I have a 98 4.0 SOHC Auto and I notice when cruising and I let off gas it drops to about 1000 rpm's then when I give it a little gas it hits about 2000 before it starts to pull, is this normal or am I having a slight torque converter or slip problem. It just seems to have a little more slip than most vehicles I've driven. 2nd question, I have never changed fluid or had an auto trans serviced because I have heard that this can often cause them to go out. Is this true, I have never serviced one and never had any problems. Lets have a poll who believes you should service them and who believes it is asking for trouble???????

 

When I had my 92, I need to get the trans replaced at about 85K due to lack of maintenance. Since then, I have always done the trans service every 15,000. I would experience a similar problem with the trans slipping, but it has been a few years since I have had the truck... so memory fades with time.
To answer your second question.... it depends.... at 85,000 miles, you might be better off not doing anything. What happens with time and no service, the seals develop a varnish and when you do the service, the new trans fluid tends to remove that buildup and cause even more problems. However, if you do the service at regular intervals, this tends to not happen.
Going back to my trans repalcement, it was part of the warranty that I get the trans service done at 15,000 mile intervals, otherwise it would void the warranty. Considering it cost me $2200 to have a new trans put in... it was worth the $75 to have my mechanic do the service for me. In my opinion this is a situation where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.....

 

Hmmm, good reply, that makes sense.. Thanks.. Does everyone else agree with this?

 

If the trans IS slipping & IF the fluid looks contaminated the damage is probably allready done.What does the maintenance section in your owners manual say about mileage between fluid changes??? I agree with 99Xplr, you need to change it much more often than 85K. I dont have to worry about this nonsense since I only drive manual trannies, but since I cant convince my wife to do the same, I change the trans fluid in her Taurus every 30K.

 

I have a 94 and nothing in the maintenance manual tells you change auto trans fluid. You should drop the pan and change that bit of oil every 15K or so, although that's only about 2-3 quarts. At around 30K, change the filter, too. At 60K, do a complete flush and fill. The tranny/torque converter holds around 12 quarts, plus there's about 1-2 quarts in the cooling lines. The process is easy but can be very messy if not done right. Some shops will do it for around 120-160 bucks! If you want, you can email me and I can give you a detailed procedure.

As fas as the slipping thing goes, it could be that you do need a fluid and filter change. Inspect the fluid.

Slippage is usually due to worn clutch packs. The fluid will smell like sulfur if that's the case. Then you're in for a rebuild. Also, the bands may need adjusting.

Try checking the throttle cable. Not the same as the one from your gas pedal. It's attached to the same point on the throttle body, though. If the throttle cable is kinked, corroded or out of adjustment, it might be holding the throttle valve and causing the tranny to act like it's in passing gear. This cable works with the accelerator so when you floor it, it manually downshifts the tranny.

Another cause for what you describe could be a governor problem. As the engine RPM goes up, vacuum drops. This causes the modulator to close (as it is opened by vacuum to cause the normal downshift). The governor opens as it speeds up (RPM) and shifts the tranny to the next higher gear. If the governor is sticking, then the tranny won't shift on time. You can remove and clean the governor in about 45 minutes.


Lots to think about but most transmission "failures" are actually simple fixes the tranny shop won't tell you about. Hope this helps.

Regards,

 

I have a 94 Explorer Sport with 90K on it (auto-trans). When the car shifts from 3rd to 4th (overdrive) -- I get a loss of power. It seems like it's shifting too soon. If I very gently press the accelerator, the car spudders. Pressing it harder downshifts and the car feels better.

Could this be a clutch/converter problem? -- I thought it could be an accelerator cable setting issue? -- I know where the adjustment is, but I don't know how far to adjust it.

Any help would be very appreciated.

Thanks a lot.
David

 

98 and 94 are very different transmissions. the 5R55E of 97 V6 and later have problems with the valve body bolts getting loose and gaskets blowing out. You will always find a couple that are loose (you can turn them with your fingers) and the rest will be tight. Either a manufacturing problem or the body is warping. Everyone who has looked has found them loose. This is a problem because of tighter passage and wider bolt spacing. By three years these really need to be checked. Just changing fluid won't save you. Put a cooler on if you don't have one. temperature tears up the seals. Old looking fluid is not the cause but the messanger.