Transmission/TQ converter vibration or lugging
 

Hey all, I have recently noticed something on my 2006 FX4 with 3.73 gears equipped with a Gryphon.

When running the canned 93 performance tune the truck has developed a lug or major vibration at load when running in 4th gear with the torque converter locked in. This happens around 45-55 mph, and has happened on hills and flat surfaces. I NEVER noticed this before I loaded the 93 performance tune. I ran the 87 tow canned tune for a couple of months and never had this issue. I even went back to the 87 tow tune and could not get the issue to repeat.

I recently received my custom tunes (87 performance and 87 tow) so I should know if the problem repeats itself soon...so far it hasn't.

Here are the details.

1. When in 4th with the converter locked I can slowly apply the gas and accelerate from 45 to 55 and the truck bucks like a wild horse (turning about 1500 RPM). Not much fun.

2. If I get really heavy on the gas during the bucking it will come out of converter lock up (or shift to 3rd) and smooth out. But as soon as the converter locks back in it starts acting up again.

3. If I let off the gas and then get back onto it, the problem will go away until it drops back into lockup.

It will vibrate and buck until I hit 55+ and it will then smooth out. This is not a "lugging sound" but rather a vibration or real lug, similar to running a manual transmission vehicle in too high of a gear at low speeds.

I suspect that this has happened in the past, but for some reason the 93 performance tune made it much more noticeable. Anyone else have any insight? I searched through posts here, and some people have alluded to these types of issues, but I didn't find any posts where someone actually figured it out. I do have the TEJF1P5 hex code.

If the custom tunes take care of it, I'm good. But if I want to keep an eye on it while I still have power train warranty coverage. Every Ford Truck I have ever owned (granted, they were all Rangers) had premature transmission failures, my last Ranger the torque converter blew apart while driving. So...needless to say, when I am a bit sensitive to transmission/torque converter issues.

How many miles on the truck?
Do you have a cold air intake installed?
You have the same hex code as I do but I really never noticed this with the 93 canned tune. My shudder was with cruise control and when the coast button was released and the cruise reingauged then I'd get a shudder with both custom tunes but only a slight shuddering with the canned.
I don't know what more Bill could do with a canned tune?

It does sound like a converter issue but I find it strange that your ONLY seeing it in the canned 93. If you switch back to the canned 93 without touching the custom options besides tire size and gear ratio does it still do it?

At least your not seeing it in the custom tunes from Bill.

I hate to ask an "obvious" question, but since you never say anything about it, I have to: When you are using the 93 Performance tune, you DO have the tank filled with 93 octane gas, right?

If not, the PCM is sensing detonation and is pulling timing to prevent engine damage. And, it "overcompensates", which means you might experience something like hitting the rev limiter.

- Jack

I don't think he's evening using the custom options.

The truck has right around 39,000 miles on it. No cold air intake, just the gotts mod. I do have true duals, magnaflow X pipe, no mufflers. Stock tire size, no other modifications.

No customizations at all when running the 93 canned performance tune. And yes, I *am* running 93 octane (dang stuff was almost impossible to find around here) with the 93 performance tune. I ran the 87 canned tow tune for a couple of months without any issues at all.

I am into my third day with Bills 87 performance tune, and am happy so far. I think it has more power than the 93 performance canned tune, and best of all no other vibration/bucking issues.

What concerned me was how violent the vibration/bucking was when this happened. It almost felt like the U joints had frozen up on the drive shaft...but they are fine as well. At first I could only get it to do this on hills when running in 4th/TQ lock and easing into the gas. Then it started showing up on flat highway runs. After the highway nonsense started, I switch back to stock and I could not get the issue to reappear. I then switched to 87 tow canned a few days later and still couldn't get the issue to repeat. By then my tunes showed up from Bill and I loaded them up.

I guess I will chalk this up to something strange with the canned tunes. I thought I would throw this out there and see if anyone else had ever had these particular symptoms.

This truck does shudder from time to time, but every Ford truck I ever owned did stuff like that. I do think I need to get the tires balanced as I do have some minor vibrations at highway speeds, but this was a much more than minor shudders and tire vibration. Heck...I thought all four wheels had fallen off of it the first time it happened!

That is strange. I dont think anyone else's truck has reacted the same to the canned 93 performance tune.

It IS strange. I've never even tried the 93 octane tune though. Since the engine is really a low-compression engine, it seemed to me like I'd just be wasting money putting the anti-knock juice in it. :shrug:

About the tire balance though, I think that is a "real" issue. (And I know it's not YOUR issue because tire imbalance is very predictable and ALWAYS happens at certain speeds). I've had the tires on my truck balanced four times already in about 20,000 miles. The last time they were unbalanced it was right after they had been rotated, nothing else, no thrown weights or anything like that.

Somewhere, back when I got this truck in 2007, I read quite a number of reports of it being very hard to keep an imbalance vibration out of these trucks. I think there's something a bit flaky in the suspension.

Bill may have some thoughts about the 93 octane tune and your symptoms though if you really wanted to use it. Glad you like your custom 87 octane tunes though. I really don't see the need for more than two tunes actually, one for towing and one when I'm not. AND, if I'm off on a trip with the trailer, I just leave the tow tune on all the time. The last thing I want to have is a programming failure in the middle of nowhere. :)

- Jack

Jack, your right about the high octane not being the greatest. My 87 performance with 87 in the tank beats the 93 canned perf. with 93 in the tank every time. I'm sure Bill could make a custom 93 work even better but I dont need another tune, especially one that will probably cost more for me in the long run. Almost wish I had put my custom in the level 3 position instead of the level 1.

My suspension also gets shaky when I get on a road that is not perfectly smooth. Some are worse than others.

Well, the 93 performance canned tune is long gone. I have a custom 87 performance and a custom 87 tow from Bill. If this is truly a canned tune issue, then the issue is solved. This 87 performance tune is really nice. I never much cared for the canned 93 tune, I actually preferred the canned tow tune. This performance tune from Bill seems to be a blend of both worlds...plenty of guts off the line and will run strong into the upper RPM bands.

I did happen to notice the sticky in the forum about transmission issues, and one guy did have the same basic symptoms and I did. There was mention of a TSB that called for replacing a check ball in the transmission valve body that did the trick, but there wasn't a mention of a TSB number. I do have an extended warranty on the transmission, so if this issues pops up again I might head over to the dealer. It would be helpful to have the actual TSB if possible. I like to be informed *before* I go to the stealership.