Theories - 2015 F350 Wont Roll in Drive

Skip12 · 07-25-2018, 09:21 PM

DW hopped in our 2015 F350 on Monday morning, backed up, put it in drive and something made it not roll fwd in D. DW theorized that something was binding rear wheel(s). She tried all kinds of things but never got it rolling forward. Ended up backing into a parking place to get it out of the way.

We had the truck towed to the nearest Ford dealership. Once it got there, it was perfectly fine. I trust that they ran every diagnostic they could think of but they found nothing. They wouldn't offer any theories.

This forum is great for for theories. What do y'all think could have happened?

007matman · 07-25-2018, 09:38 PM

Aliens caused it.. LOL. Sorry, no help here.

Sounds Really odd.. wish I could be more help

tonyz1 · 07-25-2018, 10:28 PM

Man that does sound really odd. Did she pull it on down into other forward gears and try it? Just wondering , can't think of any explanation myself. Hope you figure it out.

bigmurph · 07-25-2018, 10:50 PM

I had a friends car do that one time and the brake caliper had a bolt fall out. When he would back up it would catch the wheel and hold the car still. Go fine forward. We were going to pull the trans for a rebuild and noticed the caliper. I have also seen transmission sprags and carriers cause the same problem but if it is that it will show back up soon.

RMWSierra · 07-26-2018, 12:10 PM

Parking brake?

rcrupper · 07-26-2018, 12:14 PM

I agree with parking brake... you can usually back up but not go forward with it set..

Kaadk · 07-26-2018, 12:28 PM

I'm curious what the "all kinds of things" were that she tried. Like, was putting it back in park and then back in drive one of them? My old truck would do that on occasion. It felt like you hit drive in the response on the column but it would actually still be in neutral. Trying again, by shifting to park and then back to drive, would usually let it engage.

llr · 07-26-2018, 12:40 PM

did the engine race as in neutral? A lot of newer cars will limit the rev to ~3K RPM, nut it will get there quick. Or was the engine working and lugging even though not moving.

lesptr · 07-26-2018, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmwmiata

Parking brake?

That was my guess as well.

kfd82 · 07-26-2018, 02:12 PM

My guess is (if its an automatic) she slipped it into neutral instead of drive.

I'm teaching my son to drive and he has done that several times on our F-250.

Skip12 · 07-26-2018, 05:24 PM

Thanks for all the theories. I'm going with the first response - aliens. ; )

All kinds of things include: turning it off, on again; putting it back in P. Going backwards in R for a bit, tries 4x4; set and unset the parking break several times.

I assume the engine was lugging, trying to get it to move.

I really hope it was pilot error w parking break or gear selector but am doubtful.

She didn't try lower gears.

Thanks again. If it happens again, I'll let y'all know.

W5CI · 07-26-2018, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmwmiata

Parking brake?

X2 I have never used a parking brake on anything that I have ever owned except my Kenworth's

The Lieutenant · 07-26-2018, 06:19 PM

I'm going to put my money on the transfer case. Some sort of electronic issue popped it into neutral.

muddyrode · 08-02-2018, 07:57 AM

this is a Ford right?

Hersbird · 08-02-2018, 09:41 PM

Descriptions are everything. I hate the call saying "the car won't start." Well does it turn over? Does it even click? does it turn over and spudder a bit? If it doesn't even turn over, do the headlights turn on and look bright? Each answer leads down a different path.

So in your case as mentioned, did the motor race like it wasn't even in gear? if not did it strain forward a bit like something was holding? If it raced then the truck was still in park or neutral or stuck between gears or you may have a neutral setting on the 4wd that might have been engaged. If it strained then something like the parking brake was holding it or a broken part internally but that wouldn't have just fixed itself. If it is a 4wd put it in and out of 4wd and 4wd low a few times an make sure that is still working. The parking brake can stick even if it's off, I'm not familiar with exactly how the 2015 Ford works but seeing as how it's supposed to be an emergency brake it should be a manually operated cable of some type, if it's been bent or pinched on a rock it might be hanging up.

dbledan · 08-02-2018, 09:54 PM

I don't have a 250 but have had similar issues if you don't think it's the parking brake.

Do you have 4x4? If you had it on and turned tight it will bind up and be difficult to move. You could turn off the 4x4 but it would not really release until it moved. If she backed it up it would release. Not sure if she tried it forward after that but once it moved it would have disengaged.

Good luck figuring it out.

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