2000 Ford F150 Supercab Shutter

jeffthro

My 2000 F150 extended cab with the 5.4L and auto
trans appears to have developed a transmission
shutter while coasted at 40mph at 1100rpm on smooth
road surface. The OD solenoid and Shift solenoid
was replaced along with the valve body however
shutter still exists. 2nd visit to
dealership...unable to duplicate. I've heard of
Ford problems with torque converter shutter and now
I feel my F150 has it. Anyone elso with the 2000
F150 with the same concern?

Thanks,
JEFF

cmbaker1

I just bought a 2000 F150, 4.2v6, manual trans. I have the same shudder right around 40mph. Called dealer, they said they would check tire balance and rims. I take it in next thursday. I'll let you know how it goes. Other than this, I love my truck.

jeffthro

cmbaker1:

I love my truck as well. I've also had tires rotated and balance but still have the shutter. Possibly the rims are suspect. I have the polished aluminum wheels with the tear drop cut outs. . . not the Lariat type. Let me know what happens.

Jeff

dodgeram7

Get a Dodge Ram so you will have room to work under the hood. It is also a much more solid truck.

jeffthro

dodgeram7 posted:

"Get a Dodge Ram so you will have room to work
under the hood."

This is very true if you buy a Ram. You will need the extra room to work on it the day you buy it.

Those who have no experience with the shudder, don't post erroneous garbage. Stick to the topic or find the post suited for response; in this case, dodgeram7 should have responded to the dodge ram trouble posts.

Jeff

ryanbab

DISIGNED huh??? Yep what do you expect from a dodge owner.

Haha

cdean

this is what happens when the parents let the kids on the computer alone...

sir_col

If you want this problem fixed. It will only get worse untill you replace ( bad lockup clutch assy.)

jeffthro

sir_col:

Replace the torque convertor? Did you have something similar with your F150? With a 250lb load in the bed this weekend, the shudder was worse. I'll have dealer check but I need more background for my arguement with the service advisor.

Please advise,

jeff

steve234

The problem is common with any make of vehicle. There is an imbalance in the drivetrain. The problem is trying to find which of a multitude of parts is out of balance. It could be in te transmission, the driveshaft, the wheels or any associated rotating parts. Keep at the dealer to find the problem. Make sure every time you take the vehicle in, that you have a ticket with the problem posted on it. If they do not get it fixed, tell them that you will invoke the lemon law (if your state has one)or get a lawyer. The problem is fixable, but requires luck, skill and persistance.

sir_col

After many trips to my local dlr, and many $ spent, the replacement of the torque-converter fixed the problem ( 4.6.+ auto), and yes it gets worse with the added weight.

dr_nasty

I am looking at purchasing a 2000 F-150. The only two complaints I have heard are seat comfort and transmission problems. I am going to purchase a 4.6 w/auto trans. Are these transmission problems persistent for all f-150 owners. Also, is there an option to upgrade the seats for better comfort?

f150rules

What transmission problems? I have not heard of anything but isolated problems, nothing widespread that should deter anyone from buying. I have always owned Fords and never have had any transmission problems. Now that the piston slap problem has been rectified, these trucks are the highest quality and most reliable of the big three. Just take a look at the Recalls and Service Bulletin comparisons to see the facts of that.

fast36

My '98 150 had a shudder which was caused by an out of balance drive shaft. The dealer changed U joints and finally sent the shaft out to be rebalanced. That was the answer.
Jim

fseriesrule

My 1999 F150 experienced a shudder while leaving a stop sign. Problem worsened if I turned in either direction at that time.My dealer replaced the traction-loc differential clutches.problem fixed.This is the second late model F150 I have owned, and this being the only problem.

davef4

I bought a '99 f150 4.6L 5spd and haven't had a problem with the transmission in 9 months (knock knock) but I do own a '94 Cougar 4.6L auto that had a shudder that occurred as it shifted to OD. My mechanic said he sees this a lot in this transmission. He had an instrument that totally flushed the transmission and it seemed to take care of the problem. That was at 50000 miles and now at 85000 it's doing it again. I wasn't aware that this occurs with 5 sp also. Anyone else had this problem? Is this a defective component that Ford should replace? I think it sounds like it.

rrichf

davef4,
With an automatic transmission the shudder is usually caused by the torque converter. I had a Mits that did the shudder every time it up shifted.
Rich

dkrys

I have a 99 F150 xcab 5.4 with a vibration at 43 mph. It is NOT torque converter shudder. If you coast or shift out of overdrive or into neutral, the vibration is still present. I have the cast Al wheels and Goodyear tires; NOT a problem. I have checked them for runout (warpage), rotated and rebalanced them. I have also had the driveshaft and trans extension housing replaced and will have it replaced again(new one leaked). The limited slip is not used when coasting straight, so the drivetrain has been eliminated, except for the trans output shaft. The remaining parts of the drivetrain do not rotate proportional to road speed. I'm guessing the exhaust vibrates or the frame and body have a vibrational harmonic (design flaw). Next month I try a stainless exhaust.

As for torque convertor shudder, it is common throughout many vehicle lines in the early and mid 90's. It is caused when the lockup clutch does not engage smoothly. Often cleaning the fluid - system flushing- will take care of the problem, although sometime the torque convertor must be replaced. Ford AODE transmissions are famous for developing a shudder at 40-50k if the fluid was not changed.

As for transmission quality, Ford's traditional worst is the AX4N - Taurus and Windstar. Usually their RWD trans are pretty tough, as long as you don't tow in overdrive. Chrysler has the worst transaxles (FWD)of any major manufacturer. I don't know if Chrysler has ever made a decent trans for any FWD vehicle (award winning minivans, huh). Most dealers have a small percentage of technicians working on transmissions. In a Chrysler dealership, you may find that over 50% will do trans work, since there is so much of it. Their transmissions(RWD) are pretty good though. GM is generally better at RWD than FWD automatics as well.

meredith

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