2004 T1N Won't shift out of 1st Gear

kansascitysprinters

kansascitysprinters

t1n everything
Hi guys, I did some digging on this issue and have some general ideas of where to start looking to solve it, but I figured I'd post a thread to ask for any help. It's much appreciated.

My 2004 wouldn't shift out of first gear halfway home during an errands run today. Battery light came on, and then multiple lights would flash in unison or turn on when accelerating. at 25mph I was around 4k rpm. (which also showed me that I'm burning oil externally at sustained higher rpms, somewhere near the turbo resonator, anyways...) If I come to a stop and shift into park, I'm unable to shift out of park until I cycle the ignition again.

Once restarted, the dash shows only the battery light, and I am able to use the paddle to shift the transmission into various gears. Once I get moving above about 15mph the rest of the lights come on and the transmission doesn't respond to paddle shifting, only shows D.

pic of dash
https://photos.app.goo.gl/kReBFWKil8jIIsUf1

I pulled the tcm to look for fluid seepage and didn't see much, but there was a little so I blasted it with contact cleaner. Reseated all the bulbs in the tail lights too.

Any help is much appreciated, thanks all.
 
MillionMileSprinter

MillionMileSprinter

Millionmilesprinter.com
That's limp mode, for sure. Technically it's second gear you are stuck in, but who's keeping track?
Glad you cleaned out the TCM under the driver's seat, but you have to go back to where that fluid wicks from: the connector plug on the passenger side of the transmission.
Also check your speed sensors and tone rings at each wheel.
 
SneakyAnarchistVanCamper

SneakyAnarchistVanCamper

Reading till my eyesbleed
There should be zero fluid at your TCM. This means failure of the 13 pin connector is well underway. Change the 13 pin connector and clear the transmission codes. You will not get the van out of limp mode without clearing the codes.
 
P

Patrick of M

2005 T1N 2500 (NA spec)
If there is fluid at the TCM it is probably that but other items are of note...
If your battery light is the first on, that is not TCM in my experience, so the first fix. Low/incorrect voltage will mess everything up. On restart you state your battery light goes on so: check voltage, engine off, engine on. Should be 12v ish off/ 13.5-14.5v ish on. Can’t run a modern rig on low voltage. You will probably need a scanner to go further than that.
 
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kansascitysprinters

kansascitysprinters

t1n everything
SneakyAnarchistVanCamper said:
There should be zero fluid at your TCM. This means failure of the 13 pin connector is well underway. Change the 13 pin connector and clear the transmission codes. You will not get the van out of limp mode without clearing the codes.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Both connectors to it had just a faint oil substance on the edges of them I was able to smear off.. Perhaps that wasn't fluid? Can't think what else it would be though. I'll get a new 13 pin connector and get it swapped out. thx.
 
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kansascitysprinters

kansascitysprinters

t1n everything
Patrick of M said:
If there is fluid at the TCM it is probably that but other items are of note...
If your battery light is the first on, that is not TCM in my experience, so the first fix. Low/incorrect voltage will mess everything up. On restart you state your battery light goes on so: check voltage, engine off, engine on. Should be 12v ish off/ 13.5-14.5v ish on. Can’t run a modern rig on low voltage. You will probably need a scanner to go further than that.
Click to expand...
Good call, I'll do that in the morning. :thumbup:

edit: went and did it tonight. 12.4v cold. 14.4 running. At least my alternator is working well.
 
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P

Patrick of M

2005 T1N 2500 (NA spec)
oneofmanysons27 said:
Good call, I'll do that in the morning. :thumbup:

edit: went and did it tonight. 12.4v cold. 14.4 running. At least my alternator is working well.
Click to expand...
Good power, So why is your battery light on? The starting point for many problems is bad grounds.
Basic 101 is to check, wire brush and secure grounds, motor to chassis etc, and to check the fuse box under the steering wheel. Apparently this fails, often. Your symptoms are so generalized I would be looking at bad fuse box, or severely compromised wiring harness.
I can’t reaal See how a oil soaked TCM could turn on the battery light, but I guess if it dumping amps through a oil soaked lead that is possible.
 
kansascitysprinters

kansascitysprinters

t1n everything
Patrick of M said:
Good power, So why is your battery light on? The starting point for many problems is bad grounds.
Basic 101 is to check, wire brush and secure grounds, motor to chassis etc, and to check the fuse box under the steering wheel. Apparently this fails, often. Your symptoms are so generalized I would be looking at bad fuse box, or severely compromised wiring harness.
I can’t reaal See how a oil soaked TCM could turn on the battery light, but I guess if it dumping amps through a oil soaked lead that is possible.
Click to expand...
You know what weird is three days before this happened there was an electronic burning smell in the van that I couldn't pin point. It didn't come from under the seat as I sniffed around and it smelled normal under there. I'm gonna check the fuse box.
 
kansascitysprinters

kansascitysprinters

t1n everything
Update:

Fixed it. So the smoke that I mentioned earlier, was my alternator burning up. Code reader came back as overvoltage and the van went into hard limp home mode, and a good thing too because nothing else was fried. Pretty cool, I let another forum member have my spare alternator on an immediate need on the agreement he would send me another one in the mail. He followed through and a week later my alternator went to crap. Pretty nice to have a spare to swap in immediately!
 
SneakyAnarchistVanCamper

SneakyAnarchistVanCamper

Reading till my eyesbleed
Good to hear. Now I would change your 13 pin connector before it leaks any further. Even if it was just moisture or wd40 in the connector, better safe than sorry for $15.
 
white whale

white whale

Active member
SneakyAnarchistVanCamper said:
There should be zero fluid at your TCM. This means failure of the 13 pin connector is well underway. Change the 13 pin connector and clear the transmission codes. You will not get the van out of limp mode without clearing the codes.
Click to expand...
Poking around for answers on 06 , Sneek you've posted a few times on the connector pin, is there a picture someone can post to confirm this unit/location. Not clear whether this is at the seat or at the AT pan.

Found. Can you change this without taking the pan off?
 
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MillionMileSprinter

MillionMileSprinter

Millionmilesprinter.com
white whale said:
Poking around for answers on 06 , Sneek you've posted a few times on the connector pin, is there a picture someone can post to confirm this unit/location. Not clear whether this is at the seat or at the AT pan.

Found. Can you change this without taking the pan off?
Click to expand...
Yes.
This is easiest to do while changing the fluid and with the pan removed, but it's not necessary. What IS necessary, however, is to park the van with the front end of the van much higher than the rear. If you are parked flat, lots of the trans fluid will drain out of the plug hole once you remove the plug.
Push the little arm on the off-white collar up from about 6 oclock to 11 oclock and the electrical plug should pop out. Remove it all the way and use an electrical parts cleaner to clean any fluid off of it (if it has fluid on it, the seals are leaking)
Then use a deep 7mm socket to unscrew the bolt (that you can't see without a mirror) that holds the connector piece in the transmission. Once that bolt is spinning freely, use a flathead screwdriver to carefully pry the connector piece out of the transmission.
Installation is the opposite of removal, but you must use the back end of the screwdriver to tap the connector piece back into the transmission so it's seated ALL THE WAY.
DO NOT use the screw to pull the connector back into the transmission. It can strip out the threads it uses to keep it together and tight and then you have to replace the conductor plate.
 
SprinterSnale

SprinterSnale

'05 T1N 3500 - NorCalSprinterCampout
white whale said:
Found. Can you change this without taking the pan off?
Click to expand...
I pulled this connector without draining the transmission fluid while parked with the cab slightly uphill. Cleaned the connector, which had a few drops of trans fluid inside, and solved my shifty issues related to speed sensor 3.
 
white whale

white whale

Active member
Thought I'd at least do check under the seat, and yes it was not dry on one side. Didn't fix my problem but I got a little TCM education. Cleaned + dried with Qtip.
 

Attachments

white whale

white whale

Active member
MillionMileSprinter said:
Yes.
This is easiest to do while changing the fluid and with the pan removed, but it's not necessary. What IS necessary, however, is to park the van with the front end of the van much higher than the rear. If you are parked flat, lots of the trans fluid will drain out of the plug hole once you remove the plug.
Push the little arm on the off-white collar up from about 6 oclock to 11 oclock and the electrical plug should pop out. Remove it all the way and use an electrical parts cleaner to clean any fluid off of it (if it has fluid on it, the seals are leaking)
Then use a deep 7mm socket to unscrew the bolt (that you can't see without a mirror) that holds the connector piece in the transmission. Once that bolt is spinning freely, use a flathead screwdriver to carefully pry the connector piece out of the transmission.
Installation is the opposite of removal, but you must use the back end of the screwdriver to tap the connector piece back into the transmission so it's seated ALL THE WAY.
DO NOT use the screw to pull the connector back into the transmission. It can strip out the threads it uses to keep it together and tight and then you have to replace the conductor plate.
Click to expand...
Thanks Mil and Snale. A great spot for all matter of road junk to collect - wow. Could not quite
figure out the direction to turn, for those following after me looking up from the passenger side it is locked at the say the 7 position and unlock at 4. Guess depends on how you are facing on the ground. Took me a bit to see you are pushing the threads on the connector up and down to lock/unlock with the white ring. But it is a tough one to get loose. Was on a decent incline, it was wet, had a few drops come out. Confirm then, this should be bone dry inside? And while I was trying to remove, the unit is sort of loose , it could be wiggled - should it be rock solid , no movement? So with a dry connection again, best case would be the code could be cleared and stay cleared but i should plan on the connector to be replaced and while down there do the other work mentioned in the pan - name escapes now. Being limp sucks.
If back my sprinter will get pampered so no more limp .
 
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