Cleaned the sensor again. Didn't clear up. Washed the truck today along with the underside of the truck and it still was doing it. Went and got gas tonight and filled both tanks and poof. Normal

 

Back to throwing you around. It rained hard and maybe the salt and a exposed wire or something is the issue. It stopped after washing the salt off and letting it dry.

 

Replaced the rear speed sensor harness and it shifted great for a day. Couldn't even feel the shifts. Speedo still bounces and it started shifting like crap again. Next is testing the cluster...

 

Shifts like crap still. It stopped for a few miles and started shifting hard again. If it helps the speedo starts moving around at 50 and higher... still waiting on nice weather so I can swap clusters with my friend and see if it still does it. If it doesn't then I'll send mine off and get it rebuilt for $180. I'm sick and tired of it shifting like this. It cannot be good for the drivetrain it's definitely not good for me wanting to keep the truck.

 

I always had a hard shift on and off. It would seem to start out okay but then after a few miles I would get a hard one. I tried the VSS sensor and I tried the tranny fluid change. But, this last time I changed the radiator fluid all out. Drained it and put in brand new 50/50. I have not had a hard shift since then. I even cleaned connectors and all sorts of thingys over the years, but this radiator fluid change out was the ticket. I drove up to Alaska several years ago with this truck and I changed out all the fluids before I left and I recalled that when I drove up there; drove all around for a year and drove back home I never once had any issues with hard shifting up there. It was always cool and the tranny fluid was always cool as well. The tranny fluid was changed out when I go back but I never replaced the radiator fluid. So, I did it this time in Oct and I have had no issues since then. Somehow it was temp related for my 150...

 

I've changed it sadly. Haha, that's weird though.. wouldn't have ever thought that'd cause that.

 

I have read alot of the blogs about this problem and always hear that someone changed a sensor or cleaned a connector or something else and their problem stopped. But I never heard that it came back or was continuously successful. I had tranny work on another car and asked the tranny guy if he would look at my f150 so I brought it in; he changed out the VSS after test driving it; but during the test drive he DID NOT have any hard shift. He read a code. On the way home that day it hard shifted on me. I was frustrated and asked if would just rebuild it. He said he would not do that because he does not know the real problem. He asked if I could leave it awhile and I said no. So, I went about my business and went to my regular mechanic for an A/C issue and he said it really sounds like an electrical issue or sensor problem instead of a bad tranny. That got me to thinking since when he test drove my f150 after he replaced the A/C he noted the hard shift. So, I lived with it until this last Fall when I really started giving it a thought about the last 16 years about when and where it happened. Even after a past tranny fluid change out it still happened which is why I thought of tranny or sensors. So, I wondered if the tranny fluid was really being cooled in the radiator. Maybe not since on real hot days it would happen sooner than later. On warm days it would happen after about 20 miles and it would happen just as I was slowing down and about to turn...wham...bam....The rad fan always worked...I noted that I was using rad fluid....topiing it off...maybe the fluid looked okay but it was getting old and not doing its job. So, what the heck I just changed it out. Now the fluid level is stable...the temp gauge reads a little lower...so it worked for me...I enjoy driving it again and not anticipating the jerk...I got a new truck and was about ready to donate the truck...but not now....

 

Next I'm going to try transmission service. I swapped clusters and it idled better and throttle response was a lot better but still shifted bad. Not as bad as with my cluster though. So it's the cluster and something else. Replaced some of his bulbs in the cluster as a thank you as well