For the past two weeks, my automatic transmission seems to be stuck in LOW gear. I had recently cleaned the throttle body on my 98 F150 4.2 liter because the engine began shuting off every now and then. (A friend suggested it could be a DIRTY throtte body). Well, the throttle body was dirty and it did stop shutting off. But now the truck is stuck in a lower gear. As if you had bypassed DRIVE and put the truck in LOW. I've tried resetting the PCM ( disconnecting the battery for 15 mins and then letting the truck idle for 15) but it does not help. Does anyone have any suggestions on what it could be?? How would cleaning the throttle body alter the transmission??
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!!

 

So it doesn't shift out of first?

Adrianspeeder

 

It shifts through all the gears, but as if you had put the trans in "2" when it's actually in "DRIVE". It stays in first gear longer than normal, then while only going 30 - 40 mph goes all the way to fourth gear. If I let off the accelerator for a second or two, then I can step on it and it will be in a higher gear allowing me to pass or pick up speed again. It's as if the transmission thinks it's in "2" instead of "drive". The truck idles great. Could it be the trans cable at the throttle that needs to be adjusted?
Thanks again for any help.

 

Sounds like your tranny is broke.

Does the O/D light on the end of the shift lever flash ( or even work) or does the CEL/SES light come on?

If it's flashing or on, then get your OBDII codes read and see what the computer thinks is wrong.

If you're lucky, you just bumped a wiring harness coneector and it's loose.

Also, if you were dinking around with the TPS, you could have screwed it up so the computer can't tell properly what the throttle position is.

Steve

 

Steve, Thanks for the info. It turns out that it was the TPS. Bought a new one and tranny working like new again.
Thanks!
Mark

 

i bought a transmission the other day and installed it in my 98 ford f150 it has the e40d trans here's the issue the tranny goes into gear just fine but feels like its stuck in 4wd and the rpms have to get really high for it to shift and it shifts really hard the over drive light does not blink at all can anyone please tell me what the issue might be this is the second transmission i have bought for this truck in the past 3 months thank you

 

did you ever figure it out? I’m having the same issue, seems like it’s in low gear tranny but in 2wd. Dies when the truck goes over 40 mph drifting down hill but under its own power won’t go over 39