TSB 20-2277 2019-2020 Ranger - Shudder/Vibration When Accelerating From A Stop

[navsnipe]

I have spent a bit of time reading the plethora of posts on the Mustang forum I linked earlier. It does seem that even as recently as August they are reporting 10R80 transmission fluid levels being between 1/2 and 1 1/2 quarts low. Multiple people are stating that once they topped the transmissions off to the correct level most of if not all of the issues they had been having were gone.

It's not too far outside the realm of possibility that our transmissions were also incorrectly filled at the factory. Looks like this needs to be investigated to confirm it is a more wide spread issue than just with the Mustangs.

I'm wondering if this might explain the differences in shudder I notice between easy driving and heavy stop and go. In heavy stop and go (NYC) the shudder will happen almost continuously during steady slow speed 10-17 mph.

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[Porpoise Hork]

It very well could be. This is something I'll likely be checking this afternoon.

It looks to be fairly straight forward. as per section 307-01 of the shop manual.

 

[HarryD]

I have looked through this procedure and am not clear regarding the fluid level indicator.
Could it be that the indicator portion is inverted and positioned inside the plug portion?

 

[SAZ Ranger]

I have a little vibration from a start, but a steady vibration at about 70mph. Will watch this thread and see what develops.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

I have a little vibration from a start, but a steady vibration at about 70mph. Will watch this thread and see what develops.

Hi Mark,

Your 70mph vibration is most likely tire balance but could be induced by an out of balance driveshaft. The dealer techs have the ability to determine the frequency of the vibration and this will tell them the source pretty accurately. For example if the frequency is 3.73 times greater than wheel rotation, it points to the driveline.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[navsnipe]

I just checked the dipstick location on my US built 2020 Ranger Lariat. The transmission fill plug is like the Mustang. Definitely no traditional dipstick.

My guess is with the word bonnet this is a UK or Australian based document.

 

[kieefer]

[/QUOTE]

I have a little vibration from a start, but a steady vibration at about 70mph. Will watch this thread and see what develops.

Hi Mark,

Your 70mph vibration is most likely tire balance but could be induced by an out of balance driveshaft. The dealer techs have the ability to determine the frequency of the vibration and this will tell them the source pretty accurately. For example if the frequency is 3.73 times greater than wheel rotation, it points to the driveline.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

My vibration is closer to 75-80 and I wrote it off as wheel balance too BUT after 3 rotate and balances it made no difference. (Bridgestone tires)
My 2500 rpm vibration is better now with 18K miles but an aggravating stall when I have to stomp on it is bothersome.

I'm planning within this month to leave it with the dealer to address this, the saggy leather seat and asking to have this TBS done.

 

[quangdog]

I just checked my US Built 2019 Ranger, and the tranny fill plug is as described in the manual linked above: on the side of the transmission, sandwiched in there right next to the exhaust. Since this has to be checked with the engine running and with the trans at 200ºF, I'm not sure I'm brave enough to crawl under there and try to do it myself.

 

[rdgallo]

Well, my dealer did the TSB on my 2020 Ranger yesterday. I am sad to report it did not change the shudder at all. It is the same as it was before the TSB. I guess I will have to learn to like the shudder. At least the shudder might help me find a rattle I have somewhere in the dash area. The rattle is there most of the time, but when I let my wife drive while I sit in the passenger seat with stethoscope in my ears it goes away. Aggravating.....lol I hope you all have better luck with the TSB.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

Well, my dealer did the TSB on my 2020 Ranger yesterday. I am sad to report it did not change the shudder at all. It is the same as it was before the TSB. I guess I will have to learn to like the shudder. At least the shudder might help me find a rattle I have somewhere in the dash area. The rattle is there most of the time, but when I let my wife drive while I sit in the passenger seat with stethoscope in my ears it goes away. Aggravating.....lol I hope you all have better luck with the TSB.

Hi Ron,

Please consider opening up a formal complaint with Ford Customer Care.. If this fix is not Robust enough we need to build a case to get the Field Service Engineers back on the case...

Sad it did not fix your shudder.

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[Tann3rth3hamm3r]

Well, my dealer did the TSB on my 2020 Ranger yesterday. I am sad to report it did not change the shudder at all. It is the same as it was before the TSB. I guess I will have to learn to like the shudder. At least the shudder might help me find a rattle I have somewhere in the dash area. The rattle is there most of the time, but when I let my wife drive while I sit in the passenger seat with stethoscope in my ears it goes away. Aggravating.....lol I hope you all have better luck with the TSB.

Did the dealer tell you the shudder was still there before you picked it up? Also, don't give up on it! Keep pushing them to fix it...

 

[TheMuffinMan_904]

Did the dealer tell you the shudder was still there before you picked it up? Also, don't give up on it! Keep pushing them to fix it...

I had a long conversation this morning with my service advisor about this issue. I've done "exhaustive" research at nauseum. I gave him 3 options, either perform a double trans fluid flush and refill with either a different ATF if one exists, refill with the same ATF, or, keep the truck until you fix the shudder. I'll drive your loaner for a year if I have to. Of course, Ford won't pay for a flush just because I did research, they have to go through their steps. He didn't know about the latest TSB, he does now. That TSB is for the pinion shim, but references the same symptoms I have. I'm sure they will do that first, then move on to the tranny. I will report back the findings after my 26th appt.

Update:

Took the truck in Monday. Explained in detail and rode with their transmission tech, who "AGREED" that it was shuddering like crazy. Long story short, after texts every day from the service guy, saying "waiting on Ford hotline to get back to us", he says "update, Ford hotline instructed us to compare it to a like vehicle, which we did. That vehicle was the same or worse than yours. They deem it a "characteristic". The reality is there is no repair path at all for it yet. Esentially, we have no repair path at this time and it's considered normal. Sorry man, its ready for pick up".

W....T....F ?????

Anyway, I asked the service guy for a "transcript" of the communications back and forth with said phantom "hotline". I said i'll pick it up when you can produce that. I need it for next steps. He's going to see if he can do that. My guess is they will tell me to pound sand.

My attorney LOVES to write strongly worded letters

 

[rdgallo]

Did the dealer tell you the shudder was still there before you picked it up? Also, don't give up on it! Keep pushing them to fix it...

No, he did not tell me it was gone. He told me whether it was still there or not was up to me as I am the one that has to be happy. I believe he knew nothing changed. I will be talking with him soon to see what is next. His hands are pretty much tied if Ford's fix does not work. I don't know what else he can do. I have a really good relationship with the service manager and I think he would do whatever I ask of him within reason. Hell, I don't know what to tell him now. I can't believe Ford's engineers can't come up with fix for it. Based on my experience at Caterpillar, I would bet they know the cause and the fix, but the top "brass" will not spend the money to implement the correct fix.

 

[TheMuffinMan_904]

No, he did not tell me it was gone. He told me whether it was still there or not was up to me as I am the one that has to be happy. I believe he knew nothing changed. I will be talking with him soon to see what is next. His hands are pretty much tied if Ford's fix does not work. I don't know what else he can do. I have a really good relationship with the service manager and I think he would do whatever I ask of him within reason. Hell, I don't know what to tell him now. I can't believe Ford's engineers can't come up with fix for it. Based on my experience at Caterpillar, I would bet they know the cause and the fix, but the top "brass" will not spend the money to implement the correct fix.

https://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,4670,7-127-96435_1611-23885--,00.html

 

[Porpoise Hork]

I had a long conversation this morning with my service advisor about this issue. I've done "exhaustive" research at nauseum. I gave him 3 options, either perform a double trans fluid flush and refill with either a different ATF if one exists, refill with the same ATF, or, keep the truck until you fix the shudder. I'll drive your loaner for a year if I have to. Of course, Ford won't pay for a flush just because I did research, they have to go through their steps. He didn't know about the latest TSB, he does now. That TSB is for the pinion shim, but references the same symptoms I have. I'm sure they will do that first, then move on to the tranny. I will report back the findings after my 26th appt.

Now this is where things start getting dicey for me. Say the issue does turn out to be for example, the transmission having incorrect fluid type/level installed, or something completely unrelated to the current TSB's attempting to fix it. What then? Will Ford go back and put the trucks that have received these failed fixes back to original factory spec if they fail to resolve this? I have a feeling that they won't. What kind of potential long term impact could this cause to the trucks that have had the work done to them?

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