06 explorer 4.6 2WD - acceleration issues at low speed

[Troysbend]

V8 explorer 2006 - 270k miles

The problem I'm having is when accelerating. Any light pressure on the gas causes a stutter/vibration from what I think is the transmission. Any significant press on the gas it accelerates fine. Good response. No hesitation and actually gets up nicely.. no issues at all. This issue is problematic because the light pressure on the gas u need to maintain any speed causes this stutter/vibration. Any help would be appreciated. I hate going to any mechanic without an idea of what is going on.

 

[JK080]

It sounds like you are describing a torque converter shudder, you should have the fluid changed and add a bottle of shudder fix.

If this doesn't take care of it the converter itself may have a issue.

 

[94Eddie]

V8 explorer 2006 - 270k miles

The problem I'm having is when accelerating. Any light pressure on the gas causes a stutter/vibration from what I think is the transmission. Any significant press on the gas it accelerates fine. Good response. No hesitation and actually gets up nicely.. no issues at all. This issue is problematic because the light pressure on the gas u need to maintain any speed causes this stutter/vibration. Any help would be appreciated. I hate going to any mechanic without an idea of what is going on.

There could be a number of things causing the issue. Is the transmission leaking fluid anywhere? Sometimes the main harness connector seals go bad and can cause shifting problems. A bad coil on the passenger side can cause shifting issues because a bad coil can put out an RF signal that screws with communication between the transmission and PCM. Worn fluid can cause shifting issues. What is the service history for the transmission?

 

[Troysbend]

It sounds like you are describing a torque converter shudder, you should have the fluid changed and add a bottle of shudder fix.

If this doesn't take care of it the converter itself may have a issue.

Thanks this atleast gives me a starting point

 

[Troysbend]

There could be a number of things causing the issue. Is the transmission leaking fluid anywhere? Sometimes the main harness connector seals go bad and can cause shifting problems. A bad coil on the passenger side can cause shifting issues because a bad coil can put out an RF signal that screws with communication between the transmission and PCM. Worn fluid can cause shifting issues. What is the service history for the transmission?

No fluid leaking. I'm gonna assume the service history is non existent. Got the truck from a family member for free. He didn't take care of it at all. Engine runs strong. And the car only shudders when accelerating gently. Aggressive acceleration gets good response. Will check the seals. Coils have been replaced.

 

[94Eddie]

No fluid leaking. I'm gonna assume the service history is non existent. Got the truck from a family member for free. He didn't take care of it at all. Engine runs strong. And the car only shudders when accelerating gently. Aggressive acceleration gets good response. Will check the seals. Coils have been replaced.

If the coil aren't OEM then the replacement coils might cause the same issue. Especially cheap Chinese knockoffs. Even brands like Accel, MSD etc. are not as good as OEM coils. I would recommend starting with a pan drop, filter change and refill. The 6R60/6R80 transmissions can have issues when the fluid gets too worn. Don't flush the transmission because the 6R60 has a thermal bypass valve that won't allow coolant to leave the transmission until it is all the way up to operating temperature. The new fluid will not make it into the transmission unless it is fully heated which is hard to do during a service. Also, flushing can cause transmission problems by dislodging debris that can cause other issues or even ruin the transmission. Especially for one with high miles like your vehicle. While you are changing the transmission fluid also drain and refill the transfer case if it is a 4WD or AWD model. It is very easy to do and only takes about a quart of transmission fluid to complete. One last thing is to disconnect the battery for about 30 minutes to clear the PCM of its learned memory. This allows it to reprogram itself to your driving style and this can clear up drive-ability issues.

 

[Troysbend]

If the coil aren't OEM then the replacement coils might cause the same issue. Especially cheap Chinese knockoffs. Even brands like Accel, MSD etc. are not as good as OEM coils. I would recommend starting with a pan drop, filter change and refill. The 6R60/6R80 transmissions can have issues when the fluid gets too worn. Don't flush the transmission because the 6R60 has a thermal bypass valve that won't allow coolant to leave the transmission until it is all the way up to operating temperature. The new fluid will not make it into the transmission unless it is fully heated which is hard to do during a service. Also, flushing can cause transmission problems by dislodging debris that can cause other issues or even ruin the transmission. Especially for one with high miles like your vehicle. While you are changing the transmission fluid also drain and refill the transfer case if it is a 4WD or AWD model. It is very easy to do and only takes about a quart of transmission fluid to complete. One last thing is to disconnect the battery for about 30 minutes to clear the PCM of its learned memory. This allows it to reprogram itself to your driving style and this can clear up drive-ability issues.

They were motorcraft coils. Heard too many horror stories about off brand coils. Only a 2wd. But I will start looking into the pan drop filter change and refill. Resetting the pcm I will try as well. I suspect there is an update available for the pcm and tcm too. But 1 thing at a time. Preciate your help.