I have a 2000 f-150 with the 5.4l and when giving it gas the truck seems to surge or cut out a little. You notice it more at higher rates of speed. It don't do it to bad when i have the over drive off. I'm afraid I might be looking at rebuilding the tranny or replacing I'm scared of. Can a tranny service help I've only put about 35,000 on the truck since I've had it bringing it to about 125,000 miles. Anybody got any info that could help me please reply. thanks

 

Has it been tuned up recently? A misfire will cause the same symptom. If it feels like driving over rumble strips, have the transmission fluid drained and add a bottle of anti-shudder to the fluid.

 

Heres my thoughts...

First of all...you should service a tranny every 50k at least....more often if in hot environment or you are hard on it (towing a lot or "lead foot" syndrome)...

The surge you are describing might be the lockup function of the torque converter disengaging when you give it gas. To help with gas mileage, newer Torque converters have the ability to lockup (created by a lockup clutch inside the torque converter) and enable a 1:1 transfer of engine power from crankshaft to input shaft of tranny. Lockup occurs in overdrive to maximize gas mileage. Under normal operation, when you are in cruise control or are maintaining a constant speed, lockup will engage and RPM will drop slightly. Then, when you push on the gas again(to pass or climb hill) or slow down enough, lockup will disengage and your rpms will rise back up slightly.

Is this the "surge" you are describing?

Sometimes the lockup function on certain auto-trannys will malfunction and can be repaired....but if lockup is slipping due to damaged lockup clutch in torque converter...then it can be serious and indicate a more severe problem....requiring replacement of the torque converter at the very least...

If you are surging when in cruise control or at constant speed (not touching pedal or accelerating/slowing down)..then lockup might be malfunctioning. this could lead to burnt tranny fluid and eventual failure/rebuild

Check the fluid first...good tranny fluid will be bright red like strawberry syrup and will have a slight petroleum smell..if its tan, brown, orange in color or smells burnt, then you might have problems...

does it have a strong burnt smell? burnt smell is the most disturbing sign....

if tranny fluid is nasty then have it serviced. Having it serviced gives you a chance to look in the pan also. Tell them if you suspect the lockup is slipping....make sure vehicle is nice and warmed up before they take it on test drive. They can also scan the tranny to check it for normal operation. A good shop will stop in the middle of a service and tell their customer if a rebuild is warranted.
if shop tells you they found metal in the pan...ask to see it. A pan magnet will collect loose metal from the tranny...but the key is the size of the metal found on the magnet If the metal is like slimy mud and stuck to the magnet and makes the magnet look "furry"....dont worry about it too much, thats normal. But if it is "gritty" and there are distinct metal or clutch pieces that you can see(bigger than grains of salt or pepper).....then worry about a rebuild in the future...the bigger the pieces..the sooner the rebuild....

Additives can improve Automatic transmission function...but they usually are only a temporary fix. If something is slipping in the tranny, and you plan on keeping truck, then you should bite the bullet and get it fixed before hard parts start getting damaged(when prices get out of hand).

Rule of thumb...NEVER take you tranny work to the lowest price shop....take it to one that been around for a long time. Get a recommendation from a friend or Choose a shop that does fleet work...that is..look for the shop that does the city/county government vehicle work.


servicing your own tranny isnt that scary if you know the basics...


good luck