Tranny issues

[DezlWezl]

Recently, my tranny started shifting softer and softer. I have a sonnax/tricumulator and a chip that ups the line pressures, so my shifts should be very firm. Beyond that, it has started not shifting from 1-2 and 2-3. Yesterday I took it out to see if anything was different, and it started shifting like it should, firm and properly timed. I drove it for a while, on surface roads and interstate. Everything seemed ok. This pointed me to a sticking valve or some trash plugging the sonnax valve or something. Is that a reasonable theory? However, I shut it down and drove it again a little while later, and it was back to not shifting. Only code thrown was for improper gear ratio-standard when it is out of the range for that gear according to a ford tech. If it were a trashed tranny, wouldn't it slip and do these things permanently, not go back to normal? It was mentioned that it might be a weak shift solenoid-where is this, and is it hard and/or expensive to fix? The ford tech is gonna get into the ban and valve body when he finishes a couple of other "side" customers. Please help me diagnose this problem, so I can get back on the road.

 

[95_stroker]

Dezl,

Fill out a sig line so we know what you are driving and what if any mods have been done to the vehicle. Do you have a trans temp guage? If so have the temps been running normal? When was the last time you did a fluid/filter change on the trans? I think for peace of mind I would pull the chip and see if the problem of not shifting still exists. If it goes away you may have located you problem, if it stays then I would tend to agree with your first diagnosis of sticking valves. Especially if it has been an extended period between fluid changes or if the fluid has been hot.

 

[DezlWezl]

Ok, I've updated my sig(copied from TDS). See what you think.

 

[Dieselmeister]

Dezl, I don't know if your truck falls into the year of bad trannies but Ford did some messing around with the trannies during the 00-01 year.. And it wasn't for the better.

My BIL just replaced his because it was doing just about what yours is doing. It seemed slow shifting from 2-3.. He didn't have a shift kit so it wasn't as noticable. It got to the point though with a load that it felt like it was never going to make the shift. Finally it just went out totally. It was fine up until it hit 2nd. then it would just rev away. if going down hill and you could get it to coast fast enough it would shift into 3rd and all was OK...

We talked to a Ford Master mechanic who helps us out from time to time with race stuff and he told us that Ford really screwed the pooch on those trannies in that period... they were horrible and would go out very quickly ... They went back to the older setup like in the 99's and all was better...

By the way my BIL only has 40-45k miles on his... A new Suncoast complete setup is now in it...Hopefully yours is just a valve. But if its only with 2nd gear I would be getting it in .... And they do know that there is a problem with those sets of trannies... they probably have a set of numbers which tell them what the bad ones are.

 

[DezlWezl]

Dezl, I don't know if your truck falls into the year of bad trannies but Ford did some messing around with the trannies during the 00-01 year.. And it wasn't for the better.

My BIL just replaced his because it was doing just about what yours is doing. It seemed slow shifting from 2-3.. He didn't have a shift kit so it wasn't as noticable. It got to the point though with a load that it felt like it was never going to make the shift. Finally it just went out totally. It was fine up until it hit 2nd. then it would just rev away. if going down hill and you could get it to coast fast enough it would shift into 3rd and all was OK...

We talked to a Ford Master mechanic who helps us out from time to time with race stuff and he told us that Ford really screwed the pooch on those trannies in that period... they were horrible and would go out very quickly ... They went back to the older setup like in the 99's and all was better...

By the way my BIL only has 40-45k miles on his... A new Suncoast complete setup is now in it...Hopefully yours is just a valve. But if its only with 2nd gear I would be getting it in .... And they do know that there is a problem with those sets of trannies... they probably have a set of numbers which tell them what the bad ones are.

Mine is not within the build dates(born in january of 2000) for the mechanical diode problem Ford had with the late '00 and '01 trannies. I'm taking it to a very good shop on Friday for evaluation. He wants to see if the ECM is telling the tranny to shift and it won't, or if the ECM is not even sending a signal. That was his first thoughts. I guess I'll find out something more concrete then. I hope it's not something major. Any other ideas? I researched the mech. diode issue, and am satisfied that I'm out of that range, but it sure is a similar set of symptoms. What else could be going wrong. The tranny temps have never gotten above 180* as I have egt, boost and tranny temp gauges. If it were internal to the tranny, why would it have shifted properly the other day? That is what leads me to something external. Don't most internal problems keep causing trouble-not an in/out problem?

 

[Dieselmeister]

Dezl,

The problem I am talking about has to do with them using junk clutch packs and parts and such, not the diode. The clutches start to go and just keep getting worse. I would think you could see the debris in your fluid but I am not sure...

Like I said before, with my BIL's truck it was really only apparent in 2nd gear... and when it finally went, when you hit 2nd gear it would jump up in rpms and just rev away, like you stuck it in nuetral. I hope yours is not the same problem unless its under warrantly. Then you could get yourself a new tranny.

 

[DmaxEter]

Recently, my tranny started shifting softer and softer. I have a sonnax/tricumulator and a chip that ups the line pressures, so my shifts should be very firm. Beyond that, it has started not shifting from 1-2 and 2-3. Yesterday I took it out to see if anything was different, and it started shifting like it should, firm and properly timed. I drove it for a while, on surface roads and interstate. Everything seemed ok. This pointed me to a sticking valve or some trash plugging the sonnax valve or something. Is that a reasonable theory? However, I shut it down and drove it again a little while later, and it was back to not shifting. Only code thrown was for improper gear ratio-standard when it is out of the range for that gear according to a ford tech. If it were a trashed tranny, wouldn't it slip and do these things permanently, not go back to normal? It was mentioned that it might be a weak shift solenoid-where is this, and is it hard and/or expensive to fix? The ford tech is gonna get into the ban and valve body when he finishes a couple of other "side" customers. Please help me diagnose this problem, so I can get back on the road.

Dezlwezl, did you get it rebuilt at that shop you told me about since your last post here? I guess I am going to call him up and see about dropping mine off. When did you get it built and how is it doing?

 

[dMerre89]

My 2002 is doing the exact same thing. I drive it in the morning, and its fine. get it hot, and there it goes, slips away and doesnt go into 3rd. I dunno what it is

 

[Sleeper Diesel]

I installed a sonnax shift kit in my truck at around 180,000 on my stock tranny. it shifted great for about 7,000 miles then i started having problems with the 2-3 shift. i just stop driving as hard but then the rear transmission seal cracked by the transfer case and was leaking fluid bad. it still shifted alright but it leaked bad. i eventually installed a used tranny with about 55,000 miles on it. its alot better, im leary on installing the sonnax kit. i here some things about burning out the line pressure relay in the transmission sometimes

 

[Tcat]

I know about transmissions I am on my third one. I don't have a shift kit installed but mine would just quit! It would start and when I put it in gear it would stall the engine