Transmission Overheat Code P1738
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04-03-2011, 09:27 PM
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Transmission Overheat Code P1738
2001 F-150 5.4L 4R70W 149,000 MILES.
Is my trans about to puke? Here is the story:
Yesterday I was towing my boat to a fishing tournament. I was on the highway for about 45 min. Got off the highway and hit some stop and go traffic for 20 min or so. At the end of the traffic there was a steep hill to climb and I noticed the truck was slowing. I gave it some gas to kick it down a gear, it wouldn’t drop a gear and then I noticed the OD light of death flashing.
Got over the hill and pulled over to check my trans fluid. The level was a little high (possible because of extra hot fluid?) but it was clean. I have an Edge Evolution on the dash and used it to check what code got thrown, P1738 Trans overheat. I cleared the code and babied it to and from the river without throwing another code.
After I got home and I felt the Aux trans cooler, it was stone cold. I pulled the outlet line off and started the truck. Hardly any fluid flowed out. I removed both lines and back flushed it with brake cleaner and compressed air, hooked the inlet back up and ran it. It wasn't any better.
I pulled the cooler lines to the radiator and pushed some 3/8 fuel line over the supply line and stuck it in a soda bottle. When I started the truck for a second it had tons of flow. The radiator cooler was obviously clogged.
I decided to try to back flush it. I looked at the bottom of the soda bottle I used to catch the brake cleaner and crap that came out. There were a ton of little pieces of sort of a felt like fiber and other crap (maybe trans filter material or clutch material?). I hooked everything back up except for the Aux cooler return and checked for flow with the engine running. It has tons of flow now, about one liter in like 20 seconds.
I topped off the level and went for a drive, the Aux cooler is warm all over now and the trans is shifting smooth and accurate. What do you think, is this the beginning of the end for my trans or did I save it? I will be doing a full filter/converter drain this week and I'm thinking about installing an inline filter before the coolers.
Is my trans about to puke? Here is the story:
Yesterday I was towing my boat to a fishing tournament. I was on the highway for about 45 min. Got off the highway and hit some stop and go traffic for 20 min or so. At the end of the traffic there was a steep hill to climb and I noticed the truck was slowing. I gave it some gas to kick it down a gear, it wouldn’t drop a gear and then I noticed the OD light of death flashing.
Got over the hill and pulled over to check my trans fluid. The level was a little high (possible because of extra hot fluid?) but it was clean. I have an Edge Evolution on the dash and used it to check what code got thrown, P1738 Trans overheat. I cleared the code and babied it to and from the river without throwing another code.
After I got home and I felt the Aux trans cooler, it was stone cold. I pulled the outlet line off and started the truck. Hardly any fluid flowed out. I removed both lines and back flushed it with brake cleaner and compressed air, hooked the inlet back up and ran it. It wasn't any better.
I pulled the cooler lines to the radiator and pushed some 3/8 fuel line over the supply line and stuck it in a soda bottle. When I started the truck for a second it had tons of flow. The radiator cooler was obviously clogged.
I decided to try to back flush it. I looked at the bottom of the soda bottle I used to catch the brake cleaner and crap that came out. There were a ton of little pieces of sort of a felt like fiber and other crap (maybe trans filter material or clutch material?). I hooked everything back up except for the Aux cooler return and checked for flow with the engine running. It has tons of flow now, about one liter in like 20 seconds.
I topped off the level and went for a drive, the Aux cooler is warm all over now and the trans is shifting smooth and accurate. What do you think, is this the beginning of the end for my trans or did I save it? I will be doing a full filter/converter drain this week and I'm thinking about installing an inline filter before the coolers.