2003EB Transmission Jerk
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2003EB Transmission Jerk
First let me say that I have had all the regular services performed, truck has 68k miles, last trans flush was 60k. Fuel filter was also changed at 60k. Had a COP go bad about 4 weeks ago and repaired at the dealer (5.4 2WD). The transmission has been a little "flakey" for about a year now, I've had it to the dealer but they never can find anything wrong. Here are the latest symptoms:
1. At light acceleration in top gear (speeds between 50-70mph) the transmission will sometimes jerk (maybe 20-30% of the time). At any speed of 75 or higher the transmission works flawlessly.
2. At a light acceleration from stop the transmission will sometimes hestitate before shifting and create a "hiccup" in the shift process.
The idle is fine and the truck runs well otherwise. I just came back from a 300 mile round trip and the truck acted up quite a bit.
Since the idle is good and the truck runs well otherwise, I don't suspect a vacuum leak, IAC, MAF or 02 sensor. Some people have had success with changing COPs and plugs but I have not had a consistent miss more but more of a jerking like slop in the driveline. Does the TPS have anything to do how the computer communicates with the transmission. I really suspect a sensor problem of sometype but I am perplexed. Any ideas are appeciated.
1. At light acceleration in top gear (speeds between 50-70mph) the transmission will sometimes jerk (maybe 20-30% of the time). At any speed of 75 or higher the transmission works flawlessly.
2. At a light acceleration from stop the transmission will sometimes hestitate before shifting and create a "hiccup" in the shift process.
The idle is fine and the truck runs well otherwise. I just came back from a 300 mile round trip and the truck acted up quite a bit.
Since the idle is good and the truck runs well otherwise, I don't suspect a vacuum leak, IAC, MAF or 02 sensor. Some people have had success with changing COPs and plugs but I have not had a consistent miss more but more of a jerking like slop in the driveline. Does the TPS have anything to do how the computer communicates with the transmission. I really suspect a sensor problem of sometype but I am perplexed. Any ideas are appeciated.
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From: kansas city kansas
i would lean towards a misfire or vaccum leak. just does not sound like a tranny problem. check all hoses. even when i had 2 cylinders that were not firing. it still idled calm. it was just when you jumped on it that it would spit and sputter 
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Hopefully my experience will help someone else. I was experiencing an intermittant problem that felt like a transmission mis-shift, also occasional bucking only after the car had been driven for 30 minutes or more. Never any issue at low speeds, no idle issues. I had a COP go out 6 weeks earlier and it was a very definitive missfire all the time, completely different from this issue.
We were driving and the truck bucked so badly that it could not hold speed and we had to pull to the side of the road. Severe missfire where it felt as if only 3 cylinders were firing but no CEL. Sat 5 minutes trying to decide what to do (towtruck on a Sunday out in the country), restarted and the truck ran OK. Drove home and took immediately to the dealer.
Diagnosis was "nothing was wrong other than a 2% misfire on COP #5". They recommended a new COP, new insulators, new plugs and an injector flush ($900). I was leery about this not really addressing the problem but after speaking with the Tech, reluctantly agreed to the work thinking there was a 50/50 chance the problem would still be there.
Happy to say the problem is fixed, 2 weeks with no issues. I am amazed that a 2% misfire can make that much trouble. I am disappointed with the quality of the electronics on my Expy, but I give Kudos to the dealer to fix a tough problem with no codes to read. It was $900 well spent.
We were driving and the truck bucked so badly that it could not hold speed and we had to pull to the side of the road. Severe missfire where it felt as if only 3 cylinders were firing but no CEL. Sat 5 minutes trying to decide what to do (towtruck on a Sunday out in the country), restarted and the truck ran OK. Drove home and took immediately to the dealer.
Diagnosis was "nothing was wrong other than a 2% misfire on COP #5". They recommended a new COP, new insulators, new plugs and an injector flush ($900). I was leery about this not really addressing the problem but after speaking with the Tech, reluctantly agreed to the work thinking there was a 50/50 chance the problem would still be there.
Happy to say the problem is fixed, 2 weeks with no issues. I am amazed that a 2% misfire can make that much trouble. I am disappointed with the quality of the electronics on my Expy, but I give Kudos to the dealer to fix a tough problem with no codes to read. It was $900 well spent.
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Originally Posted by bumparker
Hopefully my experience will help someone else. I was experiencing an intermittant problem that felt like a transmission mis-shift, also occasional bucking only after the car had been driven for 30 minutes or more. Never any issue at low speeds, no idle issues. I had a COP go out 6 weeks earlier and it was a very definitive missfire all the time, completely different from this issue.
We were driving and the truck bucked so badly that it could not hold speed and we had to pull to the side of the road. Severe missfire where it felt as if only 3 cylinders were firing but no CEL. Sat 5 minutes trying to decide what to do (towtruck on a Sunday out in the country), restarted and the truck ran OK. Drove home and took immediately to the dealer.
Diagnosis was "nothing was wrong other than a 2% misfire on COP #5". They recommended a new COP, new insulators, new plugs and an injector flush ($900). I was leery about this not really addressing the problem but after speaking with the Tech, reluctantly agreed to the work thinking there was a 50/50 chance the problem would still be there.
Happy to say the problem is fixed, 2 weeks with no issues. I am amazed that a 2% misfire can make that much trouble. I am disappointed with the quality of the electronics on my Expy, but I give Kudos to the dealer to fix a tough problem with no codes to read. It was $900 well spent.
We were driving and the truck bucked so badly that it could not hold speed and we had to pull to the side of the road. Severe missfire where it felt as if only 3 cylinders were firing but no CEL. Sat 5 minutes trying to decide what to do (towtruck on a Sunday out in the country), restarted and the truck ran OK. Drove home and took immediately to the dealer.
Diagnosis was "nothing was wrong other than a 2% misfire on COP #5". They recommended a new COP, new insulators, new plugs and an injector flush ($900). I was leery about this not really addressing the problem but after speaking with the Tech, reluctantly agreed to the work thinking there was a 50/50 chance the problem would still be there.
Happy to say the problem is fixed, 2 weeks with no issues. I am amazed that a 2% misfire can make that much trouble. I am disappointed with the quality of the electronics on my Expy, but I give Kudos to the dealer to fix a tough problem with no codes to read. It was $900 well spent.
I'm surprised a bad COP and potentially some old plug wires could've caused this--and did so w/ out throwing a code, but others here might know better than me. Either way, thanks for sharing--and glad your problem's been resolved!
Cheers,
Tim G.
