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Not every shop works on transmissions, but using a scan tool and regular diagnostic tests can help you find a fault in the electronics that control transmission operation. This is what one technician and SureTrack community member experienced when their customer brought in their 2005 Ford Pickup F350 Super Duty 6.0L. Let’s see how he was able to take this code combo and turn it into a real fix.

Diagnosis

As he first started by connecting a scanner, he was able to quickly find codes P2703 – Transmission Friction Element “D” Apply Time Range/Performance and P2704 – Transmission Friction Element “E” Apply Time Range/Performance. Again using the scanner to monitor live data while he test drove the pickup, he found the transmission shift pressures were erratic. After using a mechanical pressure gauge to confirm the erratic pressures were present, he inspected the transmission wiring harness and connectors but found no faults.

He used a multi-meter to check for a short in the harness’s circuits and for the presence of battery power at the transmission shift solenoid wiring harness connector. Luckily, there were no shorts and battery power was present. Continuing the search, he again used the multi-meter to check the continuity of the automatic transmission shift solenoid assembly and found the automatic transmission pressure control solenoid was intermittently electrically open when the solenoid was tapped on to simulate road shock. This proved that he had at last found the culprit.

Fix

Finding that the solenoid was open and creating this erratic behavior, the technician replaced the automatic transmission pressure control solenoid, cleared the codes and verified this it was indeed fixed. With this real fix, another sound Ford Pickup hits the road.

Real Fixes from Mitchell 1’s SureTrack® expert information resource are documented issues from actual shop repair orders and community discussions. Read the Real Fix in the Mitchell 1 ShopConnection Blog.