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Tow mode all the time?

LowKeyTremor

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I think you're SOL in CA... I don't know anyone but Ford who goes through the CARB requirements.
THIS IS LONG & DETAILED
A.) If you want to get past CARB, then it’s
worth the read for the first part..
B.) If you want to avoid CARB for good, then
you’ll want to read the second part.

These are detailed instructions which absolutely should not be followed of course… But they will work! i’ve already done one work around, which is below, and that’s how I was able to get my BOV.



I’m also in CA and I am completely annoyed.

I refuse to give up! I’ve already gone through one loophole and I have one more that is a little more extensive but will definitely be worth it and I’m willing to do favors for anybody who might need this option. Or I can tell you how it goes maybe. Not very many details but I’ll just say if it worked.

Let’s just say this is all the theoretical:)

Well this doesn’t have to be theoretical; I have a family cabin in Truckee Tahoe, and it’s about five minutes from Palisades and maybe five or seven minutes from highway 80 and downtown Truckee. Well Highway 80 happens to go straight to Reno Nevada as well!

My first work around was excellent and if Summit would keep more parts, it would make it even easier but they don’t have the things I do need any longer
  • there is a Summit Racing warehouse that has a retail shop with local pick ups!
  • So I ordered the turbo smart BOV and made the 35 to 40 minute drive which is not bad, went in and just paid cash and picked it up. No questions asked and now I have the beautiful soundtrack created by that BOV!

well here’s how I plan on getting the CVF catted downpipe, along with a tune from a similarly reputable company, but I’ll go ahead and leave the name out, although it wouldn’t be hard to figure out.

So here’s the plan after doing research:

  • Reno is not subject to the same overbearing restrictions, since Nevada isn’t and it’s quite accessible, especially when I’m already in Tahoe.
  • I did a little research and it is quite legal to open a UPS store mailbox, even if you aren’t a resident in the state.
  • So I will be renting a UPS store mailbox, which gives you a physical address; not just a PO Box address!
  • I will then order the downpipe that California apparently despises and have it shipped there, then I will pick it up and bring it on home!
  • I will knock out two birds with one stone by also having the tuner company send the actual tuning unit to my nice Nevada address.
  • If I have to, I will even change my billing address for a credit card that I might use and put it to Nevada
  • Then I will just go ahead and cancel that mailbox, as I only need it for a month, and all will be taken care of. I just want to make sure I grab everything I need during that time. Although it’s not the end of the world if I have to rent it another month because they are not very expensive


there is a second strategy that will definitely make a personā€˜s life easier. You can look it up, but there are multiple rural counties in which Smogs are not required.
  • I will register my truck in one such County before going wild with parts that do not have a CARB-EO number. That means it will need an initial smog, I believe. I’m still in that timeframe where it’s not required but I’ll look that up.
  • In those counties, instead you just pay a small smog abatement fee. I think it’s like $20… But they seem to love doubling the costs of everything so perhaps it’s more. It’s still going to be very much worth it because I don’t think it even costs more than an actual Smog.
Back when I was 17 through 24, I played that game where every two years I swapped my off-road H pipe, and I gotta say it got freaking old! It never fails; the bolts and any type of access are always in extremely difficult to reach places, and you have to also be creative with a combination of a swivel attachment for your most likely deepsocket and extension or whatever you’re using in order to even get to the damn thing.

but for the record, I’m really kidding ??, as I am aware that California knows what’s best for me and I should follow like a good little citizen! I felt like I should just say that.


?
 
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Dean Schaffran

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Not all the time. While driving around town I like that it keeps lower gear and downshifts a little better when I lift. Otherwise it tries to keep my speed and lugs the engine, forcing me to brake on (e.g.) speed zones, downhill coasting, and so on. Old truck taught me how to drive different than the Ranger likes (especially slowing down when I would lift off the gas). Nearly got speeding tix a couple of time. (Or, in other words, "nothing happened")
 


2thdr

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Resurrecting an old thread that got off topic, but hopefully some of you guys are still around and can give me some input. When mine is cold in the winter especially it doesn't want to shift up out of 1st gear until I have either let it idle to warm up, or after about 1-2 minutes of babying it starting off. Anyone else had this behavior? Shifting in all modes can be weird and clunky at times. With all my bolt-on camping stuff (added weight and aerodynamic as a barn door) I opt for T/H or Sport quite a bit.
 

got3fords

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Resurrecting an old thread that got off topic, but hopefully some of you guys are still around and can give me some input. When mine is cold in the winter especially it doesn't want to shift up out of 1st gear until I have either let it idle to warm up, or after about 1-2 minutes of babying it starting off. Anyone else had this behavior? Shifting in all modes can be weird and clunky at times. With all my bolt-on camping stuff (added weight and aerodynamic as a barn door) I opt for T/H or Sport quite a bit.
With cold weather setting in the last couple of days, my initial 1-2 shift can be quite rough.
 

Big Blue

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Resurrecting an old thread that got off topic, but hopefully some of you guys are still around and can give me some input. When mine is cold in the winter especially it doesn't want to shift up out of 1st gear until I have either let it idle to warm up, or after about 1-2 minutes of babying it starting off. Anyone else had this behavior? Shifting in all modes can be weird and clunky at times. With all my bolt-on camping stuff (added weight and aerodynamic as a barn door) I opt for T/H or Sport quite a bit.
Ah yes, it is this time of year again to bring up the cold blooded 10R80 again. Yes, it is true the 10R80 does not like to be cold. That is why they use the engine coolant to help warm it up to operating temp. Those of us in the Northern States have learned to remote start our trucks to give it a head start on warming up and getting the fluid circulating and up to pressure. Having the heated seats come on when it's freezing out ain't bad either.

Unfortunately this is just the nature of this beast we call the 10R80, love it or hate it. A little patience on the first start of the morning after sitting all night even if it isn't too cold out, makes a big difference on how those first shifts go. I believe the fluid drains down while sitting and take a little time to get back where it needs to be to correctly shift.

I have a 2019 with about 43K on it and it shifts just fine, once it warms up a little. Yes on those zero degree mornings, I will get the occasional rough or delayed shift. Usually only one or two. Then it is it's usual mild mannered self.

I have installed Mikes extended dipstick, the PPE drain pan, changed the fluid, filter and added Lube Guard to it. Will change the fluid again at 60K.

Is the 10R80 perfect, NO! I Also don't believe it is the ticking time bomb so many people make it out to be. I plan on taking care of it and not lose any sleep about it.
 

2thdr

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Ah yes, ...not lose any sleep about it.
Appreciate the reply with some experience it sounds like. Comforting because I have taken it to the dealer 2-3 times describing the behavior and each time they told me it drove fine with no problems. Thought I was going crazy! Then I just accepted it, and if the transmission craps out, then I'll have to fight with them. Good to know it's just the nature of this model. I don't like it, but it's way better than actually having a problem that I can't get the dealer to acknowledge. Warming it up for a few minutes is no problem.
 

Big Blue

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Appreciate the reply with some experience it sounds like. Comforting because I have taken it to the dealer 2-3 times describing the behavior and each time they told me it drove fine with no problems. Thought I was going crazy! Then I just accepted it, and if the transmission craps out, then I'll have to fight with them. Good to know it's just the nature of this model. I don't like it, but it's way better than actually having a problem that I can't get the dealer to acknowledge. Warming it up for a few minutes is no problem.
Don't get me wrong! I am not saying that some of the 10R80s don't have real issues. They do! It's just that it is not as wide spread as a number of people here and on other forums make it seem. I know that when it happens to YOU it is a BIG deal and those are the people who go on forums to complain.

This 5G Ramger came back to North America at a very bad time. Right about the time COVID was firing up. Allow, with that vehicle manufacturer QC went in the tank. Don't fool yourself, it was all of them, not just Ford. That along with the supply chain falling apart the quality of dealer tech service seemed to take a hot also. Talk about a perfect storm.

Oh yeah, Ford and GM both recently went all in on this new fangled 10 speed transmission. A totally different animal from any transmission most of us had driven before. This isn't your grandpas TH350 or Chrysler 727. Like all new complicated things there has been some growing pains and a learning curve. The cold bloodedness of it is is, by far, the most common of it's issues and the easiest to live with.

Sorry for rambling around, but I have gotten tried of the swear words being used and hatered being expressed for the 10R80 and Ford. I love my Ranger, it is probably the best vehicle I've ever owned. Even with its quirks the transmission has performed without issue.
 

fjwlobo

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If you drive with your truck in tow haul mode, drive it about .5 - 1 miles before you turn it on. You still get 1 or 2 rough shifts depending if you need to stop, but my truck smooths out after that. I use the tow haul mode whenever I'm driving below 50 mph.
 

Motorpsychology

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I use T/H when in an urban or residential area with lots of stop signs or lights and speeds under 40mph. Also when in 4Hi. In rolling hill country I lock it out in 8th or 9th to keep it from downshifting often.
 

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Don't get me wrong! I am not saying that some of the 10R80s don't have real issues. They do! It's just that it is not as wide spread as a number of people here and on other forums make it seem. I know that when it happens to YOU it is a BIG deal and those are the people who go on forums to complain.

This 5G Ramger came back to North America at a very bad time. Right about the time COVID was firing up. Allow, with that vehicle manufacturer QC went in the tank. Don't fool yourself, it was all of them, not just Ford. That along with the supply chain falling apart the quality of dealer tech service seemed to take a hot also. Talk about a perfect storm.

Oh yeah, Ford and GM both recently went all in on this new fangled 10 speed transmission. A totally different animal from any transmission most of us had driven before. This isn't your grandpas TH350 or Chrysler 727. Like all new complicated things there has been some growing pains and a learning curve. The cold bloodedness of it is is, by far, the most common of it's issues and the easiest to live with.

Sorry for rambling around, but I have gotten tried of the swear words being used and hatered being expressed for the 10R80 and Ford. I love my Ranger, it is probably the best vehicle I've ever owned. Even with its quirks the transmission has performed without issue.
I'll second a lot of the info by Blue. When I had my 2021 Ranger I always worried about all the negative info posted about the 10R80 as I towed a heavy travel trailer. But, in 4 years I never had any problems at all.
Now I have a 2019 Expedition with the exact same trans, with 115,000 miles. The Expy weighs just shy of 6000 lbs, with a 375 hp twin turbo. And I'm still towing our 7000 lb travel trailer. And, the 10R80 handles everything just fine....no problems at all.
And, the Expy has several other shift areas in addition to Tow and Sport....wet, snow, sand, slippery wet roads, and it all goes thru the same trans as the Ranger.
Just pointing out that the same basic tranny is not only behind the light weight Ranger, but also behind Ford's heavier and more capable trucks. They must have some confidence in it's ability
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