I have a '97 e150 conversion van. "Sometimes" the van vibrates on acceleration. I assumed it was the tranny , but aamco checked it out and said the tranny is fine but did not know the cause of vibration. The best way I know how to describe it is --I get the same type of sound when going over those "ridges?" as you slow up to a toll booth. I take my foot off the peddle, then accelerate again and it's gone. Three mechanics so far have been no help. I just know this will become a bigger problem with the family in tow 500 miles from home:). Any help would be greatly appreciated.
econoline 150
Mar 06, 2005
6 Replies
This is a common problem with the AOD-E transmission. The torque converter that couples the engine to the transmission has a clutch inside that locks the parts together at ~40mph. This has the same effect as the clutch on a manual transmission. After about 50k miles or more, it is common for the clutch to "shudder" when engaging. This can often be corrected by flushing the transmission and using synthetic fluid. If let go, the converter clutch can fail along with the rest of the trans (in extreme cases). The first thing to do is service the trans, replacing ALL of the fluid. Then see if the problem diminishes or goes away completely. Tom
Tom, Your are probably right in your assessment of the problem but, he should note that you call it an AOD-E transmission and someone else may call it a 4R70W because it is in a truck. It is the same animal with a different set of ratios for the uninitiated. The diagnosis and correction remains the same. He may get sticker shock when he sees the price of the synthetic fluid but, it is still a bargain if it does the trick.
Thanks Lugnut, I couldn't remember the correct designation (my brain kept coming up with 700R4??). Yep, synthetic oil is cheap conpared to a trans overhaul. T.
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