Transmission Issue 2002 V8

[lseguy]

With 127k miles. Just started the following symptoms recently.

Around 35-40mph in D5, light acceleration going slightly upwards in on an incline. The driveline gets a "judder/shudder" for lack of a better term. (Almost like when you are driving a manual transmission car and you are in too high of a gear.) Occurred once briefly over the weekend, and again today. As soon as I gave the car a bit of gas or even backed off the gas, it went away. The whole thing lasted maybe 2 seconds tops. No other issues other than this. No recent work on the car, no accidents, nothing leaking. Very odd. ONLY occurs under the conditions specified above. No CEL, no warning lights at all. This is totally different from the symptoms I had a couple years back when the problem was COP's.

Any ideas?

 

[joegr]

I haven't had this symptom on the LS. I have had it [you exact complaint] on a Grand Marquis before. Doing a full fluid exchange solved it on that car.

 

[lseguy]

Thanks. Had the fluid exchange done about 2-3 years ago at 80k miles. May have my diff and trans fluid levels checked soon.

 

[dNyce LS]

Aren't trans flushes supposed to be done every 30k? (Going off that 80k when u had it done). My ls is buckin around the 40-50 range and sometimes on inclines, but that's probably due to the coil that's dyin in my car and/or the pennzoil multi vehicle atf I used last time

 

[joegr]

Aren't trans flushes supposed to be done every 30k? (Going off that 80k when u had it done). My ls is buckin around the 40-50 range and sometimes on inclines, but that's probably due to the coil that's dyin in my car and/or the pennzoil multi vehicle atf I used last time

The service schedule for the LS transmission is every 150K miles.

 

[dNyce LS]

By that time the fluid would be dark as sh** and the trans would shift hard all the time. Jus seems risky waiting that long

 

[joegr]

By that time the fluid would be dark as sh** and the trans would shift hard all the time. Jus seems risky waiting that long

Actually, it shouldn't be. The fluid is synthetic and the transmission is sealed with no combustion or other processes to pollute the fluid. If the transmission is in good condition, it won't add more metal particles to the fluid than the filter can handle and it won't overheat (burn) the fluid. If it is in bad shape, then changing the fluid isn't going to help much anyway.

 

[dNyce LS]

Mmhm. I see. makes sense. Mine was pretty dark at 82000-ish and was shifting kinda harsh

 

[Geldtron]

flushing the tranny...

I've only flushed it once myself...but the records from when i bought the care indicate a flush at least every 30k miles. picked it up at 107k last flush was at 90 did a flush at 122 and it solved that "judder" i had been starting to feel as well in the low gears.

 

[pektel]

I'm heading down to the dealer in a few to pick up another wheel bearing. I'm gonna check out the price difference between just a fluid exchange and a flush/fill.

For some reason I recall reading it's bad to flush the trans, and I should only have the fluid drained and refilled, along with a filter replacement. Does this sound correct?

 

[joegr]

I'm heading down to the dealer in a few to pick up another wheel bearing. I'm gonna check out the price difference between just a fluid exchange and a flush/fill.

For some reason I recall reading it's bad to flush the trans, and I should only have the fluid drained and refilled, along with a filter replacement. Does this sound correct?

A "flush" sometimes implies using some chemical cleaner on it. That would be bad.

A more accurate name for it (at least what the dealers do) is a fluid exchange. That uses a machine to pump new fluid in (and old fluid out) through the transmission cooler lines. The fluid exchange continues until the new fluid starts coming back out. The advantage to this process is that it changes all of the fluid. The disadvantage is that the filter/pickup-screen doesn't get cleaned or changed.

Having the pan dropped and the fluid changed does allow for the filter to be replaced and any gunk in the bottom of the pan to be removed. Unfortunately, it only changes less than 40% of the fluid.

The paranoid have both done - a pan drop and filter change and then a fluid exchange. If you wait till the called for 150K service, then it might be wise to do both.

Note that Ford recommends that it you ever have any internal transmission problem (except for the solenoid assembly) that an external fluid filer be installed on one of the cooler lines.

 

[Lincolnelson]

Note that Ford recommends that it you ever have any internal transmission problem (except for the solenoid assembly) that an external fluid filer be installed on one of the cooler lines.

Anyone ever done this? Writeups? If I find anything searching around i'll post...

 

[stinkinlinkun]

No expert here, but that sounds exactly like what my 2000 was doing when a coil started going bad. I, too, thought at first that I had a trans problem since I didn't get a CEL. Scantool showed one coil bad and a second pending. Just my experience, FWIW.

 

[joegr]

No expert here, but that sounds exactly like what my 2000 was doing when a coil started going bad. I, too, thought at first that I had a trans problem since I didn't get a CEL. Scantool showed one coil bad and a second pending. Just my experience, FWIW.

Good advice. Most LS repairs/diagnostics should start with replacing the plugs and coils.

 

[lsdarkshadow]

Good advice. Most LS repairs/diagnostics should start with replacing the plugs and coils.

True that.

 

[lseguy]

No expert here, but that sounds exactly like what my 2000 was doing when a coil started going bad. I, too, thought at first that I had a trans problem since I didn't get a CEL. Scantool showed one coil bad and a second pending. Just my experience, FWIW.

And you my friend, are the winner.

Funny part is, I had coil issues about 2 years ago at 98k miles, and the symptoms started off much more "harsh" than this recent symptom. Back then, the symptom started off as a very harsh, noticeable, and intermittent misfire. Engine jerking, cruise control cutting off, then car accelerating a bit, etc.

Replaced all of the coils with ones from ebay, had the valve cover gaskets done, and plugs replaced back then at 98k.

Now at 128k, and two days ago, the symptom became obvious that it was coil related again this time as well and not transmission related as I originally thought in my first post of this thread.

Had a consistent misfire at idle and at all speeds (but mostly in 5th gear below 1800rpm) and a CEL came on with a P0305. Had a new spare coil lying around just for an event like this. Swapped out the 5th cylinder coil (no oil was present in the plug well), reset the CEL light, and so far so good.