91 E350 cube van. 7.0 diesel. I have no 1st gear or overdrive. Shifter in 1st, I get only 2nd. Shifter in 2nd , I get only 2nd. Shifter in 3rd/D, I only get 3rd, no 2nd. Never get overdrive. OD indicator light stays on, no blinking. Pushing it on/of doesn't have any effect. I first noticed the problem on a long trip, towing a trailer, AFTER I smelled hot fluid and saw smoke. Guess I cooked the fluid. I've had it flushed, but the problem still exists. There were no particles in the fluid or pan. Even with the overheating, the torque converter seems to be working fine.

Are the 2 problems related or seperate? Is this a valving or computer problem? I have disconnected the battery to try re-setting the computer. Can I air test the tranny in place?

Thanks

 

It sounds like the computer is bad or not getting powered. The power relay that feeds the computer is often the problem. It fails and the computer does not get power.

 

For the most part I would agree with Mark. It sounds like the tranny is in safe mode. Also, I would drop the pan down again, and check the wires in there. Frequently, if you severely overheat a tranny, it will melt these wires.

Jared