I saw that documentary series with Arnold and the AI machines. They're evil..

 

A few pushes of button on the column shifter is hard for many people, true.

No wonder why no truck manufacturer other than Toyota and Jeep offers manuals anymore and even then few Tacos and Gladiators are made with it.

 

disconnect battery and let it learn your driving style, could be the person had it before you had a completely diff driving style, which can affect how it shifts.

 

It's an automatic transmission... That isn't doing the job "properly"... Never once did I ever even needed to, shift any other automatic transmission manually, I put it in D and go... That is how it's supposed to work...??? Isn't it...??? It actually should be way better than any 6 speed automatic ever was... These BS red herring statements about a person not wanting or can't shift it manually cause it's too hard for them to do, is a copout statement that allow FORD to not fix the problem, cause it's not a problem within the transmissions programing it's the operators fault...

 

Depending on who you ask, it's either the transmission's programming, or the rear axle ratio, or the engine tuning, or the type of fuel the engine runs, or whatever else that one perceives is holding the truck back.

I don;t know how old you are but in the days of AOD transmissions with gas engines, locking out OD was very common practice for hilly terrain, or when you want to avoid the hard 4-2 kickdown on onramps and uphill sections. If drivers are never expected to manually intervene then the gear range selector should have gone the way of manual parking brakes, manual windows, etc.

 

This is another thing that "probably" effects the shifting parameters negatively, this "learning program" is also most probably biased to try to get better gas mileage, and disrupts the actual needed gear selection at any given time, as it tries to stay in the higher gears but ends up too long in the higher gears, thus actually making things worse, performance wise & economy wise JMO

 

So this is a Hot Topic.

I have a 2020 F250 7.3 4x4 with 3.55 gears and 38,000 miles. It wasn't as annoying when it was new, but at 35,000 miles it got worse. Then it started shifting funny, jerking during upshifts and downshifts, and hanging in gears. A couple thousand more miles it started slipping, hesitating, and became dangerous because it would leave you hanging for several seconds after stepping on the gas. Then it started showing the wrench on the dash after doing this. I took it to one of the largest dealers in Southern California and they set the trans in learning mode and said to drive it for 1,000 miles. It still did the same stuff many times and I took it back in. No loaner even though it is still under warranty. They kept it and said that they would replace the valve body and that they say should fix it. It is three weeks later and the truck hasn't moved in their parking lot. I called this week and now they will give me a loaner for 10 days with no promise on how soon it will be fixed.

There are several TSB's on this issue:
TSB 20-2375 2020-DEC
TSB 20-2393 2020-NOV
TSB 21-2420 2021-NOV
TSB 22-2087 2022-MAR
TSB 23-2160 2023-MAY

Ford has made changes in the transmission since the first ones like mine. They have redesigned the CDF drum in the trans to add a lip so that the bearing doesn't slip over some of the oil passages which is the main cause of the problem.
The valve body has some leaks that affect the valves sifting.
Some time in 2023 you can't get 3.55 gears any more on a new truck. Only 3.73 or 4.30.

They have eliminated the skip shift strategy some time in 2023.

I found another dealer in Southern California that has valve bodies in stock and can get on it right away. They can get a new Transmission in a couple of days.

The problem is that Ford Dealers have to follow the TSB procedures which go in steps and require driving it another 1000 miles between each step rather than fixing it with a new Trans. I offered to buy a new trans at 20% under the list price of $4650.00 and was told that they have to follow their procedure which will have me out of warranty by the time they get done.

I am a loyal Ford Customer who has had many Fords over the years. Some of them have had over 200,000 miles without problems.
55 Fairlane 2dr HT
57 Ford F100
68 Mustang Mach 1
68 Bronco
75 Ford Van
76 Ford Pinto Wagon
77 F150 4x4
92 E350 Club Wagon
97 T-Bird
2005 Rousch F150
2007 Expedition
2010 F150
2013 Taurus
2014 Mustang GT 5.0
2014 F150 FX Coyote 5.0
2020 F250

I know that I am a little wordy but I hope that this helps.

If you are not happy with your Transmission, Get Ford doing something before it is out of Warranty.

2020 F250

 

And some people wonder why a lot of people don't buy first or even first 2 years of a new set up.

 

That was a good documentary, but I'm into nature also, so that one that explained where turtles go for years was great. It even showed their underwater highway system and involved a little fish with a short fin, lol

 

I think ECO mode may create softer shifts and reduce the number of downshifts on hilly highways. Personally I like the way ECO shifts when commuting around town. I have experimented with ECO when driving on hilly two lane back roads. The truck seems less "determined" to hold speed and doesn't downshift quite as much.

Worth trying.

 

This is exactly the problem I'm noticing in my new truck. I live above 9,000 feet, and nearly every road I drive is steep and windy, far beyond anything most people have ever experienced (visitors frequently vomit). The truck will hold an overdrive gear on steep upgrades, losing over 10 mph, and never downshift. Finally I have to goose it to 3/4 throttle (which many people on here claim you never have to do), and suddenly it drops 2 or more gears and accelerates like crazy. It way overshoots speed and I have to let out of it, at which point it's back into overdrive and losing speed again. When it gets too annoying, I just press the minus to limit it to 7th gear, and it's fine that way (but with the roads I drive daily, I will wear out those + - buttons before long).

I only have 800 miles, so I'm hoping it will learn its way out of this. My wife has to drive this truck sometimes, and learning to navigate this transmission for her occasional use is a bit much.

 

Look on the upside, you get .75 higher mpg cruising empty at 70 mph with 3.73’s opposed to 4.30’s.

 

7.3 and 4.30 gears here. Mine downshifts empty on hills, sometimes to 8th. Pretty sure it's the 38 inch tires doing it though. Didn't drive it much before putting the larger tires on. 70 mph which is really about 77 mph is about 1700 rpm, as I recall. If I go fast enough to be at 2000 rpm or so, I go up hills without it downshifting, but I don't like driving that fast. That's probably about 85 mph.

 

I tried Eco mode a few times, does make the truck more...subdued, I guess that's the word. It will probably not t behe cup of tea for people who want their SDs to drive like BMW M cars.

Maybe I just got lucky, I know everyone's experience is different, but my 3.55 towing 10-11k does just fine while others who tow maybe half that can't handle it. Who knows what the variable is. Only Ford would know.

 

Eco mode is definitely smoother, with less downshifts. What I like is that the adaptive cruise control is less aggressive. If I am going 63 mph behind a car and I go to pass, with the cruise set at 70 mph, it slowly gets up to speed. If I am in regular mode, it downshifts and tries to get up to speed in 3 seconds or less. It’s just more calm.