802SHO 2010 Build

ShatteredMJ said:

There are differences in fuse box wiring and locations between years. It’s a 20 amp mini fuse (#69) in my 2017 called vehicle power 1. The ECU ground itself reads very low ohms to battery negative so I think it’s fine. There is something else somewhere I will have to figure out.

I’ll leave this here, it’s the ultimate fuse box diagram IMO:

Ford Taurus fuse box diagrams for all years - StartMyCar

www.startmycar.com

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That’s a good link.

If you need more diagrams, search eBay. I bought the 2010 electrical diagram PDF for about $30 and the seller emailed me the link. It’s over 500 pages.

Since yours is a 2017, I’m sure there’s a 13–19 version out there. You’re welcome to my 2010 diagrams for free, but I’m not sure how much would transfer. I’m sure some of it is the same, but I’d rather have the exact year range if possible.

Also, ohm checks are nice, but voltage testing is better when you can. Check engine off / ignition on, then engine running. You can load the circuit too: HVAC on, A/C on, rear defrost on, etc. Get some current flowing and recheck.

I originally gave myself fake-good test results by putting the multimeter black lead on battery negative and touching the red lead to the top of my ground strap. Sure, it could show 0.00V, but what was I really proving? Basically that the top of the strap was metal and referenced to ground.

That did not prove the bolted connection underneath the lug was clean, or that current could actually pass through the painted/powder-coated surface under load.

The better test is voltage drop across the actual connection while the circuit is loaded. Put current through it, then test from one side of the connection to the other. That’s when bad grounds finally stop lying.

You can absolutely have “good” meter results and still have trash grounds if you’re not testing the actual current path under load.

802SHO said:

That’s a good link.

If you need more diagrams, search eBay. I bought the 2010 electrical diagram PDF for about $30 and the seller emailed me the link. It’s over 500 pages.

Since yours is a 2017, I’m sure there’s a 13–19 version out there. You’re welcome to my 2010 diagrams for free, but I’m not sure how much would transfer. I’m sure some of it is the same, but I’d rather have the exact year range if possible.

Also, ohm checks are nice, but voltage testing is better when you can. Check engine off / ignition on, then engine running. You can load the circuit too: HVAC on, A/C on, rear defrost on, etc. Get some current flowing and recheck.

I originally gave myself fake-good test results by putting the multimeter black lead on battery negative and touching the red lead to the top of my ground strap. Sure, it could show 0.00V, but what was I really proving? Basically that the top of the strap was metal and referenced to ground.

That did not prove the bolted connection underneath the lug was clean, or that current could actually pass through the painted/powder-coated surface under load.

The better test is voltage drop across the actual connection while the circuit is loaded. Put current through it, then test from one side of the connection to the other. That’s when bad grounds finally stop lying.

You can absolutely have “good” meter results and still have trash grounds if you’re not testing the actual current path under load.

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That’s a valid point. I guess I’ll just do all critical grounds rather than test one by one under various load conditions. If it doesn’t fix this specific issue, it will definitely help with voltage stability overall.

TC shudder. Well not so fast.

At this point I’m man enough to admit I may have created part of my own confusion before sentencing the converter to death.

Right now the trans is sitting on roughly a half-and-half mix of Mercon LV and Driven AT6. Freshly built unit, drain-and-fills only, and the converter shudder showed up with that mix in play. AT6 may be “close” to LV, but close is not the same thing when you’re dealing with converter clutch apply/release behavior. Friction personality matters. So before I start acting like the converter is 100% guilty, I need to remove the obvious variable I introduced myself.

That means drain-and-fill time back to straight Mercon LV. If the shudder improves big or disappears, then fluid mismatch just walked into the spotlight. If it only improves a little, I’ll do another drain-and-fill and keep flushing the AT6 out of the picture. If it changes nothing, then fine, the heat goes right back where it belongs: converter, solenoid body, valve body control, or damage from the earlier WOT low-voltage nonsense.

The fluid that came out looked basically brand new and smelled new too, so this isn’t some burnt-up horror movie where the answer is dripping out of the pan. But pretty fluid does not clear converter clutch behavior. That’s clown logic. I’m also sending out my first trans sample to Blackstone, mainly to watch for wear patterns and contamination. I’m not expecting a lab report to magically say, “Sir, your friction modifiers are arguing.”

So the approach here is simple: clean up the test before condemning hard parts. Too many people create a variable, ignore the variable, then start throwing expensive accusations around like confetti. I’m not doing that.

On the engine side, I finally got my Driven GP-1 10W-30. And yes, the shit is green. Straight up spinach for Popeye. I had a great talk with the guys at Green Mountain GearHeads who ordered it for me. Told them about my electrical escapades and they damn near finished my sentences. We talked for probably 20 minutes about what I found, what I fixed, my commitment to actually getting this car right, and the side quest about engine clearances and how some people build engines loose for next to no good reason other than internet folklore and bad habits. Somehow I carried that whole conversation and walked out feeling GearHead-approved. Lmfao.

So that’s where I’m at right now: remove variables, follow evidence, and earn the right to blame parts.

Halogen to LED came in for the “I like them more than I thought” cheap headlights
Test weather this weekend. I hope the GH converter is fine so I can keep sorting this thing out and finally get a clean multi gear pull with no voltage drop. I bet that feels …amazing

That’s been the bigger pattern with this car: the right answer keeps showing up after measurement, not after guessing.


We got two 3.5L V6 EcoBoosts over here

Ready for some drive testing a little later today. Hope this shudder is cleared up. I’m thoroughly enjoying wiring now.

I started on my Halogen to LED wiring and I used my Raptor battery I replaced to test them with first. With the ani-flicker hooked up they did NOT work. After some testing the LES bulbs work and the Halogen bulbs work but connected to the anti-flicker it’s dead.

Don’t need it anyway so I cut them up
Stole their connectors and wired up my own conversion. Tested on the bench. Pass!

Now the LED’s are plug and play. Finishing before I go for a drive. Manual control from my switch panel. Which will be cool bc I can power the projector independently if I want
Freedom in creativity and modification when you learn these basic skills.

HID—Halogen—LED.

Alright, picking right back up where I left off.

First a random couple pics of some cool Purple PPF I bought that I changed the turbo cone filter face with. Changes in sunlight Last update I had just changed the transmission fluid back to Mercon LV and did engine oil/filter and was heading out to retest for shudder.

After about an hour of mixed operation — idling, normal driving, and gradually working into more throttle — the result right now is:

The shudder is gone. Gone.

I’m not calling it final yet because I want another solid drive to confirm it stays gone, but this is already very strong data. I leaned on the throttle harder than I have all year — still not WOT, but enough that if it was going to show up, it should have. I wanted an honest test, and I gave it one. It passed that test repeatedly. No shake, no hesitation, nothing trying to come through. That points heavily toward fluid mismatch playing a major role in what I was feeling before.

Now while I was out, I was also watching temps closely, and that’s where the next issue becomes obvious (I’ll post the same pics/data I just reviewed).

After extended driving:
- Trans temp struggling to get past ~130–140°F
- Post-cooler temps way down near ambient
- And the big one…letting it idle with airflow actually DROPS trans temp

That’s not normal behavior. That’s the cooler doing work way too early.

So at this point I’m treating the transmission thermostat setup as suspect. I used an aftermarket hardline/thermostat assembly and it looks like it’s not controlling flow correctly. Instead of letting the trans come up to temp, it’s bleeding heat off too soon and holding it in that lower range.

Next move is already decided:

I’m ordering an Improved Racing 165° inline thermostat and doing a proper setup with custom hardline to compression to AN conversion. That gives me one known, controlled thermostat instead of whatever the current unit is doing.

When I do that swap, I’m also going back in and re-torquing my torque converter ARP bolts back to OEM spec (roughly mid-30 ft/lb range). The hardware is great, but clamp load still needs to match the application, not just the strength of the bolt.

Right now though, this is looking really good for the car.

One test at a time, each change is compounding and sorting things out clean. No guessing, just isolating variables and verifying results.

Once I get the trans temp back where it should be, that’s when I’ll finally be able to lean on it properly and start dialing in 93 octane the way I’ve been wanting to.

Progress feels real on this one.
Still no codes except Cruise Control module. I moved it and its harness wires were twisted. I untwisted it but didn’t clear it. It’s the only code I have now so if it comes back I’ll just have it disabled in the tune.

At 140 this was where I’m at on the dipstick so once I get to 180 it’ll be interesting. May need to take some out. Btw it’s really nice not needing to move anything to get to the dipstick lol

I’m going to try to remove the hardlines and cut them here.
And convert to this guy

802SHO said:

At 140 this was where I’m at on the dipstick so once I get to 180 it’ll be interesting. May need to take some out. Btw it’s really nice not needing to move anything to get to the dipstick lolView attachment 97264View attachment 97265

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It’s supposed to get to 204*F when you check it. Per the manual.


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Sleeper.Solutions86 said:

It’s supposed to get to 204*F when you check it. Per the manual.

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Not sure where you get that. Per the Ford manual:

Connect the scan tool and check the Transmission Fluid Temperature (TFT). The transmission fluid should be at operating temperature between 82°C-93°C (180°F-200°F).

Texas Marauder said:

Not sure where you get that. Per the Ford manual:

Connect the scan tool and check the Transmission Fluid Temperature (TFT). The transmission fluid should be at operating temperature between 82°C-93°C (180°F-200°F).

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Exactly. I’ve been using my service manual. The issue is very clear. My current transmission thermostat is acting like it’s stuck open.

Sleeper.Solutions86 said:

It’s supposed to get to 204*F when you check it. Per the manual.


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Still must check it after a drain and fill. Needed to see at least some fluid on minimum cold before gently driving it some to get up to temp. Cycling the gear select 2-3 times and pausing a few seconds for each. I started with 4.5 quarts on refill. Dry on the dipstick after cycling. Added about 2/3 quart and had it on min. It already expanded a decent amount at 140 so later when I do it again with a functioning bypass valve, not only should it get up to temp in less than 1 hour….ill be able to finally set it correctly. One hour max temp 140 is a major red flag for the currently bypass valve. So the takeaway is I was unable to set it correctly here and must fix the temp issue now. It was likely overfilled before since I’ve had a cold problem the entire new build.

Need to order a 180 thermostat bc my cooler works really well. If I get the 165 it’ll drop me to 140 in no time

Ok, I just bought Improved Racing’s 185 Thermostat with -10AN fittings. Can’t wait! Check out the specs of these units.
Let’s F go!

Right over $300 to get the transmission temp in optimal range. Fast warmup and intentional heat zone of 180-200 max.

Right where the fluid is supposed to be, right where the TC, solenoid/valve body and clutch packs want it.

That’s the Improved Racing 185 thermostat, (2) 1/2” compression to -10AN male fittings, (2) -10 AN female to female fittings, ok and a -12 AN wrench I wanted…but how much would I also have to pay someone to do the hard line removal and AN hose and fitting fabrication?

Just in materials I’m $300 in and that’s not needing to buy new -10AN hoses or anything. Not bad.

Another foundational error from the 2024 first start. Brand new malfunctioning transmission thermostat bypass valve.

With everything isolated and everything getting taken care of I finally had time to really focus in on the trans temp and this is a major correction this transmission desperately needed to perform as intended.

Can’t wait to retest in the performance heat zone for the very first time.

I cringe to drain the transmission fluid again so fast but…….it’ll make it a lot cleaner removing the transmission hard lines and existing cooler AN lines.

Also I did get some light weeping from the driver side axle shaft seal (bc I tried a sealant to fill a couple small gouges of the housing that didn’t hold up) so I might as well remove it and use good old fashioned JB Weld to fill in the gouges, then sand and reinstall after 24 hours of curing.

**** 2 birds with one stone. 3 birds actually bc I’ll be removing even more leftover Driven AT6.

I left it draining while I go to work so it’ll be extra drained….plus my son I believe is going to stop by the house later to grab a box, far left near the front of the garage…so I left the car as close to the garage door as possible on the lift. I hope he freaks out thinking it’ll hit but it won’t lol. Just to f with him.

Hahaha eff them kids!

This was fun. Once I got my -10AN hoses removed and let everything drain it wasn’t too bad. 10mm nut holding the bracket of the bypass on the trans. 3/4 crows foot
10mm bolt holding the return line in
Shout out to Icon magnet LED lights
With the return line disconnected and removed it’s one last 10mm and the rest comes off
Take a look. It looks like it’s “normal” but it definitely wasn’t.
Now look at the upgrade
I could reuse that bracket but I want it in a more serviceable spot for easy access. Here
I will use that bracket though to hold a dual -10AN clamp. This is the hard line plan.
Idea of what it will look like. (Photos are for likeness only)
Let’s F go! Waiting on my compression to AN fittings from Racetronix over the boarder in Canada

Gotta be nice working in an engine compartment you could eat off of.

Zpak said:

Gotta be nice working in an engine compartment you could eat off of.

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Right! And I think it’s dirty. Lol