Transmission Ground Straps?

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MagnumTyler

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Hey everyone.

I have a 2013 SLT with the 65RFE and i’ve been having a few issues with it that the dealer can’t seem to figure out either.

To start off, it has 110,500 miles on it.

Recently, the trans has been shifting incredibly hard at anything above around 15-20% throttle input. It’s so hard it could jar your teeth out.

I started to read around the forums, and i saw a few people mention CVIs, so i got a BAFX scanner with a scan tool app that’ll let me read CVIs.

Anyways, the CVIs weren’t outrageous, but were on the higher side. I think 2C was at 62, 4C at 13, LR at 64, OD at 47 and UD at 52.

I also noticed an engine performance issue where the truck felt like it was hitting a brick wall at around 4-4.5K RPMs.

I took it into the dealer for them to do a quicklearn on it, and it seemed pretty good for around the first 50 miles. Then it got hard again. Here’s where the weird part starts:

I turned my A/C on after the truck had started to shift hard again because it started to get hotter here in Cali, and after a few miles with the A/C on, it started to shift fantastic, smooth but not too smooth, and the engine was responding much better and not lagging AT ALL anymore. Checked my CVIs after this and 2C was at 45, 4C at 34, LR at 64, OD at 46 and UD at 45.

Turned off the A/C, CVIs went through the roof (this time they all climbed past 75) and the truck was shifting so hard i thought i was gonna break something so i just stopped driving it.

Any ideas? This sounds like a grounding issue to me atleast, but i’m not so sure. I found a ground strap on the floor a few weeks ago (right as this started to happen) but i never gave it a thought. I still have it.


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EdGs

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Interesting that you found the ground strap at about the time this started.

Easy enough to check, install a ground wire and give it a go.

Fluid level ok? Filter?
 
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MagnumTyler

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Interesting that you found the ground strap at about the time this started.

Easy enough to check, install a ground wire and give it a go.

Fluid level ok? Filter?

Fluid level is perfect and the truck was serviced by dealer around 1K ago.

I was looking more in depth at timing, and the truck is pulling -47 degrees of timing, which varies from -47 to -53.

Does this sound right?


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EdGs

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I dont have a clue about any of that.

I would start simple though. Fluid, filter, which you say is good.

Replace that ground strap, see if it improves.

How about the condition of the mounts? Driveshaft, carrier bearing (if present), etc.

Even electrical connectors to the trans, etc.

A buddy of mine had a chevy astro van that started shifting like dog****, he went round and round with it, till he found a connector for the trans was packed with grease and crap. Cleaned it up, and the thing shifted like butter.
 
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MagnumTyler

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I dont have a clue about any of that.

I would start simple though. Fluid, filter, which you say is good.

Replace that ground strap, see if it improves.

How about the condition of the mounts? Driveshaft, carrier bearing (if present), etc.

Even electrical connectors to the trans, etc.

A buddy of mine had a chevy astro van that started shifting like dog****, he went round and round with it, till he found a connector for the trans was packed with grease and crap. Cleaned it up, and the thing shifted like butter.

That could be another one of my issues.

I have a very loud clunk (hearable, not feelable) whenever i shift from park to reverse, reverse to drive, and drive to reverse. It’s also audible when it shifts between gears, so i’m thinking driveshaft.

I have to figure out where it goes first, in which i have no idea as to where it goes.


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LoadedExpressRam

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I was going to go look to see if i could see the strap on my truck to maybe give you an idea of where its from. Appreciate the pic
 
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