Transmission/engine computer demons?

[knoxexplorer]

So, I have a '92 EB 4.0 4x4 auto with 217K miles, and a twice-rebuilt trans. It's old and tired, but I really love it. What first started to be a rare occurence now happens every time I drive it: the engine stumbles, the Check Engine Light comes on, and the transmission becomes totally garbled. When the CEL is on, there is no overdrive, and it feels like the trans has water in it instead of ATF (winds out gears, revs real high like it's slipping, and no overdrive). But the engine also seems to not run as clean, valves singing and exhaust stinks real bad (when the CEL is on). I took it to Ford, and their all-mighty scan tool said: MAF problem, fatal memory error, and couldn't scan any further. WTF? So: can the vehicle computer cause the trans to go awry, or is the transmission causing the CEL to come on? Here's the kicker: on some cold dark nights on the interstate, the CEL will magically go off, and the thing runs, shifts, and drives like new. But the next time I start it, it's back on. My gas mileage has gone down to about 10 mpg, and if I don't get this figured out, I'm going to have to sell it and buy a Honda. Please help me, I don't want to drive a rice-burner. Any info will be greatly appreciated.

~Trent

 

[88vert]

have you tried to clean your mass air meter?

 

[88vert]

Sounds like your computer may be going too

 

[Opera House]

If the engine runs bad

and the manifold vacuum drops it will shift funny. The computer has almost no control over the tranny.

 

[dogfriend]

I'm not super familiar with the A4LD, but I think that the only electronic control is the lockup torque converter (if they have this).

If you had a later trans (4r55e, 5r55e) then having a computer problem would create havoc with the transmission because they use electronic solenoids to engage the bands and to control the line pressure.

My Haynes manual says this:

Automatic transmission malfunctions may be caused by five general conditions: poor engine performance, improper adjustments, hydraulic malfunctions, mechanical malfunctions, or malfunctions in the computer or its signal network.

Sounds like you have condition 1 for sure and possibly condition 5 also.