Tranny Problem Shifting into 4th - '04 4.6L 2wd 116Kmi
 

Today, I went to the bank to cash my first unemployment check (yeah, how's this for the worst time ever to have vehicle problems?), my truck started giving me fits. I'm no gearhead, much to my old man's dismay, and so I'm not sure where / how to proceed.

When accelerating, I shift just fine into 2nd & 3rd, but when I should shift into 4th, it doesn't. The engine will just rev up into the 3k and 4k range if I stomp on it (over 3k, but guessing from my memory - I wasn't going to try and push anything). After 5-15 seconds or so (roughly guessing again) or me gassing it and then laying off and then repeating, it will shift up into 4th just fine - no jerking or hard shifting or anything.

Everything shifts down just fine back to 1st at stops.

The problem seems to be more pronounced when I'm going slow and at or under 2k rpm.

I think I have the 4R70E 4-speed tranny that Ford introduced in 2004, but to be certain I checked my door sticker. There are two TR codes on it (if that's what I need to check) - the first on the left says MW, and the second on the right is A.

And in a self-damning moment of full disclosure, I've treated my truck very poorly since a car wreck this summer. I haven't gotten any fluids or anything changed, just because I haven't wanted to open the hood (slammed tight due to the minor front end damage and haven't had the $500 deductible to get it repaired).

I'm hoping this may be a problem that can be solved with changing / flushing the transmission fluid and not a couple hundred dollar repair or two thousand dollar rebuild - I'm on war footing right now trying to pay the bills after getting laid off (b/c they sent my job to Malaysia, mind you).



I could really use some help here from you all-knowing gearheads!

Groping About in the Dark:
 

:unsure:That much misbehaviour of the tranny should have caused a CEL and a related error code. Try scanning the system and see what pops up.

:unsure:You might try disconnecting then reconnecting all the harness connectors at the tranny. Sometimes a marginal contact produces a malfunction.

:unsure:A faulty shift solenoid in the tranny could be the culprit, or the connector to it may be faulty. Those are internal to the tran and accessible when the pan is removed.


:unsure:If the tranny has never been serviced, the valve body might be gummed up. Suck the pan dry and add new fluid and a bottle of trans solvent and run the truck for a while without ever asking for a shift to OD, then give it a try.:huh:

:thumbsup:Whenever the tran is serviced drain the torque converter and replace the fluid with ATF+4....don't let the service tech screw around. Tell 'im you want ATF+4.:thumbsup:

bad deal brother! hell of a time to too. gl with the job hunt and gl with the tranny issues

Nonshifting
 

I know this sounds dumb but has this happened only once or more times? I did have this happen once on my 97 4.6 2wd. Went up to 60 mph in 3d twice or 3 times (slowed down, stopped and accelerated again and it wouldn't shift into OD) and it definitely was in drive, no luck. I was on the way to the hospital (daughter in for surgery) and it was winter so it was cold out if that made any difference. Pulled off the road, sweating bullits, turned it off and found nothing apparently wrong. Restarted it and it's worked fine ever since. No idea what caused it, hadn't happened before nor since (over 50K since then). Sounds dumb but maybe pull the battery cable for a while and see if it works.

Other than fluids, maybe check to insure no wiring has come unhooked on the trans etc.

Good luck