10R80- torque converter locking awkwardly in 3rd gear

[freewayman]

Is it normal to feel the torque converter locking awkwardly in third gear? Typically this happens to me under medium load (think turning onto a highway from a stop, with maybe 25% throttle). It feels like quite a firm shift. If you didn't know better, you would think the truck shifted twice in third gear. It's not a clunk, the best way to describe it would be "bumpy".

From my understanding, these 10R80 transmissions are programmed to lock the torque converter in third gear under those sorts of conditions, but should I be worried if I can quite noticeably feel it lock? My 10R80 shifts extremely smooth otherwise, aside from occasional jerky downshifts coming to a slow stop.

My truck is a 2023 with the 3.5 Ecoboost, in case that's relevant. 3.73 gearing

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[FaaWrenchBndr]

How many miles?

 

[freewayman]

How many miles?

25k

 

[Old Hat]

The only time I've ever noticed the third gear converter lock on my truck is under extremely light throttle immediately after a cold start up. It feels like another shift as you say.

 

[freewayman]

The only time I've ever noticed the third gear converter lock on my truck is under extremely light throttle immediately after a cold start up. It feels like another shift as you say.

Interesting, I certainly notice it locking in 3rd too when I feather the gas, but only because I can tell it takes longer to shift and also because I'm looking at the tach. But I only "feel" it being "awkward" when I'm under medium throttle (think shift point between 2-2.5k rpm in "Normal Mode").

It's not very consistent either, but usually I notice this when I turn left onto a highway from a stop. For whatever reason, turning right all else equal it doesn't happen as much. Very strange. I think I will overlook this for now as the transmission is butter smooth otherwise, and I don't get any shudder under light load at low rpm/high gear so I want to say the torque converter is good.

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