Ford Econoline Transmission and oil light/gauge

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

I am a flea marketeer, and I drive a standard Flea Market vehicle: a crapped out Ford E250, MY2000.

Last week I was driving beteween markets in PA and I lost over drive. After nursing the truck home over several days and markets, I took it to AAMCO who informed me I needed a transmission. I paid $1700 for this rusty heap and I have been in need of a larger truck anyway, and promptly went out and found a GMC T6500 with a 14’ box on the back and placed a deposit on it.

Due to various factors, I couldn’t drive the truck home until Thursday this week, and I have a market that due to various factors that would only make sense to someone looking for a permanent spot in a decent flea market, I couldn’t miss on wednesday- today.

So with some trepidation I set out from home (around Asbury Park) for the Penn Amish motel in Denver PA, 125 miles away. It got me there just fine. However, this morning, I set out from the Penn Amish to the Leesport Farmers market. Short trip, total of about 22 miles.

About six miles into the trip the truck started behaving strange and red light looking like something to do with oil temperature came on, and the oil gauge started bouncing from zero to fine. I pulled over, checked the oil, and found the level fine. Anxious to get to the market, I continued to the market with things not changing much. There is a slight grinding noise coming rhythmically, as well.

I haven’t changed the oil in some time- I think I’m about 3000 miles overdue, but its hard to judge as the odometer under reports.

My intention since last night was and is to drive to the Best Western in Shilington, sleep over, nurse it home, get the new truck, get the title for this one from the drawer and drive it to the scrap yard without passing go.

Because of the noises and gauages, I am worried it won’t last the trip. Help.

2

I’m not sure how anyone can help. You’re already on the trip. You cross your fingers & go, and hopefully you have something like AAA roadside assistance.

You could bring it into a shop and ask someone to actually check the oil pressure & oil pressure sensor. (The gauge is about pressure not level - so the oil can be at the correct level, but not at the correct pressure). But I doubt that will change your story. If its actually an oil pressure issue then it doesn’t sound like you plan to fix it.

If all you want to do is limp it home, you might stop at an auto parts store & dump in one of those mechanic in a bottle additives such as Restore. But without knowing what the issue is that could do more harm than good. (E.g. it might help a little if your oil rings are gone, but might hurt if its an oil pump issue, such as a clogging pickup).

So I’ll just go back to my first point.

3

What color is the truck? Do you wear boxers of briefs? What’s your favorite C&W group? Does your mother in law snore?

It is, for the most part, quite beneficial for those who occasionally visit this site to find that posts are, for the most part somewhat brief and to the point with great effort made to obviate the reading of unnecessary, trivial, inconsequential, and confusing information. With that in mind the problems can be more easily and quickly addressed. Of course, greenman overlooked the compass coordinates that he was traveling at each of the occasions that problems arose. And, likewise, he failed to make known the weather conditions at the time and where he ate lunch that day, what he ate and whether he enjoyed it. But, all in all, I am confident that a great deal of insight will be made available to greenman here…