refinedfab
Junior Member
Hey guys, I have this strange transmission problem that has developed over the the course of about a year and would like some insight. Seems as though it is getting worse so I would like to deal with it now rather than later when/if it decides to take a dump, usually at the worst time when I really need my truck....
I bought it brand new in 2014 and has performed flawless. I have always talked up the truck and especially the 8 speed and how much I love it... but now this issue...
125k miles
occasional towing
I replaced the trans fluid and pan/filter a few thousand miles ago thinking it would help or fix the issue...no luck The magnets in the factory pan had quite a bit of fine material on them but the fluid looked/smelled like 8 speed fluid (not burnt)
Truck is bone stock except for aftermarket exhaust
I have always driven in manual shift mode because I cant stand the MDS
Never raced or beaten on
No codes on the scan tool as of yet
When the trans is cold it acts like the convertor unlocks for a split second and lets the engine flare 300rpms. This happens under even light load but is more pronounced the more you load it at low rpms. its very noticeably in the exhaust and you can fee the whole truck shudder especially when going uphill or lightly accelerating. Happens every 4-5 seconds and starts to spread out to 5-10 seconds as the trans temp reaches 170 degrees. It used to go away by 150 degrees and now it goes away at 170. I've been tracking this for quite a while to determine that it is trans temp dependent. Once the trans is fully warm it goes away and is fine. Except for a slight flare in rpms when you stab the throttle lightly from a cruise but not hard enough for a downshift. This may be normal but I really don't remember noticing it before this...
Cold shifting is fine unless the timing of the flare/unlock/shudder lines up with when it performs a shift. Then you can feel a poor shift performance.
I have always noticed (since new) there seems to be a lot of TC slip at times ( slowing down to take turn then getting on the accelerator kinda heavy thinking it should downshift but instead slips the convertor to keep the rpms up until its ready to shift into the next gear) maybe this is normal?? I have always wrote it off as it was normal performance for this trans. Maybe the 2014 programming is killed the converter? I would think if its the convertor it would slip all the time. Even when towing last week it did fine when warmed up absolutely
Has anyone heard of an issue like this? I have searched up and down and come up with nothing similar. Not many problems with these transmissions.
So, I am curious what my options are to get this fixed. New convertor, new TCC solenoid? I'm really temped to buy a used trans from a wrecked 8 speed truck to throw in it but have heard that the vin needs to be programmed into the TCM by a dealer. Is that something that can be done with ALFAOBD?? Or can I just put a new trans in it and be good to go???
I bought it brand new in 2014 and has performed flawless. I have always talked up the truck and especially the 8 speed and how much I love it... but now this issue...
125k miles
occasional towing
I replaced the trans fluid and pan/filter a few thousand miles ago thinking it would help or fix the issue...no luck The magnets in the factory pan had quite a bit of fine material on them but the fluid looked/smelled like 8 speed fluid (not burnt)
Truck is bone stock except for aftermarket exhaust
I have always driven in manual shift mode because I cant stand the MDS
Never raced or beaten on
No codes on the scan tool as of yet
When the trans is cold it acts like the convertor unlocks for a split second and lets the engine flare 300rpms. This happens under even light load but is more pronounced the more you load it at low rpms. its very noticeably in the exhaust and you can fee the whole truck shudder especially when going uphill or lightly accelerating. Happens every 4-5 seconds and starts to spread out to 5-10 seconds as the trans temp reaches 170 degrees. It used to go away by 150 degrees and now it goes away at 170. I've been tracking this for quite a while to determine that it is trans temp dependent. Once the trans is fully warm it goes away and is fine. Except for a slight flare in rpms when you stab the throttle lightly from a cruise but not hard enough for a downshift. This may be normal but I really don't remember noticing it before this...
Cold shifting is fine unless the timing of the flare/unlock/shudder lines up with when it performs a shift. Then you can feel a poor shift performance.
I have always noticed (since new) there seems to be a lot of TC slip at times ( slowing down to take turn then getting on the accelerator kinda heavy thinking it should downshift but instead slips the convertor to keep the rpms up until its ready to shift into the next gear) maybe this is normal?? I have always wrote it off as it was normal performance for this trans. Maybe the 2014 programming is killed the converter? I would think if its the convertor it would slip all the time. Even when towing last week it did fine when warmed up absolutely
Has anyone heard of an issue like this? I have searched up and down and come up with nothing similar. Not many problems with these transmissions.
So, I am curious what my options are to get this fixed. New convertor, new TCC solenoid? I'm really temped to buy a used trans from a wrecked 8 speed truck to throw in it but have heard that the vin needs to be programmed into the TCM by a dealer. Is that something that can be done with ALFAOBD?? Or can I just put a new trans in it and be good to go???
