I have a 2001 f150 5.4 4x4 and I was driving normal the other day and all the sudden when it was supposed to shift into third it seemed to be in neutral. I drove it home in second but it won't shift into third or overdrive. I have no codes whatsoever and am wondering what the problem could be? There isn't and wasn't any hard shifts or anything leading up to it. The OD light doesn't flash like I've read in other posts but the OD button also doesn't work so I don't know if that would affect anything.

 

Yes, that does affect everything. If the button/light don't work, the light isn't going to flash. You most likely have codes stored that would help diagnose what's wrong. The places that read codes free CANNOT read these codes. You'll need to pay either an independent shop or a Ford dealer to read the codes.

 

Thanks for the reply, I used a snap on solus edge scanner and nothing came up. What more will a mechanic or dealer do that would come up? The snap on is worth more than the truck and has diagnostics and everything and there wasn't anything. But I do know the overdrive button never worked from the start when I bought the truck before this happened.

 

I recommend taking it to Ford to have them use their system to diagnose the issues with the transmission.

I like Snap-On and everything, but even their high pro-consumer scanners cannot properly communicate with the ECU to get the transmission codes.

Ford has the appropriate devices to get the data out of your truck to determine the situation.

 

I think that Snap-On is capable of reading Ford transmission codes. That's definitely a lot more than consumer-grade, it's a $3500 tool. It claims to be able to read all OEM-specific codes on all vehicles.

 

How does the fluid look and smell?

D

 

The fluid is still red, don't know the last time it's been changed. Smells fine I would say, definitely not burnt.

 

If the fluid isn't burnt then the direct clutch probably isn't burned up. It could be a problem in the valve body, but more likely there is a mechanical failure preventing power to transfer to or through the direct clutch. Most often in these cases I have seen a broken stub shaft.

D

 

The truck drives fine if I put it in second so it doesn't shift into third (neutral). Wouldnt a broken stub shaft prevent it from driving at all? Sorry don't know a whole lot about transmissions.
I've read some stuff but about 2-3 shift problems but seems most are accompanied with codes. Would a 2-3 accumulator piston cause this problem and also no codes?

 

The stub shaft connects the input shaft to the direct clutch drum. If that shaft breaks you will still have 1st, 2nd and reverse as the input shaft will still drive those components, but you lose the mechanical connection from the input shaft to the direct drum. The direct clutch is used for 3rd and overdrive. So, when that shaft breaks, you lose 3rd and overdrive. It will neutral on a call for those gears.

D