As posted earlier, dielectric grease on the spring - plug contact won't hurt a thing. Matter of fact, it will keep corrosion from developing, what it's designed for.

 

Well, after checking all the spark plugs again and the coils, I was bummed to find everything in working order. All the coils fire strong and all spark plugs are good. I was bummed because it put me back at square one. I was excited because nothing in the ignition system is faulty.

however, I caught onto something today. I thought I had used the correct fluid when I changed the filter. Apparently though, I used Castrol DEX/MERC ATF, not MERCON V fluid. I saw the MERC on the Castrol container and assumed it was a synthetic blend or something and was fine to use. I failed to read the back side label where it says to NOT use in the transmissions calling for MERCON V fluid.

So a new filter and transmission fluid flush are in order ASAP. Fortunately, the vehicle wont be driven until that happens.

Just for my own knowledge, and perhaps once I look it up I will have my answer, but why is not alright to use just any transmission fluid? I didn't realize there was THAT much of a difference..

 

You don't need to change the filter again - just go get a full exchange done with a machine.

 

Alright. The filter wont be effected after having run DEX through it? I mean, what you're saying makes sense, I just don't want to spend the money for a full fluid exchange then still have problems. Though I understand that a full exchange would push anything out that's not supposed to be in there.

 

Air volume is air volume. Doesn't matter where the MAF is as long as its in the air stream.

That being said: If the intake is a bigger or smaller diameter, volume stays the same, but speed is altered.

 

EXACTLY! And if the air velocity is changed for a given air flow, the MAF transfer function is thrown off. This is the reason for staying with the OEM intake.

 

No guarantee that an exchange will fix your issues, but a tiny amount of Dexron in the system won't hurt anything.

 

I'm pretty much having the same exact issue. 2006 4x4, 5.4L Flex Fuel. If I'm on a somewhat flat road, traveling at around 45/50MPH and I lightly press the gas pedal to accelerate, just before the trans wants to downshift, it starts jerking and shaking. It only does it when it's downshifting from OD to 3rd gear. If it starts jerking and shaking, and I turn OD off, the jerking and shaking goes away.

I took it to the shop last week and they did a trans service on it (fluid, filter, etc.) but I still had the issue. Took the truck back to the shop on Monday and they diagnosed the trans and found nothing wrong with it, BUT they found I had a misfire on the #4 cylinder (I had noticed the truck was skipping but could never get it to throw a code). They're putting a new coil on it (had the plugs changed out about 30k miles ago) today and I'll see if that works. If it still skips, I'll replace the #4 spark plug. Once the skipping goes away, I'll be able to tell if that was causing my truck to jerk and shake.

 

The transmission is designed for the synthetics superior lubrication and life. Go to a different fluid type and it shudders, bad shifts and fails in 10'2 of thousands of miles for sure. The OD thing may be the old actuator clip broken and on the valve body or in it in pieces ?