Had a fuddle 3400 performance series converter in my 06 gto about 3 weeks ago. Other than replacing the resonator with an h-pipe and replacing the factory mufflers with magnaflows, this is the only other mod I've done to the car. Install was done at the dealership I work at by a very knowledgable trans tech. Install went smoothly, used gm dexron 6 fluid. I drive the car everyday but live about a mile from work so ive only drove the car a couple hundred miles since the istall. I noticed after a couple days of driving that when the converter locked up at lower speeds say 40-45 mph that if i gave it any amount of light throttle input it would develop a pretty bad growling/humming noise. Just felt kinda rough. We did some checking just to make sure there wasnt anything loose or rubbing anywhere(which there wasnt)and chalked it up to PWM and the converter clutch breaking in. Went on my first trip on the interstate last week and noticed that when the cruise was on when i started up any little incline the tach would raise up a couple hundred rpms. Not sure if this is normal or not but it kinda caught my attention. Went on another interstate run of about 60 miles one way last night. On the way there the rpm raising thing was goin on, but a little more severe. Jumping up 250-300 rpm when pulling very slight inclines. At one point when pulling a slight hill the rpms went up 300 or so and then the whole car jerked pretty hard and the converter came completly unlocked. It relocked at the top of the grade. On the way back home when pulling a pretty big hill the jerking thing happend again. This time it wouldnt lock back up at the top of the hill or the rest of the way home.(about 40 miles) What should we look for before we say its a converter clutch problem and jerk the tranny out? Thanks for any info and sorry such a long post
Chris

 

If you have access to a tuner raise the missfire table to max and the tcc duty cycleto 90% min and 100% max. However the rubbing sound and the shutter jerk are not good signs I am afraid.

 

Thanks for the reply. I dont have access to a tuner at the moment, but i do have access to scan tool. Is there a max amount off missfires that the car will accept before it gives the tcc trouble? What could i look at on the scan tool to see if tuning will take care of my problem or if the converter needs to be replaced?

 

Well if the scanner can veiw data such as the snapon scanners and OTC units then you can just watch the TCC enable/disable If the converter ulocks and it says disable then its tuning issue , If not its likley a converter issue , Unfortunatly with the noise and the shutter I tend to think its gonna be a converter issue. I have said this before , But with a small diameter converter PWM should be limited or disabled or the converter clutch life will be greatly shortened.

 

We have a new snapon unit so we should be able to monitor that. I agree about the noise. When I took my trans tech for a ride to show him that noise he made a pretty bad face when he heard it lol. We had actually planned on installing a shift kit that would do away with pwm. I didnt figure it would cause me a problem within a couple hundred miles

 

I dont know that PWM caused it as ussually the damage is more long term. I would contact Fuddle about it he seems to take car of his customers from what I have seen when theres and issue.

 

Yea Im going to give John a call tomorrow. Its just that waiting till 11:00 tomorrow thats gonna kill me lol. Im sure he'll take care off me. I had some issues in getting the converter and he handled it personally for me. They seem top notch at fuddle. On a side note, can you guys sell me the valve, kit, or what ever i need to modify my valve body to do away with pwm? I seem to be having some trouble locating one.

 

The simplest thing for you would be the transgo HD2 which effectivly limits it to near non exsistance. Or even easier find a local tuner and have him change the tcc duty cycle settings for you

 

Thanks for all the help. Hopefully I'll get this all straightend out next week. Theres a tuner thats about 50 miles from me so thats probly the best/easiest solution 4 me to get rid of the pwm. Again, thanks for the help

 

The misfire table isn't really a problem until you a toss a cam in there for some reason, but the second item will very likely take care of the issue. Lockups will be solid and noticeable too.

 

i have thorughly abused a couple of fuddle lockup clutches with no failures. i even turned the outside of the converter black where the lockup clutch rides on the inside and they never gave up.

a stall will cause misfires even with a stock cam....once you get misfires you will lose lockup

 

A tuning issue, or lack of tuning may be my problem, but what worries me is that it has been locking up ok(other than the funky noise)for a couple weeks and when it quit locking up it was i guess u could say under some stress. Some where around a 4 mile steady pull up a pretty good mountain at 70 mph. Changing from maybe 600' to around 1800' elevation. Its like the clutch got hot and just gave up. Also after driving the other 40 miles or so home when i got back into town the trans had a pretty good bump to the 1-2 shift. Im assuming because of the converter slipping and the 3000 rpms at 70 i was seeing the trans got a little warm. I just hope the trans didnt get damaged during all of this

 

If you set a slip code it will quit trying to lock but that should
reset every key-on. The chatter was probably slip and might
have set the code. Though I'd think you'd have seen a light
for that.

With undercar exhaust work there's always a chance someone
munged a wire or connector etc. Have you inspected the trans
harness all the way past any work-areas? If there was welding,
look real close for that one stray spatter-ball burn hole.

 

The exhaust work was done a couple of months before the converter went in and i didnt have any problems/noises untill after the converter install so i dont think thats a concern. I am kinda curious as to why it didnt set a ses light. I would have thought it would have being that the rpms were 700-800 rpms higher than what they should have been if the conveter was locked. Makes me wonder now if the pcm was actually comanding the converter to lock. Any insight on this? Would it set a light if the pcm comanded lockup and it wasnt locked?

 

Stop driving the car and call Fuddle and get a new Converter (or get a converter from another company) is my advice. What you are describing sounds exactly like my old Fuddle 3400. Lots of clutch chatter and horribly clunky lockup feel. Even with PWM set to 100% and screwing with misfire table it was still doing it. Mine never threw a code for anything and it let go and took my tranny with it so seriously I'd stop driving it until you get a replacement.

 

Thanks for the reply John. Yea I've not drove the car since the other night. Did you have the performance series or the hp street series?

 

I don't remember now.. it was a while ago when Fuddle was having problems with their business and the closed their doors for several months. I'm sure Fuddle will take care of you with no problems it it turns out to be the converter.

 

I got a chance to do some data logging with a scan tool during lunch today. Clutch will lock up now. Still wouldnt on the way to work this morning tho. Had a code p0894 trans component slippage. Watching tcc slippage rpm and tcc duty %. At 45 mph with very light throttle input the duty % was steady at 97% and tcc slip rpm showed 550-600rpm. On the highway pulling very slight grade it was at 95-96% and showing 150-200rpm slip. Is this a good indicator the clutch is on its way out? Seems like it to me. Forgot to add, showed no missfire counts current or history

 

I am not sure what year your car is but all I find on PO849 in"P0849
Transmission Fluid Pressure Sensor/Switch "B" Circuit Intermittent "

Which would lead me to think you have a bad Presure manifold switch which can cause its own set of issues.

As for the car no locking the AM remember the engine must reach around 130 degrees before lockup will be allowed.

But based on the other info you have given it would appear you do have a converter clutch slipping and not and elctrical or tuning issue.

 

Yea ive not really dug much more into the code. The car was fully warmed up this morning so I guess what ever was goin on sat night was still giving trouble this morning.
Of course when i hook the scan tool to it it locks up ok, other than the slipping of course. I just wish i could have saw what was going on when it wasnt locking at all.