2008 six speed

[jimz]

Can a 2008 Expedition six speed transmission need rebuild and not have any codes?

 

[JExpedition07]

What’s it doing

 

[jimz]

ruff shifting when cold and only under hard acceleration. Warms up and drives great. Had codes checked and motor or trans have no codes. Light pedal and shifts OK. Hard acceleration is jerky and engine RPM will not increase. It is like motor is being held down and shifting is ruff and jerky.

 

[jimz]

Only other problem has been the radio. CD player ran until it killed battery, with no CD in it.

Spooky.


Forgot to say mileage is only 57,500

 

[JExpedition07]

As far as the odd shifting when cold, I’d live with it and not worry too much. Just drive it easy until it warms up. Has the transmission fluid and filter ever been changed? As far as engine feeling like it’s held down doesn’t sound like a transmission issue....if the RPMs won’t increase something is wrong with engine operation. Sometimes when a misfire is present it won’t throw a code, could be other things.... drive by wire malfunction? I’m sure others will chime in who can offer more.

 

[jimz]

Thanks, but I tow a travel trailer and need car to run as it should. Dangerous on highway if it fails in front of traffic.

If, when the shifting acts up, I hold the accelerator down it will make motor misfire, eventually. No warning lights, no codes makes it seem electrical to me, but I am not a mechanic. Are there tests for the onboard computers that are different from other mechanical code readers?


Thanks for your reply.

 

[gixer2000]

Thanks, but I tow a travel trailer and need car to run as it should. Dangerous on highway if it fails in front of traffic.

If, when the shifting acts up, I hold the accelerator down it will make motor misfire, eventually. No warning lights, no codes makes it seem electrical to me, but I am not a mechanic. Are there tests for the onboard computers that are different from other mechanical code readers?


Thanks for your reply.

Are you sure its not misfiring to begin with causing your whole issue? Misfires are a pretty common thing in these motors and often get confused with transmission issues.

 

[bobmbx]

Misfires are a pretty common thing in these motors and often get confused with transmission issues.

Yep. Thats where I'd start looking. Plugs and coils first, then check fuel pressure/flow at WOT to make sure you're getting enough fuel.

 

[jimz]

Are you sure its not misfiring to begin with causing your whole issue? Misfires are a pretty common thing in these motors and often get confused with transmission issues.

Yes, I'm sure no misfire to begin with. And, wouldn't misfiring plugs give a computer code number? There are no computer problem codes.

 

[jimz]

Yep. Thats where I'd start looking. Plugs and coils first, then check fuel pressure/flow at WOT to make sure you're getting enough fuel.

The fuel pump should give error code also, shouldn't it? No code for fuel problem.

 

[jimz]

Under gentle acceleration first gear is smooth. Once transmission shifts to second gear transmission is smooth, until I press accelerator to force transmission to downshift. That starts the loss of acceleration and motor acceleration is reduced. At that position there is no, what seems like, motor misfiring. If I press accelerator to speed up, then motor misfires as if a fuel or timing problem. Spits and sputters.

Still seems I should get some error code for either motor or transmission but none given. That is why I thought of the onboard computer and tests for errors there.

 

[JExpedition07]

If a coil is going you won’t always get a code. I thought my trans was having issues because it was easily dropping out of overdrive and felt like TC going in and out. Engine light didn’t come on and shop found a bad coil. Problem was fixed. I had another transmission scare later that was a wheel hub/ bearing assembly.... The ABS sensor was faulting and the engine management (traction control) was kicking in messing with the power and trans. It was a mystery until the ABS and traction control lights came on and locked out the system. After I replaced the item the issue disappeared.


My point in all this is.....lots of things can seem like a trans issue that aren’t.

 

[jimz]

Thanks for the explanation for this old man. I appreciate it. I guess my next step is to leave car at dealership so mechanic can have it for a cold start in the morning. Maybe then he will see I'm not completely crazy. It is these "flakey" problems that are a pain.

Thanks again. Jim

 

[jimz]

Now if I can find that loose light socket that keep my right turn signal to fast blink.

 

[bobmbx]

Under gentle acceleration first gear is smooth. Once transmission shifts to second gear transmission is smooth, until I press accelerator to force transmission to downshift. That starts the loss of acceleration and motor acceleration is reduced. At that position there is no, what seems like, motor misfiring. If I press accelerator to speed up, then motor misfires as if a fuel or timing problem. Spits and sputters.

Still seems I should get some error code for either motor or transmission but none given. That is why I thought of the onboard computer and tests for errors there.

Some faults won't throw a code unless the fault occurs a set number of times, and some of those are relatively high numbers. And IIRC, the fault has to occur consecutively, so its not cumulative. For example, to throw a misfire code, a misfire has to be detected 10 times in a row (IDK if thats the right number). Otherwise, we'd never get out of the driveway due to all the codes that would be set at start up.

 

[jimz]

That is why I need to leave this vehicle with the dealer/mechanic. Let them "see" what I have. All this back and forth and word of mouth probably will take a lifetime I don't have.

Thanks.

 

[Trainmaster]

I'll chime in with the rest of these guys. It sounds like you have an ignition issue and not a transmission one. These transmissions are pretty robust and a miss will behave as you describe.

 

[1955moose]

Jim you only went through 16 posts back and forth. Most hang around 50-60 before they do anything. Let us know what Ford finds out.

Sent from my N9131 using Tapatalk

 

[Adieu]

ruff shifting when cold and only under hard acceleration. Warms up and drives great. Had codes checked and motor or trans have no codes. Light pedal and shifts OK. Hard acceleration is jerky and engine RPM will not increase. It is like motor is being held down and shifting is ruff and jerky.

Problem with injector, coils, plugs, gunked filter maybe or dirty throttle body... or thermostat and/or cooling system, if temps read high

Bad tranny would let the RPMs spin up without shifting, here you got a case of the ECU countermanding your orders to spin up to higher RPMs for some reason = probably just time for the standard "tuneup"

I'd change plugs and air filter, clean or replace coil packs too if they look like ****, then backflush coolant and replace thermostat

Maybe measure impedances on coils and injectors if that doesnt help

 

[jimz]

OK, Update:

Car had set after Dealership played with it. First time out with the cold transmission it did more "missing". No need to go back to dealer since they said they checked everything and so not wasting time there. The research and development charges can kill me.

After thinking about it more I was thinking about Ethanol and how the car sets so much. I do try to keep at least 3/4 tank and I use StaBil most of the time. Car only has 57,500 and that is a lot of sitting for a 08 model. I have put Heet in to remove water in the lines, if that may be the problem. I will drive tank towards empty.

Fuel tank has had Heet in for at least 24 hours and sloshed around some. Today I drove about 60 miles at highway speeds. Acceleration, with a normal operating temperature transmission, was great, smooth and strong. Will keep driving this car instead of the other one to empty tank and fill with fresh gas. Since this is not interfering with normal driving I will drive old gas out without towing the camper.

Adieu, All temps are normal, or at least the gages are where they have always been. I do get around 11MPG now but with all the hard accelerating during "test drives" I'm not surprised. Car has low ration for towing, I think. It has never gotten great gas mileage. Best on highway is 18 and normal around town has been about 12. Tranny did not slip. It seemed as if something was holding motor RPM back when trying to accelerate. If I held accelerator pedal at the floor the motor would miss and sputter but unless I put it under load it just had no acceleration.

1955moose, I am old and retired and don't get in big a big hurry anymore. I have two vehicles and between them do less that 5,000 miles a year so no emergency other than my in my wallet. Not giving up yet. Just posting and working slow. Thanks for all the help guys.

trainmaster, The mechanic at Ford looked inside Transmission and said he didn't think there was any problem there and I'm now with others that think it is motor but I will run old gas out and try fresh fuel before going mechanical. Would hate to spend, I think it was about $500 for a tune up if it is not needed necessary. Something about the plugs breaking that I was told could be $100 per broken plug and that is one Hell of a tune up that could be over a thousand dollars.