Guys, my son has a 2000 Ford F150 with a 4.6l V8, it's a 4WD automatic, and it's now having problems. The truck runs fine up through 2nd gear, but won't shift into 3rd or overdrive. It had been having some problems with requiring him to accelerate higher than normal before it would shift; now it won't shift into 3rd at all. Now, if you accelerate high enough, it just shifts into neutral until the truck slows enough and the engine RPMs drop enough... then it will shift back into 2nd.

Any thoughts as to what might be wrong? Fluid is up to the full mark and reportedly clean.

 

Randy, I hope someone chimes in with some info for you because you just described my same exact problem only my truck is a 1997 4x4 w/ 4.6 and auto trans.
Im also wondering if there is some simple fix rather than yanking the trans?
Because 1st and second and reverse work great and when I went to trailer it home it spun all four tires getting up on the slippery trailer in the snow.
With overdrive on or off it will not go past 45 mph before it shifts into nothing and the fluid was a little low but clean and not burnt.

I have been looking for a tranny tho!

 

95 views and no thoughts as to what's wrong??

 

Tranny is shot plain and simple. 3rd and od are gone. Time to rebuild it

 

I have talked with a transmission mechanic here in Nashville where I live. I own a 97 F150 4X4 extended cab with the same problem. It will not shift past 2nd gear, the overdrive light on the shifter will flash from time to time. I was driving it on the interstate and I was passing some cars when the RPM zoomed upward, when my problems began. They are telling me that there is a electronic selenoid on the tranny which also has to do with the shifting of the transmission. I am hoping that when i go get it checked that its the selenoid and not having to take out the tranny with a expense bill for it to be rebuilt.

I had a transmission go out on me in a car i had. When it let go it sounded like somebody underneath the car had hit it with a sledgehammer. Of course the car went no where after that. I did not hear that when I had the tranny problems with my truck. For me on my truck it will not shift past 40 mph and the rpm's zoom up.

 

I recently was having issues and was thinking it was the transmission. Was taking more for it to shift into gear, would downshift more often, and felt like i had no power and i was thinking transmission was slipping. Fix was as simple as finding a vacuum leak. Found a vacuum hose that was worn out and the tubing didnt have a tight fit. Replaced 3" of hose and bam truck is running as it was. I was amazed that a small vacuum leak could cause that much havec. So simple check, check for vacuum leaks and hope you will luck out as I did.