3rd Gear with normal throttle, but no 3rd gear WOT, just goes to 4th

[mechjames]

Title says it.

If i'm drivin around, lets say 1/4-1/2 throttle, from a start, I get 1-2 shift, 2-3 shift, 3-4 shift, like normal. But if I open throttle wide open from a start, i get a 1-2 shift, a long time in 2nd gear, and then a 2-4th shift.

Since this started happening, even at low throttle, it will go to 3rd gear, but won't stay there long before it goes to fourth. It likes fourth gear better then third. Sometimes while kickdown, it'll skip 3rd from 4th and go right back to second, then back to fourth.

Any ideas? Trans is a A4LD

 

[MrShorty]

Sounds too me like a short to ground in the 3-4 shift solenoid circuit between the PCM and the transmission.

 

[mechjames]

if the weather starts to dry out i'll check the wiring near there. i suppose its possible that when I installed the recently rebuilt used transmission 2 february's ago that I might have forgotten to put a clip back on, and it could be touching the exhaust pipe.

I think another possibility is that I damaged the wires while off roading, and this seems to be when it started. No codes thrown in the computer though, but its possible that if its shorted when it does the code scan it comes back positive.

 

[mechjames]

Wiring looks fine. Its all still in the harness. I can only check the top by pulling the access panel cover.

I'm curious if I should try swapping the PCM? I've had issues with my original PCM, but that was with fuel pump and injectors. I swapped it out to another one, and worked, but then my fuel pump stopped working. I swapped the PCM again it didn't help but I later traced the issue to the fuel pump connector being corroded in the frame rails.

I wonder if the PCM #3 i'm using is hooped, and if I should try PCM #2. I'm curious as what your input might be.

 

[mechjames]

I swapped the PCM because it was so easy to do, and nothing changed, except for the fact I have a good working PCM in case my current one ever dies again.

New revelation: I had someone press the gas pedal in my truck while I looked underneath. The kickdown cable barely moves (1/16" OF AN INCH) until my friend pressed the pedal really really hard, at which point it moved 1/8" of an inch. I can manually pull the lever on the transmission for kickdown a lot further. What I believe I have here needs to be taken care of by the explorer throttle cable mod, and then a redadjustment of the kickdown cable. If that doesn't help any, then the Kickdown cable is stretched so much that I probably need to replace it.