Does anyone else think the 10 spd transmission just plain sucks?

[Snakebitten]

It's certainly possible, but so much depends on the folks you are doing business with.
Some dealerships will treat a truck in warranty as though it has a warranty.
Others will try everything they can to disqualify the truck.

Relationships are everything in the warranty business, in my opinion.

Regardless, if you know what a tune to the transmission actually is, you'd know you can actually make the transmission work BETTER than Ford does with their incentive to worship at the alter of fuel mileage. A perfect example is the shift strategy in the so called Sport mode. It's actually a much cleaner and precise shift strategy, but Ford associates the strategy with 4A and no EV mileage in Sport.

If Normal mode had the shifting parameters of Sport Mode, but still had EV potential and just the slightest reduced gear holding at RPM, I swear there would be a lot less negative shifting complaints.
Leave the gear skipping and the clunkiness to Eco mode.

These are the kinds of things the transmission tuner does. You describe what you want and they adjust it for you.

Sponsored

 

[Jus Cruisin]

Tell me all about the 0 stories you've heard of warranties being voided from people posting on forums about custom tunes (or anything at all for that matter).

There were a bunch over on the Cummins forum and Powerstroke forum. Tuning diesels. It happened. And yes, I've owned both. Your post alerted the Ford social media team.

 

[Snakebitten]

Seriously? You think Ford has a Social Media team that builds a database of forum truck owners based on posts that discuss tuning? How do they match up VIN even IF such a thing was legit?

So, what do you do for a living?
I work for Ford.
Really? What do you do at Ford?
They pay me to sit at my desk all day and document people who drive Fords and are doing things that will void their warranty.

I'm not normally someone who would type the words to debate such a claim, but you sounded serious. ?

 

[ttnuagmada]

There were a bunch over on the Cummins forum and Powerstroke forum. Tuning diesels. It happened. And yes, I've owned both. Your post alerted the Ford social media team.

There may have been people having their warranties voided for pumping an extra 150hp through their motors and blowing them or the transmission, but voiding a warranty simply for having the tune is actually illegal under the Magnuson-Moss act. It has to be shown that the mod caused the damage. Suggesting that there is some sort of social media strike squad going around voiding peoples warranties due to forum posts about changing their transmission shift patterns is a bunch of nonsense.

 

[Jus Cruisin]

Seriously? You think Ford has a Social Media team that builds a database of forum truck owners based on posts that discuss tuning? How do they match up VIN even IF such a thing was legit?

So, what do you do for a living?
I work for Ford.
Really? What do you do at Ford?
They pay me to sit at my desk all day and document people who drive Fords and are doing things that will void their warranty.

I'm not normally someone who would type the words to debate such a claim, but you sounded serious. ?

Who do you think "Ford Motor Company" is on here? They are the social media team that works with warranty and service areas at Ford. If there are posts about initially tracking orders, ota's that has a VIN or a partial VIN that's all they'd need. Or a pic of the truck. If it has been done on the diesel forums, there's no reason it couldn't be done here. Just saying.

 

[Mike D]

Update,
Transmission is leaking again and shifting hard on downshifts and squealing on upshifts, back to the dealership today. The vehicle has 8K, I'm quickly losing confidence in this vehicle.

Got a message from the dealership that the transmission pan gasket was leaking, this wasn't noticed on the first visit when trans was two quarts low?? they are replacing the gasket and giving it back. My question is do you think running two quarts low for 8K would cause any premature wear? And, since the leak wasn't noticed on the first visit, could the problem be originating from somewhere else?

Would you keep this vehicle? I'm trying to get an outsider opinion as being the owner my judgment is clouded with disappointment and anger.

 

[Snakebitten]

2 quarts low on transmission is far from the same thing as 2 quarts low on oil.

There's a LOT of transmission fluid in the 10r80. I honestly wouldn't lose a minute of sleep over it. A transmission that is in distress from insufficient quantity of fluid is pretty unmistakable.

Just my opinion

 

[uavmx]

I had TSB 21-2131 competed due to a CEL which resets and updates the PCM software as mentioned in another TSB and can confirm it feels noticeably better on my drive home. Anyone with issues make them do a PCM reset mentioned in TSBs

 

[ttnuagmada]

I had TSB 21-2131 competed due to a CEL which resets and updates the PCM software as mentioned in another TSB and can confirm it feels noticeably better on my drive home. Anyone with issues make them do a PCM reset mentioned in TSBs

Mine didn't have "issues" so to speak, I had gotten used to it, it's just that the default shift strategy is trash. the 1-3 skip aggravated the crap out of me. When pulling out onto a road out of a parking lot for example, it was either going to surge in 1st gear or bog down in 3rd gear depending on the situation. With crawling through a parking lot, 2nd gear is the perfect gear to be in for doing 5-10mph. 1st is too low, and 3rd will bog down if you go from 10mph to rolling out into a street and trying to get up to speed without being aggressive about it. It also has the tendency to hold a gear too long after backing off of the gas. A good transmission tune should allow you to "tell" the transmission what to do based on throttle input. I was just never able to get that kind of feedback with the stock ford tune. You'd have to give it way too much gas to get it to downshift a couple of gears, which is counter to how sensitive the throttle is at low speeds.


I have no doubt that most people would have thought the transmission was "fine" if they drove my truck. It's just that the stock transmission tuning is "dumb". I imagine it revolves entirely around fuel consumption rather than drivability. Getting it tuned was an eye-opener honestly, and if anything I've gained MPG.

 

[Snakebitten]

@ttnuagmada
I don't think anyone can describe it better.
And this is not my first 10r80 truck. The oem strategy for "Normal" mode has always been as you described. And on my 2018 I had it "tuned" to perfection and it CAN be a glorious shifter.

 

[2mileshigh]

Mine didn't have "issues" so to speak, I had gotten used to it, it's just that the default shift strategy is trash. the 1-3 skip aggravated the crap out of me. When pulling out onto a road out of a parking lot for example, it was either going to surge in 1st gear or bog down in 3rd gear depending on the situation. With crawling through a parking lot, 2nd gear is the perfect gear to be in for doing 5-10mph. 1st is too low, and 3rd will bog down if you go from 10mph to rolling out into a street and trying to get up to speed without being aggressive about it. It also has the tendency to hold a gear too long after backing off of the gas. A good transmission tune should allow you to "tell" the transmission what to do based on throttle input. I was just never able to get that kind of feedback with the stock ford tune. You'd have to give it way too much gas to get it to downshift a couple of gears, which is counter to how sensitive the throttle is at low speeds.


I have no doubt that most people would have thought the transmission was "fine" if they drove my truck. It's just that the stock transmission tuning is "dumb". I imagine it revolves entirely around fuel consumption rather than drivability. Getting it tuned was an eye-opener honestly, and if anything I've gained MPG.

I always suspected that a smoother shifting strategy utilizing the entire gear range would result in better fuel economy. Clunky shifts and skipped gears = an unnecessary extra load on the engine or motor, if only for a second. Ford must have saved 49 cents per vehicle in programming costs.

 

[AeroLogics]

Just had this happen to me today...
I was driving at normal speeds and shifting normally, out of nowhere (around 4th or 5th gear) loud clunk and clatter from the transmission. 'Service Soon' and check engine came on. I pulled off and checked for anything spilling out of the transmission but nothing. I restarted the truck and it slipped a little but then woke up and shifted normally the rest of the ride home, no dash lights. The truck only has 1,200 miles on it, so my guess could be that it's low on fluid from the factory (it had low oil from the factory as well). I can forgive a new trans clunk every now and then but this is just awful. If you guys have any clues or similar experiences let me know, very aggravated...

 

[uavmx]

Just had this happen to me today...
I was driving at normal speeds and shifting normally, out of nowhere (around 4th or 5th gear) loud clunk and clatter from the transmission. 'Service Soon' and check engine came on. I pulled off and checked for anything spilling out of the transmission but nothing. I restarted the truck and it slipped a little but then woke up and shifted normally the rest of the ride home, no dash lights. The truck only has 1,200 miles on it, so my guess could be that it's low on fluid from the factory (it had low oil from the factory as well). I can forgive a new trans clunk every now and then but this is just awful. If you guys have any clues or similar experiences let me know, very aggravated...

That's a whole bigger issue than discussed here, take it in ASAP

 

[Ford Motor Company]

Just had this happen to me today...
I was driving at normal speeds and shifting normally, out of nowhere (around 4th or 5th gear) loud clunk and clatter from the transmission. 'Service Soon' and check engine came on. I pulled off and checked for anything spilling out of the transmission but nothing. I restarted the truck and it slipped a little but then woke up and shifted normally the rest of the ride home, no dash lights. The truck only has 1,200 miles on it, so my guess could be that it's low on fluid from the factory (it had low oil from the factory as well). I can forgive a new trans clunk every now and then but this is just awful. If you guys have any clues or similar experiences let me know, very aggravated...

Hello! Send us a private message with your F-150's VIN and the name & location of your dealer. I’d be happy to see what I can do to assist with this adaptive cruise control issue. Thank you!

 

[AeroLogics]

That's a whole bigger issue than discussed here, take it in ASAP

Hesitant to take to the dealer, truck shifts like it originally did... I'm able to feel every downshift coming to a stop. I read on here that they'll just reflash the transmission, but couldn't I just disconnect the battery for 10-15 minutes and let it re-boot the transmission learning cycle? Hopefully, the computer stored the code when it came up with the engine light and service light in the event that I do take it to a service department. Thanks.

Sponsored