I have noticed latley when my '01 F150 5.4L shifts from overdrive to a lower gear, there is a surge. I think it feels like the transmission slipping, a local shop told me that I may need new wires and plugs because they think it is the engine missing. If I turn the overdrive off, this does not happen, but the engine stays at a higher RPM the whole time. Is any one else seen this before?

 

hey i had the same problem, i had bosch platinum plugs. i sware i thought it was my tranny, it would feel like it was sliipin like a bitch. but i got ngk iridium plugs, 9 bucks a piece. now its runnin great. i would try that before goin all out and throwning down a n 800 or 1200 on a tranny. hit me up man, laters

 

Hi Brad and welcome

Like dorianrey said it could easily be a spark plug problem. Hopefully the shop that told you it needed wires didn't actually look at the truck....it has no plug wires. It uses COPs (Coil On Plug) instead.
If it feels more like a shudder when it shifts the problem could be as simple as the transmission oil needing changing. After a while the oil can break down and cause the torque convertor to shudder as it locks and unlocks.

 

I did have the Trans Oil completly flushed and replaced thinking that this would help, but 300 miles later it is still doing it. I did ask the shop about the "wires" when they told me that because I knew that they this engine didn't use wires but the spring and boot setup instead, and they said they just say wires because most people don't know what the other is.
So, I think I will try new plugs now and see what happens.

Thanks, I will let you know in a few days.

 

Well, the new plugs seem to work. I am still confused why the check engine light did not come on if the engine was missing so much. Now that I know what the problem is, I realize that I have had it for several months. I just thought I needed a Tranny flush.

Brad

 

Good to hear that you got it cured.
The misfire monitor doesn't always work exactly how it should. Misfires are supposed to turn on the check engine light and set a code but they don't always.

 

I had the exact same problem at 48,000 miles and started out at a transmission shop. They (honestly) said the trans was ok and suggested I had a misfire problem. Three trips to the engine mechanic and he found a bad COP (coil). He also said the 100,000 mile plugs looked pretty bad. Replaced them with OEM too. No misfire codes were ever recorded. Truck runs great now.

 

I have drove 900 miles in the past week, and it seem to be running fine now. This the the third Ford I have had that has had some kind of oddball problem and there wasn't a single error code logged in the computer.

 

my truck started again, the dam ngk iridium plugs went to heck in my truck, guess they cant hold up with the super charger in there. im glad yall solved yall problems too. let me know if yall need anything. laters

 

ok ok i put in the 9 dollar iridium plugs thinking it was gonna run like a champ, then it crapped on me in three days, so i go back and buy the champion copper ones, a dollar a pice the truck runs like a freakn animal now, cant believe it, but its true, if you have force induction dont go with iridium, learn from me ,my mistake, cost me like 80 bucks,lol