# Ford overdrive light blinking



## riper

97 ford f250 5.4 auto. The over drive off light on the shifting handle started
blinking on in off.I shut the truck off and it shift gears hard.I shut the truck off then restarted it and it came out off it. the manual said to call my ford dealer that this could hurt the transmission. Has any had this problem and
what was the cause?


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## SCSIndust

It means there is something really wrong. When there is a failure in the trans (bad sensor, etc.) the light will blink and it will go into pretective mode, where the line pressures will go all the way up, and you'll get hard shifts. You'll need a code reader to see what the computer is saying. A good trans shop should be able to help you. Don't drive it anymore except to the shop, as the problem could get worse or cause damage to the trans.


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## plowed

Most likely the transmission is toast. This happened in our F-550 a month or so ago. While plowing my driver called and said the light was flashing. Took it to the dealer, they pulled the codes but could not get it to happen again. I pick up the truck and can feel the trans slipping, it also had almost nothing in reverse. Took it to the trans shop and had it rebuilt. My trans guy said the trans was real bad. The truck is an '01 and only has 23k miles. 

Get it looked at asap.


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## Mebes

Sorry for your loss.

I have to agree with SCSIndust, and plowed. It is an indication of trans trouble.
When the OD light flashes this is an indication of a transmission computer seeing a failure, it is just like when the check engine light comes on for the engine computer.

On the flip side it may be just a loose connection or bad sensor, but I doubt it.

My condolences...


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## scuba875

I agree with all the other guys. My 97 f350 crew cab dually PSD had the same problem this summer in Aug. Tranny was toast I put a re-man in from Ford it was $3,500 I think but it came with a 3 year 35,000 mile warranty. This is the second in two years for that truck. I made the mistake of having some guy rebuild it in Tennessee. It broke down the first time when I sent it down to pick up a trailer I bought at an auction. I should have just taken it to Ford in the first place but I tried to save money and it cost me a lot more in the end.


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## Plow Meister

I had the same problem with my 1995. Both the trans was gone ($2,800.00 from BTS) and the torque converter ($900.00 from Sun Coast).


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## ADLAWNCUTTERS

hold on guys (kiss) first check the wire plug going to the tranny a lot of times the salt eats away at the terminals. ford fixed the problem with a rubber boot on later trucks. also check or change out the speed sensor . cheap part. if that doesn't work then bring it to a good tranny shop . good luck


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## plowed

You can try to change to change the vehicle speed sensor on the rear differential. It is cheap, about $25. Most likely you will get a sperate code for the VSS, but it's worth a try. The code for the VSS is P0720 - output speed sensor error.


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## E&B

First of all the sensor on the rear end has nothing to do with the tranny, its for the antilock brakes. Second, if the overdrive light is flashing it is due to a problem with the tranny. It could be something small or big you just don't know until you get it checked out. As far as the hard shifts, once you have a code come up the computer resets to factory settings and you will get harder shifts until the problem is fixed and the computer has time to learn your driving style again. Thats probably not the best way to word it but this stuff is all written in your owners manual.


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## MidAtlantic

I have a '99 PSD that has been doing that for over 3 years. It happens off and on sometimes with a trailer hooked to it and sometimes without. The only difference is that I loose my speedometer at the same time...I can usually just watch the RPMs to determine the speed I am going till I get to the next light. Once I turn the truck off and restart it it clears and it is fine. I would say it happens more often while towing. Funny thing is it has gone more than 60,000 miles since the problem started and has towed some heavy loads on a regular basis. I'm sure if I take it to a transmission guy he will say it needs to be rebuilt or replaced. I have been waiting for it to break down for the last 3 years to squeeze every mile out of that transmission.

Maybe its only a wiring issue. It shifts fine except for OD which you have to engage yourself at high speeds.


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## snoluvr

My light has been flashing for a while..Took it to the dealer..did a trans fluid flush and now it is fine..they said most problems are from old fluid...as soon as I got the new stuff in, it is perfect...40k on it so far.


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## dmlandcare

Dont let everyones horror stories scare you if this happens to you. The Is just like the CEL, it can mean a lose wire, bad sensor or a shot torque convertor, I have the superchips programmer that can read codes. My od light was flashing the last few times i was out plowing, then the other night just drivin normal it came on my speedo wouldnt work and my cel came on, i shut the truck off and ran the test, codes were for the vehicle speed sensor and 4 wheel low switch, i cleaned up the vss and didnt worry much about the 4x4 error, haven had it come on since, and my trans is fine. I know how it is reading about a problem you have and then the first post you read says your screwed. it could be bad but probably somthing minor.


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## Hmebuildr

Mine does this on occasion same truck same year if your is a HD like mine it has a OBDI reader in it and it is difficult to get codes from it even when in the shop. 

With mine it is likely a bad sensor or wire that cuts in and out when it wants to but never all the time. If you shut the truck off it resets if you stop and idle for a short period like at a stop light it resets. 

2 different shops have had the truck and neither can get it to happen when they have it. I also find that it happens more during the summer when it is hot out then now when it is cold and it never happens when I am plowing. This has been going on now for close to 2 years and the truck still runs fine.


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## newlooklandscp

My 01' F450 just started to do it on Saturday Night. I got about 75,000 miles on the truck and it had about 3 tons of salt with a blizzard plow on it. Never done it before. Seems to shift fine but studder in reverse alittle now and then. Havent had time to get in to the dealer but its going now.


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## dmlandcare

If the light flashes and the speedo reads zero or somthing else other than the correct mph its a probably a speed sensor problem, since its on the rear diff with most of us plowing or salting with these trucks, this connection could have all kinds of problems as well as the wires leading to it---sometimes my light flashes and the speedo still works but then it doesnt and after a while it will throw a cel light, then you can get a code from it. i use my superchips programmer with the 0bd2 reader. my abs light has also been on before this started happening and my abs no longer works, but plowing you are always using the abs because of the constant fast stopping on the snow and ice. the speed sensor is for the speedo and abs purposes from what i understand from searching the web, so these problems are related and the speed sensor is the answer. ............. plowing with out the abs is alot better in my opinion, but dont touch the brakes if you are goin 50 on a snow covered highway or you might get a little more sideways then you would like, and if you are lucky it will stay on the road


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## newlooklandscp

woo hoo! got lucky I guess. Just a bad shifting sensor. Dealer said its not a problem. Boy a down tranny would have been a kick in the b*lls for this season.


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## [email protected]

I didn't know Ford put 5.4 in F250 in 97. I thought they were still using the 5.8 351w blocks in the F250hd's..


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## brockh

riper,
i don't know if this was mentioned or not but here goes.... i had that happen on my truck and turned out to be a bad solenoid body. sounds like a inexpensive part right? no it cost me 600 to replace that little turd but it made the problem go away and its been good ever since. We had this happen to 2 of our work trucks and 1 coworker all the same problem. good luck


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## jkiser96

*had the same prob*

I had a 96 that did the same thing & it was the torque converter. My light started flashing with a 20,000 pound load of steel on the trailer so I thought it was done but I nursed it to the dealership & they changed the converter & never had any trouble again until around 250,000 miles & lost 2nd gear. I took it to a local shop & rebuilt tranny & updated converter for $1600 & it was better than ever.


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## jkiser96

[email protected];380392 said:


> I didn't know Ford put 5.4 in F250 in 97. I thought they were still using the 5.8 351w blocks in the F250hd's..


Not in the light duty 250 that was the first year for that style


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## xtremesuperduty

*2000 f450 flashing today !*

I just noticed my 2000 f450 PSD 4x4 OD off light started flashing but only when its in park and or stopped , Having no trouble with a 5000lb load of salt plowing this morning but getting a little scared hearing all of your posts I only just hit 60K the only thing i noticed since the light started blinking yesterday is when idling the rpms fluctuated a little have any ideas ?


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## newlooklandscp

Take it in and have the dealer run a computer test. It will give them the codes to anything that is wrong with it.


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## hydro_37

www.ford-trucks.com

best place for Ford truck questions


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## xtremesuperduty

I just pulled a code of P0705 off mine any one know what that means all it said to me was trans circuit fault ?


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## brockh

this may help.............
http://www.levelten.com/store/F250_codes.htm


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## natureguy

Before you ever throw parts and money down the drain and get ready to rebuild the trans., does the fluid smell burnt??? Most tranny shops will rebuild your tranny whether it needs it or not. Usually just a sensor or bad fluid. In the case of the fords where they won't back up, that is usually a rolled or blown o-ring on the reverse piston.(torqshift) just a little input.


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## carsdawghend

alright guys i got a 99 f250 super duty 7.3 just got tranny rebuilt and new torque conerter. my od light flashes 20-30 seconds after starting and will go in and out sometimes sometimes itll stay on until i hit over drive. in over drive the torqe converter will lock and unlock. im lost ive made sure tranny guy replaced shift pack went thru wires plugs tried speed sensor tried different pcm i cannot figure it out. any help would be appreciated


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## tjctransport

flashing od light means there is a problem with the trans. either electrical, or mechanical. 
if you just had the trans rebuilt, take it beck to whoever did the work. 
otherwise, have the trouble codes read to see what is wrong.


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## snowstacker

To the original poster it is probably the speed sensor in the rear. Take it out and clean the end of it or replace it.


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## cwren2472

snowstacker said:


> To the original poster it is probably the speed sensor in the rear. Take it out and clean the end of it or replace it.


the original poster posted about his 97 in 2005. He may have since fixed it.


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## prezek

cwren2472 said:


> the original poster posted about his 97 in 2005. He may have since fixed it.


Oooor he’s been patiently waiting for some solid advice.


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## snowstacker

cwren2472 said:


> the original poster posted about his 97 in 2005. He may have since fixed it.


I just needed a few more posts to put some plows on the for sale section. It is solid advice though, even 17 years late.


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## Randall Ave

prezek said:


> Oooor he’s been patiently waiting for some solid advice.


Put in a Manuel tranny?


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## BossPlow2010

snowstacker said:


> I just needed a few more posts to put some plows on the for sale section. It is solid advice though, even 17 years late.


I think you should post in the shoot the shot threads, in the off topic section.
Going to lock this one,


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