Shudder Occurs After TCC Has Applied

In this case, most of the time there is nothing wrong with the transmission. As mentioned above, once you apply the TCC, slippage is very unlikely. You may not notice any engine problems under light throttle and load, but these engine problems could become noticeable after the TCC apply when going up a hill or accelerating. This is caused by the mechanical coupling between the engine and the transmission.

Remember: Once you apply the TCC, there is no torque converter (fluid coupling) assistance. Any engine or driveline vibrations could become unnoticeable before the TCC engagement.

Inspect the following components in order to avoid a misdiagnosis of the TCC Shudder and possibly a transmission disassembly or an unnecessary torque converter replacement:

^ Spark plugs - Inspect the spark plugs for any cracks, a high resistance or a broken insulator.

^ Plug wires - Look in each end of each plug wire. If there is a red dust (ozone) or a black substance (carbon) present in any of the plug wires, this indicates that the wires are bad. Also, look for a white discoloration of the wire indicating an arcing during a hard acceleration.

^ The distributor cap and the rotor - Look for breakage or an uncrimping in these components.

^ The coil - Look for black on the bottom indicating that there is an arcing while the engine is misfiring.

^ The fuel injector - Check the filter for any plugging.

^ The vacuum leak - The engine will not receive the correct amount of fuel. The engine may run rich or lean depending on where the leak is.

^ MAP/MAF sensor - Similar to a vacuum leak, the engine will not receive the correct amount of fuel for a proper engine operation.

^ A carbon buildup on the intake valves - Carbon restricts a proper flow or air/fuel mixture into the cylinders.

^ A flat cam - The valves will not open enough in order to allow a proper air/fuel mixture into cylinders.

^ The oxygen sensor - The is component may command the engine to run too rich or too lean for too long.

^ Low fuel pressure.

^ The engine mounts. A vibration of the mounts can be multiplied by the TCC engagement.

^ The axle joints - Check the joints for a vibration.

^ The TPS. The TCC apply and release depends on the TPS in many engines. If the TPS is out of specification, the TCC may not release at the right time during initial engine crowd.

^ The Cylinder balance - Bad piston rings or poorly sealing valves can cause low power in a cylinder.

^ A fuel contamination - Fuel contamination causes a poor engine performance.