Possible issue with my AX4N?

[LJRuddy]

Since this is my first gen 3 SHO, I am pretty much a noob with it. However, I am no noob to engines and transmissions in how they act and feel. With that said, I am hoping one of you guys will be able to figure this one out for me.

When driving my 96 around at say 30 mph on a level road with minute throttle input, the transmission will be in 3rd gear and will more than likely lock the torque converter. If I were to go WOT, I can feel the transmission shift into 2nd gear and then into 1st gear before finally taking off like it should.

I thought the "N" in AX4N was short for Non-synchronous shifts? Is this a normal trait? Otherwise, the tranny works perfectly. Smooth shifts and the T/C locks as it should. Am I just being paranoid here or is there something amiss?
:wave:

 

[SHOZ123]

30 mph is very close to the max downshift point for 1st gear, 32 mph is OEM. I bet if you do it at a lower speed it will go to 1st immediately.

 

[93rev2sev]

I'm probably mixed up, but I thought TC lockup was set at 45MPH?

 

[SHOZ123]

TC lock is only 3rd and 4th.

Here is the OEM 3rd gear lockup table

TP----------mph
1020-------68
600--------68
452--------64
300--------62
200--------50
148--------37
100--------30
16----------22
16----------127.5
0-----------127.5

 

[LJRuddy]

On my way back from work a little bit ago (sent home as its too cold for work lol) I tried this at about 50mph on the highway. 4th gear TC lockup... Went WOT and again, I felt the TC unlock, then a shift into 3rd for a tenth of a second followed by a shift into 2nd.

I'm not really complaining about this as the car runs flawlessly. Its just more of a result of boredom and my OCD that is bringing this question up.

 

[SHOZ123]

The '96-'97 shift schedules are all linear, the '98-'99 ones will allow the shift jumping.

 

[Izzmo]

I tried this in my car today and it doesn't seem to happen.. or maybe I am just not noticing it.

Is this specific to the PCU or the ATX itself?

 

[NebraskaSHO]

So Paul, are you saying the 96-97's will shift 3-2-1 and the 98-99's will go 3-1 if necessary?

 

[SHOZ123]

I am saying what I said. The shift schedules are set up differently between the early Gen 3s and the later ones. Never driven a +97 SHO I guess.

The 98 and up PCMs are the better due to more memory or some such thing. Much more changeable parameters in them.

 

[stephen newberg]

My '98 will, when pushed hard, seem to skip a gear going down. Similarly, when going off throttle after a hard push it appears to skip a gear going up, that is, go from say 2nd to 4th and then to TCLU.

pax, smn

 

[SHOZ123]

After looking at the three main SHO PCMs the shift schedules aren't all that different. It's the +2000 PCMs that are set up different. Still I think the hardware is much the same.

 

[LJRuddy]

My '98 will, when pushed hard, seem to skip a gear going down. Similarly, when going off throttle after a hard push it appears to skip a gear going up, that is, go from say 2nd to 4th and then to TCLU.

pax, smn

Mine does not do this. If I go WOT from a dig and stay in it until near redline and then go to idle, the transmission will shift 2>3>4. Oh wells. Some good info in this thread regardless. Must be another Taurus SHO easter egg.

Speaking of SHO easter eggs, I found that if I leave a door ajar and try to lock all doors, the door that is registering as ajar will lock and then unlock when I release the lock button. Useless info but its kinda cool to discover weird things like that. :wave:

 

[Izzmo]

I just tried this at 45 and went to WOT and it did not seem to cycle sequentially through the gears.

I guess it is possible for it to do it very smoothly though and you'll never notice it.

If you notice it, could it be a sign of one of the bearings wearing out inside the tranny?