Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
Well, I just had my first "issue" with my truck. It's an '03 with 63,000 on it. I've put about 8,000 of that on it, and most of that is highway. It's been well taken care of, has zero leaks, never been offroad, and had never towed when I got it. The reciever had never had a hitch in it. I have done some towing, but it wasn't anything to write home about. I don't drive like an old man, but I am by no means a lead foot when it comes to speeding up.
Here's what happened that got me worried:
I was driving down the street, slowed down and made a left turn. As I accelerated past 35-40, the transmission shifted into 3rd and locked the TC... Then, it quickly shifted into 4th with the TC locked. That scared the crap out of me... A few weeks later, it did that again, but I caught it before it shifted. I just let off of the pedal, and the TC unlocked and along I went. It didn't do this again, so I just dismissed it as a freak deal. Both times were under light acceleration.
Yesterday I'm leaving a stoplight and when it goes to shift into 2nd, there was a noticeable soft spot in power. It was like the power dropped instantly, but smoothly came back within 2 seconds or so. Engine RPM never jumped up, and there was no shudder or thump. The best way I can describe it is that it felt like somebody slipped the clutch alot on a manual. However, under extremely light acceleration, I noticed the tach bounced up and down 3 or 4 times by about 150 RPM as it shifted into 2nd. The whole problem gets better the harder I step on it.
Up until now, this transmission has had good, smooth, noticeable shifts. You can hear the engine tone change, and feel it a little. I can always go back to that by stepping on it a little harder, but that isn't always possible. I've checked the transmission fluid, and it's still red and doesn't smell burnt. It's at the upper end of the mark on the dipstick, but still within limits. I plan to have the fluid flushed and the filter changed soon, but I'd like to get a better idea on this issue too.
I'm at a loss to figure out what the deal is. IMHO, the TC deal sounds like an electronic deal, but the 2nd gear sound like the band isn't grabbing quickly enough. I know there are some smart transmission guys here so, any ideas?
Here's what happened that got me worried:
I was driving down the street, slowed down and made a left turn. As I accelerated past 35-40, the transmission shifted into 3rd and locked the TC... Then, it quickly shifted into 4th with the TC locked. That scared the crap out of me... A few weeks later, it did that again, but I caught it before it shifted. I just let off of the pedal, and the TC unlocked and along I went. It didn't do this again, so I just dismissed it as a freak deal. Both times were under light acceleration.
Yesterday I'm leaving a stoplight and when it goes to shift into 2nd, there was a noticeable soft spot in power. It was like the power dropped instantly, but smoothly came back within 2 seconds or so. Engine RPM never jumped up, and there was no shudder or thump. The best way I can describe it is that it felt like somebody slipped the clutch alot on a manual. However, under extremely light acceleration, I noticed the tach bounced up and down 3 or 4 times by about 150 RPM as it shifted into 2nd. The whole problem gets better the harder I step on it.
Up until now, this transmission has had good, smooth, noticeable shifts. You can hear the engine tone change, and feel it a little. I can always go back to that by stepping on it a little harder, but that isn't always possible. I've checked the transmission fluid, and it's still red and doesn't smell burnt. It's at the upper end of the mark on the dipstick, but still within limits. I plan to have the fluid flushed and the filter changed soon, but I'd like to get a better idea on this issue too.
I'm at a loss to figure out what the deal is. IMHO, the TC deal sounds like an electronic deal, but the 2nd gear sound like the band isn't grabbing quickly enough. I know there are some smart transmission guys here so, any ideas?
Last edited:
