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

Functionally, I suspect there’s little to no change between those two flavors. Maybe labeling is done that way to satisfy some regulatory requirement or to be able to prove something to the EPA (flex) or CARB (50-state).

I know as a Kalifornia resident, I can't go out-of-state to buy a new car and bring it back here unless it's 50-state certified on the VECI label. I imagine a 49-state label could easily come unglued :cheesy smile: and somehow a 50-state label might get put in its place, leaving the PCM calibration as the only true way to tell the 49/50-state status.

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/brochures...cts/ffvr29.htm


Back in the 70's-80's California cars did have some actual hardware differences that were unique to our Golden State. NOx (nitrogen oxides) valves in the distributor vacuum lines, I think it was. Maybe cats and EVAP stuff too before the rest of the country got them. I don't think there's been any actual hardware differences between CA and the other 49 states in a while now. But that's all fixing to change again when CA goes to their own CO2 standard.

Tonight I ran to the golf course and watched it closely. Had the same symptoms as soon as I took off, it would shift way too early, I was in third gear at like 30 mph and as I slowed down again it would not shift back down until I slowed to a stop and then it would finally shift down and I would feel it shudder as I came to a stop. So, now I am really concerned this deal is not going to clear up and I am going to have to fix my truck just out of warranty, just my luck. Not to mention if it was one year newer I would still be under the powertrain warranty. Anyone have anymore ideas? thanks

If it works fine when you return to stock, Return it to stock and try and contact Bill.

SBurn - I followed the link you posted. What a joke. Seems like California is a State that "eats its young", doesn't it? (And I was born there.) :crazy: Looks like, according to the laws your wonderful legislature has passed, virtually anyone except a current California resident can purchase and register a non-California car in your State.

And I thought the Arizona legislature was bad! :shrug: (Well, actually, I think they're worse!)

- Jack

Ohh, I could go on and on...

Just on things specific to cars: The apparatchiks at CARB have now made it a law that every auto repair facility is now required to check the air pressure on customer's cars.

Now, I'm all for checking tire pressures. The mark of a good repair shop used to be that they would do that and a fluids check without being asked just as a part of normal customer service. But, making is a State law is going way to far. Making it a State law under the guise of reducing greenhouse gases is really just too much.

http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/nr032609b.htm


Then there was CARB's idea earlier this year to require automotive paint and windows to reflect a specific amount of solar radiation. Less heat in the interior means less use of air conditioning, and as the theory goes, less fuel used means less greenhouse gases. So, using current paint technology, black or dark colored cars would have been verboten.

http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/cool-paints...ation31209.pdf

CARB put that scheme on the back burner after word got out on many automotive blogs and websites.



So for you guys in the other 49 states, remember that much of the silliness that starts in California ends up going Federal. And remember that some of the most powerful representatives in Congress are from California.

Could possibly be more than that by the time you take into effect all model aspects.
Like 6^4
Lol's

Lars

Oh great! Now Lars is getting "combinatorial"! :disbelief: I might as well quit right now! :sigh:

And to SBurn - do you get charged for "service" if they put air in your tires (I bet)? It's one way to help a business in this economy, I suppose. That bit about the paint is just over the top, isn't it?

- Jack

I haven't heard of anybody getting charged for getting air in their tires, at least as a separate line item on a repair order. But I don't know any auto shops in the charity business, so I'm sure the shop owner covers his expenses for this State rule somewhere in the general shop rate.

We also have pay separate "disposal fees" on the used oil they drain out and on the old tires they take off. And, we pay an extra few cents per quart on the new oil and a buck or two per new tire for fund those schemes.

OK, if anybody wants to get pedantic and has a copy of Excel, every blinkin' Ford car and LD truck calibration for the last ten years is shown in the Excel file at the bottom of this page:


http://www.motorcraftservice.com/vdi...id=calibration


So, count away, gents...:rofl:

Finally someone comes forward with some hex tables.
Asked PH a month or two ago but.........?
Thank you!!!!!
Oh crap they are in excel.
I will find some way to view them.

Lars

Got to find some way to charge for the electricity used to capture air and pressurize it!

In SD we even have the service disposal fees on tires and oil changes.
Then if you get into big tires there are DOT taxes assessed.
Thank goodness we don't have emission testing yet but on motorcycles they do perform random noise emission checks.

Lars

Sorry, they are listed by calibration or "tear tag", not hex code. Somebody must have a way to cross reference the tag code to a hex file name, but I've never seen it.

Check your PM in a while. I'll cull out the F150/2006/5.4 into a PDF for your infomation.

Thank you again!

Lars:2thumbs:

Sorry to the op!
We have taken over this thread! J/K!

Lars

Who's the moderation of this section? Isn't it Jack? He got me started on this tangent, I think. :hehe:

We both are.
But he is a super moderator.

Lars

Yep, and I'm as happy as anyone to see a thread hijacked! :hehe: It's the way my mind "randomly" functions. If I was picked to keep a thread on subject, the pick was a total failure. :o

- Jack

Wow, all these replies and and only one related to my problem! In response to that one reply, this started while in my 89 performance tune but some of the problems continue to occur in stock tune. I guess this might have to go to the stealer who will take all my hard earned money. I hate having to do that! Is Bill around at all? Was hoping to see him chime in. later

I will try again.

Lars

I think Bill WILL come in here, but if it's doing bad things in stock, I don't like it. I see that it's not that old a truck and that you have 40K on it. Seems much to soon for tranny troubles, doesn't it? I don't suppose it's still under some kind of warranty?

- Jack

Kind of in the same boat I am, Jack.
If anything goes, its out of my back pocket.
Mine was up in feb. Ext warranty is about $2600 and going up every quarter. Pretty cheap if you look at the cost of a tranny or a motor in these beasts.

dnkrm first bring your truck to a good tranny shop, for a free evaluation. See what they have to say. Usually this is cheaper than a dealership. But if they say its gone see what ford can do about possibly covering it. Don't stick to one dealer either. Get a bunch of info.

Lars

Not knowing that much about transmissions I do have a few questions. In my case I have never had any kind of slipping or any time that it has popped out of gear, it simply shifts at wierd times, does that indicate more of an electrical/computer type issue or is that possibly related to valve body or other problems? I did unhook the battery the other night so I hope to take it out this evening and see if anything has changed. Later

I know we all don't like going to the dealers but maybe its time you did. Just ask questions don't commit to anything. I know in the past there have been tsb's for surging issues and maybe that's the case. But I haven't heard of one for erratic shifting.

Lars

Is it acting anything like this?

http://dygytalworld.ehost-services13...read.php?t=705

Lars

I don't recall having a surge issue but I have experienced a shudder or two in the past, not conistent at all. Still, I am afraid I am headed down the same path as mercedestech. I just wish this would have shown up a few thousand miles ago. I see all these used tranny's on car-part for cheap, if I end up having to do replace it would that be a viable option? Obviously a rebuilt would have a warranty, but I don't suppose the warranty covers the labor to replace it if it goes again? thanks

Well, I got lucky. I took it to the ford dealer where a friend from f150online works and they found a tsb that pretty much nailed what my truck was doing. They replaced a check ball in the valve body and while in there put in a new filter and fluid. Shifting is back to normal but after all the research I've done I am not sure if I should put the tuner back on. It seems like these tuners are associated in a lot of tranny failures! Anyone think this is valid?? I know I will for sure not use my 89 performance tune until Bill has a chance to look at it and see if there is anything unusual. The ford tech said it was possible the tune attributed to the problem but who knows. I am just glad it was $300 and not $3000. Still I don't want a $400 paperweight. Any thoughts?

Bill addresses this exact question today at F150online. I'm suspecting that Jack or one of the other mods will make this a sticky here, or Bill can report it here.



http://www.f150online.com/forums/chi...-bill-php.html

Great find!
 

Ok Sburn! You got your wish!

I will make it a sticky.

Lars

I don't think you have a $400 paper weight. It was something that was misfortunate just like a lot of other things that happen on these trucks or other makes and models.
Now if it were something electronically controlled and when you had a tune loaded and it started acting funny but when it was put back to stock it cleared up. That would lead me to believe it was the tunes.
That's why we ask a lot of ?'s when trying to find a solution or answer.
I also think you are quite fortunate to have found the problem when you did.

Lars