From: Jeff Strickland on

"Jeff Strickland" <crwlrjeff(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:h871p0$qvb$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
> My brother-in-law has a Ford/Mazda Explorer/Navajo.
>
> I got a call today that the O/D light was flashing, and the car was
> shaking and had no power. When I got home from work, the car drove fine,
> except for one instance at a traffic light where it seems the transmission
> was stuck in 3rd, and the car shook and the engine stalled. No O/D light
> flashing.
>
> I know that the flashing O/D light means the transmission control module
> is communicating a malfunction. My question is, is the malfunction stored
> as an OBD II Code that I can read in the same manner as reading codes from
> the Check Engine light?
>
>
>

This is strange, I think.

I just pulled codes, and there aren't any. I was expecting a code in the
P0700 range, but there's nothing at all. The O/D light is not flashing, but
it was, and the Check light is not on and never has been.




From: Ray O on

"Jeff Strickland" <crwlrjeff(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:h8c2u1$d0d$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>
> "Jeff Strickland" <crwlrjeff(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:h871p0$qvb$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>> My brother-in-law has a Ford/Mazda Explorer/Navajo.
>>
>> I got a call today that the O/D light was flashing, and the car was
>> shaking and had no power. When I got home from work, the car drove fine,
>> except for one instance at a traffic light where it seems the
>> transmission was stuck in 3rd, and the car shook and the engine stalled.
>> No O/D light flashing.
>>
>> I know that the flashing O/D light means the transmission control module
>> is communicating a malfunction. My question is, is the malfunction stored
>> as an OBD II Code that I can read in the same manner as reading codes
>> from the Check Engine light?
>>
>>
>>
>
> This is strange, I think.
>
> I just pulled codes, and there aren't any. I was expecting a code in the
> P0700 range, but there's nothing at all. The O/D light is not flashing,
> but it was, and the Check light is not on and never has been.
>
Not all DTC's are stored in memory if the condition is not present. Try
pulling the codes when the car is acting up.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)


From: Jeff Strickland on

"Ray O" <rokigawa(a)NOSPAMtristarassociates.com> wrote in message
news:h8cmnh$cvl$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>
> "Jeff Strickland" <crwlrjeff(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:h8c2u1$d0d$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>>
>> "Jeff Strickland" <crwlrjeff(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:h871p0$qvb$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>>> My brother-in-law has a Ford/Mazda Explorer/Navajo.
>>>
>>> I got a call today that the O/D light was flashing, and the car was
>>> shaking and had no power. When I got home from work, the car drove fine,
>>> except for one instance at a traffic light where it seems the
>>> transmission was stuck in 3rd, and the car shook and the engine stalled.
>>> No O/D light flashing.
>>>
>>> I know that the flashing O/D light means the transmission control module
>>> is communicating a malfunction. My question is, is the malfunction
>>> stored as an OBD II Code that I can read in the same manner as reading
>>> codes from the Check Engine light?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> This is strange, I think.
>>
>> I just pulled codes, and there aren't any. I was expecting a code in the
>> P0700 range, but there's nothing at all. The O/D light is not flashing,
>> but it was, and the Check light is not on and never has been.
>>
> Not all DTC's are stored in memory if the condition is not present. Try
> pulling the codes when the car is acting up.
> --



Yeah, I thunk of that. It's the hard part though -- it's my siter in law's
car, and getting her to do more than put gas in the tank is a daunting task,
having her work the scanner in the midst of a malfunction is not in the
cards.

The problem does not happen with enough regularity to catch it in the act.
It happened to her once, and she was on her way to my house anyway, so she
just parked the car. I drove about 10 miles without any trouble, then at the
stop-light, it acted up once, but never again.

I was thinnking of a transmission problem -- controller module or
something -- because it shook the car and stalled the engine in D, but not
P, R, or N. I was experimenting with the different selections but the light
changed to green and I had to move on. I selected 1, and it was okay, and as
I got up to speed, I selected D again and never had anymore trouble. The O/D
light did not flash for me, but my sister says it flashed for her. The Check
Engine light did not come on for her or for me.

I was expecting a transmission failure over a torque converter because the
TC should have been a problem in R, and 1. My sister said she started in 2,
and it was okay, but not very strong -- which is expected, I think. I'm not
alarmed at any lack of power in a 2nd gear start, but if the shaking stops
in any selection other than D, that would seem to discount the TC in my
mind.





From: Ray O on

"Jeff Strickland" <crwlrjeff(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:h8dp6j$hqi$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>
> "Ray O" <rokigawa(a)NOSPAMtristarassociates.com> wrote in message
> news:h8cmnh$cvl$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>>
>> "Jeff Strickland" <crwlrjeff(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:h8c2u1$d0d$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>>>
>>> "Jeff Strickland" <crwlrjeff(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message
>>> news:h871p0$qvb$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>>>> My brother-in-law has a Ford/Mazda Explorer/Navajo.
>>>>
>>>> I got a call today that the O/D light was flashing, and the car was
>>>> shaking and had no power. When I got home from work, the car drove
>>>> fine, except for one instance at a traffic light where it seems the
>>>> transmission was stuck in 3rd, and the car shook and the engine
>>>> stalled. No O/D light flashing.
>>>>
>>>> I know that the flashing O/D light means the transmission control
>>>> module is communicating a malfunction. My question is, is the
>>>> malfunction stored as an OBD II Code that I can read in the same manner
>>>> as reading codes from the Check Engine light?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> This is strange, I think.
>>>
>>> I just pulled codes, and there aren't any. I was expecting a code in the
>>> P0700 range, but there's nothing at all. The O/D light is not flashing,
>>> but it was, and the Check light is not on and never has been.
>>>
>> Not all DTC's are stored in memory if the condition is not present. Try
>> pulling the codes when the car is acting up.
>> --
>
>
>
> Yeah, I thunk of that. It's the hard part though -- it's my siter in law's
> car, and getting her to do more than put gas in the tank is a daunting
> task, having her work the scanner in the midst of a malfunction is not in
> the cards.
>
> The problem does not happen with enough regularity to catch it in the act.
> It happened to her once, and she was on her way to my house anyway, so she
> just parked the car. I drove about 10 miles without any trouble, then at
> the stop-light, it acted up once, but never again.
>
> I was thinnking of a transmission problem -- controller module or
> something -- because it shook the car and stalled the engine in D, but not
> P, R, or N. I was experimenting with the different selections but the
> light changed to green and I had to move on. I selected 1, and it was
> okay, and as I got up to speed, I selected D again and never had anymore
> trouble. The O/D light did not flash for me, but my sister says it flashed
> for her. The Check Engine light did not come on for her or for me.
>
> I was expecting a transmission failure over a torque converter because the
> TC should have been a problem in R, and 1. My sister said she started in
> 2, and it was okay, but not very strong -- which is expected, I think. I'm
> not alarmed at any lack of power in a 2nd gear start, but if the shaking
> stops in any selection other than D, that would seem to discount the TC in
> my mind.
>
>

My guess is that there is no problem in R or 1 because the TC does not lock
in R or 1 but it does lock in D. The lack of power in 2 is because the TC
was locked and there is no torque multiplication.

check the ATF it is probably black.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)


From: Jeff Strickland on

"Ray O" <rokigawa(a)NOSPAMtristarassociates.com> wrote in message
news:h8dv30$2fv$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>
> "Jeff Strickland" <crwlrjeff(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:h8dp6j$hqi$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>>
>> "Ray O" <rokigawa(a)NOSPAMtristarassociates.com> wrote in message
>> news:h8cmnh$cvl$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>>>
>>> "Jeff Strickland" <crwlrjeff(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message
>>> news:h8c2u1$d0d$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>>>>
>>>> "Jeff Strickland" <crwlrjeff(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message
>>>> news:h871p0$qvb$1(a)news.eternal-september.org...
>>>>> My brother-in-law has a Ford/Mazda Explorer/Navajo.
>>>>>
>>>>> I got a call today that the O/D light was flashing, and the car was
>>>>> shaking and had no power. When I got home from work, the car drove
>>>>> fine, except for one instance at a traffic light where it seems the
>>>>> transmission was stuck in 3rd, and the car shook and the engine
>>>>> stalled. No O/D light flashing.
>>>>>
>>>>> I know that the flashing O/D light means the transmission control
>>>>> module is communicating a malfunction. My question is, is the
>>>>> malfunction stored as an OBD II Code that I can read in the same
>>>>> manner as reading codes from the Check Engine light?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> This is strange, I think.
>>>>
>>>> I just pulled codes, and there aren't any. I was expecting a code in
>>>> the P0700 range, but there's nothing at all. The O/D light is not
>>>> flashing, but it was, and the Check light is not on and never has been.
>>>>
>>> Not all DTC's are stored in memory if the condition is not present. Try
>>> pulling the codes when the car is acting up.
>>> --
>>
>>
>>
>> Yeah, I thunk of that. It's the hard part though -- it's my siter in
>> law's car, and getting her to do more than put gas in the tank is a
>> daunting task, having her work the scanner in the midst of a malfunction
>> is not in the cards.
>>
>> The problem does not happen with enough regularity to catch it in the
>> act. It happened to her once, and she was on her way to my house anyway,
>> so she just parked the car. I drove about 10 miles without any trouble,
>> then at the stop-light, it acted up once, but never again.
>>
>> I was thinnking of a transmission problem -- controller module or
>> something -- because it shook the car and stalled the engine in D, but
>> not P, R, or N. I was experimenting with the different selections but the
>> light changed to green and I had to move on. I selected 1, and it was
>> okay, and as I got up to speed, I selected D again and never had anymore
>> trouble. The O/D light did not flash for me, but my sister says it
>> flashed for her. The Check Engine light did not come on for her or for
>> me.
>>
>> I was expecting a transmission failure over a torque converter because
>> the TC should have been a problem in R, and 1. My sister said she started
>> in 2, and it was okay, but not very strong -- which is expected, I think.
>> I'm not alarmed at any lack of power in a 2nd gear start, but if the
>> shaking stops in any selection other than D, that would seem to discount
>> the TC in my mind.
>>
>>
>
> My guess is that there is no problem in R or 1 because the TC does not
> lock in R or 1 but it does lock in D. The lack of power in 2 is because
> the TC was locked and there is no torque multiplication.
>
> check the ATF it is probably black.
> --

Help me out here ...

The TC is for all practical purposes, a centrifugal clutch, is it not? I get
that it is far more complicated than that, but it's basic function is the
same. Would the TC be locked in D while the car is not moving, but not be
locked in 1 or 2 or R under the same conditions? I thought that the lockup
did not come on until a certain speed condition was reached.

The transmission also has a lock that effectively drops the pump-action of
the fluid and makes a direct drive connection with the engine.

As for the car having no power upon start up in 2, yes, the gear selection
will cause the power curve to be very flat until 20-ish mph is reached.