Snow and wont shift out of Drive - Diesel Forum

timurray · 02-08-2010, 06:28 PM

First it wouldn't shift into Reverse.
Now it won't shift out of Drive.
There as also some knocking in what sounded like the left front then the right front, alternating.

If turn it off, it won't start back up because it's stuck in Drive.

HELP!

2008 F-250 PSD, Automatic

jeffy0023 · 02-08-2010, 08:06 PM

You say snow! Crawl under it and check for packed snow around the trans. not sure how the linkage is set up but just an idea.

senix · 02-08-2010, 08:24 PM

yeah sounds to me like you got a bunch of snow in your linkage.

timurray · 02-09-2010, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by senix

yeah sounds to me like you got a bunch of snow in your linkage.

You both are right. I sprayed water for about 15 minutes and it came out of Drive and would go 3-2-1 but not into Neutral. So, I put it in the garage, closed the garage door, cranked up the heaters and melted for about 2 hours. Then it went into reverse.

Is this for real? Running in the snow can jam up the transmission linkage? How do people drive these trucks up north? We rarely get much snow here.

I realized it was stuck when I pulled into Home Depot, behind a chevy, and couldn't put it in park, nor could I back up. I had to sit and wait for the Chevy owner to come out and leave so I could pull forward. Then I had to leave my truck in Drive with the key in the ignition.

senix · 02-09-2010, 08:29 AM

this is the first case I had ever heard of it. I have driven in deep snow with never an issue. Some things just happen. Bet it will never happen again.

mont91 · 02-09-2010, 01:45 PM

Road spray and below freezing air temp formed ice on end of or in cable. Any wear spots on cable cover? Does the shifter have a boot at the tranny?

MPD56 · 02-09-2010, 01:59 PM

If it was caused by snow (Ice). This is the first time I’ve seen it posted on this forum, but I’ve seen it lots in person. It really depends on the temperatures and not so much the white snow but muddy water puddles and dirty slush. Where I work, we have a fleet of vehicles and this is a common problem when the vehicles are driven stop and go in dirty spring like road conditions. We even provide power washers to make sure that the linkages are clean because some employees don’t know their own strength and end up bending or breaking the linkages which has lead to costly repairs and downtime to the equipment. Dirty ice is as hard as rock. Also I’ve seen this blamed on snow, when in fact is was an object like for example a broken tree branch floating in a puddle after an Ice storm can be thrown up by the tire and be lodged in the linkage. It’s like a rock in a snow ball! You don’t know there is a rock in there till it hits you.

Where I live (Up north), it is a common practice (my self included) to go to a self serve spray wash and wash the road salt and sand off, as well as the frozen dirt from under the truck. It is good preventive maintenance. And damages caused to broken linkages and shifting knobs by this, “is not” covered by warranty and is well know around here. (And like I tell my kids, if it's the second snow ball thrown at you from the same person with a rock in it, stand still for the third one Duh,Eh,LOL).