I've been reading through the posts and haven't seen anything discussed like this but was wondering if anyone's had the same problems that I have. It's my first post so I hope to thoroughly explain myself. Sorry if it's long...

Background;
'04 F150, 71K miles, Crewcab, 4x4, Towing package, 5.4L Triton, tire size - 265/70R18
I checked my TR code with the tranny info page and I have a 4R75E.

Problem;
Driving down the road at 45mph the tranny can't decide wheither to be in 4th or overdrive. If I'm accellerating from stop it'll go thru all gears, into 4th and will switch to OD. If I stay at 45 and keep on the gas, it'll usually stay in od, but sometimes will switch back and forth between 4th and OD like it doesn't know where it wants to be. If I'm crusing at 43mph it'll be in 4th, at 47mph, OD. If I'm going 45 and let off the gas (ie coasting) and then smoothly hit the gas, the tranny will still be in OD, JOLT into 4th, and then smoothly switch back to OD and I'll be going 45 again. If I punch the gas to really get going while coasting it will JOLT again but just stay in 4th longer until it goes smoothly into OD.

The weird thing, it doesn't always do this. Only sometimes, maybe once or twice on either on my morning commute or evening commute. According to the stealership, I mean dealership, "it's normal opperation." Most roads around here are 45mpd so I've either been going slower or faster to stay in 1 gear...

Does anyone else have symptoms like this??? Anyone know how to fix it???

Thanks in advance!

 

First, 4th is OD. The "shift" you are feeling is the torquer converter locking and unlocking. The TC will unlock before you get a shift from OD to 3rd. After the unlock of the TC, if you keep giving it gas is the shift to 3rd. The reason you feel this is 45 is about the limit for OD anyway. Below that and the trannie may not even shift into OD. If it is constantly shifting back and forth, then you should lock out OD for those times.
Normal operation, yes.

 

I second kingfish, its normal. If you have a tach, the convertor changes rpm between 200 and 300 r's.

 

ok, well you guys certainly calmed me down. I was worrying that it was something in my tranny that was going out. I'm new to f-150's so thanks for helping out. Want to know anything about a jeep and I'm your man, but as far as these "new" (new being my '04) trucks, I'm clueless. My wrangler currently has 2.5 ton militarys under it being pushed by a sbc 350 and a th400.... Appreciate the help.

 

im new to the forum. this is my first post and i apologize if i am in the wrong thread. but i am haveing the same issue. i have an 06 E250. i just rebuild the tranny (4r75e) new: frictions, steels, OD servo, TC seals and gaskest. fluid and filter. it will not shift into OD until about 70 mph and then if you maintain that speed, it keeps jumping in and out of O.D. every few seconds. RPMs shoot back and forth from 300 to 400 (or thousand i think) i have had it in and out 3 times now and everything checks out good. if its NOT an OD issue and its a TC lockup isssue. its definitley not normal. sometimes it slams pretty hard when dropping down and shifting back up. ive only been rebuilding trannys for about a year and so far this is the only tranny ive ran into any kind of trouble with. any help would be greatly appreciated

 

Thumpy, welcome to the forum.

Your problem, like UCF's sounds to me like a torque converter that is repeatedly unlocking and locking back up. This certainly happens to my truck on mild uphill climbs where I have to give it a little extra gas to maintain a speed of 70-75 mph. But, it does not happen on level ground at a constant speed where the load on the engine and transmission does not change.

I THINK you are in 4th gear (OD) at that speed but why the torque converter should be unlocking and locking is beyond my feeble knowledge level. It unlocks according to load, so somehow, the PCM is sensing a load that is increasing and decreasing. Maybe, there's a sensor that is malfunctioning? (I don't know - I'm just making a wildassed guess).

- Jack

 

i forgot to mention when it is acting up i can turn the O.D. switch off and it stops doing it. of course the RPMs are at about 300 at 65 to 70 mph. as soon as i turn the OD switch back on it goes back to jumping in and out of OD or lockup.

 

Have you had the OBD2 scanned for any trouble codes? It takes a high end scanner to read Ford transmission codes, the free scans at Autozone and other parts stores can't read those.

 

You might want to service your trany if it hasn't been done in 30K. Filter and fluid, not just the fluid. These paper filters will clog and cause low pressure in the trans. What Jack is true. it's normal operation. I would still service it.

 

I just put one of these on my 2004 F150 STX 4X4 4.6 (W) 4R75W trans. Makes it easy to change the fluid between filter changes.
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Auto-Trans-Oi...-/351351356358

 

Rev - you may be getting the posters confused. The poster that reopened an 8 year old thread and who Jack and I responded to just rebuilt the tranny. Ignore all posts before #5.

This is why people should not reopen old threads with their own issues, they should start a new thread.

 

yeah i got a good scanner no codes. but i did figure out the problem. . the overdrive regulator valve spring in the valve body was broken. i put a sure cure kit in it and she purrrrrrrsss like a kitten. but i'll tell what. you guys are all awsome. i will be in here alot too cuz i can rebuild but im lowsy at diagnostics
cheers
thom

 

Excellent!

Next time, please start a new thread. Thanks! Searching out old threads is great for reading and getting ideas, but you will get much better attention in your own new thread.

 

D

 

I realize that this is an ancient post but i have had that problem for 6 months or longer. I resolved yhe problem today and it isn't even remotely related to the trany itself. After much study on the topic I did the simplest thing i could do, change the oil and filter. No change at all. I had looked seriously at the tps as a strong possibility being the problem because of the way blpping the throttle stopped the yo-yo clutch lock-up.
In the meantime i had been noticing a decrease in gas milage and was hoping that wasn't being caused by slipping clutches. I decided to change plugs first. 78,000 miles and they weren't real bad looking, only one plug looked somewhat bad. When I took the truck out for a yest run the tcc jumping was gone.
What is happening is as the engine declined in performance an increase in throttle position is needed to compensate. Enough change in the tps to tell the computer to release the tcc in preparation for a downshift!!!! So for those that have this problem check the plugs and if that doesn't do it look at the fuel system next. Then consider the tps as a possibility. The pain in the butt about this is that there is no computer code showing up to help with the diagnosis.
Hope this helps someone out and save them some time.!!