Emergency Opinions

[JExpedition07]

ok so let’s start, this morning i went out and started up the Expedition which is what i normally daily drive. Everything was fine until i put it in reverse my engine was surging very noticeably to the point the truck was shaking..... fast forward i get out to the road and my engine is surging through the entire rpm range, this is when i realize it’s not the 5.4 acting up, i can actually hear my torque converter engaging and dissengaging down the road, pull over hit O/D off and lock out gears 5&6. Now it still jumps and surges accelerating and at idle in gear. Opinions, Replace tranny, Fluid flush?? The torque converter is engagunga and disengaging rapidly while i drive down the road making the truck drive and transfer power horridly. My shop wants to throw a tranny at it. Not so sure. Basically to simplify it the truck shakes when accelerating and in overdrive but i can tell this is the torque converter. I posted about this truck starting to act up in a different thread but today these symptoms are new and i have to act swiftly.

 

[bobmbx]

Transmissions are by far the most complex component of a car. It is composed of mechanical, electrical, electronic, hydraulic, and maybe even pneumatic systems. Guessing at what may be the issue is pointless. Maybe you could grab some trouble codes but I'd guess most of them would be symptomatic and not diagnostic (things that are happening because of something else). There could be a hundred things that can cause that behavior.

You have AAA, right?

 

[JExpedition07]

I nursed it to the shop and they are awaiting my request whether to do a flush or not, not so sure i want to spend hundreds on something that might do nothing for me. I can drive the F-350 for now i just need to make a call on what to do.... no codes were stored. I guess I’m going to say F it and have them flush all the fluid out, jeez I’ll report back later.

 

[Big Brian]

take it to a trans shop and have it diagnosed.

 

[JExpedition07]

Tranny is shot disregard thread, putting in a Ford Reman.

 

[08T1]

So what was the culprit?

CJ

 

[Habbibie]

WTF just like that the trans takes a dump?

 

[Vancouver Bob]

Holly crap!! No signs of failure before today? Is that normal for a tranny to just die suddenly, for no apparent reason? Sorry to hear the sucky news!

 

[Allen Miller]

Holly crap!! No signs of failure before today? Is that normal for a tranny to just die suddenly, for no apparent reason? Sorry to hear the sucky news!

It is on the "maintenance free" transmissions of late that don't have a dipstick. slow leaks let it get low on fluid, and then after a while, it just toasts itself... most of the time you get some warning, but the threshold of "oh, it's been getting steadily louder lately" ramps up pretty quickly to "I need a new transmission"

The general consensus on the explorer forum seems to be that any signs of trouble with the automatic trans needs to be towed to a shop for a fluid flush and fill.

 

[Muddy Bean]

What’s the mileage on your Expedition J?


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[JExpedition07]

What’s the mileage on your Expedition J?


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158,800 I’m a stupid person and had shorted a COP when i cleaned my engine bay. The shop replaced the coil and spark plug and truck runs good again. Tranny is fine, still wanted a fluid flush anyway long story short no tranny replacement.

 

[08T1]

Lol. That's good to hear.

 

[Allen Miller]

158,800 I’m a stupid person and had shorted a COP when i cleaned my engine bay. The shop replaced the coil and spark plug and truck runs good again. Tranny is fine, still wanted a fluid flush anyway long story short no tranny replacement.

That de-escalated quickly! Glad it was just the COP and not the whole transmission!

 

[david_jr]

Be careful, those COPS are robbers!! (-:

 

[Trainmaster]

Just read this thread and at first thought, it was an engine problem. Transmissions rarely just die one day when starting the car. If they do, it's usually a repairable problem, like a magnet valve. A poor running engine makes shifting very unpredictable and erratic. If you continued driving you would have gotten a code that would have shown the engine miss.

Hope you replaced the coil with a Motorcraft one. The "lifetime guaranteed" ones on ebay that sell for $3 will give you one problem after another.

Let this be a lesson to those seeking advice on the Internet: Two pages of "advice givers" claiming and concurring that you need a new transmission.

Eddie, New York

 

[JExpedition07]

The only one who was convinced it was a transmission was me, nobody else gave me bad advice IMO. When i brought it to my shop and explained the symptoms their initial thought was a bad TC or valve or clogged up by shavings because they’ve seen it before. They said if it’s that which it sounded like we could do a Ford Reman. They had a busy day and we just talked it through in the office and agreed a transmission could be producing these symptoms and it may be the culprit, which it wasn’t. It’s hard to diagnose a vehicle by just listening to a jabbering customer like myself until you diagnose. they then ran it until it threw a code and found the misfire and replaced the plug and Coil and it’s running like new since.

 

[Adieu]

Actually for a shop to not immediately suspect a common failure point for what's probably America's bestselling large engine family.... that's kinda suspicious.

I get the feeling A LOT of people end up buying unnecessary or even nonexistent tranny and head gasket work with "complimentary" (undocumented) replacement of one spark plug or ignition coil

 

[Adieu]

Wrong thread