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2006 XLT Transmission "Bump"

Scorpion8

Well-Known Member
Joined
February 13, 2014
Messages
386
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Location
SE-AK
City, State
SouthEast Alaska
Year, Model & Trim Level
2006 Explorer XLT
My 2006 XLT is about to turn 150,000 miles, and <knock on wood> runs like a champ still now that all the radiator issues are fixed. My only concern is right about 45-55mph if you approach those speeds slowly there a "bump" or several. Felt like when the sparkplugs were misfiring but isn't as constant, and there's also no code. It also feels like when your bike chain jumps a sprocket under load and the pedal surges a bit. It's not there always, and it's only in that zone. Is there some 150k checkup that should be done on the tranny? We have no Ford dealer here, although we have an authorized Ford repair place.

Thoughts?
 



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Do you have a V6 or V8 engine? Have you ever serviced the transmission?
 












From the description at that speed and “bump” I would think lock up shudder. Do the RPMs fluctuate a few hundred while this is happening?
Brad
 






From the description at that speed and “bump” I would think lock up shudder. Do the RPMs fluctuate a few hundred while this is happening?
Brad
No, the RPMs stay the same. The "moment" is over pretty fast. No, the gas pedal doesn't pulse, the comparison was to a bike chain jumping off a sprocket and your bike pedal jumps, that's what the tranny feels like. This is a V-8, and as far as I know no tranny service has ever been done. I bought it at 80k, and that's why I went into the shop asking about 150k routine service requirements.
 






No, the RPMs stay the same. The "moment" is over pretty fast. No, the gas pedal doesn't pulse, the comparison was to a bike chain jumping off a sprocket and your bike pedal jumps, that's what the tranny feels like. This is a V-8, and as far as I know no tranny service has ever been done. I bought it at 80k, and that's why I went into the shop asking about 150k routine service requirements.
I recommend doing a pan drop, filter replacement and refill on the transmission. Do not flush it. This replaces about half the fluid. Then do a pan drop and refill after a few thousands miles to have about 75% of the fluid changed then drop, change the filter and refill about every 40k miles. Ford's recommended fluid change intervals boarder on criminal negligence as they are far, far too long. There is no such thing as "lifetime fluids" in drive train components. Old fluid can cause shifting issues with 6R60 transmissions. I would start with a couple of rapid fluid changes and go from there. Also, disconnect the battery for about an hour to clear the PCM history. This can clear up some shifting issues. It your transmission has not been serviced for the past 150k miles it is WAY, WAY overdue.
 






Also, disconnect the battery for about an hour to clear the PCM history. This can clear up some shifting issues. It your transmission has not been serviced for the past 150k miles it is WAY, WAY overdue.
Drain & fill was the same method used on my Contour, so once it's lay-on-the-ground weather, I'll give it a go. PCM got cleared when I just changed the battery, as the Ford Heavy Duty battery in it dated from 2013 and was still going strong, but ya get antsy about that in the cold weather up here.
 






Good battery choice. I've tried a bunch of different brands but found Motorcraft to be the longest lasting and have had them in all my Ford cars.
 






I recommend doing a pan drop, filter replacement and refill on the transmission.
I'm not seeing a transmission dipstick anywhere. How does the tranny get refilled?
 


















Awesome, thanks!
Okay, figured out that the issue here is the overdrive. Going up a slight incline under moderate to no acceleration, the tranny bumps on and off. If I press the "O/D on/off" switch, it stops. Local Ford-authorized repair place (we have no Ford dealer here) says replace the tranny, about $4500. Yikes. Is it the bands, or the valve body? How hard is a tranny swap to do if I can find a reman/rebuilt one?

Oh yea, door code says 6R60 transmission.
 






I wouldn't trust a Ford dealer or "Ford authorized repair facility" with a diagnosis. Find a reputable independent transmission shop and get their opinion. The 6R60/6R80 transmissions are very durable. Have you done a pan drop, filter replacement and refill yet? If not then I recommend doing this before paying for expensive repairs. Worn fluid can cause issues with these transmissions and a pan drop and refill has been known to solve many issues. I am not saying it will solve your issues but it is worth trying. Also, clearing the learned data from the PCM by disconnecting the battery for 30-60 minutes can solve issues too. This allows it to relearn and develop a new shifting strategy.

The 6R60 was put in a lot of ford trucks and 4th gen Explorers/Mountaineers. I would try to find a used lower mileage one out of a 4th gen Explorer/Mountaineer from a salvage yard. Even one with 100k miles on it should last you another 100k miles, or more, if you service it every 40k miles.
 






Had a similar problem with my '09 XLT and shudder at around 45 mph and under light load like a slight incline. If I gave it more throttle, it cleared up. At first I was thinking the same - transmission or torque converter but found my answer on this forum.

My problem was a weak ignition coil that was unable to provide a strong enough spark and caused misfires when the EGR turned on. It does not happen long enough to set a code. Another thread on this forum explained how the EGR valve which leans out the fuel mixture is turned ON during light cruise but turned off when the accelerator is depressed. This is why the misfire goes away when you press on the accelerator. I replaced my coil pack (single 4.0 V6) and the problem was fixed. With 100k miles, I then replaced the spark plug wires as a bad or leaky wire can stress or weaken the ignition coil. I also replaced the spark plugs and noticed 2 plugs did not look as clean as the other 4. The 2 were companion cylinders sharing the spark from the same coil of the 3 in the pack.

BTW, it seems logical to accept the "cause and effect" by turning off the OD and the shudder going away so it has to be the OD/trans right? However, when you turn off the OD, the PCM is likely also turning off the EGR.

Below is a link to others having similar problems as you but I can't find the thread explaining the EGR and weak coil misfire relationship.

Please reply with your final fix.

 






Here is another thing to check with 4.6L 3V and 6R60/6R80 drive trains.
 






Thanks for all the info. There are no auto salvage yards here, a true criminal act. So finding a new tranny means sourcing one from 600-1000 air miles away to freight, or ship by barge. Is this the right EGR valve, EGR Valve Motorcraft CX2064? I also thought these Triton V-8's had individual coils on each plug (confirmed by the video), so is it calling for replacing all the COP wires? 4 new coils, aye aye. I had ordered a tranny filter, but got one for the 5R55, not the 6R60. Back to ordering...
 






Thanks for all the info. ... Back to ordering...
My local NAPA only has Eichlin ignition coil-on-plugs for this engine. Opinions? I would prefer something more known, like Bosch, Denso or Accel. But am just unfamiliar with the Eichlin brand.
 






Echlin was always the higher level of quality ignition parts at NAPA but these days who knows? I would go with a Motorcraft or a Japanese brand like NGK or Denso. Here is the link to Rock Auto who offers many choices including a pack of 8 from NGK if you want to replace them all.

2006 FORD EXPLORER 4.6L V8 Ignition Coil | RockAuto

BTW, I forgot to mention before I replaced my coil I reviewed the OBD PID data for any cylinder specific misfires with my scantool. One cylinder showed 9 misfire counts (not enough to trip the CEL) where the other 5 showed zero. This and the driveability symptoms was enough info for me to feel confident in buying a coil. Whether a single coil pack like my 4.0 or individual coils as with your 4.6, the same misfire rules apply. If one or your coils is bad, its either breaking down and not firing like in my case or leaking causing interference with the transmission control wiring as posted in the video earlier. If you see a misfire count on a particular cylinder, swap the coil in that cylinder with one that shows no misfire counts. If that coil is bad, the misfire counts will "move" to the bad coils new location/cylinder. Its wise to do a few tests before just buying parts to see what happens.
 






Echlin was always the higher level of quality ignition parts at NAPA but these days who knows? I would go with a Motorcraft or a Japanese brand like NGK or Denso. Here is the link to Rock Auto who offers many choices including a pack of 8 from NGK if you want to replace them all.

2006 FORD EXPLORER 4.6L V8 Ignition Coil | RockAuto
Sadly, Rock Auto won't ship to Alaska anymore. But that's what brothers in CA are for, to tranship stuff, right? I went with Delphi as the reviews are good. Not the most expensive, not the cheapest. I'm going to do the right hand bank first because the video said EMI from the coils there affects the E#GR valve, so we'll try that before we go all-in. Probably time to replace some of them anyway.
 



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Sadly, Rock Auto won't ship to Alaska anymore. But that's what brothers in CA are for, to tranship stuff, right? I went with Delphi as the reviews are good. Not the most expensive, not the cheapest. I'm going to do the right hand bank first because the video said EMI from the coils there affects the E#GR valve, so we'll try that before we go all-in. Probably time to replace some of them anyway.
Be sure to reply with the fix.
 






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