Is This Normal?

[Fastbird]

My fiancee' noticed it and thought there was a problem, I'd always chalked it up to "as normal."

When accelerating under light to medium throttle, if you watch the tach, the following happens:

Under acceleration, the tach will move up in 1st/2nd gear, then after that pretty much hold concurrent with whatever the throttle input demands. Let's say 2400 RPM for instance. So at 2400 RPM's in 2nd, the car shifts into third, and it stays at 2400 RPMS barely fluctuating at all, but still accelerating. Same thing for fourth gear. Then when into 5th gear, the convertor goes into lockup, and she drops down to cruise.

I think it's a normal thing with the tranny to do that, it's called torque convertor slippage. Normal normal. Just wanting to make sure that there isn't (another) issue with the car.

Thanks guys!

 

[SilverLS]

ive seen that when on the gas hard in the v6 ls mine shifts and around 6 and pretty much stays there until i let out of it ???? dont know about lighter driving never looked ??

 

[Motts]

i have the v6 mine drops like 500 rpms when it shifts when i wot

 

[Fastbird]

I did some talking with some buddies and we're thinking that Lincoln actually designed it (the tranny, torque convertor, and programming) so that it tries to act like a CVT, which it really seems to be trying to do. I can no sh*t watch the tach stay dead nuts on 2500 RPM and go from second to fifth before a change is noticed if the throttle application isn't moving.

 

[Dutch]

It's normal. Not like a CVT, the converter just slips that much.

 

[Jim Henderson]

Interesting. My 04 V8 LS shifts thru the gears and revs between about 2,000 and 4,000 rpm when I drive a little enthusiastically, say half throttle acclerations. It does not stay at one RPM. If I accelerate gently it does seem to shift with short RPM changes.

One thing I think is odd is that if I really get on it and after a bit I let off the gas, it seems like the engine or at least the tach stays up pretty high for a second or so. Almost like the converter lockup disconnecting with more slop than I am used to in an auto. But I don't think it is lockup since I am fairly sure the tc unlocks under hard acceleration anyway in order to take advantage of torque multiplication.

This car is fun, but has some strange habits.

Jim Henderson

 

[Kevin]

My 2000 LS8 also does exactly what you describe. And like you suspected - it's just the TC slipping.

I love the high stall TC in my Cougar, you peg the gas 1/2 way, the exhaust note stays constant while the car builds speed. Lots of fun.