I never did get the MAF cleaning done. I bought the can of electronics cleaner, but havent had time to pull the car apart.

I can tell you that the tranny service did nothing to either car that has the surging problem. It needed to be done, but it still surges !

Anyway, let me know how the MAF cleaning goes.

Cheers,

Andrew

Took the MAF out and it looked pretty clean, no black residue at all, the port that it goes in was clean as well. I hosed it down with the cleaner any-who, and took the time to gut the airbox while it was drying off. No change at all with the surging, so I was going to move onto plugs and wires (they really need to be replaced regarless) but the car has decided to be very grumpy and likes to just quit while driving and doesn't want to start until its warmed up, poopy car. I'm gonna have to get whatever is wrong with it fixed before i get to hunt down the rest of its less fatal issues.

did anybody follow up on this idea??? i've been terribly troubled all day because bonnie started surging just like the rest of you have described. it happened about a month ago, and like most of you i changed fuel filter, plugs, and wires. thought it was gone, but it definitely came back today. i'll try cleaning my MAF, but i'm very curious as to what kind of luck the rest of you have had. it was encouraging to see that something was "telling" the tranny/torque converter to act up, meaning that the problem did not lie in the converter itself. i just hope this is true in my case. let me know what has happened to the rest of you in the last month.

I know people have said that this issue is not the tranny and is most likely an ignition or fuel issue. However, I still feel that is a tranny issue, it just gives me a bad feeling whenever I drive it.

I have changed tons on my car to try and fix this issue. About the only things I have not yet done are:

TB and MAF sensor clean
Change coil packs
change Fuel injectors.

I have even done a transmission flush. The tranny is throwing no codes at all. THe surging only happens when hot. It starts surging after about 5 or 10 minutes of driving, regardless of how many miles I have driven. IE: After 10 minutes of in town driving (about 4 miles), it starts doing it. Or after 10 minutes of country high speed driving (about 15 miles).

There are a lot of owners that seem to have this same issue. We WILL find the answer !!!

so why haven't you tried cleaning your MAF yet? i'm definitely gonna do that today, i hope it fixes the problem. i know MAFs can be cranky little buggers. my buddy from the TCCOA (thunderbird & cougar club of america) had a t-bird that started running like absolute crap one day. bad fuel mileage, missing/surging, chugging, etc. cleaned up his MAF and he was good as new! it'* gotta be worth a try. i think i'll pm marksssei and see if i can get a follow-up on his situation.

Eh, it sounds like a common problem. My car has had it since day 1 and I kind of like it. Sometimes on an open road i'll slow down to 40mph give gentle pressure so it shifts into OD and when it surges just before TC lockup I give a little gas and it actually puts me in my seat a little. O.k. i'm done.

OK, I cleaned my MAF sensor on the weekend. I also got that throttle body off and scrubbed it clean. Then I cleaned the intake as well. I also changed the PCV valve, it seemed to be clogged or non functional.
I also removed the MAF screen. Checked all the vac hoses and cables. Everything seems ok there.

So anyway, I took the car out. Immediately, the power was improved and idle was smooth. It took about 15 minutes of hard driving to get it to start to surge in OD again, however, that surging is no-where near as bad. BUT it is still there, just not as bad. I think this issue is a combination of problems.

So.... What next ? I think I will swap the coils with my 97 SSEi. I think they are the same (if they are not, please somebody say something). This car has almost everything changed except for the coils and the tranny.

It is much better though, so I can handle it for a bit longer.

Cheers,

Definitely try the coils.

I think we are talking about different things. This is where you are cruising in TCC lockup, and accelerating (but not enough to disengage the TCC or kickdown) and the car will surge constantly. Chugging, or pulsing would be other words to describe it. It surges about twice per second and is stronger the more I accelerate. I can actually see the RPM doing this when it happens. It saps the power and forces me to kickdown all the time. Or I take my foot off the gas for a second, the TCC disengages, and then all is smooth again until the TCC engages.

Fuddy, I am gonna change out the coils next. I figure since you didnt mention it would be a bad thing to do, I will just swap them from my 97 SSEi. This car is a 92 SSE. I figure they are the same coil packs.

I know others have the same problem and no-one seems to be able to find the reason. I will keep persisting and let you know what I find.

Cheers,

You can fix this by putting a switch in line with the brake sensor to the computer.
This will fool the computer and TCC and the TCC will not be engaged.
This is good to use when you look at your boost and then deiced to engage the switch.
Otherwise just hit the switch when you want to hit the gas….
I have been doing this for over two years. Works Great.
As far is I know, talking to some mechanics it is the TCC solenoid.
Not easy to replace.
I have gone for VERY extended road trips up many mountain passes with the switch on for a long time...
Without any problems with my transmission.(even though there is a problem)
This really works Great....
I hope this helps
You can look up my other posts to see more about this problem.

Oh! I did the same thing.
Replaced All most all of the electrical.
Then someone on this site told me to tap the brake.
_________________
SSEI 92


Use the switch!
The price for the TCC sol not including labor is to much.
And yes 3 gear has TCC LOCK!!
Not just in O.D.
Surprise!
That one stumped me for awhile too.
_________________
SSEI 92




Well its kind of hard to explain.
It is a purple wire that you want, at least in a 92
If you have a wire diagram of your car, you want the wire that the computer sees as the antilock brake switch. .(94, 95 is brake switch)
And you should splice the wire near the brake pedal.
(The wire color is listed as PPL or purple)
In my car there is a cluster of plugs that are connected to a switching system
to the brake pedal.
In the top plug you will find the purple wire. You need to cut the wire (not much room) and put a on/off switch in series.
(I use a house light switch, cheap and good and some extra wire and Velcro and mounted the switch on the column next to the seat)
As I look, there is a difference in 94,95.
Looks like the switch is normally open (maybe) if so
You may have to place the switch to the purple wire and to the brown wire (bypassing the brake switch) or
Put the switch in-between the purple wire. (If the brake switch is normally closed)
It looks like brown to purple.
If I had a 95 I could tell you.
I hope this helps.
I still use my switch, it works and I am very happy with it even though
I wish I had a good transmission.