1996 f-250 diesel ,automatic with pushbutton overdrive ??????????????

UNCLEBUCK · July 21, 2006, 01:52:46 AM

Yep old smokey is at it again.

Driving along at 55mph it started to automatically shift from overdrive to drive and back and forth so I pushed the button to direct drive to keep it from fluttering back and forth .
Fluid is full .

Is it the transmission filter which has never been changed and is it hard to change that?

Gary_C · July 21, 2006, 02:29:48 AM

I hate to say it, but those automatic transmissions in the Ford Diesels were a royal pain! Chances are you have a lot more than oil and filter problems. If you are lucky, it may be just a torque converter failure. :(

Every one that I know with a Ford F-250 diesel automatic has had at least one failure and my brother in law has had two, probably because he uses it to plow snow. I have always had manual transmissions with the three I owned, but have paid with clutch and u-joint problems. My 2002 with 90,000 miles has had all three u-joints fail plus the front one twice.

Sorry for the gloom and doom, but it is a F O R D. :

I just saw where a guy wrote in to one of these auto experts in the lnewspaper about how Ford robbed him on some problem that was involved in a class action law suit. The expert's response was that he had been robbed even worse himself on the same problem. >:(

This must be Bill Ford's new style of innovation!

UNCLEBUCK · July 21, 2006, 02:37:32 AM

Oh that dont sound good , this truck has never pulled anything and is very strong so am also wondering if that button I suppose is operated electronically but maybe there is a vacuum leak like my old chevy will kick down unexpectedly . Just lookin for stuff to narrow my search tomorrow, it has a new vacuum pump on .

Thanks for the reply Gary

sprucebunny · July 21, 2006, 06:03:25 AM

It's not very hard to change the fluid and filter. I've done mine a couple times.

I've never had a Ford transmission problem. Knock on wood ;D

theonlybull · July 21, 2006, 06:37:05 AM

check over at FTE (ford truck enthusiast) theres some guys over there that know thier stuff... an a0d behind a 302 is as new as i've got.... and have killed a few of them in the last few years, but thier cheap to buy :D

the transmissions are the one thing that keeps me from buyin' a deisel. the manuals burn up just as quick as the autos in them... dunno why ford never built a real tranny for them....

Larry · July 21, 2006, 07:50:26 AM

I was having little trouble getting my 97 PSD manual transmission in gear last week. Transmission shop said I needed a new clutch. Stopped in at my shade tree mechanic...he checked the fluid in the clutch slave cylinder...ok there. Crawled under the dash and pulled the connected rod from the clutch pedal...wore out plastic bushing. The part cost $2.31 and when he added on his labor the bill came to $5. 8) 8) 8) Works just like new now.

Hope your solution is as simple...and cheap. Good luck UNCLEBUCK.

flip · July 21, 2006, 09:25:19 AM

Buck,
You may have one of two things happening:If it truly is shifting between 3-4 and you are will above 40-45 mph you probably have a TR switch MLP switch problem. Simplified, the switch were the transmission shifter cable attaches to the left side of the transmission. They have coiled resistance wires inside that provide a reference voltage to the computer which in turn sets up the shift patterns. The problem is that the voltage bleeds out of its parameters and gives the computer bad information. Easy fix, replace TR (transmission range switch also called Manual lever position sensor).

OR

If it feels like running over rumble strips in the road you have torque converter chatter, which in an E40d/4R100 means the torque converter will need to be replaced and the main regulator valve in the pump also gets replaced-it's about a $800-1000 job.

UNCLEBUCK · July 21, 2006, 11:22:29 AM

Thanks everybody for all the good tips and it made up my mind to take it to the ford garage this time . I had to have my dad take it in because I am easy prey for salesman and I love the smell of new vehicles and also I still cant walk from falling in a hole I dug out fencing . I will post tonight what the cause was . Pretty easy to get a new vehicle but old smokey is going to make 500,000 miles and has 225,000 to go

UNCLEBUCK · July 21, 2006, 04:24:41 PM

It was filter and a flush job and new fluid . Thanks again ;D

flip · July 21, 2006, 04:40:58 PM

It'll be back. Don't ask me how I know.

UNCLEBUCK · July 21, 2006, 05:11:16 PM

Yeah thats what click and clack always say that when a tranny gets a flush and filter then it goes to heck soon after . :D

highpockets · July 22, 2006, 06:42:09 AM

I'm kind of a 7.3 with a 6 speed man myself. Clutches can be a problem I guess, but low gear is a bugger with a load.

ScottAR · July 22, 2006, 12:22:39 PM

Clutches are $800 installed with a new flywheel... Autos start around $1800 on the ground.

I only wish it had an extra OD for the interstate... Ford, make us a 7 spd.

Ironwood · July 22, 2006, 12:59:12 PM

Ford automatics seem to need a rebuild every 100-150,000 miles if your working them, especially behind a diesel. The manual has been rumored to go thru clutches on occasion. I haul heavy and have been very careful when hauling due to gearing the thing up from 4.88's to 3.91's. Fortunately it had a new clutch when I bought it 15,000 miles ago, (my friend put it in for the previuos owner). It seems the fleet diesel have more of a problem with clutches (Gee, I wonder why?).

Reid

Quartlow · July 22, 2006, 08:54:09 PM

Well the best thing to do with a standard ford clutch is toss it in the corner :D
If it comes to replacement time lose the dual mass flywheel and repalce everything with products from Luk clutch. The guys over at FTE swear by them. I priced out stuff for mine when I thought I had a line on a manual tranny Everything was right at $750 including slave and master cylanders and line.

http://www.lukclutch.com/

ScottAR · July 23, 2006, 12:36:20 AM

I'm with ya there QT. I got the Repset kit from dial a clutch for about $540.00.
IH dealer put it in for $240. I dunno how good the pricing is but they had it done in half a day.

I considered doing it myself but I crawled under it, looked at that big ZF trans and thought " This thing is gonna squish me."

My 13" clutch has a lighter pedal than the 4cyl S10 at my job.

UNCLEBUCK · July 23, 2006, 01:09:40 PM

I just want to do a quick follow up on this: I called ahead when my dad brought truck in to Ford dealership , told service manager to check the TR switch MLP and he has proven to be irresponsible in the past . The work invoice shows filter,flush,new fluid .

I asked my dad to try the truck out again this morning so cruising along at 55mph he decides to turn the parking lights on , tranny instantly kicks into drive,turns lights off tranny shifts into overdrive, lights on shifts into drive,lights off shifts into overdrive .

Going back to ford dealership in the morning and grab,I mean have the service manager personally tell the mechanic in front of my face to replace the TR/MLP switch ! flip thanks for the info on this TR switch

UNCLEBUCK · July 24, 2006, 11:14:45 PM

In case this ever happens to anyone else there was nothing wrong with anything on my truck .

I put the camper on a few weeks ago and plugged in my homemade 12 volt wiring harness through the back windows of pickup to the power point"cigarette lighter" so I could run the interior camper lights . Unplugged it and took it for a ride and everything works great ! FORD POWER ! :D

JimBuis · July 25, 2006, 06:37:46 AM

I'd be checking that cord for cracks in the insulation, maybe it was grounding out a bit on the window frame. These newer vehicles and their electronics! I have been borrowing my brother's '90 something Pontiac Bonneville while we are in the U.S. and recently I was driving along at 50 miles an hour when it just died. Thanks to Kirk Allen and BuzzSawyer, I found out it was corroded battery cables!! Our older cars would never have died like that, they may not have started to begin with but once running they would have kept running.

My brother still has our Dad's old 1967 International Harvester 3/4 ton pickup truck and it runs fine. I think I am going to buy it from him. A corroded battery cable won't stop that old tank.

Glad you found your problem.

Jim

Quartlow · July 25, 2006, 10:24:57 PM

yes electronics can be finnicky. I had a boom lift once that for the live of me I could't get it set up to drive right.
I tried everything in the book and some things that wheren't in the book. Fianally broke down and called the service department at Genie Indutstries. The tech had me check the frequency of the alternator. it was way off!! Switched out the alt and voila the problem went away.

Buck, glad it was a simple fix!!

rebocardo · July 26, 2006, 05:35:19 AM

> Ford automatics seem to need a rebuild every 100-150,000 miles if your working them

The main problem is people overheat them (use a separate cooler if towing) and do not change the fluid like they should. If you look under severe duty it usually says 12,000 mile max. for the fluid and filter change.

If you put a petcock-bung in your tranny pan, it becomes very easy and quick to do a tranny fluid change. You really do not have to change the filter that often. A magnetic is not a bad idea either and you can find them in the bottom of Taurus tranny pans in the junk yard.

Manual or Automatic, I usually get at least 150,000 miles out of a transmission before it needs servicing. I use my trucks and vans for towing, stump pulling, skidding, plowing, courier work, etc. Not exactly easy driving.

I got 187,000 miles out of what is suppose to be a "weak" transmission, A4LD, in my Aerostar by doing frequent fluid changes. 8)

scsmith42 · July 26, 2006, 10:10:11 AM

Anybody have any recommendations for a "premium" ATF fluid for late model fords? I use Lubrication Engineers in most of my new equipment; didn't know if anybody had a different recommendation.

Thx.

Scott