4R/70W tranny BAD UPSHIFT

[mike_versluys]

Mercury Cougar 95 Transmission problems
Does somebody have a sugestion to this problem:
Engine V8-281Ci/4.6 litre SOHC fuel injected,transmission 4R/70W full electronic automatic with overdrive. At speed of 30 to 45 miles and touching very lightly the throttle, the transmission started to shake (hesitiating) for one or two seconds. Total millage of the 50.000 mile. Overdrive in or out does not make a difference. The car has been inspected by a so called Transmission "specelist" in The Netherlands. Problem still the same.

 

[ncranchero]

Sounds like you have what is referred to as "shudder". What I'm about to recommend always starts a "discussion", to put it mildly. I won't recommend anything I don't KNOW to be true so you take this as you will. I was with a large local government fleet maintenance department for 30 years. We had hundreds of Crown Vic Interceptors with the same motor/trans you have in the Cougar. A lot of these developed the "shudder" and were taken back to Ford for warranty. Fords recommendation was to add a bottle of Ford XL-3 Additive Friction Modifier to the transmission. We did, to hundreds of cruisers. I did to my personal Interceptor when it developed shudder. You will tell the difference immediately, with-in the first few miles. The nay-sayers usually check in because this XL-3 is the "standard" additive for limited slip differentials. Believe me, IT WORKS ! My personal Vic had 103K on it when I got it, 188K when I sold it .... never shuddered again after I added the XL-3.

If you want to read a bit you can check this out also.
Effect of Friction Modifiers on the Low-Speed Friction Characteristics of Automatic Transmission Fluids

 

[swetrid]

Definitely converter shudder, ford had tsb for you to drain the torque converter and pan and install updated synthetic mercon v.

 

[ncranchero]

That never hurts but it didn't help our fleet. If it fixes your shudder, great. If not ..... hit the bottle!