Hey, Guys,
Factory_Tech is correct. It's not that the engineers can't give you tire ripping shifts and all the potential the truck has. You have Executives,CheifEngineers,Managers all getting into these trucks to test them. They make the call. It's what they think is best for the customer.

 

Lets see,then maybe they need to post a sign on the dash saying please don't start this truck,our company realizes it's to fast and handles like a nice sports car,so it's our best belief this vehicle is just to much for you to handle...."YOU WANT THE TRUTH, YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH" Lets see where did I hear that!!!!
Hey guys let em run,we have this 4 cylinder shift problem in hand,either play their game or as another celeb might say " CHIP IT"

 

It seems like my truck always hits second gear just about the time someone decides thay want to race from a roll. It sux because when I floor it there is nothing there because of the 2/3 "whatever". I think it's time for a chip!!!

 

About the JDM val3 program, can you be more specific awhittle or anyone else? Is it for a CUX2 computer? I spoke to Jim recently and he didn't mention the "go - the bang" program. Maybe I didn't ask the right questions.

If anyone is running this "go - the bang" program I'd be very interested in hearing how it works for you.

Fast Gator, the PSP program you mentioned would be great, except that I have Superchips module I'd like to re-use.

 

The val3 is for a 2000 cux2 with all other parts stock. Just ask Jim about the program by the name val3. It is a great combination if your truck is a daily driver and you want it to last and not have the wife look at you every time it hits a shift

AW

E_Mail me at andyw@ncs-stl.com for more details

 

The truck is calibrated by the trans calibrators to pull spark and drop cylinders to keep from frying the clutches. This method is used by all car makers that have vehicles producing large amounts of torque. If you want you parts to last you can't subject them to 100% of the torque at every shift.

Also, the only failsafe program in the PCM is called (FMEM) Failure Mode Effects Management.

The failure mode effects management strategy protects vehicle function from adverse effects of EEC component failure. It's the strategy that recognizes open or short circuit failure on certain sensors. If the continuous self-test logic recognizes a failure the FMEM strategy will execute an alternative vehicle strategy.

The alternative strategy disables logic which relies on realistic sensor values. We do have FMEM strategies that substitute a safe value for the bad sensor. Without FMEM the vehicle would stall,spark knock or have tip-in stumbles. This is what gets you to the dealer.

You can look at it, that pulling spark and shutting down the cylinders is a failsafe. It's just the way it was calibrated to get maximum performance, and extend the life of the trans. Put a shift kit in it. It's better for the trans.

These L's are torque monsters. Ford has to think about the few out there that want the driveability (nice shifts) where as most of us would like the hard shifts. The big men at Ford in the management drives decide if it's shifting too hard! Just think if you didn't have the cylinders shutting down and we had all eight, the tires would never hook up.

Edited.

 

Factory_Tech and Thor01, Thank you for posting. I know that this is accurate information. I think we are finally getting to the bottom line on this. Ford's reasoning for the stock program shift strategy is being proven as we speak. There is proof that Ford was right about this. There are numerous Lightnings that have transmission problems after using chips.

I have heard of faulty transmissions in non-chipped L's, but I don't recall anyone having a problem with clutch packs in a non-chipped L. The computer should not be changed in regards to the shifts. Firm up the shifts with a moderate shift kit and/or accumulator valve.

 

mracer,
Thanks! I go by what Factory_Tech says. He builds them, He knows! I just know a little about the calibration part of the job. As far as transmission problems from using a chip. I don't know. I don't recomend changing the settings. Ford has this truck set at those shift points for a reason. Everything has a breaking point. There are some who like to live on the edge. I just hate to see Ford pay for it, when a truck has been taken past it's limitations.

 

Gee, Thor, coming from you, I'll take that as a big compliment. I'm guessing you work for the same Uncle as me. I've said more than a few times, electronics are way beyond me, I just knows the boxes.

Thanks,
G

 

Your posts pertaining to the chip and it's affect on the transmission have been quite enLightning (pun intended).

I have a 2001 L with a Diablo chip and recently started to hear a strange sound (within the last 24 hours).

It sounds as though my blower belt or fan belt might be slipping (trying to give you an idea of the type of sound) when agressively accelerating and easing up before hitting 2nd or 3rd. At least that's what I thought it might be. It lasts no more than a split second at the end of the shift duration.

Then I remembered your post in this thread regarding chips that raise the line pressure to give a better shift. I had my chip installed around 2,800 miles and I am now at 3,900. Yesterday, while accelerating, I let up as described earlier and experienced a pretty large hit into the next gear.

Later I noticed the noise I've mentioned. Everything shifts fine and if I am not letting up before hitting the next gear, I don't hear a thing.

Based on the posts from everyone else here, I am not nailing the vehicle like everyone else. But my question to you is... does this sound like I've toasted it or does it sound like the early stages of the bearings heading south? I certainly don't want to fry anything and I will have the chip reburned to elimate the line pressure changes plus I'll search the board for the aforementioned acumulator and install it.

I appreciate your input and advice. Great stuff!!

Of course I could be over-reacting... being a new L owner and reading all this cool stuff (is that the sky falling? ).

Open for input.

 

rickgig,
I'm not a trans person, I'm a Ford Tech. Did you pull the chip to correlate the problem? If it no longer has the issue after removing the chip. clean the PCM tab again just to make sure the chip didn't come loose and make sure it is clean. Install it again. If the problem starts up after installing it, call the tuner that sent you the chip.

If it's not the chip don't put it back in until you find out what the problem is. You can also get a paint-pen and mark the s/c belt and pulley to see if it is sliping. Check your trans fluid level and trans electrical connectors at the trans. Look for visual problems.

You can pull the belt off the supercharger and see if it is the accessory drive belt making the noise. Also note down rpm,vehicle speed and aprox pedal position when it happens. Does it do it hot or cold? Both? Write it down, the information will help eliminate some of the posibilities. Best of luck. Post what you find so we have a record. Others may experience this later also.

If F_T get's on hear do what he tells you before what I mentioned. He may have an easy way for you to test without having to go through the above. Others on hear will have some good ideas to try. Best of luck!

 

OK,here we go again...You have to understand that FORD has decided for us just how our trucks should run.....Don't let it shift to hard, the tranny is a goner.But this is even better I had piston whip,guess what caused it using Mobil synthetic 1 if that ain't a crock of *****!But to their wise discovery the friggin bearing was spun and it was new motor time"unreal".So we get the new motor,and the tranny goes,so we get the tranny fixed and the intercooler goes,get that fixed then clunking sound from the front of the vehicle. Get that fixed then some wiper recall,so now I'm guessing the chip made the wipers go to fast or slam down to hard!!!!It just never ends....I'm sure someone can build a transmission that is suited for the truck.And I'm a bit sorry i ditched the Vette,I had no problems with it!!!!!Nada,none, zip!!!!
So I guess it's time for someone from SVT to really give a ***** and listen to what our concerns are..You can go to the SVT get togethers ,road race,all that , but don't you dare race that truck at your local drag strip......I was told by a Ford person we know you race your truck, well dah,why did I buy a supercharged truck,it ain't like I'm in a hurry to get to Home Depot and haul lumber.
J MAN

 

Thor...

I appreciate your input. I haven't pulled the chip yet and will do so if I don't hear from F_T.

I didn't realize that the motor would run without the blower belt. At least that's what I assume you meant when you said to remove it and see if it's your accessory belt.

Anyway... I looked at the blower belt and can easily move the pullies below the blower, with my hands. Granted it the smooth side of the belt and the surface of the pully is flat.

When I first picked up my L from the dealer, I had driven it a week and while cleaning under the hood, I notice the belt was frayed in a few spots. Further inspection showed that it was either installed improperly or it slipped over the edge oif the bottom pully and stayed there, causing the wear on the belt.

Dealer replaced it and that was that.

It does seem loose to me. Anyway... I will have the dealer check it when they reburn my chip.

Thanks for the input.

As an FYI... I used to hang around on the various Viper BB's. The folks on the L boards can hold their heads up high. They really go the extra distance to help someone in need.

Later,

Rick

 

What Thor said, I'd do. Check for any obvious things first. It's kind of hard to explain what I do and how I diagnose a problem as opposed to what a dealer tech does. When I work on a box, I get it from a test stand that tells me exactly what the box is doing, say I get an "876" 1-2 shift feels soft. Now I know that 9 out of 10 times that's a leaky valve in an accumulator, (the B bore, to be exact) but the 10th time I have to dig around, ussually a plate stack assembled wrong, could be a leaky seal in the forward clutch, but every tiem I work on it, I get a whole lot of data telling me what it did, pressure during the shift, before and after, torque readings etc..., the point is I get data from a pretty cool machine that no dealer has access to. A dealer tech listens to what you tell him, drives the truck and goes by what it appears to react to whatever the real problem is. the 876 I mentioned above is pretty easy, it's slipping on the 1-2 shift, but I get all kinds of other inputs, delayed engage (it tells me how long it took to engage) which is about 5 different maybes, but from a reading of the data I can eliminate some of those (the dealer would be stuck on that) and this isn't even getting into say a 325 TSS Delta Volts low,(that's a bad sensor) and it goes on and on. The point is, a dealer is much better at telling you what could be wrong from your description of what it's doing in the truck, but working from what the sensors in the box tell the PCM, or from a test stand reading, is where I can really know what to do. Granted, I've seen a lot of the problems I get on real trucks, and I can tell you what to do on those, but on quite a few things I work from information that is hard to relate to what it would act like in a vehicle. I hope this helps,

G

 

Sorta helps. At least I thought it did.

I will follow Thors' recommendations and have the chip reburned to elimate any line pressure changes.

Then I will install the accumulator, pan and filter.

But first, I'll try and diagnose the problem as recommended by Thor.

Thanks guys