Transmission Troubles

cfsoistman · 11-02-2009, 09:30 PM

I'm hoping it's something minor but yesterday as I started to pull away at a red light I heard a clinking type sound under the vehicle. I let off the gas and stopped. I was towing my car and was using the TOW/HAUL setting. As I moved on the transmission had a whining sound every time I pressed the gas pedal. It shifted fine and the engine braking was fine but the whining is definitely there. We had traveled at least 75 miles before this occurrence. I took my time driving the last 30 miles. I checked the fluid, still red and full so there's not any burned fluid or lack of fluid. I called Ford this morning and was given a dealership close to home that could check it out. I have an appointment to drop it off tomorrow so we'll see what they find. I'll post their findings. The vehicle has 9082 miles on it.

NWJeeper · 11-02-2009, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cfsoistman

I'm hoping it's something minor but yesterday as I started to pull away at a red light I heard a clinking type sound under the vehicle. I let off the gas and stopped. I was towing my car and was using the TOW/HAUL setting. As I moved on the transmission had a whining sound every time I pressed the gas pedal. It shifted fine and the engine braking was fine but the whining is definitely there. We had traveled at least 75 miles before this occurrence. I took my time driving the last 30 miles. I checked the fluid, still red and full so there's not any burned fluid or lack of fluid. I called Ford this morning and was given a dealership close to home that could check it out. I have an appointment to drop it off tomorrow so we'll see what they find. I'll post their findings. The vehicle has 9082 miles on it.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, let me know what happens. I haven't heard anything from ours yet with around 9700 miles on ours but this was a concern of mine with the Ford Transmissions. I hope I didn't make the wrong choice in not going with the Workhorse chassis. Ya got me worried now.

cfsoistman · 11-02-2009, 09:42 PM

It was really weird. I was 100% stopped and just pressed the gas pedal, didn't floor it and something just sounded like a rattle. First I thought the car had something under it for a brief second. I noticed the whine after it shifted. If this transmission is history before 10,000 miles I'll be worried how long a replacement will last. The 3 years-36,000 miles on the drive train is not saying much for their belief it will last. My 3 years are up on 11/26/09.
Correction the 3 yrs / 36,000 miles is the bumper to bumper warranty. The drive train warranty is 5 yrs / 60,000 miles.

TulsaSteve · 11-02-2009, 10:36 PM

If you've got a OBD-II reader, you might have some codes on the computer. The interface port on my 370XL is on the right side of the steering column.

cfsoistman · 11-03-2009, 10:43 AM

I took the coach in this morning. Surprise! after telling the service scheduler that it is a 38ft motorhome I get there and they can't handle the length because it would stick out of the building and the door would not allow them to lift it very much. What a waste of time taking my car there the night before so I could go to work from there. I drove it back home and had to get my wife to take me back to get my car. I really can't understand that a company doesn't know what will and what will not fit in their service area before scheduling an appointment.
Thanks so much to Len Stoler Ford in Owings Mills MD for allowing me to not just waste my time but the fuel as well.
I now have an appointment for tomorrow at a dealership close to work that can handle it. I asked twice.

cfsoistman · 11-04-2009, 08:08 AM

Well I dropped it off this morning at Al Packer Ford @ White Marsh. ( Nice shop - about 6 miles from where I work ). They should know something no later than Monday. There are 2 jobs in front of me. Good news though the service writer said they do quite a bit of motorhome work and he only remembers 1 with a transmission issue and it was a seal leaking. I'll post their findings as soon as I hear from them.

dpbbjc · 11-04-2009, 11:24 AM

Everyone here should call 800-444-3311 (Ford Motorhome Support). Tell the Rep you have an F53 chassis motorhome and want to know which dealers in or near your ZIP code are certified for the F53 chassis, the Triton 6.8 engine and the Torqshift 5 speed tranny.

For example. Ford MH Support advises that their dealer here in Trinidad, Colorado is NOT certified for anything on my 07 Georgetown, but gave me the name and location of an independent garage in Raton, NM that is certified for the F53 et al.

.

cfsoistman · 11-06-2009, 08:42 PM

Update: Yesterday on my way home from work I saw a motorhome driving in the opposite direction. Hey! that's my motorhome. The mechanic had it out trying to locate the noise. It really seemed strange looking at it going down the road without me.
Today: I received a call from the repair center. The coach is ready for pick up. Once I got there they explained they checked everything out and test drove it for more than 20 miles and could not find anything wrong. My first thought was it never fails the noise is there until you get it to the repair shop. So I picked it up, connected my car to the rear and started home. My worries lasted about 15 minutes and about 6 miles from the dealership. BOOM it bucked and I heard grinding and had to get to the right turn lane just prior to a red light. It sounded like the drive shaft fell off. Once I got stopped I went out and looked under the coach. Nothing, everything looked normal. I looked back at my car and didn't see any problems back there. I still don't know what broke but they won't have any problem locating it once they get into it. I don't blame them, you can't find a problem if it doesn't present itself. I called the service advisor at Packer Ford and after he apologized he got me in touch with Ford Roadside Assistance in order to get the coach towed back to the shop. Once I called Ford Roadside Assistance everything went smooth as glass. She called me back once the towing company was contacted. Tow truck arrived within 30 minutes. They told me 45-60 minutes. The driver was terrific, another camper so he treated the coach like it was his own. It sounded terrible as he pulled off. First a clunk and another and then it was smooth hauling.
So it's back at the shop and I'll know something next week. I'll keep you posted.

I'm so thankful that no one was hurt, I didn't wreck the coach or hit anything or anyone. One thing I'm glad is IT HAPPENED so now there's a starting point for them to find the problem. Had I made it home the coach would be parked for a couple months and maybe we would be on our way to a vacation destination when it would go up.

TulsaSteve · 11-06-2009, 08:52 PM

AND your still in the warranty period! WIN-WIN! I wonder if this will extend the warranty on the tranny.. Maybe they rebuild and you get an extra 12M/12K miles.

TulsaSteve · 11-06-2009, 08:54 PM

Forgot to ask.. How did you know when the warranty started/ended on the chassis?

cfsoistman · 11-06-2009, 08:55 PM

I'm thinking from the noise that thing made it's replace rather than rebuild. Scared the life out of me. We'll see once they start on it.

cfsoistman · 11-06-2009, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TulsaSteve

Forgot to ask.. How did you know when the warranty started/ended on the chassis?

I took it from the day I picked up the coach and 3 years from that is 11/26/09 too close for comfort. Thankfully It's covered. I did get a surprise when I called Ford and that was the chassis was still shown as owned by Forest River. We got that resolved and the lady said it was a 5 year / 60,000 miles so it's covered. I'm planning to call them Monday and ask for that in writing.

TulsaSteve · 11-06-2009, 09:33 PM

Hmm.. So I wonder if Ford starts counting from the day they sold it to Forest River. I may call Ford and poke around a bit. 5/60 is good.

I bought a 72 month warranty for $4650 with mine, but if I don't use it, I get $3500 back.

cfsoistman · 11-07-2009, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TulsaSteve

Hmm.. So I wonder if Ford starts counting from the day they sold it to Forest River. I may call Ford and poke around a bit. 5/60 is good.

I bought a 72 month warranty for $4650 with mine, but if I don't use it, I get $3500 back.

We purchased the Good Sam ESP Plan. It's a 7 year / 70,000 warranty.

cfsoistman · 11-09-2009, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cfsoistman

I took it from the day I picked up the coach and 3 years from that is 11/26/09 too close for comfort. Thankfully It's covered. I did get a surprise when I called Ford and that was the chassis was still shown as owned by Forest River. We got that resolved and the lady said it was a 5 year / 60,000 miles so it's covered. I'm planning to call them Monday and ask for that in writing.

The 5yrs / 60,000 miles limited warranty is on the power train

. The 3yrs / 36,000 miles is the bumper to bumper warranty.

cfsoistman · 11-09-2009, 02:19 PM

Just received a call from Packer Ford. The problem is in the rear. Two bolts sheered off causing the gearing to shift and started breaking off teeth. They believe one bolt broke first and that caused the whining sound from the vibration. Once the second bolt broke on me Friday evening it was all over for the rear. Ford is over-nighting an entire rear differential assembly. They will replace the rear assembly and then check the transmission again to be sure there is no damage due to the rear breaking. If all goes well it will be done before the end of the week.

NWJeeper · 11-09-2009, 02:42 PM

Wow, glad to hear it wasn't the transmission. Realatively speaking the rear end is much easier to deal with. I did the same thing on my Jeep but it wasn't due to over tightening the bolts it was that I had forgotten to put Locktite on several of them and they worked their way loose. Luckily I didn't break any teath though. Must be the added load of your Toad vehicle put enough strain on the rear end so as to act up where it didn't when the dealer drove it by itself.

Thanks for the update and glad to know it will be taken care of.

cfsoistman · 11-09-2009, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TulsaSteve

Hmm.. So I wonder if Ford starts counting from the day they sold it to Forest River. I may call Ford and poke around a bit. 5/60 is good.

I bought a 72 month warranty for $4650 with mine, but if I don't use it, I get $3500 back.

Warranty starts from the day the unit is put into service. This would be the day you picked up the unit from the dealership.

ronhanson · 11-09-2009, 04:13 PM

Scary stuff but seems like an uncommon problem. Good thing it didn't happen while out on a trip.

TulsaSteve · 11-09-2009, 07:36 PM

Hmm. I'm planning a rear track bar that will bolt directly to the rear differential. I'll be checking the torque on ALL my bolts...

cfsoistman - What the heck are you towing back there? Under 4000lbs right? :-)

I have this vision of your cruising down the highway at 70MPH pulling a small bulldozer...

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