Showing gears on display

[subquark]

I also use it regularly, just a push of + and I like seeing the gear. It would be nice to have it display all the time on its own.

I have locked out higher gears, only a few times when towing.

Since I do a lot of shuffling in and out of the driveway, I'll sometimes put it in sport mode and drive around the block in first and second gear to charge the battery a bit.

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[shiresoft]

I've had mine for about 2 weeks ago and stumbled across the gear display. What's odd is that my RV (based on 2020 F550) has the gear display all the time (of course it's apples or oranges) but it's curious why Ford didn't think we'd need/want it on the Ranger.

 

[Megawatt]

OP. Just wait till you start to master the art of locking out gears and you realize what that stupid little carrot ^ is and where it is.

 

[myothercarizahearse]

Yes, it's buried in the back of the manual under "progressive range selection". It's not documented as "so you're curious about what gear you're in, here's how to get an informative display" and as far as I can tell isn't mentioned at all in the instrument cluster/displays section that seems to cover every possible light and warning message. Hence "not really documented" vs "not documented at all". Yeah, it's a matter of semantics, but my interpretation is that Ford isn't really trying to provide a "what gear am I in" display but happened to provide one as a side effect of providing the lockout mechanism. (And that's why it isn't just there all the time.) The way that many people seem to use it, as nothing but an information display, doesn't seem to be an expected/intended use. The surprising part for me (that I gleefully choose to interpret as some programmer subversively wanting to make things useful) is that it actually stays around if you're not locking out a gear, vs going away if that functionality isn't actively being used. This would be consistent with the general lack of detailed information on the dash (witness the popularity of add-on gauges and hatred for the right hand panel on the lariat dash). On the other hand, lane keep assist is also surprisingly poorly documented, so maybe the person responsible for documenting the instrument cluster just wasn't very good at doing so. (In other cars I've owned you can look in the book and there's a picture of all the stuff that might be on the screen and reference to what page tells you about it. This seems remarkably more useful for someone trying to understand what's on, or could be on, the screen than scattering bits and pieces around the manual like a scavenger hunt.) Anyway, this is opinion/speculation, and opinions can vary on the level of information ford provides in the dash display. Or whether the manual should be interpreted as providing insights into Ford's intentions or written off as a badly edited collection of typos.

that's a load off my shoulders. thought it was just me. thank you Mike

 

[Apples]

My biggest complaint about the display in my XLT, is the fact you cannot read the gear when using manual mode. It is too darn dim except in the dead of night, and even then doesn't lead itself to fast reading!

 

[Msfitoy]

I know! I swear mine goes Faster when I put it in "Stop" mode!

You know 99% of drivers use the "D"amper mode...

 

[Chris M]

My biggest complaint about the display in my XLT, is the fact you cannot read the gear when using manual mode. It is too darn dim except in the dead of night, and even then doesn't lead itself to fast reading!

There are settings for that...
I have mine set to rather dim at night and at daytime.
Bright lights on the dash at night hinder my ability to see well.

 

[Trigganometry]

My biggest complaint about the display in my XLT, is the fact you cannot read the gear when using manual mode. It is too darn dim except in the dead of night, and even then doesn't lead itself to fast reading!

Have you adjusted your display brightness?

 

[subquark]

You know 99% of drivers use the "D"amper mode...

YES!

Damper Mode!!! =D

 

[BS67]

YES!

Damper Mode!!! =D

 

[Apples]

Yes, the brightness is at maximum. It is supposing to me, that folks here haven't commented on this, besides me. It has been noted on several YouTube reviews.

It remains, however, why this is important? When manually selecting gears, and you're not careful, it is easy to over-rev the engine. This can happen, as (apparently) there is no lockout algorithm in the software to prevent it, like there is say in Ford's DCT 8 speed.

In my opinion, the gear display should be VERY prominent, not some dimly-lit, red display!

 

[Trigganometry]

Yes, the brightness is at maximum. It is supposing to me, that folks here haven't commented on this, besides me. It has been noted on several YouTube reviews.

It remains, however, why this is important? When manually selecting gears, and you're not careful, it is easy to over-rev the engine. This can happen, as (apparently) there is no lockout algorithm in the software to prevent it, like there is say in Ford's DCT 8 speed.

In my opinion, the gear display should be VERY prominent, not some dimly-lit, red display!

Was taking a nostalgia photo yesterday and it also captured my transmission gear display. Mine isn’t red! Is this a Sync 3 setting doing this along with brightness of display there?

 

[VAMike]

Was taking a nostalgia photo yesterday and it also captured my transmission gear display. Mine isn’t red! Is this a Sync 3 setting doing this along with brightness of display there?

I think he's not talking about the gear display in lockout mode, he's talking about the gear display in full manual mode. (Which is a completely different thing, also poorly documented.) Probably isn't mentioned much because full manual pushbutton mode on a 10spd transmission is mostly useless. I suspect it comes up most often when people don't notice they're in S instead of D and try to push the +/- to get the gear display and instead suddenly change gears and wonder wtf just happened.

 

[Apples]

Lets do this one more time... The photo is a 2019 XLT, in manual mode!!!

Looking at the photo, the gear selector is set at 2. In any kind of ambient light, even streets light (and those used at the drag strip), wash out this display. It isn't prominent (not large, wrong brightness, etc.).

Question? Why use manual mode? If you are on a track, and using manual mode to maximize your time, manual mode is almost a prerequisite. Yes, you can use the tech, but use the wrong gear and as I stated previously, you could have an over rev condition. That is not something you want to do, unless you don't care about losing an engine. I do!

 

[Dgc333]

Question? Why use manual mode? If you are on a track, and using manual mode to maximize your time, manual mode is almost a prerequisite. Yes, you can use the tech, but use the wrong gear and as I stated previously, you could have an over rev condition. That is not something you want to do, unless you don't care about losing an engine. I do!

I have never driven an automatic (even DCTs) that had a manual mode that didn't have protections built into the programming that would let you shift into a gear that would over rev the engine or otherwise damage the tranny.

Find it hard to believe Ford would leave that out on the 10 spd, especially with a truck.

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