I drive an 02 3.0 liter with the automatic engine with just over 100k on the clock. Today at the beginning of a 150 mile drive my o/d off light began flashing. the overdrive was still functional, but the light was just blinking.

From searching i think that this means there is a transmission trouble. I shifted the truck into neutral and restarted it and it went away, and about 125 miles later hasn't come back on. Ill go to autozone and get the codes pulled. so i just read the OBDII or is there some connection for the transmission.

The only thing i have noticed with my truck since i have had it is it is slow shifting from fowards to reverse or reverse to foward. to the point where i will roll a few feet in the parkinglot if not careful. If i give it more gas it just revs up and drops it into gear. any ideas on this?

 

did you check your trans fluid level?

 

This happened in my 1994 Ford Probe. I ended up rebuilding the tranny but the clutch plates inside were jacked up. Apparently that reving and dropping gears strips the clutch playes down and they don't engage all the way. On top of that, the valve body needed to be rebuilt and a shift kit installed. There was a check ball that was getting stuck and leaving 2nd gear open in that car. I'm not sure if this helps you but I guess me point is that if the o/d light is blinking, it can't be good. Get the codes pulled is the first step.

 

Yeah sounds like your tranny is having a hissy fit.. x2^ I'd get the code(s) read, good luck and let us know if you find anything out.

 

yeah. im a little worried about this one. guess ill go get the codes pulled on friday

 

The O/D light started flashing on my truck a few years ago. It was the trans. It got overhauled by Ford under warranty.

 

damn, this isnt sounding good

 

is there a reason why it wouldnt come back on. shouldnt some kind of warning stay on until the problem is fixed. I restarted the engine at freeway speeds and it didnt come back on

 

Lee, have you had the tranny serviced?

 

nope. new to me truck. got it with 98k and up to around 104 now.

I really want to change the fluid and the filter, but i have heard horror stories about this killing a transmission on its last leg. any truth to this.

Ive done my best to replace fluids, filters and such since i have gotten the truck, but havent touched the tranny yet.

i went to autozone earlier today and they have all kinds of transmission saver, additives.. etc. will any of these be of any use? just something like an oil stabilizer couldnt hurt right?

 

Personally,I wouldnt use any additives. My truck is at 180,000 and never has had anything done to the tranny either. I'm thinking just have it checked out. I've been told to get it serviced as well, but those stories scare me too.

 

well i drove around for an hour today to find an autoparts store that was open. Turns out they dont even run diagnostics at that location (sounds like BS to me) but they were super busy so whatever. ill get it checked tommorow.

I checked my fluid level and it is perfect. nice amber colored oil too. not sure if thats good, but atleast its not black. haha

 

Amber? Isn't it supposed to be redish?

 

I'm on an iphone so let's see how this goes. I used a code scanner today and it showed no codes through the obd port. Is there somewhere else to pull transmission codes?

 

Yeah, tranny fluid is redish.

 

m/t ftw

and yes, amber trans fluid isnt good

 

its nothing with codes, i think its just a light letting you know your trans malfuctioned, ive had this happen a couple times, and yes ive replaced my trans more then once(4times) turning the truck off and back on resets it, change the fluid if you still have problems or see metal shavings then you know your trans prolly needs an overhaul

 

the reason changing the atf on a wore out trans is a bad idea is because the new fluid softens all the seals and quite literaly you can end up pumping all the fluid out before you get home. tranny codes are read through the obd II port. and it might have triped the code from warm up to where you were at so the computer couldn't re-test the sensors and what not in the trans because you didn't run though a warm up cycle. i would recomend changing the fluid now if you never have. i made the mistake of not doing mine when i first got it and now it slips all the time shifting. but i would like to know what went wrong. I'm planning on rebuilding my 03 at 200,000 and i'm going to beef it up just cuz i'm a little hard of stuff.

 

yeah i plan on replacing the fluid real soon. it can be done in a parking lot right? i dont want to take it anywhere to run a flush or anything

 

I was told by the guy over at Ford that theres 2 ways of doing it. 1 is just the fluid/filter change, and the other is the complete FLUSHING of the tranny. #1 runs about 80 bucks, #2 is 200 Hmmm.

 

for me it was a failed solenoid

 

Any word on the codes??

Ive had the same thing happen to me lately. I have a 2006 3.0 V6 with just under 17,000. Yes that is 17,000 not 170,000. Usually mine flashes in the morning when I havent even driven a quarter of a mile. Ive been letting it warm up for a minute or two longer than usual but when the light starts flashing my shift points are WAY off. Instead of shifting at around 2,000 RPM it shifts at 3,000 RPM. It sounds like it wants to shift but it hesitates for some reason. I hate to say it but I'm going to have to take it in to the Ford dealer and get the codes pulled.