Tranny Issues
 

Hey, I have a 2006 F150 4x4 5.4 liter, 40K miles, hex code TEJF4E5. I added an edge programmer at the beginning of March. Immediately I was super impressed with the power and shifting. I sent it off to be upgraded to a gryphon in March with custom tunes. I run a 89 performance tune and I have been pretty happy with the power, not much different than the canned tune, but I have never been really happy with the shifting. It seems to have the same symptoms Lars talked about earlier where the torque converter would lock up either too early or too late and I would get some strange shifting when passing. I did pm Bill about it on 7/10 and I never heard back but I know they are super busy.

Anyway, today things have gone down hill fast. I had not driven the truck much lately, we took it to the lake saturday and I thought it was acting up a little. Then today it was very strange, when I slow down for a corner it won't shift down correctly, as I go around the corner and attempt to accelerate it feels like a manual transmission in a high gear, if I get on the gas it will finally kick down hard and then continue shifting hard. When I have the cruise on and am pulling a hill the cruise will be set at 66 and it will slow down to as much as 62 and as I crest the hill it will overshoot to 72, all while never shifting, I have never had that before.

So, when I got home I switched it back to stock and went for a quick spin, the shifting at highway speed was back to normal, no 3-4 shift problems and the torque converter seemed normal, but I still had the downshifting problem where it feels like a manual in a higher gear after slowing for a corner. Any ideas what the problem is? thanks

First
How's the fluid look?
How's the fluid smell?
When is the last time the tranny fluid and filter have been changed?
I will let Bill know this problem exists with your truck.

Lars

Hey, the fluid looks and smells fine, I compared it to my wifes car to be sure and as far as I could tell they looked and smelled the same. The level was high but the truck was not completely cool. With only 40K I doubt the fluid or filter have been changed, I have not done it but I bought it with 33K. Thanks for the help Lars, my truck was almost identical to yours when I bought it in February, just a little different now! later

Ugh - I don't even have an opinion, which is strange for me.

I can't believe the original owner beat the transmission up ant it took 7K for you to see it.The fact that at least some of the symptoms go away at stock seem to point in part to the Gryphon.

Hope Bill comes on with an answer and that it's a simple fix!

- Jack

Between 10K-20K I did some car transporting but since the auto slump I haven't done any real pulling for the last 7K. But at 20K my tranny had a complete flush, drain and new fluid and filter done to it. If I am pulling a lot every 20k I do that and I do see some improvements in shifting. But with the problem I have everything goes away when put back to stock. Bill has advised me not to reflash. Your symptoms will have to be addressed by Bill I think. Yes my hex is a TEJ one but yours looks like a newer version, mine looks more 1st gen for the 06 year.

Lars

Btw what gears and what size tires?

Ah, the famous TEJ hex code again, I completely overlooked that in the original post! :doh: Since the components in the transmissions don't change (at least not much), in a model year, I wonder why there is a need for all the various "strategies"? It simply doesn't make any sense to me. :shrug:

- Jack

I suspect all the different calibrations are related to all the possible engine/transmission/driveline choices: 2WD/4WD, 4.6/5.4, Flex Fuel/non-Flex, 49-state/50-state. So with just those options, the matrix is 4^2, or 16 possible combinations just in one model year. Only my guess....

Hey, it has 3.73 gears and 33" tires. I plan to take another short drive tonight to see if it is still the same, would it make any sense to unhook the battery to reset the computer? Also, I reviewed the recommended interval for trans fluid change and there is a huge difference between severe duty, every 30K, versus regular duty which is 150K. That seems like quite a difference. Thanks

Dang, Sburn! You're trying to put me out of mathematician business here, aren't you? :sadface:

I wonder though, how much difference flex/non-flex fuel is, and, 49/50 state differences seem like they should be minimal too.

However, I suspect you're dead right on this! :thumbs up yellow:

- Jack

The difference is enormous, isn't it? Modern automatics seem to last forever if they're not mistreated, but heavy workouts do not seem to be kind to them.

You COULD try unhooking the battery, but that process deals more with fuel trims than TC behavior I think. And, your truck DOES continue to "learn" as conditions change. It just happens fairly slowly.

- Jack