Hypothesis on transmission

[XL GT]

@TORQUERULES and Unleashed were working on a shift that was preprogrammed to disable the learning (or something similar). Not sure where they left off but they've easily put the most time and energy into trying to map the 10r80 in the Ranger, guaranteed.

I’m definitely interested in the one someone brought up that disables the learn feature. I’d be willing to pay for that and give it a solid 25k mile test

I installed a 93 octane tune from Unleashed with the shifting "strategy" that @TORQUERULES worked on with Torrie. Two days later I drove a total of 340 miles to the beach and back with no issues whatsoever. It now up-shifts and downshifts smoother and quicker (but not jarring) than it did when stock, and doesn't skip gears that I noticed. I didn't really have issues with it before but it is now definitely smoother and of course has more power.

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[Zvedza]

honestly i have no clue, ive driven 4 trucks with the 10spd and got a different experience out of each one with the same driving.
Best one is the one i have now, its the most consistent for whatever reason.

Only thing i can think of is contaminants on the millions of solenoids in this trans, the 6r80 had a whole row of them, cant imagine what these guys have. Each solenoid was specific and had to be put into the tcm, very sensitive stuff.
Why i try to change out the fluid every 20k to get all that stuff out. Too bad ranger is relatively complicated to drop the pan and i dont like using the flushing machines.

 

[Yinzcity]

The day I changed the fluid in my transfer case and rear diff, all my transmission/shifting issues disappeared and have never returned. It's as smooth as butter.
I don't know which one of them solved the problem as I did both changes at the same time.

Well, I've done the rear diff fluid change at 25k and it didn't seem to change anything so far, so that suggests the transfer case. Can't imagine either of those affecting shift quality, but who knows. Maybe the Tcase is causing some weird fluid resistance. I'll have to change mine when I do the trans fluid at 35k. Did you use any specific fluid or just the motocraft replacement?

 

[Canadian Ranger]

I know AMSOIL is good but this makes no sense to me..
I am glad it worked for you, did your MGP go up?

LB

Doesn't make sense to me either, I can't figure it out. All I know is that it worked.
I can also say, that after changing the transfer case fluid, it easily doubled my torque in 4L. The truck will pull itself without touching the accelerator. It acts like the crawler gear in the manual Bronco, on level ground and slight inclines. It shocked the heck out of me when backed out of my garage in 4L, after doing the fluid change.
Mpg didn't improve, but it did after the transmission fluid change. I'm guessing the reason for that is, the Amsoil maintains its viscosity when it warms up.

Well, I've done the rear diff fluid change at 25k and it didn't seem to change anything so far, so that suggests the transfer case. Can't imagine either of those affecting shift quality, but who knows. Maybe the Tcase is causing some weird fluid resistance. I'll have to change mine when I do the trans fluid at 35k. Did you use any specific fluid or just the motocraft replacement?

Try doing the transfer case at a separate time, if you can. I used Amsoil transmission fluid in the transfer case.

 

[ctechbob]

Regardless of what that clown 'FordBossMe' says, the adaptives in the transmission are not for learning your driving style, they are for learning and adapting to the transmission operation over time and for learning an initial setting after repairs or changes to the driveline. (Clutch apply times/fill rates of the pistons/etc.)

One only has to look at the very specific procedure that you are supposed to use after resetting the adaptive tables.

From: https://gearsmagazine.com/magazine/the-more-you-know-about-the-10r80-the-better-off-you-are/
___________________________________________________________
"The Adaptive Learning Drive Cycle must be performed after any of the following procedures are performed:

• Transmission rebuild or replaced
• TCM replaced or reprogrammed
• Major engine work performed
• Air/fuel management adaptive values reset

Perform the adaptive learning drive cycle on a level road surface as follows:

1. Record, and then clear any DTC’s
2. Drive the vehicle until the engine and transmission reach normal operating temperature.
3. Accelerate from a stop with light throttle (15%), ensuring that upshifts 1st through 8th occur at engine speeds between 1300-1600 rpm.
4. Continue to accelerate (may apply slightly more throttle after 7-8 upshift at 32-38 mph (51-61 km/h) until you achieve 55 mph (88 km/h) and the 8-9 and 9-10 shifts complete.
5. Brake very gently to a complete stop and hold the foot brake for five (5) seconds.
6. Shift the transmission to Neutral. Wait 1 second.
7. Shift the transmission to Reverse. Wait 2 seconds.
8. Shift the transmission to Neutral. Wait 1 second.
9. Shift the transmission to Drive. Wait 2 seconds.
10. Repeat Steps 3 through 9 six (6) additional times.

After the final step, place the vehicle in park and cycle the ignition key off. Wait 3-5 minutes before driving."
________________________________________________________

Our transmission has 6 solenoids, and they are magnetic, which is why the 150k mile fluid change IMO is insane. Even vacuuming out the fluid and changing it on a 30k schedule is better than waiting that long.

Resetting and relearning the transmission just resets it to generic 'as built' parameters which may or may not give you better feeling shifts, who knows, it would be dependent on how the trans has worn up to this point.

There are starting to be some aftermarket parts for the 10R80 from reputable vendors that look to be chasing after some problems that we have:

https://www.sonnax.com/units/631-10r80

FWIW, these Sonnax parts are drop-in if someone wants to try them, Sonnax is a company I'd trust that has done their homework.

https://www.sonnax.com/parts/5619-main-pressure-regulator-valve-kit
https://www.sonnax.com/parts/5641-tcc-priority-valve-kit



But since most of us are under warranty, we won't know if those are worthy upgrades. When people start doing more rebuilds they'll start shaking out the hard part problems and eventually, we'll get to the place where a lot of other boxes are, damn near bulletproof.

Till then, change your fluid(every 30k or less), change your filter every 60k. That's about all we can do.

 

[TJC]

I said this in another thread. I believe it’s the valve bodies of our trannys that starts the series of events that causes catastrophic failures. If the timing is off because of stiction or gumming up things start slamming, clutch packs and more metal based debris then enters the fluid path. We got magnetic solenoids so where do you think all that metal particulate goes! The snowball disintegration failure begins. More magnets in the pan might help tons

I do agree that once the solenoids began acting up, the clutches are the first thing to go in the transmission.

I don't know what the solenoids cost, but I saw new valve bodies on Amazon for for <$600... but by the time you figure out the problem your clutch plates are probably toast. So basically we need to replace the valve body and solenoids prior to the issue.

The fact that we need to do all this work to achieve a dependable truck is quite disheartening.

The minimal expense required to use quality parts is simply not that great. Ford appears to manufacture substandard trucks and then offers extended warranties for thousands of dollars more after the sale. Short term profit, but long term suicide of the company as repeat customers flee to more reliable vendors.

 

[pbethel]

I do agree that once the solenoids began acting up, the clutches are the first thing to go in the transmission.

I don't know what the solenoids cost, but I saw new valve bodies on Amazon for for <$600... but by the time you figure out the problem your clutch plates are probably toast. So basically we need to replace the valve body and solenoids prior to the issue.

The fact that we need to do all this work to achieve a dependable truck is quite disheartening.

The minimal expense required to use quality parts is simply not that great. Ford appears to manufacturer substandard trucks and then offers extended warranties for thousands of dollars more after the sale. Short term profit, but long term suicide of the company as repeat customers flee to more reliable vendors.

When my time comes to flee, who are these "more reliable vendors"?

 

[NotBudule]

When my time comes to flee, who are these "more reliable vendors"?

As far as my transmission goes , ANY other vendor , as far as the rest of the truck , thats gonna be hard to beat ...

 

[Racket]

When it reaches that point the whole transmission is compromised I think.

 

[SigOris]

The LoonyTunes reflection was intentional.

Ford's Performance Tune changes the operation of the transmission to coincide with the additional torque. It still has a few idiosyncrasies (i.e.: slowing down and shifting into Sports Mode often results in a very hard downshift!), but overall it corrects a lot of the complaints proffered here.

Let's assume you do your easy driving in Drive, and your hard driving in Sports Mode. The result will be much more pleasant shifting with less harshness when in normal driving. And, the shifting in Sports Mode will become quicker once the fuzzy logic catches up to your driving style.

I recall a TSB about the transmission oil, but I don't think it affected too many vehicles. For some who want peace of mind, it might be worth the expense.

Trailer mode is something I don't use, so I can't comment on that use. However, it seems to help in start-stop type of city driving, albeit I can't call my city driving start-stop (I live in Roswell, NM).

Lastly... I think some folks are a bit too critical, as they tend to "look" for an issue as if they had buyer's remorse. For those, please remember this is a truck! It rides like one, drives like one, and can go where your Escort can't! It wasn't meant to be a rock crawler, but some folks turn it into one. Just like tuning, bigger intercooler, CAI, etc., everything is a tradeoff. Did you mod it? Then get over the idiosyncrasies!

holy guacamole ?, even ALIENS drive Rangers ????

” couldn’t resist based on your location “

 

[Apples]

Yes, John, you're correct! Whether you believe in UFOs, ETs, and the like, one thing is for sure; The city fathers rake in millions every year during the UFO Festival. This year's has just wrapped up, so the numbers aren't in yet. From the vast crowds and hotel reservations, I suspect this will turn out to be a very good year indeed.

 

[Walter Alvarez]

I wasn’t thrilled with the transmission without the tune. After Ford tune it is fine. When it was stock it was always at least one gear too high causing you to apply too much throttle then back off. Transmission constantly shifting back and forth.

Also, don’t expect much help on this forum if you just want to fight everyone that replies.

I got pretty beat up when I first posted on this forum. It was worth it; I learned a great deal! These folks will have questions and doubts, but you are only being vetted. They want to make sure you are legit. I actually got kicked out for not understanding the process However, these folks saved me thousands of dollars. Ford wasn't gonna honor the warranty. Once I convinced them that I was telling the truth...well...they unleashed on Ford and the dealership. Needless to say, ford covered the entire cost including the deductible. One guy pretended to be a lawyer and wanted answers. I am indebted to these folks!!! See ya down the road!

 

[got3fords]

Another transmission problem thread started by a 2019 Ranger owner. What gives?

 

[Fordup]

I have noticed mine becomes a different monster when my AC is running. Most of the learning was done when it was cooler without ac. Wonder if that has anything to do with it.

 

[Racket]

Another transmission problem thread started by a 2019 Ranger owner. What gives?

We've got the miles I guess. I was in Sport mode merging into highway traffic and nailed the throttle. Got an unusual whump from the trans as it downshifted and passed all the clumped up semis and cars. Maybe this was a one-off, maybe it's a symptom of something else. I got an extended warranty ??

I reached out to SunCoast transmission to see if they do anything special in their custom built transmission.

The response I've gotten is they seem to think we have 6 speed transmissions, not 10 speed ones.

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