AODE Acting Up!

[Swarzkopf]

So I just get done singing the praises of the AODE last week and now mines acting up. Here's the symptoms:

Yesterday I took the 5.0 out for a long drive. The AODE was fine as normal, until about 45 minutes into the drive. Then it started slipping in OD, BAD, at about 75mph. It felt like a manual transmission with the clutch in. As I lost speed, it downshifted into 3rd and then 2nd, still slipping horribly. I pulled it off the road and checked it out. I had plenty of fluid, but it was HOT. I think it overheated.

I let it cool off for 10 minutes and started driving home. 10 minutes later it starting slipping again, this time from a stop. It would slip horribly, then all of sudden grab and take off- again, like a manual with the clutch in, taching it up then popping it.

After repeating this several times, I bought a quart of tranny fluid at a gas station and added it, hoping the cool fluid would help out. It did, but the ****er overheated again and I finally ditched the car on the side of the road and had the wife pick me up.

The transmission is a stock 95 AODE with a B&M shift kit and a Summit transmission cooler. It's never had problems up to this point. Last week I changed the fluid and filter and added a quart of Lucas transmission additive.

I think I'm going to change the fluid again, not using Lucas this time. What fluid do you guys recommend? I used Penzoil Mercon V last time (mixed with the Lucas).

Any advice or tips are welcome! Thanks.

 

[BlownFiveLiter]

How many miles were on the fluid when you changed it? My first impression is that by changing it, you lost the little particles that may have been flowing around inside the trans with the old fluid keeping it alive, but I'm not an AODE guy, so I could be totally off base with this one. My friend's 97 AODE did the same thing, until it finally wouldn't go into gear at all without a substantial rev of the engine. We never tore into it though, just got a trans off ebay and swapped them out. His did it after a change, too, so I'm not sure what happened. Hopefully someone else will chime in here with some ideas for ya. At the very least, here's a bump for ya!

 

[Swarzkopf]

Thanks for the feedback bro...I honestly think it may have something to do with that Lucas **** I put in.

 

[EXTRPR50]

I dont know if this is bad, but I was at advance auto and was looking at tranny fluid to put in my aode. Anyway, I didnt remember which fluid to get and looked puzzled I guess. So a guy right there said what kinda tranny you got? I said aode in a mustang and he said to use the Type F. I thought it was wrong, but he said he has built x-number of ford trannys at his shop and said to go with the F fluid. So far no probs. and it feels like it shifts a little firmer too.
Is this bad for my trans?
Maybe you could try it Swarzkopf.

 

[ScreaminTealGT]

If u can try to find an addiditive for the transmission thats called smartblend. U cant get it at Autozone or anywhere like that its usually bigger auto parts stores. Ours is Delta Automotive here in Sheffield. Anyways my AODE was slipping bad and i put 20oz of that stuff in there when I pulled out of the driveway it never slipped again.

 

[Swarzkopf]

YARGHHHH...Type F is NOT what you want for a newer Ford transmission dude! Type F is OLD school Ford fluid...hasn't been used in years. Newer fluids dissipate heat much better than Type F. You'll fry the **** out of your AODE with Type F in it...you need at LEAST Mercon and preferably Mercon V.

Not trying to sound like a ****, I just hope you get that Type F out of your AODE quickly.

 

[Swarzkopf]

"Smartblend"...I'll check into it.

 

[EXTRPR50]

Swarzkopf, thanx for the tip, I will now have to get that Transgo shift kit since I need to open her back up and get that fluid out! My wife might not understand, but hey, I gotta do it right?

 

[ScreaminTealGT]

Heres the link for ya man. http://www.lifeautomotive.com/Products/ATFP6001.asp That stuff aint Cheap tho.

 

[NOSInjected00GT]

i work at a ford dealer and we put mercon 3 in the old aode's. the aode's and the truck 4r100 is the only thing that takes mercon 3 anymore.. pretty sure..

 

[gcomfx.com]

Did you change the filter when you changed the fluid? Perhaps it washed out some build up and clogged it?

 

[bigbush62]

i had the same problem with my 94 aode and the problem is what you least suspect. check your tps sensor, it not only controlls the amount of fuel the computer puts in but it tells the computer to shift our aode's based on how far the throttle is open. check its voltage make sure it reads arount .98 at closed throttle and somewhere close to 5 at open.

 

[Swarzkopf]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I did change the filter with the first change. Here's an update:

Well, I ordered a new, bigger cooler, some Castrol Mercon V, and a new filter and gasket kit last week. Everything but the fluid arrived today, so I dropped the pan, drained the converter, flushed the cooler lines, installed the new cooler, and replaced the filter. The tranny system is empty right now as I'm waiting on delivery of the Castrol Mercon V.

Couple of observations:

1. That Lucas **** was ****ing coagulating in my torque converter and in my tranny filter....it came out in GOBS, not in a stream.

2. The torque converter holds a TON of fluid. It took a good hour and half for it all to drain, probably due to the Lucas in it.

3. The fluid was ****ed, it was real thick (Lucas ****?) and real dark, not strawberry colored like it should be.

4. Fluid comes out of an open cooler line with a VENGEANCE; no one should have to worry about mounting a cooler in front of the radiator with longish lines.

Hopefully the fluid will come on Monday. I'll let you all know how the test drive goes.

Thanks again for all the help.

 

[gcomfx.com]

Can you clarify what you mean in #4? LOL

Do you mean it's not a big deal to run longer lines as the fluid will definately get back to the tranny?

 

[juiced_94gt]

i always had good luck with the lucas in my old aode, but one time mine overheated it was a bad shift selenoid in the tranny, it cost like 30 bucks and it shifted like new, my buddie at the ford dealership figured it out(dont know how as no check engine light came on) hope this helps

 

[Swarzkopf]

Can you clarify what you mean in #4? LOL

Do you mean it's not a big deal to run longer lines as the fluid will definately get back to the tranny?

LOL!! That's exactly what I meant. I hadn't realized how pressurized these lines are, and when I first installed a cooler, I was afraid that the fluid wouldn't properly flow through the lines and return to the tranny.

Well, today the car is running fine- accelerating, shifting, whatever. The fluid DID get REAL hot again though- seems hotter than normal.

What should an AODE be running at, heated up, temp wise? I think I'll install a tranny temp gauge and see what it reads, and take it from there.

Thanks for all the feedback guys.