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What could be the cause of vehicle shudder in my 2013 Ford Ranger XLT?

I have a 2013 Ranger XLT 4x4 auto. A workshop replaced the torque converter at 280,000km, but the loom near exhaust was not placed correctly and burned. Now they've soldered the wires again and when you drive it smoothly it changes from first through to sixth. But when it shifts down the whole vehicle shudders. Even when you overtake a vehicle and it down shifts, it's a huge shudder through vehicle. What can be the problem? The loom from gearbox to computer box, the converter or gearbox itself? Feels like a sticky clutch. The valve-plate on the gearbox was replaced by a new one.

There have been plenty of complaints over this transmission, and a lot of them have been traced back to the valve body separator plate which, from the sound of things, has been replaced on your vehicle. However, was it replaced with a new part or a second-hand one sourced from another vehicle? Was the work done by a Ford dealership or a transmission specialist or a general workshop?

It's not so likely to be the wiring that's at fault. Wiring tends to either conduct electricity or it doesn't. But that doesn't mean the computer that controls the transmission wasn't damaged when the loom was burned. Fundamentally, the symptoms you're experiencing could be from any (or all of) the causes you've suggested. Valve bodies, torque converters, electronic control units and gearbox internals all have to be working in perfect harmony in a modern automatic transmission. One little problem with any of those systems can cause all sorts of shifting problems. I'd take the vehicle to a transmission specialist who will be able to – hopefully – diagnose the exact cause of the harsh downshifts and do something about it.

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