Transmission Issues

[bocabimmer]

I'm getting mine back tomorrow with a new CDF. Total time out of my driveway: 72 hours. Total cost: $100, thanks to the Ford ESP. Assuming they didn't mess anything up, I'm floored.

At this point my advice to any Expedition owners is factor an additional ~$2,000 into the purchase price of the vehicle and just get the plan. You're almost guaranteed to need it at some point.

 

[bocabimmer]

Well, the transmission feels 1000% better than it was. Let’s see if it still does in a month. Looks like more than the CDF was damaged… is that normal?

 

[GlennSullivan]

In reading this it appears you got an excellent tech, who has been through these repairs before. Hopefully the new parts he installed were improved over those the unit was initially manufactured with. Hope you have 75000 or more trouble free miles.

 

[bocabimmer]

In reading this it appears you got an excellent tech, who has been through these repairs before. Hopefully the new parts he installed were improved over those the unit was initially manufactured with. Hope you have 75000 or more trouble free miles.

They list out the part numbers replaced on another page. Does Ford change the part number for a part when a revision takes place?

 

[GlennSullivan]

They list out the part numbers replaced on another page. Does Ford change the part number for a part when a revision takes place?

Yes, revised parts have different numbers

 

[bocabimmer]

Yes, revised parts have different numbers

That’s too bad, looks like they replaced with the same parts.

 

[GlennSullivan]

That’s too bad, looks like they replaced with the same parts. View attachment 82118

Well, 2 things:
1) Hope that the initial assembler was having a bad day and did some things not entirely correct.
2) Make damn sure you keep this vehicle covered under a Ford ESP plan as long as you own it.

 

[5280tunage]

Dag-nab-it. Wish I wasn't posting this right now but I am. Mine was in the shop for 5 and 1/2 weeks for a valve body replacement. And all seemed well for about 2 or 3 weeks. I just recently went on a 800 mile round trip trip with my family, and everything seemed to go well except for the trip home.

On the second to last mountain pass, I went to pass a tractor trailer and I manually shifted from 9th to 8th gear. The entire vehicle lurched, as if accidentally shifting from 3rd to first in a stick. Scared the kids awake! But this happened twice in about 20 seconds. Within 5 minutes, the tranny temp went from normal to about 243 degrees. The highest is been since I've owned this car, and I've driven this exact pass probably 15 times.

I didn't get any dtcs or check engine lights, but I backed off everything at the point in time. I took the pass a little bit more leisurely than usual, and on the way down the temperature of the transmission dropped back to about 205°. The ambient temperature outside was around 60° f. Everything seemed okay for the entire rest of the trip home, but as soon as I got home and started unloading the car, I knew there was something very bad.

My rear bumper and even my rear wiper were covered in what looked like WD-40. I instantly knew something wasn't right. Crawled under the vehicle and found that the entire undercarriage, my skid plates, cross members and even the rear axle are covered in fluid. I can see transmission fluid dripping from the bellhousing.

It's interesting to me that there were no check engine lights, or even dtcs, but something drastically went wrong with the transmission.

I'm trying to get an appointment for tomorrow or this Friday, but I'm a little upset that yet again after just a few weeks of getting a major transmission service, the transmission is actually doing worse than it was before. Does anybody have any ideas of what might have happened?

To me, this is a classic case of the transmission blowing. The temperature Rose incredibly fast, it wasn't like something that happened gradually over time. I also don't understand how there's so much fluid all over the entire undercarriage as well as the rear window and windshield... Could this be that's a transmission was overfilled? Or is this more symptomatic but bigger issue? At this point I'm almost demanding a new transmission. What would you guys do?

 

[GlennSullivan]

I would be leaning more toward something done incorrectly by the tech that did the recent work, either overfilled, left the fill plug loose or did not reassemble correctly.

The fluid all over the rear of the vehicle is the easy explanation. As air moving over and under the truck comes back together at the rear it creates a low pressure area sucking the air that is exiting under the truck up - same thing that creates lift in airplanes - Bernoulli's principal of flight.

 

[5280tunage]

I would be leaning more toward something done incorrectly by the tech that did the recent work, either overfilled, left the fill plug loose or did not reassemble correctly.

The fluid all over the rear of the vehicle is the easy explanation. As air moving over and under the truck comes back together at the rear it creates a low pressure area sucking the air that is exiting under the truck up - same thing that creates lift in airplanes - Bernoulli's principal of flight.

I get how the air flows, and thus the oil got there, my issue was just the sheer volume of oil everywhere, and how small the droplets are in many places, tells me it was definitely under pressure when it blew. I was very nervous about this trip after the tranny work, so I watched the temps pretty diligently. Just before this pass, I was on a pretty flat stretch of about 30 miles, almost all at highway speeds so the tranny wasn't doing a ton of work, the temp increase happened so suddenly.

 

[GlennSullivan]

I get how the air flows, and thus the oil got there, my issue was just the sheer volume of oil everywhere, and how small the droplets are in many places, tells me it was definitely under pressure when it blew. I was very nervous about this trip after the tranny work, so I watched the temps pretty diligently. Just before this pass, I was on a pretty flat stretch of about 30 miles, almost all at highway speeds so the tranny wasn't doing a ton of work, the temp increase happened so suddenly.

It certainly sucks to have a relatively new truck and have to go through such painful experiences and then of course the constant worry about; is it going to get me where I'm going, or leave me on the side of the road somewhere? Sorry.

 

[bocabimmer]

So I wanted to report back too. It’s been a couple months and a few thousand miles since my transmission was rebuilt. Everything started out alright, but now I’m getting harsh shifts again with 3-4, 4-5, and 7-8. No codes, and no neutral outs like before.

Now I’m left trying to decide if I want to take it back again.

 

[Jettix2]

So I wanted to report back too. It’s been a couple months and a few thousand miles since my transmission was rebuilt. Everything started out alright, but now I’m getting harsh shifts again with 3-4, 4-5, and 7-8. No codes, and no neutral outs like before.

Now I’m left trying to decide if I want to take it back again.

My rebuild (with new CDF) was good for about 8-10,000 miles before it started shifting poorly again. This time, Ford authorized a crate trans replacement, supposed to go in early November for installation (started shifting poorly in June).

 

[5280tunage]

UGH! Don't tell me that.

I'd be curious what the ratio is, between those that have had good outcomes with rebuilds vs. replacements? This just can't become another 5 visits to the dealer in 6 months. I just don't have the time.

Mine is back at the dealer, service advisor thinks at this point they will put in a cost cap claim and just replace the whole tranny, sure hope that's the case. but could be several weeks again, lovely This may be the end for me. there's just nothing else out there. Already talking to ford support about possible buy back again, see what happens

 

[5280tunage]

So mine is back in again, went in Friday. Here's a question for the group. Anyone know the procedure for replacing the tranny as a whole? This isn't one of those process where they do the body off chassis service is it?

 

[LegalBrief]

The tranny replacement is an economic game, if the truck is low mileage and new, the dealer has the option to a replacement. Older nits have a different protocol. @HazBeen has posted the TSB and specific repair/replacement criteria.

 

[Knut]

I just put my 2019 in for them to check it out. Same issue with shifting as everyone else.
What do you guys do for vehicle, if the Expy has to be in the shop for weeks or months????

I bought it for a reason, and can't be renting another SUV for several weeks...

 

[5280tunage]

I just put my 2019 in for them to check it out. Same issue with shifting as everyone else.
What do you guys do for vehicle, if the Expy has to be in the shop for weeks or months????

I bought it for a reason, and can't be renting another SUV for several weeks...

If its covered by powertrain still, they should be able to provide a loaner. Same boat, I don't have the luxury of owning 3 or more cars, and I rely on this for family and work. Funny, Ford customer service gave me this number for dealers to call should they need assistance with providing a loaner, apparently they created an internal group due to the demand for warranty related loaners lately. 571 dash 831 dash 5368

Mine was in for 5.5 weeks for the valve body, now it's back in after it blew up on me. we'll see what the say for me, it might be buy back time. I can't have an unreliable vehicle and I'm not doing the Ford playbook of try 4 things before they arrive at the end state they should have started with, replace the whole thing. Don't have the time or patience.

Now what though, my god, I just for giggles went out and configured a Denali, I'll be such a huge hole, ruins all of the families budget plans. And i'm not sure if those are even any better right now.

 

[Jettix2]

I just put my 2019 in for them to check it out. Same issue with shifting as everyone else.
What do you guys do for vehicle, if the Expy has to be in the shop for weeks or months????

I bought it for a reason, and can't be renting another SUV for several weeks...

My Expy has been in the shop over 40 days in the 18 months we've owned it. Of the 8 repair visits, we've only had a loaner ONCE (when they rebuilt the trans).

We've been driving it "broken" since early September while they got a replacement transmission, and then a technician to install it (early Nov we're told). Trans shifts like garbage all the time, the dealer told us it could leave us stranded at any time. Making ~$1000 payments on vehicle we can't trust is rediculous. My wife is using my 2018 Ram diesel most of the time, and I'm driving my beater 2006 Honda CR-V that actually drivers better than our Expedition at the moment LOL!!!

 

[5280tunage]

3.5 weeks in and apparently i'm number 5 in line for a new tranny. the parts are there, just too many in the queue for techs. so in the last 4 months, I'm going on 9 weeks without my car. and sadly the powertrain warranty expired while it's sitting in the dealer lot, waiting on service. Ironic right? taking bets on what ends up going wrong within 4 weeks of it coming home (given the powertrain warranty is now expired). I do have extended coverage from Ford, but that now means i have deductibles and likely no more loaners unless my dealer agrees to it.

Also, saw this interesting article about 10R issues. This thing was destined to have issues, the design literally creates too many possible issues. https://gearsmagazine.com/magazine/...ore-need-to-know-information-inside-the-unit/

Seems GM's version is not fairing much better either. https://www.thelemonfirm.com/2022/1...general-motors-for-its-10-speed-transmission/