I recently (two weeks ago) had my transmission fluid changed in my 1990 F-1504x4. It was working perfect but I decided that it needed to be changed.I took it to the place about 8 that morning and waited. After 2.5 hours the guy gets done and said every thing looked good. He replaced the fluid and the filter. Well I left there to go to school. I have to commute every day for about 20 miles. I get half way there and I pull out to pass an 18 wheeler on a strait stretch. I Punched it and it kicked down and started passing. I get even with the guy and it just goes into nuetral. For no reason and ofcourse the engin redlines and then it drops back in gear. This was the first time it has ever done this. Well it never done it again so i just forgot about it. Today I was driving and when it goes into overdrive (4th gear) It shudders and cant hold speed even on the interstate at 75 it wont hold speed in overdrive. It has started to shudder even in third. I noticed that the guy who changed my transmission fluid drove it alot and kept adjusting something. What if anything could he have done to make my transmission do this. All this started the day he changed my fluid. The transmission is now slipping alot and I have very little power. I can punch it and it will shudder real bad and is slow on takeoffs. It also dosn't down shift like it used to. All you help and suggestions are wellcome.
Thanks Ricky

 

I Have an AOD transmission by the way

 

sounds like it's low on fluid, or he was screwin' with the TV cable

 

Sounds to me like the TV cable is out of adjustment.

 

I know this is going to sound bad on my part.....but has honestly worked for alot of others in the past...Never change your fluids or filter ever...everytime I ever had my transmission worked on by me or someone else...I ended up rebuilding the tranny....sounds stupid doesnt it....5 cars and 7 transmissions later....I dont mess with them ..I had a 70 gto and bottomed out and busted my trans pan....changed that and the filter since I had it off and guess what...bam 2 months later ...rebuilding the trans....bought my first truck...changed the filter after having it for 6 months....wow 1 week later rebuilding the trans....had a shift kit installed later....lol burnt it up thanks to the trans shop..."bunch of alcoholics",thats when I built my current trans for this truck....9 years and going....bought a nissan 300zx ....burnt it up ....why....brought it to the shop to change the front seal....2nd tranny for the Z...burnt it up ...bought it from a Jspec importer who changed the fluids...lasted 3 months....bought an eclipse for my girlfriend that had a burnt transmission and the girl stated she had the transmission flushed along with a 100,000 mile tune up....she burnt it up in the next 4 months...I put a used motor in ...never opened it up ,just slapped it in and hooked it up....still running today...Personally I think I need to open a tranny shop because I have alot of problems with automatic trannys...I need to quit my job and learn that trade......I am about to change my TCC solenoid on my Cadillac sts and if my tranny goes out in the next 6 months I will definitly add that to this thread...nothings wrong with the transmission except that the TCC/PWM solenoid is locking and not releasing causing the trans fluid pressure to vent out of the torque converter....sounds crazy....but my front seal isnt leaking anywhere ....and if you ask a transmission place if this is possible they all say no....because they want you to spend the 500-1200 dollars to pull the trans , when all they gonna do is pull the pan off and change the solenoid at a cost of $100 dollars for parts and time.

 

i totally disagree with the no change fluid route.

i never had a trans. shop do it, i do it myself.

to get back to the problem, tv cable out of adjustment is probably it.

 

the TV cable is out of adjustment

 

unless you tackle the torque converter. I suck the trans fluid out with a pump down the dipstick every 20000 miles. Tranny has never given me any problems and the truck has 125000 miles on it.......chris3

 

you're doing something wrong or it's just coincidence that you always have a tranny go out after changing the filter and fluid. ------ sounds like the guy you took your tranny to messed with the adjustment on the tv cable. i'd take it back and ask about it, look at your bill also and see if he charged you for more than just changing the fluid.

ps. this is why i try to do as much of my own maintenance as possible. i went into a parts store the other day with my dad looking for several parts and the guy behind the counter didn't know anything beyond what showed on the computer screen. i told my dad when we left that if that's all the knowledge it takes to work at a parts store i'd be the manager.

 

There is *some* truth to what he said, if you wait too long to change the fluid, then I have been told it is better not to change it at all. The reason is the new fluid will break loose scale that has built up and it usually blocks some valve or screen and this burns up the trans.

However, changing the fluid regularly is better than not. I changed the fluid and filter every 40K miles on my '91 Bronco and it has 242K on the original E4OD, so your rule doesn't apply to me, but if you wait until 100K before you think about it, then it might be better to leave it alone.

 

That is probably some of the worst advice I've read in a long time. It defies all logic and reasoning, and flies in the face of every owner's manual ever printed.

Jas88, I have a 90 Bronco with the original E4OD - 127k on it so far. Fluid and filter flush every 15k.

 

Thats exactly why I do all the service to my vehicles myself. It's a possibility that the shop did something to your tranny to screw it up, knowing you would be back in to them for a rebuild or to fix it or whatever. I don't know if you've used the same shop all these years, but if you have, they were probably laughing all the way to the bank after about the 2nd or 3rd transmission you went through.

 

Thanks I Checked out the cable. What would you suggest i do about it?? I dont know wich way to adjust it. I do notice that when at an idle it has slack in it, were i think it used to be pulled tight. I checked the fluid it looks good. Its just at the full mark. Thanks for all the advice.
Ricky

 

i would suggest you go to the page in your manual that has the adjustment procedure on it.

 

I change mine about every 40K or not at all ... my last VW had 165K on the OEM tranny oil with a little added over the 11 years I had it. Now the 80 Stang with a 4 speed toploader started locking up the shifter at around 60K or less .... had to change the oil in that about every 6K when I had to pull it to fix the rod that would vibrate out of place, a shop finally fixed that after I broke the input shaft on a junkyard tranny, that was a 2.3L 4 banger, they put a freezeplug between the bell housing and tranny body blocking the path of the rod that would walk out all the time. I think I have had the worst experience with Ford Trannies ... hope it's not the same on the M5OD.

Now with the Automatics ... I don't have that much experience, the FMX in my 73 stang ... the fastback I had in high school before the Mach1 I have now, it went about 3-4 weeks after a fluid and filter change I did. I didn't drain the converter. The Honda is doing fine though .... I bought it after some of the alcoholics changed the radiator and tore one of the tranny cooling hoses.

I still prefer Manuals .... they seem to give me less trouble, even though I wish I'd gotten an Auto in the F150.