Notices
1978 - 1996 Big Bronco  
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

E4OD Shift Flair??

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Sep 1, 2009 | 03:46 PM
  #1  
bfwill's Avatar
bfwill
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
E4OD Shift Flair??

I have a '91 Ful size Bronco and lately the transmission has been shifting from OD back into 3rd (E4OD). I've heard this action called "Shift Flair". What is it and what causes it. Any help is appreciated.
 
Reply
Old Sep 1, 2009 | 05:37 PM
  #2  
Kemicalburns's Avatar
Kemicalburns
Hotshot
20 Year Member
Liked
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,285
Likes: 12
From: Bend,OR
could be a few different reasons. is your tranny fluid full? when was the fluid/filter changed last? have you pulled the sensor on top of the rear diff out and cleaned it up and gotten any change? is the od light blinking? Have you pulled codes?

www.fordfuelinjection.com has a write up on pulling codes using a paperclip.
 
Reply
Old Sep 2, 2009 | 01:12 AM
  #3  
greystreak92's Avatar
greystreak92
Lead Driver
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 9,182
Likes: 12
From: Gateway to the West
Club FTE Gold Member
Welcome to FTE and the Big Bronco Forum. We will endeavor to get you the most accurate information we can muster.

Follow Kem's advice on every point. I've never heard it called "flair" but I have heard it referred to as "hunting". Basically its a symptom of some issue (see Kemicalburns' post) that is allowing the transmission to jump up and down between two gears (hunt for the right one). Typically the E4OD suffers from this between 3rd and 4th (OD) and there are many possible causes.
 
Reply
Old Sep 2, 2009 | 09:06 AM
  #4  
bfwill's Avatar
bfwill
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Talking shift flair

Many thanks for the info. Tranny was rebuilt 3 years ago. Have changed fluid 2 times since. Latest was 2000 miles ago. Looks nice and clean, no bad odor. OD light is not blinking. Today is my last 12 hour day so tomorrow I will pull VSS and also check for codes. Have not gotten any CEL warnings. Should I pull both KOEO & KOER codes?
Thanks again................
 
Reply
Old Sep 2, 2009 | 09:56 AM
  #5  
greystreak92's Avatar
greystreak92
Lead Driver
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 9,182
Likes: 12
From: Gateway to the West
Club FTE Gold Member
It never hurts to get results from both tests. Since the transmission is part of the dynamic changes to the system the KOER test, while more tedious, will most likely give you more accurate results.
 
Reply
Old Sep 2, 2009 | 11:49 AM
  #6  
Kemicalburns's Avatar
Kemicalburns
Hotshot
20 Year Member
Liked
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 14,285
Likes: 12
From: Bend,OR
who serviced the tranny last? if the filter has dropped out it could have caused this hunting. Or perhaps solenoid pack may be having issues. who did the tranny rebuild, you might swing it by there shop and pick there brain.

also what size tires are you running?
 
Reply
Old Sep 3, 2009 | 09:04 PM
  #7  
cmcolfax's Avatar
cmcolfax
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 178
Likes: 1
From: Richmond, VA
Originally Posted by bfwill
I have a '91 Ful size Bronco and lately the transmission has been shifting from OD back into 3rd (E4OD). I've heard this action called "Shift Flair". What is it and what causes it. Any help is appreciated.
Originally Posted by Kemicalburns
could be a few different reasons. is your tranny fluid full? when was the fluid/filter changed last? have you pulled the sensor on top of the rear diff out and cleaned it up and gotten any change? is the od light blinking? Have you pulled codes?

www.fordfuelinjection.com has a write up on pulling codes using a paperclip.
Originally Posted by greystreak92
Welcome to FTE and the Big Bronco Forum. We will endeavor to get you the most accurate information we can muster.

Follow Kem's advice on every point. I've never heard it called "flair" but I have heard it referred to as "hunting". Basically its a symptom of some issue (see Kemicalburns' post) that is allowing the transmission to jump up and down between two gears (hunt for the right one). Typically the E4OD suffers from this between 3rd and 4th (OD) and there are many possible causes.
Originally Posted by greystreak92
It never hurts to get results from both tests. Since the transmission is part of the dynamic changes to the system the KOER test, while more tedious, will most likely give you more accurate results.
Hey guys... while I don't have a Big Bronco... I have it's longer wheel-based, back-seat-less cousin... a 92 F-150... it is having similar issues.

5.0L / E4OD / 113K miles

Tranny feels like it drops in to OD as soon as I let off the throttle. Have to go hard WOT to get it to kick back down.

I have only had the truck for about a month, and been catching up on the PM that was neglected for the past 17 years.

Have not changed tranny fluid/filter yet... it's on the "to do" list for next week. Based on everything else I have found with this truck, it may be the original fluid. Full, very brown, not red, no odor.

KOEO showed no transmission related codes. Just EGR/HEGO related ones (33 / 41).

No OD light blinking.

I can pull KOER codes this weekend.

And pull/clean/re-install the VSS.

Any other thoughts?

Thanks!

-cmc-
 
Reply
Old Sep 4, 2009 | 12:43 AM
  #8  
greystreak92's Avatar
greystreak92
Lead Driver
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 9,182
Likes: 12
From: Gateway to the West
Club FTE Gold Member
What is the consistency of the fluid? Brown is indicative of old fluid that has at least overheated if not burned. If it feels thin when its cold its probably broken down and won't hold hydraulic pressure especially when you consider that it will lose what little viscosity that it has when it heats up again. If you change the fluid and filter, take extra care to examine/clean the magnet in the pan. Any transmission that has not seen regular fluid changes is going to have excessive amounts of metal in the fluid and pan. Fortunately, the magnet is there to help trap this crud before it recirculates back through the system and causes damage.

There is an outside chance that the fluid/filter change won't cure this issue. If not, well, you are out of my range of expertise and into the professional transmission guys realm.
 
Reply
FTE Stories

Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts

story-0

Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership

 Brett Foote
story-2

10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-3

Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained

 Brett Foote
story-4

10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-6

Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

 Brett Foote
story-9

Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

 Joe Kucinski
Old Sep 4, 2009 | 09:22 PM
  #9  
cmcolfax's Avatar
cmcolfax
Mountain Pass
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 178
Likes: 1
From: Richmond, VA
Thanks... I'll post more info when I can get back to working on the truck... prolly Monday.

-cmc-
 
Reply
Old Sep 13, 2009 | 11:38 AM
  #10  
bfwill's Avatar
bfwill
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Sorry for the long delay in responding to your great information. Finally pulled the codes. No codes on KOER but, on KOEO I got a 628 (Excessive Torque Converter Clutch Slippage). No what I wanted to hear but did expect something along that range. Cleaned and sealed both the VSS and SLPS before pulling codes. Guess it means replacing the TC. Appreciate all the info and input.
 
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Northriver
6.0L Power Stroke Diesel
64
Sep 30, 2023 06:18 PM
the droom
1968-Present E-Series Van/Cutaway/Chassis
2
Sep 29, 2015 06:09 AM
spankydxm
Small Block V8 (221, 260, 289, 5.0/302, 5.8/351W)
3
Jul 14, 2009 03:32 PM
Cdy1
Clutch, Transmission, Differential, Axle & Transfer Case
9
Jan 11, 2009 02:33 PM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:38 AM.

story-0
Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals

Slideshow: Top 10 Fords at 2026 Ford Nationals

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-09 11:10:08


VIEW MORE
story-1
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership

Based on years of owning multiple modern Ford products.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-09 10:53:36


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches

SPONSORED: From muddy boots to rain-soaked cargo, these upgrades address some of the most common frustrations Ford truck owners face every day.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-06-08 18:50:34


VIEW MORE
story-3
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained

Here's everything you need to know about every Ford engine available for the 2026 model year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-05 12:58:01


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Ford trucks that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 09:51:16


VIEW MORE
story-5
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: the best gifts for dads & grads

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:58


VIEW MORE
story-6
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-03 11:38:36


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

Slideshow: 10 most expensive Ford trucks ever sold on Bring a Trailer.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:24:34


VIEW MORE
story-8
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

Here's everything that has changed for the latest model year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-27 16:17:28


VIEW MORE
story-9
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

Slideshow: Top 10 Ford truck tragedies.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-18 19:34:33


VIEW MORE