Trans issue or something else?

[sarmikgar]

Trans issue or something else? // vids added //

Car is all stock except a cai. Has had sct tune and Am tunes on it but was only a few days before back to stock. Has 74k on it and drives normally when cruising around town or on highway. Just made 500+ mile trip during holidays with this problem existing.

If I am at a dead stop and take off hard eventually getting to full throttle before 4k rpm the car will go through all of first gear fine, shifts to second normally and while going through the rpms in second somewhere roughly between 4k and 4300rpm the car will stop pulling and the tach needle slows way down.. at about 4300 or so once its done "bogging/hanging" it will pull nice and clean shift to third and do the same thing in third gear. The duration of the "bog" is very short, but noticeable.

If I make a run with the pedal just off the floor, like 90% throttle the car will go through all the gears normally.. no "hang" or "bog" noticeable in any gear at any rpm. I dont think its an engine problem, I think it could be something with the transmision.

I checked the trans fluid and level was ok, but color was sorta dark, didnt notice any "burned" smell.

I have 2k miles left on my warranty, but has a $200 deductible.. which is worth it if its a trans problem of course but I dont want to pay $200 to have them do a flush, fluid and filter if the problem could be that.

Any advice appreciated.

 

[Rickyll7]

I don't know much about autos, but the fluid doesnt get that burned smell on its own. I bet there is something wrong with the trans.

Then again... your bogging/low power symptoms sound like a tuning problem... could be a trans tune or engine tune issue.

EDIT: Sorry, your post said there was NO burnt smell and your tune is back to stock. I should have read more carefully. I'm stumped!

 

[navarro98gt]

Then again... your bogging/low power symptoms sound like a tuning problem... could be a trans tune or engine tune issue.

I agree with this statement. Mail order tunes always seem to cause problems.

 

[wmburns]

If I understand the OP comments, the tune has been returned to stock and the problem still exists.

What if two shift solenoids are engaging at the same time? Or perhaps, the #2 shift solenoid is not releasing as it should.

Another thought. What about the torque converter locking up too soon?

Has anything been done to alter the shift points or the pressures?

A transmission expert may be able to help.

 

[trinity_gt]

You say the tach needle "slows way down" when this is happening and that the car stops pulling but that after 4300, after the "very short but noticeable" bogging, it returns to normal. It's hard to visualize how the event can be simultaneously very short but have the tach needle drop a ton (how I interpret "slows way down".)

Does the car feel like it falls flat or is is being forcibly decelerated "way down" during this event? That is, is the engine speed actually dropping as much as the tach would indicate or is it more like the engine RPM stops rising during the sputtering/bogging and the tach looks almost more like it's losing a signal?

Does the rear of the car feel like it gets loose during this time (e.g. the rear wheels were being decelerated as if the rear brakes were locked or on the verge of being locked...)?

For me it's kind of a toss-up between a momentary severe misfire or loss of crank position sensor signal and a trans problem that might indeed be as severe as the trans really screwing up and trying to engage two gears at once (i.e. an inadvertent trans-brake...) I don't even know if this is a possible failure mode of these transmissions.

 

[sarmikgar]

If I understand the OP comments, the tune has been returned to stock and the problem still exists.

What if two shift solenoids are engaging at the same time? Or perhaps, the #2 shift solenoid is not releasing as it should.

Another thought. What about the torque converter locking up too soon?

A transmission expert may be able to help.

Tune is back to stock and has been for a few months, all stock now except the intake. AM tried 3 email tunes and all pinged in a high load-low rpm situation(mashing the pedal under 2k). I have done done a visual check of the intake and see no leaks.

Trans fluid level is fine, but not bright pink/red.. I did not notice any smell.. I can check again tonight for that to be sure. I know very little about autos.

I first noticed the problem when I was testing the last tune they sent me, and it remained after I went back to the stock tune that day.

Car is great in 1st gear at full throttle, and has problem described above only in 2nd and 3rd at full throttle and only at full throttle. Car will still get rubber in second but once it gets to roughly 4k-4100 it sorta "hangs" with the rpms climbing very slowly then will pull normally again after roughly 4300 rpm.

Why the car pulls normally in 1st but not 2nd and 3rd is odd, also it will do this with OD on or off, in "2", and in 2nd and 3rd gear while in "D".. but in "1" 1st gear is fine again.. so no change when manually shifting.

 

[sarmikgar]

You say the tach needle "slows way down" when this is happening and that the car stops pulling but that after 4300, after the "very short but noticeable" bogging, it returns to normal. It's hard to visualize how the event can be simultaneously very short but have the tach needle drop a ton (how I interpret "slows way down".)

Does the car feel like it falls flat or is is being forcibly decelerated "way down" during this event? That is, is the engine speed actually dropping as much as the tach would indicate or is it more like the engine RPM stops rising during the sputtering/bogging and the tach looks almost more like it's losing a signal?

Does the rear of the car feel like it gets loose during this time (e.g. the rear wheels were being decelerated as if the rear brakes were locked or on the verge of being locked...)?

For me it's kind of a toss-up between a momentary severe misfire or loss of crank position sensor signal and a trans problem that might indeed be as severe as the trans really screwing up and trying to engage two gears at once (i.e. an inadvertent trans-brake...) I don't even know if this is a possible failure mode of these transmissions.

By "slows way down" I mean: you can watch the rate at which the needle is moving and it will nearly look like its going to come to a stop, and it will do it only between 4100 and 4300 roughly.. it doesnt drop any, it never completely stops moving, but the rate at which the rpms are climbing slows down.

You can feel it, the car almost stops pulling, almost like you should be shifting at that point if it were a manual car, but before and after the "event" it pulls normally, and shifts normally.

If you drove in it and didnt watch the dash it may feel almost like a slipping clutch, except of course its an auto.. and the rpms arent rising..the pull just goes away is what you would feel.

Im going to try to get a video of it tonight.

 

[Rickyll7]

If it were a severe misfire, I would imagine that the exhaust would sound very different than normal.

 

[trinity_gt]

Thanks for the clarification. Sounds to me like a misfire either due to ignition or fuel delivery problems. The problem occurring around the engine's torque peak is interesting...

I assume you don't see an MIL (yet) but perhaps it's worth having the car scanned and checking for codes.

 

[sarmikgar]

Thanks for the clarification. Sounds to me like a misfire either due to ignition or fuel delivery problems. The problem occurring around the engine's torque peak is interesting...

I assume you don't see an MIL (yet) but perhaps it's worth having the car scanned and checking for codes.

No MIL, and have checked for codes with sct tuner and get nothing.

 

[peepeeskillz]

i think i know the feeling youre talking about, but my car is a manual, and you said the car can "get rubber" when shifting. im thinking maybe its ur TC, i know if i shift into 2nd or 3rd hard my power will cut out if i dont turn off my TC. but what do i know i dont have an auto

 

[Rickyll7]

If it were traction control, i would think the issue would be present and worse in 1st gear where tq to the wheels is at its max.

 

[wmburns]

It doesn't make sense that the engine will pull good EXCEPT in a specific gear and RPM combination.

If this were a misfire problem, one would expect it in all gears. It would be purely load based or RPM based.

Nor does it make sense that the motor would begin making power after the bog down point is past/overcome.

This problem has a familiar ring to it. I seam to recall another post with similar issues. As I recall, the OP was modifing the transmission shift pressures in an attempt to improve shift performance. In this case, the OP reported a "hang" in RPM's and a delay in the 2-3 upshift (from memory). Of course, the fact that the pressure settings were changed was never mentioned.

As I recall, the OP increased the EPC pressure and resolved the problem.

 

[sarmikgar]

Well I took the car in yesterday.. and got some interesting information, because it was bought at a Chevy dealership apparently the car has a GMPP warranty.. so a GM warranty on a Ford car

Soon as I handed the keys over the service advisor looked at the Ford key and was like "Oh, hmm.. its a Ford, hmm.." so he went and dug up our warranty info and came back out, as he came back another man walked out out from the service bay and he spoke to him before me, seemed like he wasnt sure if they could do repairs on a Ford vehicle there at that location.

He came back and told me that was his service manager he talked to and he said they would try to do what they can, that I had a "very good warranty" and if necessary they will send the car to their sister dealership that sells/sevices Lincoln and Mercury.

Hoping to hear from them today, if not should know something by Mon/Tues.

 

[sarmikgar]

Stopped by the dealership yesterday and picked up a rental HHR, man that thing has horrible blind spots.

While there I spoke to the service advisor again and he showed me the work order for my car.

Tie rod ends - I have a feeling the creaking was the str. rack bushings, I bought poly ones but havent had a chance to put them on yet.

A/C new clutch and coil - wife said it went hot one day during the summer.

Trans output seal/bearing etc - Ive noticed a smell after driving, didnt know it was that.

Alternator - battery light has been flickering on and off during the winter, thought it was just the cold.

$1899 worth of work, I dont think any of these will fix my problem that happening in the 4k-4300rpm range, if not I guess Ill bring the car right back to them to look again.

 

[sarmikgar]

Got car back last night, still has creaking front end(this is str. rack bushings Im 99% sure) and doesnt pull like it should around 4k-4300rpm. They said the acceleration problem was normal

Im going to try to get a video of it tonight and see what you guys think. I called them this morning and spoke to the service advisor again, car is going back in on Mon or Tues.

If the trans and engine are ok, is there a way to get a new stock tune programmed from a dealer? Im wondering if my stock tune got messed up from using the SCT somehow

 

[sarmikgar]

Bleh, car threw 171 and 174 tonight when wife was driving home from work.. lean on banks 1 and 2. I looked around under the hood and didnt see anything out of place, a litttle annoyed now with the dealer car has never thrown any codes since Ive owned it.

They basically have not fixed the problems I brought the car in for, the creaking front end is still there, and the acceleration issue in 2nd and 3rd gears.. and now after they worked on it the engine light is on

I have always worked on all my previous cars, never had to take them to a dealer, does anyone have any advice for when I speak to the dealer?

Any advice appreciated here.

 

[wmburns]

There is a TSB dealing with noise from the steering rack.

TSB 05-14-3 Steering - Squeak/Creak Noise While Turning

Basically involves replacing/retorque both steering rack support tubes.

P0171 & P0174 are frequently vacuum leaks.

 

[sarmikgar]

Trans issue or something else? // vids added //

My wife took some vids yesterday, the road she was on was a little short, and she was filming and driving so the duration is a bit short.

In this first one you can see the car go through 1st gear just fine, and in second it sorta hangs at 4k, starts to rev again and the footage ends as she had to left off the gas and start braking.

YouTube - Mustang transmission problem?


Second one she is already in 2nd gear and the rpms are climbing and again "hang" at 4k and then rev out clean to about 5200 where the footage ends. The engine sound that seems like she was on and off the gas at the end is just the recording.

YouTube - Mustang Transmission Problem? #2 run


Opinions please! Does that look normal the way the tach needle is nearly stopping at 4k??

 

[joshjwc9]

And you have an SCT?? Can you monitor fuel trims?? It may be a fuel delivery issue I would datalog it and send it to whoever sent you that tune.