A442F Transmission Issue UPDATE: Seems like a motor issue instead. (1 Viewer)

[Red Merle]

I am having a new transmission issue that I have never had before. A little back story...I took most of the front end of the body apart to install a new fender along with a bunch of other stuff and the truck has been sitting for about 6 weeks. I removed the trans cooler and the radiator and I thought I had the lines from the radiator hooked up right but that is the only thing that I can think of that I messed with that had to do with the trans.

The fluid level is good and the fluid itself is all new within the last 7K miles and is still bright red.

What happens is that the tranny will start to lug, like it very rapidly loses and regains power. It seems to happen in all forward gears, but I haven't tried reverse yet. Switching the OD on and off doesn't seem to have any effect. If I remove my foot from the accelerator briefly when the truck is lugging and then push down again, it will get slightly better but then will keep doing it a few seconds later.

I tried searching and didn't see anyone with this type of issue. It's almost like there is air in the lines or something.

Any ideas or other things that I could add to help with the diagnosis?

 

[BILT4ME]

Did you install any NEW hoses on it?

 

[Red Merle]

Did you install any NEW hoses on it?

No. I just looked closely at the old ones and they appeared to be fine. I was just under there and there doesn't seem to be any leaks or anything. I also checked the electrical connections to the trans and filled the last one that wasn't already done with dialectric grease.

 

[Red Merle]

The throttle cable also seems fine.

 

[BILT4ME]

I assume you've checked the fluid level when warm, in drive, idling?

 

[ZackR]

I don't think it has anything to do with the trans cooler lines, once the engine is running any air in those would be flushed out. I'd double check that the throttle cables are tight and that there are no codes from the transmission.

Does it do the same thing in "PWR" mode?

 

[Red Merle]

Update:

OK, I don't think this is a trans issue. I took a video of me holding the throttle steady and you can hear what it is doing. This is bypassing the cable so that shouldn't be an issue. The motor runs really poorly compared to normal and I can't get the RPMs to climb past what you see here. There is no CEL on either. I can't see any vacuum line issues either.

I am stumped.

 

[ZackR]

Have you checked out injector the wiring harness for shorting by the EGR? I can't recall if that was something you tackled in the past during another project.

 

[Red Merle]

My EGR has been deleted and there were no wire problems at that time and I wrapped the harness with carbon fiber.

I did pull the ECU when I was working on the AC evaporator. I may give that a look.

 

[Red Merle]

OK, I pulled the wires out of the ECU, put some grease on them and reconnected. No change. I do have a spare ECU, but I can't figure out why this one would have konked out. I had it stored in a ziplock with desiccant packs while I worked on the other projects.

 

[LINUS]

Is this predictable & constantly repeatable, or more in the “random” -zone?

I’m inclined to the ‘low hanging fruit’ concept like a missed/bad ground, a bumped fusible link going south on you, or something like the intake tube having developed a crack & you’re getting unmetered air.

 

[Red Merle]

Is this predictable & constantly repeatable, or more in the “random” -zone?

I’m inclined to the ‘low hanging fruit’ concept like a missed/bad ground, a bumped fusible link going south on you, or something like the intake tube having developed a crack & you’re getting unmetered air.

It seems to have become predictable in the sense that it happens all the time now.

 

[LINUS]

It’s got to be something in the scope of the panels removed or the wire harness secrions that got bumped or moved in the body panel process.

Best guess anyhow.

 

[LINUS]

Battery come out?

-If so, how about them links & also the terminals themselves?

Also, if it was removed -are you still on your original intake tube?
They’re going to start being the answer to stumbling issues IMO.

 

[Red Merle]

I looked at the fusible links. They are newer and I don't see any signs of problems. I also put some grease in the one wire that plugs in. No change.

 

[Red Merle]

Yep, battery was out. Here is a pic that shows how far I had it apart.

 

[Red Merle]

What's weird is that it ran fine when I first had it all back together. This just started yesterday after driving it a few times since Sunday.

 

[Atwalz]

Check your ground connection.

 

[Red Merle]

I tried shooting some starting fluid on the intake hose and on the throttle body area while it was idling and I inspected them for leaks. No change.

 

[baldilocks]

You say it sat for six weeks. Is there a possibility that a rodent is involved here somehow?