Transmission problem
2003 Ford Explorer V8 Four Wheel Drive Automatic 99000 miles
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My Ford Explorer runs fine in lower gears and on level ground. When I am in 4th gear or OD traveling up hills
I have a shutter or vibration that feel like it's possiby in the drive train. The vibration starts around 45-55 mph. and last for 15 seconds. It starts our soft then gets wrose and the you feel a slight thump and it stops for 5 seconds then starts all over again. It does this as long as long as I'm going up a hill or grade. ( the vibratinon is not felt in the steering wheel) I've had the transmission serviced on schedule, just recently repleced the transfer case. The dealer said it was my torque converter. I took it to a very repitible transmission shop and they said the torque c checked out ok. Please help.

a lot of times a torque converter shudder is misdiagnosed and the problem is a bad spark plug or plug wire. the ignition system is under most stress under a light load in overdrive especially going up a hill. when was the last tune up? there is also a additive called shudder be gone that i have used on ford transmission with torque converter shudders but that was mostly on older models.

Thanks for the info. I'am ashamed to say I've never had a tune up. I will try that first before I start pricing a new torque converter.
Thanks

let me know how you make out.

I completed a tune up over the weekend. Plug gap states .54 and the old plugs were at .65. I would say they were worn a little.
I did not realize how much power my vehicle had lost until I completed the tune up.
The beast news of all is the Torq Converter is not shuttering any longer when I go up hills or grades.
Thanks so much for the advice...........I now know where to go when I need any advice in the future.

GREAT WEB SITE!!!!!!
Take Care,
Charlie

thank you very much charlie. you dont know how much that means to us to get a reply like that. all of us here really love fixing cars.