Yes im sure this topic has been covered many a times...however keep reading [PLEASE]!

This has happened several times now; the blinking overdrive light. To solve the problem I've take it to two different trans shops when it happened and they BOTH told me they reset the code, test drove the truck and could feel nothing wrong with the tranny. The first one happened in 2007 and the second in 2008, about a year and 10,000 miles apart. At those times I was not doing anything out of the ordinary like towing or plowing. Truck was in drive/overdrive and 2-wheel drive with hubs unlocked.

Last night it popped on again however I was in 4wd, hubs locked, overdrive off.

I told the second trans shop (who came highly highly recomended by several friends who build race cars) to just rebuild the stinker because I can't deal with a shoddy transmission. He told me there was no need because he was suspecting an electrical issue because it 'felt' fine.

Now where am I suppose to look? Assuming its electrical? I have a suspossion that at 161,000 miles a previous owner had rebuilt the trans. It has a different torque converter solenoid (the kind that turns on or off rather than a pulse on/off from ford) so that's a hint right there. I also had gauges that came with the truck (standard exhaust temp, turbo boost and trans temp) and a 5th wheel cutout of the bedliner. This guy was definately taking care of his truck when towing...

ANYWAY, if the most reputable trans shop in south jersey says to no rebuild it, what have you guys come across? Anyone else have a similar problem? How can I even clear the error code without taking it to a shop? Can I pull the grounds off the battery for 5 minutes or will it stay in memory either way?

Thanks for the input. Any and all is much appreciated!!!!

EDIT: forgot to mention the truck is a '96 powerstroke, 4x4, E4OD transmission. Pretty much a stock setup.

Al Conforti

 

Yes pulling the ground wire for 5min or so will clear the codes. However the light is blinking because the computer "sees" something it doesn`t like and will have stored a code. Before they erased the codes did either of the trans shops say what the codes were? If not, might be a good idea to get the codes read again and make a note of then before you clear them.
There are some real trans experts here who could then give you an opinion.

 

the second shop (the highly highly reputable ford transmission shop) said it was a slip error code. He didn't give me a number but said he didn't feel anything slipping. He did say though that he didn't feel the torque converter lockup. I know for a fact the TC locks up so maybe that's the 'glitch'? If the TC occassionally doesn't lock up due to an electrical problem it would set the code wouldn't it?

So frustrating! I would throw money at a brandy new transmission but if the trans isn't the problem then I just wasted $2500 or so...

EDIT: i just pulled the grounds. They're been off for over 10 min. now. I'm hoping that'll clear the code i don't like driving in limp home mode. I feel like i'm going to blow a pressure line when the trans ****s so hard.

Thanks Much!!!!

 

The very intermitant nature of the fault is odd. Might be an idea, if it happens again, to buy a cheap OBD2 code reader and read the codes yourself and also use it to clear the codes.
Also if the fluid and filter has not been changed in the last 30,000 mls it might be an idea to do that now.

 

You can't feel the amount of slip that will set the slip code. It doesn't take a lot of slip.

Often the cause of a small amount of slip is the torque converter clutch.

 

yeah its got to be a tc slip but VERY slightly. the code was reset by pulling the battery grounds and I can't feel anything. Truck runs fine and has run great for me over the past three years i've owned it. Just one of those things. Hopefully something will go SOON before I tow something and really get screwed. Would like to fix it but what do I fix??? ha-ha!

 

Changing ATF Fluid in a E4OD and 4R100 transmission .: Articles Here is a good writeup on changing the fluid should you decide to do it.

 

It's almost certainly the torque converter.