3rd gear
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New User
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 11
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From: Beaumont, CA 92223
3rd gear
My 2017 10 speed transmission surges when shifting to 3rd gear. It is annoying when one is going slow and the truck suddenly leaps forward. It could be a safety issue if your foot is not ready for the brake. Anybody else here experienced this?
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 5,890
Likes: 360
From: Mts. S. of San Francisco
Are you sure it's just 3rd gear? We have a similar situation with the 6-speed when we are in "normal" shift mode and going up an incline. Transmission always seems to be one behind, and a few seconds too short. With the 6-speed I get around the problem by using tow or sport mode, and the more aggressive shift program eliminates the surge.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 1,634
Likes: 72
Yes, my 17 with the 10-speed does it. It did it this morning. The very fist time it did it, it was surprising...but now I've learned it is very predictable.
With the 10-speed, it skips 2nd gear under normal acceleration. I hypothesize that the torque of the motor causes the surge when the transmission shifts too early into 3rd gear. I say too early, because you'll notice the RPM of the motor would be too low after the shift if the vehicle didn't speed up. I hope that makes sense... This only happens at low speed.
You can avoid it by putting it in sport mode (and possibly trailer mode though I have not tried it), manual mode, or going just a couple MPH faster. None of those are ideal, since you really shouldn't have to do anything to avoid a "surge".
With the 10-speed, it skips 2nd gear under normal acceleration. I hypothesize that the torque of the motor causes the surge when the transmission shifts too early into 3rd gear. I say too early, because you'll notice the RPM of the motor would be too low after the shift if the vehicle didn't speed up. I hope that makes sense... This only happens at low speed.
You can avoid it by putting it in sport mode (and possibly trailer mode though I have not tried it), manual mode, or going just a couple MPH faster. None of those are ideal, since you really shouldn't have to do anything to avoid a "surge".
Elder User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 695
Likes: 4
From: Metro Detroit
First to third is a pretty good jump. 4.69 to 2.14. Engine rpm drops low, computer kicks in more throttle. Surge. Can only guess they didn't program 2nd in normal mode for emissions/fuel economy. That's just a wag.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,019
Likes: 6
From: Fountain Valley
With enough complaints, there will be now with so many having the 10 speed, there will be a TSB and a reprogram of the trans. May not be simple right now but a computer programmer knowing all the peramitors will get it. Moving in slow traffic is a tough one. If we didn't have "fly by wire" throttle pedals it would be happening.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Apr 2017
Posts: 941
Likes: 25
From: Port huron MI
Mine will do it every once in awhile, i think i just learned to drive it where it doesn't happen as much. was really annoying when new. I also normally let the truck idle for a minute before putting it in gear which helps was its idled down some.
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Senior User
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 120
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Mine does it as well. I've noticed at parking lot speeds, the rpm's won't come down when I release the accelerator. It will 'idle' through the parking lot in 1st gear at 1600 rpm. Then jump to 3rd and accelerate unexpectedly.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,019
Likes: 6
From: Fountain Valley
With only 170 miles on my 2018 5.0 in normal the trans seems to be "hunting" a lot while driving in city traffic. I'm leaving the milage on trip 1 for the entire tank but I'm playing with trip 2. In normal it skipped 2nd gear everytime and seemed to skip others too depending on how I drove. It's new so I'm not expecting good MPG and zero trip 2 quite often to see if I'm improving. Today I selected S for sport mode and immediately the MPG went up and the hunting went away. 7th is about as high as it goes now instead of 8-9 where it was acting like it was lugging. With 7th being 1 to 1 in the trans and a 3:55 rear I'm real happy with that. 40-45 mph doesn't need one the overdrives and the engine is loafing instead of lugging.
None of this ever happened to me with the 6 speed but I'm sure I'm going to like all of them when towing.
I wanted the 3.73 but had to go more heavy duty than I wanted or needed. I'm sure I'll never put on a larger diameter tire..
Right now trip 1 shows 14.4 since I drove out of the dealership.
None of this ever happened to me with the 6 speed but I'm sure I'm going to like all of them when towing.
I wanted the 3.73 but had to go more heavy duty than I wanted or needed. I'm sure I'll never put on a larger diameter tire..
Right now trip 1 shows 14.4 since I drove out of the dealership.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 1,597
Likes: 83
From: N. Texas
I keep my '15 w/6 speed in sport mode 99% of the time because I don't like the engine lugging along at 45mph in 5th or 6th gear. It stays in 4th like I would manually keep it. The only thing I don't like about sport mode is that sometimes the downshifting can get a bit aggressive.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,019
Likes: 6
From: Fountain Valley
CR, our 2013 3.5 Eco did not have a sport mode and with the exception of no 1-1 I liked the 6 speed but it's what you get now. Yes Sport mode in the 10 speed does not have "free wheeling" if that's what you want to call it so there some down shifting which is a bummer when slowing for a red light up ahead.....
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,470
Likes: 108
From: Staten Island, NY
Wait till the first really cold winter morning. When I start out in the winter those first couple of first to third shifts on a cold engine cause it to bog. I generally use Sport mode for the first five minutes so that it uses 2nd gear then I drop back into Normal mode.
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