[99FordTaurusSE]

This is my first post here and I owned the car for about a year and change. I never thought about the workings of a transmission so I have this for you. I know the order is 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, then torque converter. When I am on the highway doing highway speed, the transmission is locked, which is the way it is supposed to be. A tap of the pedal disengages the converter. When I get to high speeds like 70MPH, or more, it seems like I no longer have the converter and instead have the regular gear. I always felt the torque converter was no longer necessary at that speed. When I slow down to normal speeds, the converter is activated. Is this the way it works? I would like to know how it works. I do not know much about the mechanics of the transmission. Any information would be appreciated. I apoligize if this was discussed before

My car is a 99 Ford Taurus SE with Duratec and AX4N. I would probably have to change my handle if I get a different car.

 

[shoz123]

The TC will lock and unlock in 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Although you will seldom feel it in 2nd or 3rd it is quite evident if you have loader mufflers or with the 3.98 final drive I have.

My car will shift 1-2, 2nd unlocked to 2nd locked to 3rd unlocked to 3rdlocked to 4th unlocked to 4th locked.

 

[93 sable]

SHOZ explained the shift / lockup cycle nicely. Although my car won't lockup in 2nd, only 3rd and 4th, but I don't have a SHO either.

Once the TC locks up, it will stay locked till either it's time to shift, you let off the gas pedal, or you depress the gas pedal enough to unlock it. I find the constant locking / unlocking of the tc VERY annoying. I wish the stupid thing would just lockup and stay locked up untill either time to shift, or I really stomp on the gas. I have to really feather the hell out of the throttle when driving around town to keep the damn thing from locking / unlocking 9 million times. Dosen't bother me so much on the highway, but I still don't see a need to have it unlock when you let off the gas, it's just extra un needed wear on the tc lockup clutch.

I wonder if a chip could change that? I'm going to find out, if it can, I will DEFINATELY get one, that's the only thing I hate about my car.

 

[99FordTaurusSE]

93 Sable, sometimes I get that too. Too much going in and out of the torque converter. The problem is that with with the lightest push, it goes. What I would of done if I was the transmission programmer was to unlock it at medium pressure.

I still want to know how the transmission torque converter would react at high highway speeds, like 70 MPH, or more? I do not drive a lot because of the gas prices and the cops are all over the place, so I could not experiment.

 

[shoz123]

Originally posted by 93 Sable@Sep 19 2004, 10:02 PM
SHOZ explained the shift / lockup cycle nicely. Although my car won't lockup in 2nd, only 3rd and 4th, but I don't have a SHO either.

Once the TC locks up, it will stay locked till either it's time to shift, you let off the gas pedal, or you depress the gas pedal enough to unlock it. I find the constant locking / unlocking of the tc VERY annoying. I wish the stupid thing would just lockup and stay locked up untill either time to shift, or I really stomp on the gas. I have to really feather the hell out of the throttle when driving around town to keep the damn thing from locking / unlocking 9 million times. Dosen't bother me so much on the highway, but I still don't see a need to have it unlock when you let off the gas, it's just extra un needed wear on the tc lockup clutch.

I wonder if a chip could change that? I'm going to find out, if it can, I will DEFINATELY get one, that's the only thing I hate about my car.

The SCT chip from FPS will stop the unnecessary unlocking. http://fordspecialists.com/