What does blinking O/D OFF light mean????

I was traveling on the beach today and got a little stuck. It was no problem, I just put it into four wheel drive and drove out. When i got done and put it back into two wheel drive, the O/D OFF light on the dash started blinking and it hasn't stopped since. The overdrive button works fine because i tested it on the highway back home, but the light won't stop blinking. I even stopped and re-started the car over again to see if it would go off, it didn't. If someone has had this problem, please let me know what it is and how it can be fixed. Thanks.

Rob, the only time my OD light blinked off and on was when the torque converter went out on me, but then my OD didn't work either. Have you tried to reset the computer?

what year is your explorer. Is it a '95. Do what Ray said, reset the computer by disconnecting the battery for a minute or so. The light should stop blinking. If that helps and your explorer is indeed a '95 let me know. Also is the tansmission shifting hard when the light is flashing.

I had the same problem with the OD lights blinking and took it to two different transmission shops; neither pulled any codes and said that the fluid looked good.

So I read on the board to reset the computer codes and it has never occured again!

So what is the correct procedure

Are you supposed to disconnect both battery terminals? Or just negative or positive? I need to know cuz mine did it tonight out of the blue. It could be my worrisome imagination, but the shifting seemed a little hard. I want to the store tonight, which involves a hilly area to travel, I turned off the OD and it just started flashing. Turning it off and on again didn't help. Hoping that I can just reset the computer...

Here's what happened with my O/D light.

How's it going? This is what happened with my O/D light problem. I took it in and they reset the computer. The light went off and it didn't shift hard anymore. The explaination i got was the computer was starting to go bad and that it was sending the tranny bad signals about where and how it needed to shift. Like I said, after we reset the computer, it went away, but I went ahead and replaced the computer to make sure that it didn't come back. In other words, I didn't want it to be just a temporary fix. It should work for you though, and you may never see that light come on again. It's you call. I hope this helps you out a little. Good Luck.

Rob

Thanks...

I drove it this morning (praying I wasn't hurting anything) to the car pool lot. The only thing I noticed was that when it down shifts (when coming to a stop) first gear clunks and gives you that feeling like it shifted down too soon. You know, like in a clutch when you downshift just a millisecond too soon and it revs down?? I don't know...I wonder if it hurts it to drive it like that for another day? I can't get my truck to the shop till tomorrow... and how the heck do you know whether you are actually in OD or not? It will it just not come out of OD when the light is blinking? Arrrggh! I was just praising my truck for never having problems too...serves me right. lol

That's what happened to me.

Basically what you described was exactly word for word what mine did and sounded like. It was a really harsh shifting when you slowed down and it dropped back into first. My overdrive still worked, even after the light started blinking. I tested it on the highway by watching the rpm levels as i pushed the button-if the rpm's shot up at 60 mph, it was out of O/D. It worked, but it still shifted badly. Hope my experience has helped you some.

Rob

Thanks...that makes me feel better

At least I know I have 1/2 a chance of a reset working. Thanks for the speedy replies!

Just wanted to bump this up and say...

THANKS! The reset worked, not only to fix my blinking light but it also fixed my clunk in first AND the slight miss my engine was having TOOO COOOL! Thanks all! (I just luv this site!)

That's Great!!!!!!

I'm really glad that all of it worked out for you. Hope you don't have any problems in the future. Good Luck.

Rob

Well....

I can't give you the technical description, but I can tell you that the D with the solid background or the @ around it is over-drive. It allows you to go at higher speeds and lower RPMs. I am SURE one of these very educated guys could explain it in technical terms!

What overdrive is.

What overdrive basically is is your fifth gear in your transmission. When you hit around 50 mph or so, it shifts into a fifth gear that allows you to travel faster without as much rpm, thus saving you gas mileage. When you turn the overdrive off, you are telling your computer to not allow you to shift into fifth gear. This is usually used in towing boats and such over hilly terrain because it keeps the engine from shifting so much back and forth between fourth and fifth gear. Hope this helps some.

Rob

Re: whhattt

Originally posted by JGSTEWART8
what is over drive?

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Any gear ratio that provides a lower ratio than 1:1. Prior to overdrive transmissions, the top gear ratio was 1:1 (1 to 1). In other words for every revolution of the engine, you driveshaft will make 1 revolution. First gear ratios are usually in the 3.7:1 range. For every 3.7 revolutions of your engine, your driveshaft will turn 1 time. Basically higher RPM, slower speed. An overdrive ratio is usuall around .75:1. For every .75 engine revolutions your driveshaft will turn one time. It means that a lower engine RPM will result in a higher speed. These ratios are independant of your axle ratio which can vary from a 3.08:1 to a 4.10;1 (when stock). Using a 4.10:1 as an example, it means that for every revolution of the driveshaft, your rear axle will turn 4.10 times. Everything gets multiplied together to come up with a final drive ratio.

THAT BLINKING LIGHT

THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT FLASHES TOO WHEN THE TRANS BECOMES OVERHEATED. ANY COMPUTER RELATED PROBLEMS CHECK ENGINE, LIGHTS BLINKING ECT. CAN IF THE SYSTEM APPEARS TO BE FUNCTIONING NORMALLY CAN BE RESET BY PULLING OFF THE POS (+) TERMINAL OFF FOR ONE(1) min. THE NEGATIVE IS ONLY GROUND REFERENCE AND HAS NO EFFECT ON THE PUTER. IN MOST CASES POS SHOULD BE THE FIRST OFF AND LAST ON ( IN MY ELECTRICAL EXPERIENCE )

Robert,
Regarding the rear gears - isn't it the other way around - a 4.10 rear means that for every revolution of your wheels, your driveshaft makes 4.10 revolutions?

-Matt
(confused)

Originally posted by mbryda
Robert,
Regarding the rear gears - isn't it the other way around - a 4.10 rear means that for every revolution of your wheels, your driveshaft makes 4.10 revolutions?

-Matt
(confused)

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Oops! I reversed them. Yes for every revolution of your wheels, your driveshaft makes 4.10 revolutions. With everything else being equal, the 4.10 axle would have a higher engine RPM for the same speed as an axle with a 3.73 ratio.

Originally posted by Robert
Oops! I reversed them. Yes for every revolution of your wheels, your driveshaft makes 4.10 revolutions. With everything else being equal, the 4.10 axle would have a higher engine RPM for the same speed as an axle with a 3.73 ratio. [/B]

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Whew! That's what I had always been told and it'sglad to see I'm not loosing my mind (yet).

-Matt

OD light flashing

My OD light started flashing too recently. It shifts hard also when the light is on. I disconnected the ground on the battery, and I cleaned fuse #27. The light still came back on flashing. I ran a diagnostic from a non-Ford shop and no codes came up. Ford says there is no recall on anything tranmission related, it's upsetting to think I might have torque converter problems at 44K miles when the warranty expired at 36K. I will be taking it in next week and will keep you posted.

Originally posted by Rob Slade
I was traveling on the beach today and got a little stuck. It was no problem, I just put it into four wheel drive and drove out. When i got done and put it back into two wheel drive, the O/D OFF light on the dash started blinking and it hasn't stopped since. The overdrive button works fine because i tested it on the highway back home, but the light won't stop blinking. I even stopped and re-started the car over again to see if it would go off, it didn't. If someone has had this problem, please let me know what it is and how it can be fixed. Thanks.

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Did you disconnect BOTH terminals?

That's what I did and it was fixed. I am not sure about it, but I think you should disconnect the positive or both? Good luck...hopefully you don't have the worse of the two scenarios!