Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

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Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

December 22, 2013, 05:57:30 pm

So after driving most of the night in the Kansas snowstorm, I pull into a Missouri rest area and leave the FT running in neutral. When I go to leave, the transmission will not shift out of neutral, instead just blinking in both 6 and R. No engagement of the transmission.

I have read every thread on here and many on other sites regarding MD3060 issues so I have gotten any codes. At first I wasn't getting anything, D1-D1. I went under the rig anyway and disconnected and reconnected every transmission connection I could find and sprayed it with electrical contact cleaner. After doing all of this, I got a D1-2214, speed sensor issue, disconnected/reconnected and error hasn't come back. Next I got a D1-6600 retarder issue but after disconnect/reconnect of the connections, it too has gone and not come back. Now I am back to a D1-D1, no diagnostic issues, but the transmission still won't engage.

I have also cleaned/tightened the battery terminals and grounds. No change. The batteries aren't the newest but they don't have any trouble starting the coach. I had been driving for 500+ miles before this happened though the moisture from the snow and rain seems like an issue.

Does anybody have any ideas here?

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #1 – December 22, 2013, 06:10:12 pm

Start the generator. My tyranny acted up because of a bad alternator.

best, paul

Quote

So after driving most of the night in the Kansas snowstorm, I pull into a Missouri rest area and leave the FT running in neutral. When I go to leave, the transmission will not shift out of neutral, instead just blinking in both 6 and R. No engagement of the transmission.

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #2 – December 22, 2013, 06:14:53 pm

What are the RPMs at Idle?

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #3 – December 22, 2013, 06:16:08 pm

What is the idle rpm's? If higher than about 850 (??) the Transmission will not go into drive.

(edit) Sorry Gary...Great minds think alike...LOL

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #4 – December 22, 2013, 06:22:32 pm

Looks just shy of 800. 775 maybe.

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #5 – December 22, 2013, 06:27:52 pm

Sorry, to be more specific, if for some reason , the motor is not returning to full idle, the transmission will not go into gear.

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #6 – December 22, 2013, 06:35:43 pm

What year is your coach? If it is a 2001 or 2002 and has a slide, the transmission will not leave Neutral if it thinks the slide is not in and locked. Not sure about other years.

Then there is a simple twist of a button on the side of one of the HWH computer modules.

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #7 – December 22, 2013, 06:43:37 pm

In case this is the issue, I found the instructions from the HWH 2000 Series Manual:

"NEUTRAL HOLD OVERRIDE SWITCH
If a room is not fully retracted and locked the transmission will not shift out of "NEUTRAL".
If the rooms are fully retracted and locked and the transmission will not shift out of NEUTRAL, using a key or a screwdriver turn the HOLD OVERRIDE selector switch to the position labeled "220" the switch is located on the outside of the Central Control Module. This will allow the transmission to be shifted. The system should be serviced as soon as possible. The HOLD OVERRIDE selector switch should be
left in the "110" position for normal operation."

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #8 – December 22, 2013, 06:45:08 pm

Good thought Brad,,, If there is no travel light,,,, it won't go into gear.

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #9 – December 22, 2013, 07:18:31 pm

Postings with a profile that mentions coach year & model, usually bring back more appropriate responses tailored to the coach. First name also helps.

You mention you disconnected & reconnected cables at transmission. How about cables to computer located near driver's left foot and cables to transmission keypad and retarder?

From a Google search:

"The Allison shift controls have what we call "Shift inhibits", These are circumstances when the transmission ECU prevents the transmission from going into gear to prevent damage. The most common one is the engine RPM is to high and we inhibit range to prevent shock loading the transmission when it goes into gear. So your transmission is working as designed, anything over 900 RPM can cause the inhibit. The way to tell when this is happening is the keypad digit will flash."

For sure too high idle and too low battery voltage will prevent proper transmission operation.

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #10 – December 22, 2013, 07:35:51 pm

I had one of my lock pins lose contact and the tranny would not shift. I had to cycle the slide. Do you have the level light on. If so that is a good first step if you have a slide. You do not tell us your year so there are different ways to override depending on year.

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #11 – December 22, 2013, 08:00:48 pm

Just realized that my info isn't in my sig.

1998 34' C8.3 U270 No slide.

Where exactly is the ECU for the Allison? Travel light is lighted on HWH.

I will try to track down the under dash connections.

Thank you all for your help.

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #12 – December 22, 2013, 08:25:20 pm

I had the same problem. It was caused by too high idle speed. I was able to get the coach home by starting the engine and putting it in gear as soon as the engine started. I posted here and the experts here told me to check idle speed. I checked cruise linkage, etc. I could find nothing wrong so I turned down the idle screw and everything works as it should.

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #13 – December 22, 2013, 08:32:07 pm

Owner of problem coach shows his motorhome to be a 34' 1998 U270. Don't think there is an HWH slide out issue.

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #14 – December 22, 2013, 09:18:04 pm

Quote from: mark f – December 22, 2013, 08:25:20 pm

I had the same problem. It was caused by too high idle speed. I was able to get the coach home by starting the engine and putting it in gear as soon as the engine started. I posted here and the experts here told me to check idle speed. I checked cruise linkage, etc. I could find nothing wrong so I turned down the idle screw and everything works as it should.

I dropped the idle down to 700 but still getting nothing but a blinking 6 on the Allison keypad. Is there any sort of hard reset to do on the Allison ECU or did it immediately allow you to engage the transmission?

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #15 – December 22, 2013, 09:21:36 pm

Quote from: rsihnhold – December 22, 2013, 09:18:04 pm

I dropped the idle down to 700 but still getting nothing but a blinking 6 on the Allison keypad. Is there any sort of hard reset to do on the Allison ECU or did it immediately allow you to engage the transmission?

No expertise at all but pull the negative cable of the engine batteries for a second? Reset?

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #16 – December 22, 2013, 09:35:08 pm

you are lucky as I had many issues of revs refusing to go below 1200 on this trip. I had to physically lift bed and push the control arm on pump back to make it idle. Had that bed up about 50 times on trip.Finally bought some rope and tied it too arm and pulled on it when I wanted it to drop!!! Lack of lubrication and service is what I put it down too finally. It works now 50% of time and is one of my first fixes along with allison retarder not working.
John H

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #17 – December 22, 2013, 09:38:34 pm

Robert
take a hair drier to the shift pad and warm it up a bit if the coach is cold, it may be related to the shift pad being cold.
Good luck,
Rick

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #18 – December 22, 2013, 09:41:27 pm

In the Wanderlodge group, there was a similar problem that was solved by shutting everything off and letting a "Shift inhibitor relay" get time to cool down.

Found this elsewhere:
"When the keypad flashes when you try to go in range "You have an active shift inhibit". What this means is the transmission will not obtain range because it would be unsafe to. There can be many different causes for an inhibit the most common things that will inhibit range in order are as follows. 1) Parking brake switch is applied. 2) Engine RPM to high "Over 925 or so ". 3) Throttle is not closed "Stuck open slightly". 4) And sometimes things on the coach can also be wired into the Allison ECU such as leveling system, slide outs,even fuel tank doors sometimes. If the coach has an mechanical throttle try lifting up on the pedal the next time it wont go in range. "The transmission will not set codes for a range inhibit'"

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #19 – December 23, 2013, 01:47:14 am

Bought two new batteries, didn't make a difference. Tomorrow morning I will give a call to Allison and FT. Thank you all for your help and I will keep you updated.

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #20 – December 23, 2013, 03:43:02 am

I would try RICK's suggestion of heating the control pad. My coach has this problem when the pad gets cold.

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #21 – December 23, 2013, 05:36:53 am

Quote from: Rick – December 22, 2013, 09:38:34 pm

Robert
take a hair drier to the shift pad and warm it up a bit if the coach is cold, it may be related to the shift pad being cold.
Good luck,
Rick

Gave it a try but it didn't do anything. I'm willing to try anything at this point though.

I've been having an erratic issue with the Level System Alarm coming and going after the Kansas snowstorm and I'm starting to wonder if this has anything to do with possibly being a Shift Inhibitor function. I pulled over and checked out all of the airbags and couldn't find any reason why the LSA lit up the first time and it certainly didn't cause the Allison to lock me out at that time and it went away. The LSA alarm would come and go for seemingly no reason as I continued to drive for the next 8 hours or so and didn't stop my traveling but it has lit up recently and doesn't seem to be going away (as mentioned, I can't find any actual issues with the leveling system). It hasn't lit up until this last time that I started the engine to keep the batteries up since the Powertech/Isuzu genet is such a drama queen when it gets cold.

I guess I'll open up the controls for it and try to clean it all up this morning before I call in someone from the Allison repair shop 20 miles away. For all the breakdown possibilities that I had considered before traveling, a transmission that won't shift out of neutral was not on the list.

caflashbob,
I disconnected everything and shut off the master disconnect switch while I was changing out the batteries for 30 minutes or so but the flashing 6 and R were right back when I started up the engine.

Thank you all.

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #22 – December 23, 2013, 08:19:21 am

Robert when I had my problem I did not have to reset anything.By putting the trans in gear as soon as the engine started the engine was at a lower RPM so the trans would shift. It sounds like you have a different problem if you are at 700 RPM. Mark

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #23 – December 23, 2013, 08:48:47 am

When I was having Allison problems I was told to use a hairdryer to warm the ECU. I did this for several days til I could get to an Allison shop and it worked. I then sent the ECU to John ? in Texas and he rebuilt it. I can't recall the company name right now.
Gary B

Re: Allison MD3060 Won't Shift Into Gear- Any Advice Helpful

Reply #24 – December 23, 2013, 08:51:45 am

866 439 9779 John Kopalek

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