1995 4r55e intermittent slip/shudder when unlocking TC

[ratdude747]

See title for year and model.

Lately, once the truck is warmed up and on the highway, sometimes at medium throttle I get a bit of a shudder/slip when the TC is unlocked. Almost as if the TC is re-locking up... It doesn't do it all the time, and once I give enough gas to disengage OD (or manually disable such), no more shudder. When at cruising speed no issues.

What would cause this? Sticking transmission solenoid?

I'm about due for a fluid & filter change (nearly 30K since the last one), and I'd like to know what else I might want to look at/change while I have the pan and filter off.

The truck/tranny has 179K on it, if that matters.

 

[Dirtman]

What fluid are you using? And yes it could be the TCC solenoid but using improper fluid can do it as well. If you have it serviced at a shop they buy one type of bulk fluid and will dump in an additive to make it compliant for each specific vehicles need. Sometimes they forget that additive and after a while you will get shudder issues, slipping, sticking and all sorts of problems.

 

[Transman304]

Get a tube of this at auto parts store and put it in and drive for a bit and see if your symptoms go away. If it does go ahead and change out your fluid and use MerconV fluid. Don’t use a multi vehicle fluid. Don’t add any more shudder fix with the new.

Dr Tranny Shudder Fix by Lubeguard

 

[Craig0320]

Get a tube of this at auto parts store and put it in and drive for a bit and see if your symptoms go away. If it does go ahead and change out your fluid and use MerconV fluid. Don’t use a multi vehicle fluid. Don’t add any more shudder fix with the new.

Dr Tranny Shudder Fix by Lubeguard

Transman ain't lying. I used this on my old ranger and the problem went away quickly.

 

[ratdude747]

I used Supertech Mercon V (walmart store brand). I think. Whatever I used, it was Mercon V and not muti-vehicle horsecrap.

From my records the milage was around 155K when I changed it (it's now at 179K, pretty close to the 30K service interval?). The old fluid had turned yellow-orange of all things, after the change the average color was red-orange. No shifting issues then... the fluid looks to be roughly the same color as before. The fluid level if anything is high... above the full mark in the middle of my long drives this weekend. I know overfilled isn't good, but is that a symptom?

Will look into the Tranny Shudder Fix...

 

[Dirtman]

155,000 before the first fluid change?

 

[ratdude747]

155,000 before the first fluid change?

155k when I bought it.

 

[ratdude747]

Been a few days since I added the friction modifier. The good news is that it is running better. The bad news is that it occasionally still does it once hot- although when it does, it resolves itself quicker.

Fluid/filter change time?

 

[bobbywalter]

fluid change and band spec/adjustment.


could be the converter clutch it getting hosed...slop in vb ect.

 

[Transman304]

It will take a bit to get the friction modifier worked into the clutches. Depending on how much glazing is on the clutches may be as good as it gets. If you plan on changing fluid within a few hundred miles you could just add another tube of shudder fix. Just don’t add any more with new fluid.

 

[ratdude747]

fluid change and band spec/adjustment.


could be the converter clutch it getting hosed...slop in vb ect.

It will take a bit to get the friction modifier worked into the clutches. Depending on how much glazing is on the clutches may be as good as it gets. If you plan on changing fluid within a few hundred miles you could just add another tube of shudder fix. Just don’t add any more with new fluid.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't these items cause an issue when the TCC locks up? My issue is when the Lockup "unlocks"... it's like it keeps trying to re-lock when it's not supposed to. Which is why I was thinking initially that I had a sticking TCC solenoid- the locking up is smooth with no grabbing, it's only the unlock that sometimes has issues.

I'm asking, not telling.

 

[bobbywalter]

your perceptions may or may not be accurate.


the fluid paths when worn in the system can cause the erratic issues because they themselves are not spec.

 

[ratdude747]

Long belated reply:

Since this, I added friction modifier (as posted)... and saw modest improvement if anything. I've since changed the fluid and filter.... still does it a bit. Added friction modifier again, no change.

It's intermittent... don't know where (if anywhere) to go from here. I don't want to burn up a tranny...