P1111, so I have no idea on that one, got it on the release paperwork later. OK, so the meat of the story. It limps over to a good tran place that was recommended and gets fixed. I get it back a week later, drive it home, then drive it to work about 40 miles down the interstate. All told, prolly 50 miles. I get off the interstate and BAM, tran slips HARD. Like, whiplash and helllloooooo backseat. Was I ****ed? Um, yeah. So what the heck happened??? This place was recommended by a wrecking service who uses Fords, so I felt pretty darn safe using the place. It is under warrenty and going back in the AM, but what happened, why did it happen and how do I keep it from happening again?? Did I screw up going interstate so soon? The guy didn't give me any instructions, and was shocked when I called him from work with the bad news. HELP!!!

 

The hard shift means the trans has set a code. Until you get the codes read there is no telling what the problem is. Could be simple or major. Even good transmission shops will have some problems. The real proof of how good they are comes with how they handle it now.

Oh, and I own a transmission shop, in Alabama

Steve
'95 Clubwagon XLT

 

Hi Steve-

Yes, I know the hard shift means she set a code...what I want to know is why the brand new (or rebuilt/whatever) tran slipped after 50 miles. I am really upset about this, kinda at my wit's end. But the guy handled it well, once he got over the shock he just told me to bring it back in.

Here is another question though--just occured to me--can it be that this is just how it drives? I really really doubt this, but other than the hard shift and high RPMS (like 3k+) before shifting into 2nd, she drives like a dream. No other issues. And the O/D light flashed after the original hard shift, but hasn't since then. Also, I noticed that if I am going uphill when it would normally have a hard problem, it shifts fine and sometimes it shifts fine just...well, just does. I am SO confused! But I have a Dodge truck I want to sell to pay off the loan for the Ford, and I am afraid to sell it because I am worried the Ford will tear up another tran. I have a tran eating truck, lovely! If this is how it drives, then I need to sell it and get another, because I can't have it yanking my horses like that.

What part of AL are you in? I'm in AU.

Jenn

 

Hi Jenn,

There are any number of reasons for a problem after an overhaul. A bad solenoid pack, a defective torque converter, a bad sensor... They could have made a mistake in assembly, reused a part they should have replaced or have missed the orignial cause completely.

A good E4OD should shift smoothly and if overhauled properly, should give years of trouble free service. We do quite a few of them and while we occasionally have one that gives us some trouble, the vast majority of them we never see again.

Oh, and don't believe what the wrecker service tells you about the shop. Its an old ploy for wrecker drivers to get a kickback for any job they bring in.

I am in the Huntsville/Decatur area. North Alabama.

Steve
'95 Clubwagon XLT

 

Well crap. Sometimes I hate being a girl, I am always being taken advantage of with cars. The Ford won't start agian this morning, and I think it is water in the fuel again (which the Ford place was supposed to have fixed), and they told me to sitback "have a Coke" and wait an hour for it to warm up. Hello!?!?! Have a COKE?!?!? Sit back when it is 60 degrees outside?? I am SO upset I can't see straight.

OK, I am gonna go try to start it again and weep some more. *sniffle*

 

Jenn,

Wow, I feel for you. Have a Coke? They got some gall don't they. I would either complain to the service manager or find another dealer.

If you had water in your fuel, where do you buy your fuel? For diesel, its best to find a place that truckers use and that sells a lot of fuel. That way it doesn't sit in the tank long and collect water. This is common for small stations that have a diesel pump that is rarely used.

Let me know what they say about the trans code. I can at least help you navigate that one.

Steve
'95 Clubwagon XLT

 

Steve-

Continuation of the saga: The wrecker got here, put in the key, mashed the gas and started her right up! I was so upset! I had done the same exact thing, and told him so (because he had said it was trick he used with his Ford that was the tower), even showed him in the book where it said it. So, ok? Why why why why didn't it start for me? I am thinking now it is glow plugs or something. Ford place says it is an ignition or starter sensor...shouldn't that have shown up on the 65 dollar diagnostic? If it's glow plugs, I'll pay for that; but if it is a sensor I really feel that I shouldn't have pay for that.

As for the transmission...it shifted JUST FINE to the dealership (which is very close to my house, never got into 4th). It shifted just fine into 2nd, nice and smooth and pretty as can be. What is going on? I was not making up the slippage or the flashing. But it hasn't flashed (the o/d light) since the first time it slipped on this particular tranny, and now shifting fine

Wwwwaaaaaaaaa!!!!

 

Jenn, hang in there. If the OD light flashed there will be a code stored that they can read. If it hasn't done it again its because it hasn't seen the problem again and its not a hard fault code. It is possible, depending on the code, that it reset after you turned it off and won't go back to flashing the OD and shifting hard until it sees the incident again.

As for the truck not starting, it sounds like the glow plug module is bad. Quite common. I can't think of a sensor that would cause that problem.

Good Luck,
Steve

 

Hello-

I hope a BUNCH of people read this, because I am so confused and !!!!!!!!!!! I can't even see my way outta this. The truck is in a shop in MGM for glow plug, glow plug relay and pigtail replacement (please please be the problem and fix it!), but what is going on with the transmission?

I got it from the Ford place--they wanted WAY too much to replace the glow plug stuff--and I asked if it coded for the tranny again. Uh, yeah, that would be a negative. So, ok, I am tickled pink, maybe the darn thing fixed itself, right? Drive it around town a bit, she acts wonderful, la la la, life is good. Go down the interstate to MGM and same dang deal! She doesn't shift hard, but RPMs zoom up before shift. All shifting is smooth as a baby's bottom though. I have to drive it around MGM for a while before I can drop it off at the shop for glow plug stuff, and the more I drive her around town, the better she gets until by the time I drop her off you would never know there is a tranny issue. So... Is it getting hot with high speeds? Could it somehow be the cruise control?? I bought this truck to take me to WA state from AL, hello, interstate and yes I wanna use the stupid cruise control! I have a size 5.5 lead foot (got a ticket in current truck for 92 in a 70 because of no cruise).

Also, it just rolled over 200K miles, and I found paperwork in the glove box for tranny rebuild at 143K Holy Canoly, now what? Did I get a lemon or what? Should I try to trade or something before I invest in new tires and a towing package? What the heck is going on???

Jenn