RPM fluctuating at all times BUT idle speed

[jimmyducati]

150k miles on a transmission today, especially in a car that has been serviced regularly and never raced/tracked/abused in any way ....to me, this is absolutely unacceptable. This car has given me more headache than every car I've owned combined, from a faulty injector, the adaptive cruise control, evap issues and now this! Hands down lowest quality vehical I've ever had.

I really appreciate all the help from you guys, even though I officially hate the car, you all are OK in my book

[ZSHO]

150k miles on a transmission today, especially in a car that has been serviced regularly and never raced/tracked/abused in any way ....to me, this is absolutely unacceptable. This car has given me more headache than every car I've owned combined, from a faulty injector, the adaptive cruise control, evap issues and now this! Hands down lowest quality vehical I've ever had.

I really appreciate all the help from you guys, even though I officially hate the car, you all are OK in my book

How many miles of that 150k is Tuned? Still with the original trans?PTU? If so not to shabby IMO. Z

[jimmyducati]

I tuned at 50k, bought it from a 75 yo man who couldn't park to save his life (curb rash) but rarely drove it. The extent of my usage has been driving on the highway from southern Missouri to southern Indiana twice a week for the last two years. This is the perfect example of a gently used car.. I get that it being tuned may cause more wear by virtue of more power, but the most I ever got into the gas was highway on ramps. If 150k is all Ford can muster, they need to take a long hard look at their trans supplier.

[SHOdded]

I don't think that 150K is bad at all, but yeah, I understand no one wants to pay for parts after the sale, but stuff is bound to happen.  I think that comparatively, Ford has done pretty well in the reliability department, but certainly it cannot be bulletproof.  There are some trends that should not be, like door latches and shifters and APIMs etc. mostly on the electronics side of things, where Ford should step up to the plate.

Anyway, try to see if there is a new calibration for the PCM, maybe Livernois can check since they have the latest OEM strategies available.  If there IS an update available, try that first.  Quite a few trans issues have been "resolved" by an updated calibration.  Sometimes an updated TSS/OSS sensor duo is what it needs.

[pmezo33]

You could always try that lubegard additive that i mentioned for your TC.  It should immediately work and well.  Problem was the longevity of the product, but maybe you'll have better luck.  What do you have to lose at this point?

[jimmyducati]

its already at the trans shop.. As much as id like to trade it in on an ecodiesel grand Cherokee, Im in the beginning stages of building a house, so a new monthly car payment isn't in my best interest right now. So seeing as how this thing is paid off, rebuilding the trans is cheaper by far than anything else at this point. Maybe Ill get more than 150k miles out of the next one..

[derfdog15]

its already at the trans shop.. As much as id like to trade it in on an ecodiesel grand Cherokee, Im in the beginning stages of building a house, so a new monthly car payment isn't in my best interest right now. So seeing as how this thing is paid off, rebuilding the trans is cheaper by far than anything else at this point. Maybe Ill get more than 150k miles out of the next one..

Not sure if it was mentioned earlier, but did you do any transmission services prior to this? The old golden standard was something like 30k intervals for flush and filter change on a transmission. Automatics will ALWAYS have some metal shavings in the pan, but as long as they get caught before the filter it isn't an issue.

Just opened up the 4R70W on my 03 mustang, 120k without service, and a fair bit of tiny metal shavings, but nothing really to worry about since it shifted smooth like butter, and from the dipstick plunger in the pan, had never been serviced prior to us opening it up - or at least never had the transmission pan off.

I would recommend monitoring trans temp in the future, as extended stays at higher trans temps can burn the fluid and reduce longevity. Make sure to keep an eye on fluid levels as well.

[pmezo33]

Good luck.  Keep us updated on what they do and how it turns out.

[jimmyducati]

Good luck.  Keep us updated on what they do and how it turns out.

The trans shifted 100% fine, witch is why it wasn't even on then long list of possible issues. I had never seen what a torque converter looks like when its going out, so i was chasing an engine issue due to the rpm surging and what felt like a misfire. I followed the ford recommended service interval on the trans fluid, and change the PTO gear oil with EVERY oil change.. This car is taken care of, unfortunately all this preventative maintenance isn't panning out for me.

Does anyone know if the PTO will have to be removed when the trans is pulled? If so, I may see if I can pick it up to install a drain plug on the bottom. That and a remote fill would drastically reduce the work load on changing the PTO fluid.

[66 Galaxie]

PTU should stay bolted to the trans if they are only doing torque converter.

Ask the trans shop if the have added drain plugs to Ford PTUs in the past.  (Edge, Explorer, Flex, etc use the same basic unit)

[jimmyducati]

Im going to have the entire trans rebuilt, in the long run it doesn't add that much to the total cost and i will have peace of mind that I'm not looking at another pointless 4 figure repair bill in the future. Ill see if they can do it!

[SHOdded]

Powertrain warranty = 60K miles.  Best extended warranty = 148K or so.  I would be servicing the powertrain at least as often as the powertrain warranty that comes with the car.  Seems like hindsight, but I like to err on the side of OCD rather than testing my luck   It may or may not help in the long run, but at least I know I have done what I could to stave off the "inevitable".  At least you can see varnish building up on your engine via the oil fill hole.  You have NO insight on how the trans looks, at all!

[FoMoCoSHO]

Im going to have the entire trans rebuilt, in the long run it doesn't add that much to the total cost and i will have peace of mind that I'm not looking at another pointless 4 figure repair bill in the future. Ill see if they can do it!

http://etereman.com/blog/transmission-care/remanufactured-vs-rebuilt-4-reasons-why-a-reman-trans-is-your-best-option

[jimmyducati]

Im going to have the entire trans rebuilt, in the long run it doesn't add that much to the total cost and i will have peace of mind that I'm not looking at another pointless 4 figure repair bill in the future. Ill see if they can do it!

http://etereman.com/blog/transmission-care/remanufactured-vs-rebuilt-4-reasons-why-a-reman-trans-is-your-best-option

Its all cost driven, Im not going to double the cost of an already expensive repair by doing something that marginally increases the longevity of this car. I am likely going to detune the entire thing and go back to stock if the drivetrain is so dainty that the trans will only last 150k if any additional power is added to it. I really expected more from this car, from the local dealers and most of all from ford...

I think they have made a Chevy owner out of me. Maybe Jeep, I dunno.

[AJP turbo]

Did you buy the car  used?