Shuddering under acceleration

[jrseykid686]

Ok, I have a 2002 Ford Explorer EB V8 110,000 miles. It has done this for as long as i can remember. under moderate to heavy acceleration the car seems to shudder, almost a missing feeling. i have isolated it to the 4wd. The fuel filter was replaced last night after 110K... i know... way to long but i was told we dont have one, its a lifetime in the tank... which i know now is horribly wrong. The replacement of the filter helped significantly at high RPM's as it should. The problem is pretty much from 0-40ish in first and second gears. If i drive in 4x4 the care is as smooth as a babies butt. If i unplug the harness for the transfer case and drive in 2WD it is just fine as well, but when in Auto4WD it seems to engage the system and its getting really annoying. Dealer told me the tires were the problem... what a bunch of crap that is. They are all brand new firestone destination A/T's factory size... I have heard maybe tire pressure is unequal causing confusion in the sensors? Please somebody have the answer for me!

 

[rrgone]

I didn't see this thread before answering in your other thread. But now that you state that this problem has been going on for a long time I suspect your 4X4 control module is bad.

 

[jrseykid686]

thats what i think, easy replacement?

 

[jrseykid686]

also is it harming the system to keep driving like that if it is going bad?

 

[rrgone]

Yep, changing the 4X4CM is a snap. This should be a sticky here: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=163694

I would not drive it with the 4WD acting up like that. It is bad for the TC and will destroy it eventually. I would pull power fuses #17 and #18 until it's fixed.

 

[jrseykid686]

Thanks, where can i get a new module for the best price?

 

[jrseykid686]

Ok, so today i decided to change the TC fluid after some great advice from explorerforum... here is what it looked like after 110K miles.... and with the new fluid, SURPRISE! nothin but SMOOTH POWER under the hood....

 

[jrseykid686]

 

[jrseykid686]

ok so apparently i cant get the picture to work..... it looked like dirty oil.....

 

[Limited02]

Did you host the picture on photobucket or somewhere similar? Look like you tried from your desktop You could email it to me and I will post it for you.

 

[jrseykid686]

 

[jrseykid686]

I hope this works... i'm not having any luck

 

[jrseykid686]

WOO HOO... ok, so that is what the TC fluid looked like, and it was a bi*** to refill... i ended up taking 10 feet of tubing, sticking one end into the fill plug, then a funnel on the other end, lifting the tubing above the truck and filling in that way, then i had to blow the remaining fluid in...i highly recommend it

 

[Limited02]

I highly recommend buying a little hand held pump from autozone for 12 bucks You stick one end into the oil jug, then other into the transfer case and pump. Little bugger moves a lot of fluid fast! I bought that because I changed my rear diff fluid once and the only way was to hook a rubber hose to the oil jug and squeeze the daylights out of it. Then the hose started flying off and it was a mess. That pumped saved my life

 

[jrseykid686]

yup... it got messy until i came up with basically a beer bong for the fluid... then it worked great! How hard and how often should diff fluid be changed? i know my rear was done not to long ago with the new axle, but i want to get the front done here soon

 

[jrseykid686]

i also detailed my engine yesterday... took of the cover and found a freakin birds next under it... thank god it didnt catch fire! I neglected my car the last year. Between school, work, my other school and my other job as well as clinical hours i had literally 1 week off last year, and i was in Cali for that week.... no picture of the nest, i wish i would have taken one though

 

[Limited02]

I haven't done the front yet, but the rear was very easy. I was having the "shudder" on takeoff when I turned. New fluid and friction modifier, no more problems If you buy that pumped I talked about, you will love it because it makes fluid changing a breeze!