Transmission / Shifting issues

[kswing60]

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[Vince and Charlette]

I've seen 4,800 to 5,000 rpm way too many times. Here's three things I attribute it to: 1. While downshifting during acceleration, (as reported extensively in other threads) the transmission skips over 4th gear by design causing high rpm shifts; 2. Although I really like cruise control, when it's appropriate, it is programmed to return to the originally set speed at an overly aggressive schedule; 3. Since my teen years, and due to having been a USAF pilot, I humbly admit to having developed a lead foot. I have to work hard to avoid "putting my foot in the carburetor" as we used to call it. Unless you're trying to get out of someone's way, try accelerating less aggressively and you'll avoid many of those "screaming downshifts" that make it sound like a piston is coming through the floor any second! (If all else fails, here's a link to Dynamat. They make custom fit sound attenuation material - Dynamat Online Store)

[b1barnes]

Just remember, It voids the power train warranty... Even though most of us think it is the better solution to the Ford programing.

[twojump36]

Originally Posted by Vince and Charlette

I've seen 4,800 to 5,000 rpm way too many times. Here's three things I attribute it to: 1. While downshifting during acceleration, (as reported extensively in other threads) the transmission skips over 4th gear by design causing high rpm shifts; 2. Although I really like cruise control, when it's appropriate, it is programmed to return to the originally set speed at an overly aggressive schedule; 3. Since my teen years, and due to having been a USAF pilot, I humbly admit to having developed a lead foot. I have to work hard to avoid "putting my foot in the carburetor" as we used to call it. Unless you're trying to get out of someone's way, try accelerating less aggressively and you'll avoid many of those "screaming downshifts" that make it sound like a piston is coming through the floor any second! (If all else fails, here's a link to Dynamat. They make custom fit sound attenuation material - Dynamat Online Store)

I've been driving like there is an "egg" under my foot.... taking it very easy on this thing... so no heavy acceleration.
I was shocked when I took it out on the first test drive and the RV guy say's that just normal V10 characteristics... well this last weekend on Tow / Haul, going down a grade and braking normally for a corner, the transmission down shifted and I though it was going to blow up... it went from 2250 rpms to 4800 when it downshifted... I thought everything was going to come apart. it wouldn't shift back up even if I gave it throttle... the only thing that made it shift up was when I got to the bottom of the hill and it leveled out a bit... it reved to about 5k and then shifted into a normal gear...(maybe 4th or 5th?)...
I was amazed it didn't blow up...
should I have taken it out of tow / haul going down hill?... it acted like an Allison transmission on one of our diesel trucks... engine braking.... it was a nice feature but I think it shouldn't have skipped maybe 2-gears.
I really don't like it... it's the only thing I don't like about the coach.

[b1barnes]

6000 is red line and is limited with and auto cut off.

[twojump36]

I'd turn the ignition off before it hit 6000...lol

[KansasFR3]

That the point of Tow/Haul mode, it'll upshift once you hit the brakes coming off a grade. If you don't like that feature, just turn off the Tow/Haul function and it won't downshift. Tranny behaves the same way in our 06' F250 with the 6.0L. I actually don't mind the upshift to save my brakes. Sure, some grades don't warrant it, and I'll just turn off the Tow/Haul off on those particular hills. But its Ford's way to imitate a jake-brake using the engines compression to help slow down. I'm not worried one bit about the engine holding up. Many many miles have been put down on these V10s over the years.

[Lexi2007]

We just returned home from our very first "long" trip which totaled 300 miles in all. It was my first time driving the FR 3 at highway speeds and towing our Ford Fiesta so I called it my trip with "training wheels".

We were, at first, shocked at the down shifting and noisy engine revving on seemingly small uphill grades.

In part, I'm glad to know that our rig worked as it was supposed to. I hope we can find a way to either dampen the noise a bit or eliminate some of the annoying downshifting and revving.

Is there a product that we could put on top of the flame resistant insulation already inside the interior cowling?

PS we had fun, it was good experience and now I'm looking forward to our Cali trip in a few weeks.

[drivmsafe]

Really glad to see this post. I too was a little worried about the excessive rpm build when in tow mode. I'm not crazy about using the tow mode but it really does help slow down when going down hills. Just finished doing a 100 mile drive down Hwy 1 here in northern Cal and was in tow mode most of the trip. It's a beautiful drive but, trust me, the wife and I don't want to do it again.


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[PhotoMaster]

Originally Posted by Vince and Charlette

I've seen 4,800 to 5,000 rpm way too many times. Here's three things I attribute it to: 1. While downshifting during acceleration, (as reported extensively in other threads) the transmission skips over 4th gear by design causing high rpm shifts; 2. Although I really like cruise control, when it's appropriate, it is programmed to return to the originally set speed at an overly aggressive schedule; 3. Since my teen years, and due to having been a USAF pilot, I humbly admit to having developed a lead foot. I have to work hard to avoid "putting my foot in the carburetor" as we used to call it. Unless you're trying to get out of someone's way, try accelerating less aggressively and you'll avoid many of those "screaming downshifts" that make it sound like a piston is coming through the floor any second! (If all else fails, here's a link to Dynamat. They make custom fit sound attenuation material - Dynamat Online Store)

I looked briefly at the Dynamat site. I guess I'd need to do all the measurements myself and custom order because they have no listings for our coaches.

[twojump36]

Originally Posted by drivmsafe

Really glad to see this post. I too was a little worried about the excessive rpm build when in tow mode. I'm not crazy about using the tow mode but it really does help slow down when going down hills. Just finished doing a 100 mile drive down Hwy 1 here in northern Cal and was in tow mode most of the trip. It's a beautiful drive but, trust me, the wife and I don't want to do it again.


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We did Hwy 1 on the Harley's last summer... all the way from the Oregon border to San Francisco... I can't imagine doing that in the FR3....
sketchy!