2003 Mazda Tribute, 3.0L V-6, CD4E 4-speed auto trans with 167,000 miles.
Trying to figure out if my trans is dying, or if it is something else.
In the last couple of months, when my car is at highway speeds with the TC locked on, it has trouble dropping into a lower gear. Started with a hesitation, and then hard drop into gear, but now when you go up a hill and the engine needs to shift, it shudders and bogs very roughly, and I actually have to push hard on the gas to get it to drop down.
Recently, it has gotten worse, so that when I go to pass hard, even if I floor it, the car will not drop down - it just drops a gear, 'locks' at about 3500-4000rpm, and shakes and shudders and wont really go faster, so hard passes have become a real issue. Also, the truck is having problems starting from a stop - sometimes, you accelerate to go, and you get that same shuddering/bogging behaviour.
So, in reading about this on the Escape forum, it sounds like the TC is dying, basically the trans is failing. But, if that were the case, wouldn't I 'see it' in the fluid? Wouldn't the fluid become black and burnt from all the slipping?
I just went on a long-ish 500-mile RT that was almost all hills, and I hammered it hard on these hills, tranny shuudering, shaking like never before. I check the fluid after this, and it is as clear as a bell - light pinkish red, no grit/sediment at all, and not even slightly dark. fluid was partially changed probably over 15k ago.
I was talking to a customer at the store I work at, because he is having the exact same issue, and he's been told its a problem with the coils - they are mis-firing, and he needs to replace them. He's had a CEL flash occasionally, but not stay on; but he's been told that's what it is.
I've had NO CEL's or warning lights flash...not a bit. He says there is still a problem, and the tranny has nothing to do with it. I'm not convinced. I'm going to change the trany fluid in a few days and put some Lucas tranny fix in it, because I have heard that is very good at stopping slip. But I still thought the fluid would show signs of stress.
Sorry for long post, but....thoughts?
Trying to figure out if my trans is dying, or if it is something else.
In the last couple of months, when my car is at highway speeds with the TC locked on, it has trouble dropping into a lower gear. Started with a hesitation, and then hard drop into gear, but now when you go up a hill and the engine needs to shift, it shudders and bogs very roughly, and I actually have to push hard on the gas to get it to drop down.
Recently, it has gotten worse, so that when I go to pass hard, even if I floor it, the car will not drop down - it just drops a gear, 'locks' at about 3500-4000rpm, and shakes and shudders and wont really go faster, so hard passes have become a real issue. Also, the truck is having problems starting from a stop - sometimes, you accelerate to go, and you get that same shuddering/bogging behaviour.
So, in reading about this on the Escape forum, it sounds like the TC is dying, basically the trans is failing. But, if that were the case, wouldn't I 'see it' in the fluid? Wouldn't the fluid become black and burnt from all the slipping?
I just went on a long-ish 500-mile RT that was almost all hills, and I hammered it hard on these hills, tranny shuudering, shaking like never before. I check the fluid after this, and it is as clear as a bell - light pinkish red, no grit/sediment at all, and not even slightly dark. fluid was partially changed probably over 15k ago.
I was talking to a customer at the store I work at, because he is having the exact same issue, and he's been told its a problem with the coils - they are mis-firing, and he needs to replace them. He's had a CEL flash occasionally, but not stay on; but he's been told that's what it is.
I've had NO CEL's or warning lights flash...not a bit. He says there is still a problem, and the tranny has nothing to do with it. I'm not convinced. I'm going to change the trany fluid in a few days and put some Lucas tranny fix in it, because I have heard that is very good at stopping slip. But I still thought the fluid would show signs of stress.
Sorry for long post, but....thoughts?
