cold tranny hesitation (1 Viewer)

[semlin]

Today and Tuesday were both coldish with frost on the windows. Warmed up the truck first thing in the am, put it in gear, gave it gas and it was like the clutch was slipping on a manual tranny, you give it revs but it moves very slowly. On Tuesday I switched into neutral and back into d and it was fine. Today when it happened I actually kept my foot on the gas and it became normal after creeping along for the first 20 feet. It did this once last winter.

Any ideas?

 

[cruiserdan]

Yes,

It sounds like the transmission was not in 1st gear even though it shoud have been. You probably have a shift solinoid going out. 85420-60050 is the part number for a 442. The transmission uses two of them. I had a similar thing happen to me earlier this year. I replaced both of them in mine while it was apart.
You probably only need one. They list for $163.36 each and a smart shopper could score one for about 122 bucks.

They are attached to the valve body and replacement requires removal of the transmission oil pan.

Probably not what you wanted to hear :-\

D-

 

[semlin]

thanks Dan -- only comment is that it did seem to move very slowly (not rolling). Why would it move at all if it was not in gear?

 

[cruiserdan]

It was in third gear when it needed to be in first.

 

[cruiserman]

IMO you should change the fluid and adjust the kickdown cable before you open it up.

 

[PHAEDRUS]

agree with cruiserman on this one. Dan is probably on it but adjusting the kick down is relatively painless and the fluid should probably be done anyway.
Dave

 

[92Cruiser]

Semlin,

I have the same problem when it gets cold out. I live in Minnesota and the last few nights have gotten pretty low in the temps. After starting the truck in the morning and letting it run a few minutes I'll put it in D and step on the gas. Mine will take off like normal for the first 5-10 feet then slow way down like I took my foot off the gas pedal. Then after another 10 feet or so it will go like normal. When it warms up it won't do it again. I could never figure out why it did this. I hope Dan's wrong, but I doubt it.


Brian

 

[semlin]

it had a full non pressurized flush and new fluid within last 8k, but I will look into the kick down if only to stay in denial a little longer. Are you talking about the adjustment written up in the tech section?

dan how many bananas are we talking for the solinoid?

 

[cruiserdan]

I do hope, for the sake of Simon's billfold, that I have missed the boat.

I fear not though, as this is the fourth vehicle that I know of that has exibited this behavior. The three previous vehicles were repaired with solenoids :-\

I also know of one vehicle that yaked coolant from a leaking PHH on to the neutral safety switch connector. It shorted the switch and confused the hell out of the transmission.

Replacement is straight forward. Drain and drop the pan and the solenoids are right there. It would add about 15-20 minutes to a standard "drop the pan and clean it up" job.


D-

 

[cruiserman]

Sounds like an easy fix. Anything else to do in there besides clean the screen?

Kickdown cable is mounted on the firewall side of the throttle body. Spec is 1mm sticking out of the boot, but I would just play around with it a little to see if it helps.

 

[cruiserdan]

Just wipe out the pan and clean the magnets.

 

[semlin]

If cold weather is a factor for brian too, I wonder if just cleaning everything up real good might do the job. I might appeal to my scotch origins and try that first.

May as well check the phh while I'm at it.

 

[Riley]

Simon - We could check the PHH when we're doing your birfs weekend after next (if you can wait that long).

Once the rim is off it should be easy. I got the scope from Dan awhile ago.

R

 

[semlin]

Riley, sounds good to me. I'll spare you the tranny pan drop though <insert grin face here>

 

[IdahoDoug]

Interesting. Several years ago, my truck started off in what I judged to be 3rd gear twice in the space of a month. It was summer, and both times happened simply after stopping at a light or somesuch. Pulling away, the truck was in 3rd from rest and the second time it happened I instinctively pulled the tranny selector into 1st and it shifted into 1st, then put it back into D and all was normal. Never did it again, and that was around 90k miles. I've never had the cold shift issue.

My tranny has been regularly drained, has lots of heavy tow miles, and I adjusted my kickdown cable to smooth out the 1-2 shift a couple years later. If this happened to me, I'd get under there with some contact cleaner and clean out any connections to/on the tranny, then also change the fluid a couple times before putting in solenoids. My experience may show that this circuit is unusually sensitive to good connections, and cold temps may change resistance enough if these connections are dirty.

Dan, is the connector you speak of the above the starter that's wrapped in foam?

Doug

 

[cruiserdan]

Doug that is correct. IIRC it is a round body and it is located such that it is below and a bit to the rear of the PHH. The vehicle I described had a seeping PHH for quite some time. Dirty Fingernails worked on that with a teensy assist from me. He found the problem. The connector was coated in crusty, dried, nasty coolant. the terminals were rotted almost clear thru.
He was able to repair the connection.

Get this, the vehicle owner DID NOT want the hose fixed So, DF put a big old band-aid on it and wished him luck :whoops: .

In the case of my vehicle, the shift solinoid was starting to fail and was getting a mind of it's own. It got progressively worse and I did not want to be on the launch ramp when it decided to quit for good