Opinion on flashing OD light

[Aaron Laake 2]

Hey guys,



Just got back from dinner. When we were getting on the interstate onramp, the OD light started flashing. I knew that wasn't good, so I pulled over right away, and shut the engine off. We let it sit a few minutes, and then started it back up. It drove home just fine. The light stayed off and everything seemed to shift OK.



It is an 01 job2, 4x2 with 110,000 miles. Never had any major problems. Had the tranny flushed at 35k, 75k, and 99k miles.



Can I have some sort of diagnostic check done to see if something has gone wrong?



My other idea is that at the time it was 5 degrees out and blowing snow. Can the bad weather ever screw with the computer?



Let me know your thoughts,



The Hawk

 

[Scott C]

Not that this is what is wrong but when my OD light began to flash I had to replace my tranny.



I hope it's not the case with your ST.

 

[Todd Z]

The tranny probably sensed a flair in between gears or something with the converter...

I would just get the computer scanned and find the code first, then weigh your options...

Todd Z

 

[Brandon Hughes]

 

[Brandon Hughes]

I had a mazda 626 and had the OD light flash. First took it to my mechanic. He unplugged my battery and charged me $20 (was no longer my mechanic after that).



Next, took it to a dealer and their answer was "can't tell you exactly what is wrong with it, this year transmissions had problems, however, we can put you in a brand new one today!"



Finally, took it to a trans specialty shop and their answer after $200 was "you spilled coke in your console, we cleaned it up". To replace the trans was going to be more than the worth of the vehicle, so I had to 'put it down'

 

[Richard L]

Have someone check for any possible error codes. It may have just been a minor glitch, but it could be that the valvebody solenoids are sticking causing the transmission to slip when shifting (usually between 2nd and 3rd gear) .



The transmission has sensors that monitor the speed of various gear sets to dedermine if one gear has fully disengaged before attempting to engage the next gear. If the solenoid sticks, it delays the shifting out of gear and the transmission will not shift to the next gear until the previous gear has released. This partial release causes excessive clutch and band wear and excessive heat.



If you have not had your transmission fluid changed/flushed within the last 20k-30k miles, you may want to check it an make sure it does not smell burnt. If it is burnt just a little bit, I would still recommend getting a tranny flush.



...Rich

 

[David Griffith 2]

I had the same problem on my 01' at about 80,000 miles. Everytime the light came on, then when the truck was restarted it was gone. I took it in to the shop and they told me it was a tranny problem: however, it could not be checked out unless the light was flashing whenn i took it in. I drove it about another week and it started it again. I took it back, they coded it. It was 2nd and 4th gear not working properly....$1800.00 later the problem seems to have disapeared.