My name is Amy. we just bought a 1994 Ford F150 that has been sitting in a garage for two years. it has been well taken care of and has 104,000 miles owned by an older gentlemen. everything works great except the transmission. the truck is an automatic and shifts from one gear to another very violently. sometimes it puts itself into neutral just driving down the road for no reason at all. it doesn't always do this and there is no pattern to when it does. we put in Lucas transmission treatment but it didn't help. We had to replace the battery but that didn't help either.

Any suggestions as to what may be causing this.......

thanks !!!!

 

It does happen, but if the vehicle performed fine when it was parked, it may correct itself through use. Is there any way you can determine if the problem was present when the vehicle was put to sleep?

 

If it sat for 2 years, the transmission and torque converter should be drained and the filter replaced. The fluid has probably drained from the internal parts and will need to be completely saturated again. hanky is roght as it might cure itself. I would still invest in a transmission flush and fill with a filter replacement. Costs vary by region, but around here it is somewhere around 200$.

 

I think it's irrelevant if the problem was there before. It's here now. THis is a classic problem, especially with a vehicle that sat for a while.
The pressure regulator valve in the valve body/pump is stuck, resulting in maximum line pressure. The other option is the EPC solenoid is not working, resulting in max. pressure. You could scan for codes, and if you have any for EPC, that's the direction to go in.
It doesn't really matter if it's the 4R70W or E4OD, as the pressure regulation is the same, and so is the result.
The best idea here is to use it, and do try a fluid change. You might try a flush, but on something that's been sitting, it could be dicey. I'd change the fluid and run it. Get it really, reallyy hot as possible. That is all that can really be done, other then an overhaul.
From the sound of it, I'd bet this is just a tempermental E4OD with sticky valves.
Good luck. Let us know what's up.

 

No we don't know if it did this before parked. the man that had it died so no one knows anything about the truck. we have driven it alot over the last week and half and it hasn't cleared up. we are going to take it in to get it coded. someone told us not to change the fluid because it may mess up the bands???

 

THANK YOU all for the replies.........

 

could it be that it's trying to relearn the shifting patterns? or something else maybe? if it were mine I would just drive it till it dropped

 

No, these did have that kind of agressive adaptive strategy. And I agree. Knowing what's going on with this, i"d drive it until it drops; but, as I've always said, sloth was NEVER one of my shortcommings.

 

Its A Really Nice Truck. Been Taken Very Good Care Of. Would Really Like ToGet It Fixed. It Didnt show AnY codes

 

Amyg,
I gather you are contemplating to have all the work done by someone else, is this correct?
If you have someone that is somewhat mechanically inclined, there are a couple of things you might be able to have them check before getting too involved.
There are two or three electrical plugs that connect to the transmission. If someone can remove each one and look for some green corrosion in the plug or on the piece on the transmission . If none is found at least that simple check can be ruled out.
If any is found, all I did was to spray them with some penetrating oil and dry them. That took care of any corrosion problem. It's a fast check and doesn't take a lot of time to do.