I Have Reverse but no Forward?!

justinp · #1 06-10-2006, 06:20 AM

Ok here is a weird problem,

I had a bunch of work done to my truck last week at the local ford dealership (suspension lift, gear ratio change, tranny cooler, etc.) The truck has been working fine since then, until yesterday night. I left work and everything was normal until about halfway home when the truck started shifting really weird. When stopped at intersections there was a ~2 second lag from when you hit the gas to when the truck would actually shift (very jerkily) and start moving foward. While driving the truck would also shift very strangely. I was going to take it in today to get this checked.

However this morning I have no forward at all. The truck goes into reverse completely normally and everything seems fine, but when you put it in drive, 2 or 1 the truck just revs up from idle to about 1000rpm and creeps forward very very slowly. You can rev the truck right up and nothing happens.

I also just stuck my head under the hood and noticed that the transmission fluid is above the top of the "do not add" mark on the dipstick. In fact, it is above the top of the white plastic tip on the end of the dipstick. I should note that ford did a complete tranny service (allegedly) when it was in for all the other work last week.

I have not a clue what could be causing this. Here is some possibly useful background info: 03 F150 5.4V8 Auto/4WD, 6" suspension lift, 3" bodylift, 4.56 gears, HD transmission cooler. I am also getting a code from the O2 sensors but that is it.

Any help is much appreciated. This is an incredibly strange situation.

phil6608 · #2 06-10-2006, 06:37 AM

Sorry to say but it sounds to me like its gone.Time for a rebuild!!

Phil

Quintin · #3 06-10-2006, 07:44 AM

Something's broke inside the transmission. I don't think it'd be an electrical fault, because if the transmission was electronically dead, you'd have at least one forward gear range and reverse.

justinp · #4 06-12-2006, 08:37 PM

Hi again, here with an update and some questions.

After having the truck towed in to ford and the transmission pulled apart they have told me that two of the forward clutches are worn right out (this is specific as i remember, i was up on a tower when they called me and didnt have a pen).

I don't know enough about transmissions to dispute their assesment, but here is my problem. The truck has about 85,000km on it - mostly highway, only pulled a trailer a handful of times and has been babied throughout its life - always taken to a ford dealer and followed ford's reccomended service schedule to the letter. It seems strange to have transmission problems in a truck treated this well this early in its life (to me anyway).

When my lift kit went on last week, the front and rear difs were changed to 4.56 gears from stock. I know the PCM was not reprogrammed for the new gears because the spedometer was so out of accurate that it was useless. When taking off from a stop, as i let the brake off, the truck would jerk forward hard (which i attributed to the new gears) but maybe that has something to do with the PCM not being matched to the gearset anymore and thus eating the inside of my tranny??

Finally (the part that really floors me) is that ford did a full transmission inspection last week when the rest of the work was done. I know for a fact my transmission fluid was coming a bit dirty, and asked them specifically to look into it. The report came back no problems found. I think with a breakdown of this magnitude coming a week later something should have been obvious to the tech. I'm not even sure what constitutes a "ford transmission inspection/service" but for all i know they put something back together incorrectly. Is this a possibility?

So, basically i am going to fight it out with this ford dealer. I am at least looking to not be charged labour and possibly parts too, depending on how much of this situation can be attributed to their negligence (if any). I guess its possible this is all a huge string of coincidences, but it seems fishy to me.

Any opinions/suggestions?

Quintin · #5 06-12-2006, 08:55 PM

No one can predict the future. Your transmission could have lasted twenty miles or 200,000 miles. Some clutch material in the bottom of the trans pan is normal. A "transmission inspection" is probably just roadtesting it for any abnormal shifting or performance, at least it is in my neck of the woods.

Your gear swap may have had something to do with it, but I dunno for sure. I think Murphy just had it out for you.