Transmission shifting (Solved)

[Lou M]

2007 4X2 Limited



Hello all,

First I want you all to know that I go to this website just about daily reading and admiring some of the work that you have all done. I just do not seem to have many issues with these trucks. And I like that. This is my second Trac. So anyways, thought I would see if anyone has some advice on this problem that I am experiencing.

On the freeway. Maybe 60mph or so. Revs around 1600. I step on the accelerator to pass or go a bit faster. The trans seems to hunt looking for a gear to shift into. The revs go up. But the truck seems to not want to find the right gear. After a few times of hard shifting up and down, it settles and works fine. Over 70mph and everything is fine.

I read in the owners manual that this 6 speed automatic has an adaptive memory that "learns" your driving habits and adapts itself. Also, that this memory is in the transmission and will not reset by disconnecting the battery.

No check engine lights. No other problems

Usually in the city I leave the OD off. Once on the freeways it's on.



Ideas??

Thanks

Lou...

 

[Steve Krusich]

Disconnect the battery for a few minutes which erases the trans memory. Then it can re- learn.



See if that changes anything. It is worth a try

 

[swshawaii]

?

I read in the owners manual that this 6 speed automatic has an adaptive memory that "learns" your driving habits and adapts itself. Also, that this memory is in the transmission and will not reset by disconnecting the battery.

 

[Richard L]

Lou,

It sounds like you have a transmission issue caused by sticking shift solenoids and not a memory or learning problem. The transmission does not have a separate computer, it uses the same ECU that manages both the engine and the transmission. I don't know what you read or misread in the manual, but disconnecting the battery for about 15 minutes will clear the old memory.



When they talk about learning, it just a matter of taking the current reading adding it to the previous reading and deviding by two. Basicly it just keeps averaging the readings and adjusting the setting every few seconds.



You can disconnect the battery for 15 minutes to clear the memory, but I don't think that will resolve your shifting problem.



How many miles do have on your truck, and when was the last time you had the transmission serviced with a flush or fluid change. How does your fluid look and smell. If it lookes clear red, it's good. If it looks darker reddish-brown or worse and it smells burnt, that's bad. Burnt fluid forms a sticky varnish like coating that causes valves and check balls in the valvebody of the transmission to stick or become sluggish. Your transmission shifts by signals from the ECU to the electronic shift solenoids which act upon hydraulic valves in the transmission valvebody to shift gears. If these valves are sticking or act sluggishly, they allow the transmission to slip excessively while shifting...which sounds exactly like what you are experiencing.



If the fluid is dark, dirty, or burnt, get it changed immediately and hope that you have not done any internal damage. If the fluid is clean and not burnt, you probably have a mechanical problem that is causing the erratic shifting... and that can be a lot of things



....Rich

 

[Supercharged SVT]

I hate to not agree but the transmission has its own Computer - I know this from spending time building mine - we had a 100% program of both computers to adjust for the Blower, the E85, and the agressive shift - all separate - If it is the same Computer then I would like my programmer to talk to your programmer to help compensate for the boost

 

[Vic Sorlie]

I recommend a transmission service with AMSOIL Multi-Vehicle ATF. There is also a Ford update to the engine/trans program. I had to pay for a reflash at the dealership after my 07 Gen2 2wd went out of warranty. Those two actions took care of the transmission problems I was having.

 

[Richard L]

SuperCharged SVT,

No problem, you have the right to disagree and I respect you speaking up for your opinion.



Yes, the transmission probably does have a separate computer with various settings that can be programmed, but it does not have a memory for learning or storing driving changes. That's why disconnecting the battery will not reset the transmission computer to start learning again...only the ECU has the learning memory.



Programming the computers with a new set of fixed data parameter tables is very different from they variable changing data that they use monitor and record during engine operation due to the constantly changing temperatures, speeds, engine rpm, gear, load, etc...Those are memory settings that the computer keeps recalculating a new average every few seconds.



The transmission computer monitors a number of gear speed sensors and probably internal temperature, fluid pressure, etc and can make some limited, but important adjustments as well as pass the data on to the ECU.



His best bet is to disconnect the battery for 15 minutes and let the ECU relearn his driving parameters. I don't think that will help his shifting problem, but it's cheap and he might just get lucky?? If that does not work, I suspect that he has some really bad fluid in his tranny, or he has something in the tranny that needs to be fixed...and my guess is that it is in the valvebody and/or solenoids.



...Rich

 

[EddieS'04]

My understanding from the postings on this board. The grn 2 trac went to a seperate TCM.

The Gen 1 trac's TCM was intergrated into the ECU.



Early on we had a couple of members that claimed to reset the TCM, on their 6spd. By disconnecting the, + and - cables. Touching them together. Made a difference in the learning.



I cant qaulify that, as I have a gen 1, 5spd. The posts are in the archieves about the seperate TCM for the 6spd on the V8 gen2 tracs.

 

[Todd Z]

Disconnect the battery for 30 Min..... negative cable only...... Step on the brake pedal a few times and re connect..... It will reset the TCM and PCM......



Try that



Todd Z

 

[Richard L]

Perhaps Todd Z is correct and you must disconnect the battery for 30 minutes (not 15 minutes) to get the Transmission computer to reset? Not sure what stepping on the brake does?



If the TCM has a learning memory, then it would have to have some way to be cleared and reset, but if Lou has been driving the vehicle without any modifications to the engine or transmission, it should have already learned...that's why I think he has a fluid or valvebody problem with his transmission or perhaps a computer failure? Of course, resetting the computers to relearn is always the cheapest attempt to fix the problem, but the best first step is to simply removing the dip stick and checking the level and condition of the fluid :grin:



If you drive around with burnt fluid while the computers are trying to relearn, you might be doing more damage to the transmission. Checking the fluid is always the best first step, it only takes a minute and costs nothing.



...Rich

 

[Carey Frennier]

The TCM is actually located with the valve body. This is why the valve body for the 6R transmissions seem to be so insanely expensive. It can be programmed remotely through the OBDII port. Unless you can bypass the TCM code, only a dealership can adjust your trans. However, there are a few tuners who can do this. Supercharged SVT's tuner can do it and Torrie from Unleashed Tuning can do it. As far as I've found...they are it. I've tried Lethal Performance, BBR, Brenspeed, and a slew of others with no results.



The issue with the adaptive learning system is basically this: the Metronics re-calibration systems that learn and adapt to your driving style unfortunately pick up stray signals from other devices and frequencies through the vehicle. This cause odd up-shifts and down-shifts. The most common is the downshift bump/surge.



I've done the "battery fix" on my 08 and it did work for awhile. Eventually, the issues that caused the flare did their job again and I had another downshift bump.



My 2010 did experiance these issues right when I first got it but only for a couple days and it was good to go.

 

[Vic Sorlie]

Rich - there's no transmission dipstick on Lou's Trac. Checking the fluid level is built in at the drain plug.

 

[H D]

Disconnect the batter for 15 minutes, touch the positive and negative ends together, reconnect the positive, leave the negative off for another 15 mins, step on the brake a few times, talk to a tuner, check the fluid, smell it, taste it, wipe it on your shirt, have a beer...:haveabeer:



Report back here for more...nline:

 

[Lou M]

Hello all,

Been a bit busy. But I have been reading this post.

The Trac has 70k miles on it. I purchased it at 48K. The dealer (J**p Chr****r) indicated that all fluids were changed prior to the purchase. I haven't found any paperwork. So I think I will have that done immediately.

After reading some responses, my immediate thought is that there could possibly be something sticking (soleniod) in the transmission. I now recall that the Trac doesn't do this upon start up. Only after it is warm and has been at freeway speeds for about 20 minutes or more.

True, no dip stick. Another question that I have is will the computer store codes about transmission or engine problems without displaying a "check engine" light?

Thanks for all of your input and the discussion. Very informative. Automatic transmissions always confound me. My other car is a 6 speed manual. Clutch in. Shift. Clutch out. Zoom.

In the event that I do find out what the problem is and have it repaired. I will close this thread with the solution.



Lou...

 

[Richard L]

Hugh,

You forgot the most important step...To swing a dead cat over your head, counter clockwise 3 times during the full moon...That always works for me...:grin:



...Rich

 

[Richard L]

Lou,

No dipstick means a sealed transmission with permanent fluid....That means the J**p Chr****r dealer you bought it from probably did nothing.



My first step would be to get the fluid flushed and see if that helps the situation. I would also switch to Mercon-V synthetic fluid (Not any universal fluid) and do not rely on those so-called permanent fluids they use in the sealed transmissions.



If your fluid got burnt it only gets worse since the burnt fluid causes slipping and the slipping causes heat which further damages the fluid....probably why the shifting/slipping problem only occurs after about 20 minutes of highway driving.



My first step would be to get the fluid flushed...not just the routine fluid change. A flush replaces about 99% of the old while a change only replaces about half the fluid...the fluid trapped in the torque converter never gets changed unless you use a flush machine.



...Rich

 

[Gavin Allan]

Don't forget to pull the pan and change the filter. No doubt the pan will have a layer of crud, and the magnet will be full of filings too.

 

[EddieS'04]

If your fluid got burnt it only gets worse since the burnt fluid causes slipping and the slipping causes heat which further damages the fluid....probably why the shifting/slipping problem only occurs after about 20 minutes of highway driving.

Iwas thinking the same thing........

Even in the days before electronic shifting. Bad fluid would work ok. Until it got hot.

You forgot the most important step...To swing a dead cat over your head, counter clockwise 3 times during the full moon...

Rich, the last time I needed a dead cat. The spca wanted me to adopt it first..:bwahaha:

 

[Richard L]

Eddie,

You need to have your own method of aquiring dead cats, so you don't have to try to adopt them from the SPCA...:bwahaha:



To anyone who might be offended, this is just a joke and I do not advocate harming any animal. I have owned many cats and dogs over the years and would never think of harming them...again this is just having fun with Hugh's post...:grin:



...Rich

 

[EddieS'04]

Same here, Im a cat lover. I have one now. She is my buddy. Where ever Iam, she is too.

Had as many as 4 at one time.



Having fun..........