Perplexed...my tranny free spins on the highway
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Here's another mystery in the life of me and my f#ckin car. I tried to find an old thread I might have made about this but couldn't find it.
I posted this here because I'm thinking its a PCM thing because the tranny is pretty much perfect otherwise.
The tranny is awesome.....BUT, if I cruise nicely on the highway at say 60-80mph, steady unaccelerated cruising, and I decide to gradually, normally accelerate to maybe go around someone. Nothing crazy, not racing, not letting the tranny downshift, but gradually pass someone....as I press the pedal down slowly the rpm's go shooting up EXACTLY as if I popped it into neutral. Zero acceleration, nothing, nada, ziltch. From that point on its as if its stuck in neutral. I can rev it to redline, or take my foot off and coast, than reapply pedal and it revs like its in neutral still. If I'm cruising and I stay at a given speed I can cruise forever like that.
This doesn't happen all the time either, just sometimes.
The only way to get it back hooked up in "D" is to manually put in "3" to let it downshift, than back to "D" and it'll be normal again. Or to let it slow way the hell down until it downshifts on its own.
Now, this never ever happens when I'm racing or just getting on the highway and I'm accelerating up to speed. It only happens AFTER I've been cruising steadily at one speed for awhile, than I try to accelerate a little from that speed.
Its not a huge big deal, but its friggin wierd.
Good luck to me and you for figuring this **** out.
I posted this here because I'm thinking its a PCM thing because the tranny is pretty much perfect otherwise.
The tranny is awesome.....BUT, if I cruise nicely on the highway at say 60-80mph, steady unaccelerated cruising, and I decide to gradually, normally accelerate to maybe go around someone. Nothing crazy, not racing, not letting the tranny downshift, but gradually pass someone....as I press the pedal down slowly the rpm's go shooting up EXACTLY as if I popped it into neutral. Zero acceleration, nothing, nada, ziltch. From that point on its as if its stuck in neutral. I can rev it to redline, or take my foot off and coast, than reapply pedal and it revs like its in neutral still. If I'm cruising and I stay at a given speed I can cruise forever like that.
This doesn't happen all the time either, just sometimes.
The only way to get it back hooked up in "D" is to manually put in "3" to let it downshift, than back to "D" and it'll be normal again. Or to let it slow way the hell down until it downshifts on its own.
Now, this never ever happens when I'm racing or just getting on the highway and I'm accelerating up to speed. It only happens AFTER I've been cruising steadily at one speed for awhile, than I try to accelerate a little from that speed.
Its not a huge big deal, but its friggin wierd.
Good luck to me and you for figuring this **** out.
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Last edited by Quickin; 01-19-2006 at 09:56 PM.
#2
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sounds like it's time for a new trans.... sounds like 4th gear may be gone
There are no PCM tables that could cause what you describe... it hast to be mechanical
There are no PCM tables that could cause what you describe... it hast to be mechanical
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Originally Posted by horist
sounds like it's time for a new trans.... sounds like 4th gear may be gone
There are no PCM tables that could cause what you describe... it hast to be mechanical
There are no PCM tables that could cause what you describe... it hast to be mechanical
It only unhooks (if you will) after cruising for awhile. It never happens if I cruise for a short time or I beat the **** out of it. I would think if 4th gear were gone it would never work so perfectly.
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Originally Posted by BlackHawk T/A
Sounds like TC...
If you tap the brake does it go back to normal?
If you tap the brake does it go back to normal?
But..isn't a TC just non-moving fixed parts? I know the two opposing blade wheels are spinning. What could be wrong inside of the TC to cause this? Is there a moving clutch?
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Could be the torque converter clutch more specifically. I'd try it in 3rd and see if it does the same thing once the tcc locks up. I don't think you'd be able to move at all if it were the converter in general...
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Originally Posted by SSpdDmon
Could be the torque converter clutch more specifically. I'd try it in 3rd and see if it does the same thing once the tcc locks up. I don't think you'd be able to move at all if it were the converter in general...
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2nd and 4th gears both use the 2-4 band, 2-4 servo, and 1-2 shift solenoid, so it can't be any of these;
3r and 4th gears both use the forward clutch, the 3-4 clutch and the 3-4 accumulator, so it can't be either of these.
4th uses a different hydraulic circuit, so it could be a checkball sticking...
Do you see sludge on the end of the dipstick...?
Did the trans. ever get overheated...?
When was the filter and fluid changed...?
Is the ATF the correct color and smell, and is the level correct...?
Edit:
It wouldn't be the TC or you would have loss of drive in all gears.
If the TCC was not locking, you would still have drive, so it's not the TCC.
3r and 4th gears both use the forward clutch, the 3-4 clutch and the 3-4 accumulator, so it can't be either of these.
4th uses a different hydraulic circuit, so it could be a checkball sticking...
Do you see sludge on the end of the dipstick...?
Did the trans. ever get overheated...?
When was the filter and fluid changed...?
Is the ATF the correct color and smell, and is the level correct...?
Edit:
It wouldn't be the TC or you would have loss of drive in all gears.
If the TCC was not locking, you would still have drive, so it's not the TCC.
Last edited by joecar; 01-20-2006 at 04:03 PM.
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[QUOTE=joecar]
4th uses a different hydraulic circuit, so it could be a checkball sticking...
How does this get checked?
Do you see sludge on the end of the dipstick...? NONE
Did the trans. ever get overheated...? Never, just a street car with a 19,000 tranny cooler, I think its a 19,000
When was the filter and fluid changed...? 18,000 miles ago when the tranny was brand new, its clean as it can be and smells fine
Is the ATF the correct color and smell, and is the level correct...? Definitely
Can the PCM tuning be the problem? One other thing that happens that I didn't mention is: If I roll into the throttle to do a WOT run from a dig (can't floor it or I'll spin for a mile) each time the rpm's gets near redline where it should shift it hangs there for about 1/2 to a full second for 3rd and 4th ONLY, than shifts into the next gear. They don't really bang into the next gear at all. Second gear hits hard as hell every time. And again, this doesn't happen every time either..........sorry man, its wierd
.
4th uses a different hydraulic circuit, so it could be a checkball sticking...
How does this get checked?
Do you see sludge on the end of the dipstick...? NONE
Did the trans. ever get overheated...? Never, just a street car with a 19,000 tranny cooler, I think its a 19,000
When was the filter and fluid changed...? 18,000 miles ago when the tranny was brand new, its clean as it can be and smells fine
Is the ATF the correct color and smell, and is the level correct...? Definitely
Can the PCM tuning be the problem? One other thing that happens that I didn't mention is: If I roll into the throttle to do a WOT run from a dig (can't floor it or I'll spin for a mile) each time the rpm's gets near redline where it should shift it hangs there for about 1/2 to a full second for 3rd and 4th ONLY, than shifts into the next gear. They don't really bang into the next gear at all. Second gear hits hard as hell every time. And again, this doesn't happen every time either..........sorry man, its wierd
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#12
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4th uses a different hydraulic circuit, so it could be a checkball sticking...
How does this get checked?
How does this get checked?
(need a set of valve body and spacer gaskets to reinstall)
(this isn't hard to do, but you have to know what you're doing
and what the procedure is and not to lose any checkballs),
and could check pan for sludge and metal;
if you got no sludge, then it may not be this.
each time the rpm's gets near redline where it should shift it hangs there for about 1/2 to a full second for 3rd and 4th ONLY, than shifts into the next gear.
Second gear hits hard as hell every time.
sorry man, its wierd
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Is trans. still under waranty...?
Just some thoughts.
Last edited by joecar; 01-20-2006 at 07:05 PM.
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Originally Posted by joecar
valve body would have to come off to check this
(need a set of valve body and spacer gaskets to reinstall)
(this isn't hard to do, but you have to know what you're doing
and what the procedure is and not to lose any checkballs),
and could check pan for sludge and metal;
if you got no sludge, then it may not be this.
Use tune package to try WOT MPH and WOT RPM at lower values; if this doesn't help, problem may be mechanical.
May be a problem with 2-4 servo (on side of case), 1-2 accumulator (valve body), or checkball (valve body); use scan tool to see PCS pressure (or current) to see if high pressure is being commanded; if not, then problem is mechanical.
Yeah, it can get real weird sometimes...
Is trans. still under waranty...?
Just some thoughts.
(need a set of valve body and spacer gaskets to reinstall)
(this isn't hard to do, but you have to know what you're doing
and what the procedure is and not to lose any checkballs),
and could check pan for sludge and metal;
if you got no sludge, then it may not be this.
Use tune package to try WOT MPH and WOT RPM at lower values; if this doesn't help, problem may be mechanical.
May be a problem with 2-4 servo (on side of case), 1-2 accumulator (valve body), or checkball (valve body); use scan tool to see PCS pressure (or current) to see if high pressure is being commanded; if not, then problem is mechanical.
Yeah, it can get real weird sometimes...
![EEK !!](https://ls1tech.com/forums/images/smilies/LS1Tech/gr_eek2.gif)
Is trans. still under waranty...?
Just some thoughts.
Thanks though, I'll have to find a shop somewhere do check these things.
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Didn't notice it was an FLP trans... in that case vacuum pressure is vacuum modulated... so the only things the PCM really controls are the mph/rpm to shift, and the delay between shifts... the PCM can no longer modify line pressure...
unlikely based on what you've described it's as simple as a PCM problem (especially if it just started doing this...)
unlikely based on what you've described it's as simple as a PCM problem (especially if it just started doing this...)
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Originally Posted by horist
Didn't notice it was an FLP trans... in that case vacuum pressure is vacuum modulated... so the only things the PCM really controls are the mph/rpm to shift, and the delay between shifts... the PCM can no longer modify line pressure...
unlikely based on what you've described it's as simple as a PCM problem (especially if it just started doing this...)
unlikely based on what you've described it's as simple as a PCM problem (especially if it just started doing this...)
.