I just bought a 2010 F-150 with 60,000 miles. I have noticed that as I slow to a stop the transmission feels like it doesn't down shift. The RPM stays at 1000 and only drops to about 550 rpm when the vehicle comes to a complete stop. Feels like the brakes are fighting the engine to stop the vehicle. Wanted to know if anybody has had this problem and what was done to fix it.

 

Hi Steve, welcome to FTE!

From your description it sounds normal to me. I think you're confused, if the truck never downshifted the RPMs would be much lower than 1,000 RPMs as you come to a stop. For example if it stayed locked in 6th gear as you stopped you would be turning around 400 RPMs at 10 MPH.

It sounds like it's downshifting normally, remember the first gear in these transmissions is much shorter than most previous 4-speed units. Can you post a video of what it's doing?

 

Thanks for responding Tom. Maybe I can explain this better. First off, I had a 2004 F-150 and I know that I am used to how it drives. As for my issue, as I come to a stop as at a stop light. It feels as if the transmission is not shifting down as I slow down. When the vehicle comes to a complete stop the vehicle will downshift and rpm will drop. If I don't come to a complete stop, the rpm will stay at 1000 rpm for as long as I do not press the accelerator and will travel at about 15 mph.

 

You can't compare the 09+ trucks to the 08 and below. The 6R80 transmission is an entirely different beast compared to the older E4OD/4R100/4R70W. The shift into one happens at a very low ground speed, since the ratio of first gear is so low (4.3:1 or so). I know on my father's new 2014, the select-shift screen shows a direct shift from 3 to 1 when the vehicle is milliseconds away from coming to a complete stop.

These transmissions also do a lot of "learning" about your driving style. Pull the ground cable off the battery and let the truck sit 15 minutes. This will clear the learned behavior of the transmission and put it back into relearn mode. Drive it as you normally would and it may behave differently.

 

i agree with Tom, that it is probably chasing the gears down like it should, but it sounds as if the computer may be providing more throttle input than it should be on deceleration.

i've had mine at work do that at time or two, but only on occasion, not all the time like you describe.

might not hurt to see if a dealer can help, but it might be hard to convince them that it is not "normal"

Wondering if there isn't a false sensor reading that is telling the PCM to keep the truck in "high idle", as if it were cold -- thinking ECT sensor. A good code scanner and a sharp technician would be able spot a bad sensor reading right away if he knew to look for it.

i dunno, kinda shooting from the hip a bit.



I don't think that will do it. The transmission strategy is stored in a PROM, and AFAIK, the only way to erase it back to it's factory default is to have the computer flashed at a dealership.

FWIW, 1st gear is 4.17:1.

disconnecting the battery MAY correct any poor learned behavior with the idle strategy.

here's the best way to clear all the capacitive memory:
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-are-made.html

but i don't think it will erase your learned transmission behavior, because of the way it is stored.

 

My 2012 will also hold 3rd until almost a stop which is what it sounds like yours is doing. From watching the mpg graph it really helps the economy by staying in 3rd in not quite stop and go traffic. Some of this behavior you are noticing is also a result of the electronic throttle.

I would give it some time for the truck to relearn your habits.

 

Here you go Steve, I shot this video a few minutes ago. Mine stays around 1,000 RPM until you get below 10 MPH.

 

Tom beat me to it... I shot a vid for you earlier today. Guess I slowed down a little quicker. Also shows the 3rd gear to 1st. RPMs were also about 1k till below 10 mph

 

Mine has done the same, almost feels like the engine is overriding the brakes. Personally I hate it and think it is dangerous. After 16 months of driving it has never changed. Using tow haul helps sometimes but not always, sometimes I manually shift down.

Would be interesting if a tune would "fix" it.

 

Incorrect. PROM = programmable read-only memory. These are old-school, one-shot devices... once written, they're trash. Thus, if it were a PROM, the dealer couldn't reprogram it... nor would any adaptive learning take place.

There are two pieces to the puzzle - a flash ROM that stores the firmware, and RAM that stores the adaptive relearn strategies. Same way the ECM is done. The dealer must reflash (or you can do it yourself with a programmer/tuner), but the learning piece can be erased at will.

 

Hi Steve680,

As others suggested, you may want to consider getting this in front of a dealership so they can check it out. Keep us posted on what you hear. If you need help following your appointment, just send a PM my way with your full name, best daytime phone number, VIN, mileage, and servicing dealership.

Crystal

 

A couple of questions:
1) Was this something that you noticed during the test drive or did it develop since?
2) Did the salesman have any input if it was noticed during said test drive?
I've seen a couple of guys that had tuners that were setup for a "mileage" tune and the vehicle acted in this manner (sort of) it would minimize shifts up and down or at least wasn't as aggressive as factory, same vehicle with a performance tune shifts alot more aggressively... Has the truck had or have a tuner installed?

 

I really didn't notice it on the test drive. I probably should've looked over it alot more before I bought it. I just had to have the oil pan gasket replaced. Anyhow, I don't know about a tuner being installed, is this something I can check out myself or will a technician have to.

 

I'm sure if it had a tuner, it would still be with the truck, unless the original owner left the "tune" in the system when it was traded. In that case the dealer can reset the computer for you. This may have nothing at all to do with your situation, I just know that when I have played with my tuner, the "mileage" tune changes the shift points dramatically, as does the performance tune (which I normally run). I'd go to the dealer and have someone there ride with you to witness the issue, & possibly test drive another, similar equipped 2010 and see if it has the same characteristics. I've never really noticed anything on my 2011, which I've had a tuner installed most of the time I've had it.

 

I am also new to this Forum. I have a 2010 F150 with a 5.4 and the six speed trans. I always wanted to have one and saw this truck on line and it was "my truck". I bought it and love it. However, I have to admit that it does feel wierd from time to time. I have driven Fords since the early 80's beginning with a 74 Country Squire and most recently traded in a 2005 Explorer to get my F150. This truck feels like it is slipping from first to second under throttle and vibrates a little at highway speed, it also shutters when it is coming to a stop. All very unfamiliar feelings when compared to other Fords I have driven. I brought it back to the dealer once and there was a bulkhead leak and it was low on trans fluid. It is going back in on Wednesday for them to check it. I can not explain it, but it feels like the trans is an issue.

When I bought the truck it had a dead battery and had to be jumped. I did not like the way it shifted but assumed that due to the dead battery it would have to re-learn its shift points and I also assumed it would improve. I do not think any of the issues are terribly bad, but I do not drive the truck every day and when I do drive it, I drive long distances. These little issues give me a nagging feeling that the trans is going to fail when I am the furthest point from home. This is one of those cases where ingnorance would be bliss, because if you did not know anything about drivetrains, you would ignore it and just love your truck, but those of us that do know something about it fret over the little things, because they almost always lead to bigger problems.

She was built in Sept 09, and I am not sure how or what to explain to the dealer is this a shift point issue or a torque converter issue? Is this a two piece drive shaft issue or "dry splines"? Should they be looking at TSB 09-11-5 or 9-22-12 or 10-25-13 or 9-25-5? Or more importantly is this just common side effects of a complicated sealed transmission that has an old school mechanic over concerned? Any comments would be greatly appriciated.