[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 25-Aug-01 AT 07:54 PM (EST)[/font][p]98 F150 4WD, 24,000 miles. The Overdrive "OFF" indicator is flashing at about a 1 hertz rate. Naturally, the owner's manual says nothing about it. Fluid level is OK, transmission seems to be working OK, can still turn the overdrive on and off. What is this thing trying to tell me? Is it safe to drive with this indication?

Marshall

 

I have the same problem on my 1997 4x4 XL 4.6L The shop replaced both speed sensors and have yet to be able to fix it. They did say they had 3 others come in with the same problem and the speed sensor replacement fixed those.

So I am looking for a solution. If you have heard of anything, I would love to hear about it.

Thanks!
Rick

 

By the way. I did find this in my owners manual and I also checked with the shop I brought it to; STOP DRIVING IT UNTIL YOU GET IT CHECKED OUT. If you continue driving it you could destroy the transmission.

Rick

 

Marshall: We had that problem our first trip out in our '97 E-350, V-10/E4OD (see my post about tranny problems). We had driven from KC to Colorado and the tranny had been really erratic. On the way back the light start flashing. I called our Service Advisor and he said it meant the tranny didn't know what gear it was in and to turn the ignition off and restart the engine. It flashes at least once every time we pull our trailer on extended trips. If we don't stop and turn the ignition off the tranny shifts VERY harshly and even more erratic than normal until we do.

Jim

 

I truly appreciate the responses. One of the first things that I tried when it started flashing was to pull off the road, shut it down, and restart. The light stays off until I start driving again. The real bummer, only 24,000 easy miles and the warrantee expired the DAY BEFORE the light started flashing! I swear, they must have installed an electronic date/time timer in the truck to have that light start flashing as soon as the warrantee was up!

Marshall

 

rj,
Are the speed sensors inside the tranny case, or can they be replaced without pulling the transmission and splitting open?

Marshall

 

If your 98 F150 has the 5.4 V8 then it's probably equipped with the E4OD tranny. There is a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that relates the "Flashing Transmission Control Indicator Lamp" symptom. Ask your dealer about TSB Article No. 98419.

98419 states: "Some vehicles may exhibit a flashing TCIL and Diagnostic Trouble codes (DTCs) 62, 628, and/or 1728 may be stored in memory. These DTCs may be set by any internal transmission element slippage or potentially by torque converter slippage."

Due to this TSB and after much debate, my dealer is now replacing the torque converter. My F150 is a 97 and has 20,000 miles.

Check out my post in the misc. conf. section, under tranny and tranfer case, titled: "tranny problems blamed on re-gear."

Paolo San Mateo
Metro Manila, Philippines

 

OK, here's the sad ending. Dropped the truck off at my local Ford dealership for diagnosis. I got a call from them the next afternoon, said all the computer checkpoints looked to be OK, transmission fluid showed evidence of being burnt, transmission needed to be replaced. Ford would not honor the warranty, as it was a few days past the expiration date. The lady on the Ford Customer Service (Virginia??) number told me that even if it were one day out of expiration, they still couldn't honor it, that's why they put a starting date and ending date in place. Got my truck back two days later with a new transmission and supposedly new torque convertor. What it cost me was $495, as that was the fee for Ford's "PO7" extended powertrain maintenance plan. The plan theoretically gives me 36 months and another 75,000 miles (for a total of 100,000 on the truck) on the power train. If something happens with the power train within that period, I take it in and pay a $50 deductible to have it fixed.....................if the failed part is on the list of specific power train items covered under the plan. It would appear from the repair receipt that I got back that the transmission/torque convertor and associated gaskets WERE replaced under warranty, but the $495 maintenance plan was Ford's requirement for me to have it replaced under warranty.

Whenever I asked the mechanic, customer service, maintenance scheduler about why the transmission failed miserably after only 25,000 miles of very light to normal driving, the only response was "sometimes it happens".

Am I happy with the way it was handled by Ford? Not really, I think FMC has a responsibility to stand behind it's product a little taller than they did. 25,000 miles is WAY too early for a catastrophic transmission failure, even if it occured at 36 months AND ONE DAY!

Am I happy with the way it was handled by my dealership? Yes, considering the situation, Paducah Ford, Inc of Paducah, KY had my truck back to me quicker than I would have ever imagined.

Will I buy another new Ford truck in the future? Undecided for now, but one thing is for SURE. I will scan the bulletin boards of various internet vehicle owner's groups to get the REAL story before I lay my money down on any new model. Boards like this one are priceless.

Marshall

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 10-Sep-01 AT 00:11&nbsp;AM (EST)[/font][p]"Got my truck back two days later with a new transmission and supposedly new torque converter. What it cost me was $495, as that was the fee for Ford's "PO7" extended powertrain maintenance plan." <Marshall>

Your much luckier that I am, Marshall. I just got my truck back after being at the dealer for over two months. They re-built the tranny and replaced the torque converter. Spent over $1000. That's a big amount for the Philippines considering that labor rates here are much, much lower.

Before even doing this, the dealer and Ford Philippines tried to blame everything on my re-gear. They even said that they wouldn't even be able to fix my truck because of the re-gear and they wanted to put it back to stock. I posted my problem on two other message boards and most responses said: My dealer should have changed the torque converter during the first re-build and not blame my re-gear. After I printed out a dozen responses and showed it to them, my dealer finally replaced the torque converter. Now my F150 is running fine and it has been proven that my re-gear didn't have anything to do with the tranny probs. I received no apologies from them but only a big repair bill.

My F150 is a 97 4X4 5.4 with only 20,000 miles.

Would I buy a Ford again? Sure, when I move back to the states but I wouldn't buy another one here in the Philippines. For Ford Philippines "the customer is always wrong and they're always right."

Paolo San Mateo

 

well, it happened to me. flashing,, i was clicking it on and off and can tell when its in overdrive. since i had the truck new in oct 99 it always shifted hard from 30-40 when i gun it. it only has 24k on it. the rear gear box is leaking and tranfer case seal needs to be replaced. trans oil level fine and dealer said with my agreement to get it fixed next oil change. 1k more miles. im gonna bring it in tommorrow and printed out these messages. its a good dealership.. we'll see.. i need my truck for work so i hope they give me one to use. other than the seat belt to be replaced she has been a great truck.

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 20-Sep-01 AT 08:12&nbsp;PM (EST)[/font][p]got my truck back. believe they did what was needed. here is the report: ROAD TESTED VEHICLE AND VERFIED CONCERN OF O/D LIGHT FLASHING AND ALL UPSHIFTS HARSH, DID ELECTRO NIC TRANSMISSION DIAGNOSIS-CODE PO781 (1-2 SHIFT ERROR) WAS STORED IN MEMORY, DID ACTIVE COMMAND MODE TESTS OF SSA AND SSB AND THEY WERE OK, PROBLEM IS INTERNAL, EITHER 1-2 ACCUMULATOR PROBLEM OR INTERMEDIATE CLUTCH PROBLEM. ROMOVED PAN AND FOUND NO EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF METAL IN IT, HOOKED TRANSMISSION TESTER TO BENCH TEST SHIFT SOLENOIDS, SSA DID NOT SOUND AS CRISP WHEN CLICKING AS IT SHOULD, REMOVED VALVE BODY AND CHECKED 1-2 ACCUMULATOR VALVE AND 1-2 CAPACITY VALVESFOR FREE MOVEMENT, ALSO AIR CHECKED INTERMEDIATE CLUTCH AND IT WAS OK, REINSTALLED VALVE BODY, AND REPLACED SHIFT SOLENOID ASSEMBLY, INTALLED NEW FILTER AND DRAINED CONVERTER, FILLED UNIT WITH NEW FLUID AND ROAD TESTED VEHICLE, SHIFTS WERE SMOOTH AND O/D LIGHT DID NOT FLASH.

they also replaced my shaft seal in transfer case rear seal that was leaking as well as reseal my rear differntial.

here is the actual part list from solenoid valve:

7191A10 SOLENOID VALVE - SHIFT - REPLACE (7G484)- L
5222WFL45
1 XW7Z*7D100*AA GASKET-TRANS VLV BODY SEP PLAT
1 1L3Z*7C155*AA GASKET-TRANS CONTR VLV BDY
1 FT*105* FILTER AND SEAL ASY-TRANS OIL
1 F8AZ*7G4*AA SOL ASY-TRANS SHIFT
12 XT*5*QM MERCON (R) V AUTOMATIC TRANS FLU
FC: P66 42
PART# F8AZ*7G484*AA

truck runs great and they even washed it up real nice. im happy with boyer ford trucks in mpls.

i should mention that "liz" was made in Ontario,, wonder if there is any connection.

 

Another thing all of you with the E4OD tranny is to change the fluid and go to the Ford Synthetic fluid. I've worked at Ford dealers for years and this fluid is great stuff. It will save your tranny from premature wear. Only drawback is that is VERY EXPENSIVE stuff. My father-in law has a 93 F-350 and has not had any trouble wwith his E4OD, and he pulls a 40 foot fifth wheel with it. We put the HD cooler on it and changed to the syn. fluid. You have to keep the E4OD cool as heat is the main enemy of this tranny.