Tranny not programmed differently for Tremors?

[dano42]

I love my truck, but in D at lower speeds the engine lugs and I have to pop it into S. Why couldn’t they have tuned the truck for the bigger wheels? I shouldn’t have to buy a Ford performance tune to make it run like it should. I’m not sure what everyone else is experiencing, but is this just me or is it something that is annoying to you as well?

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[Blmpkn]

You don't HAVE to pop it into sport, You choose to.

The tire size increase is nearly inconsequential when compared to a regular truck. The trans programming is acting as.. programmed.

I have a non tremor with bigger & heavier tires than a tremor does and I have no issues with how it shifts ?‍

 

[Loweredon33s]

It’s not like that. The transmission shifts based on load and vehicle speed corrected for tire height. The correction is to make the speedometer read properly as well as ensure the same shift at the same speed regardless of having base wheels or tremor wheels. You don’t change the tune if you put bigger tires on a base truck except to correct the speedometer. Technically the larger, heavier wheel and tire package that comes with the Tremor would increase the load and make it lug less than a base model. I have two sets of wheels that I switch between, stock Lariat wheels and tires and 33” Nittos. There is almost 40 pounds each tire difference and it makes a huge impact on how my truck shifts. Basically put, it’s just like that whether it’s an XL or Tremor, it can be improved with tuning however.

 

[ccasanova22]

My Tremor has done this from day 1 so I assumed it’s normal.

 

[Stevedbvik1]

Put it in tow mode, always

 

[Dgc333]

Over the course of approximately 100,000 miles on the 2.3 Ecoboost in a Mustang I found that the 2.3 is not happy much below 1500 rpm. It is not lugging persey it is just not smooth, you also get better mileage if you keep the rpm between 1500 and 2000 when cruising.

The FP tune will adjust the shift points to generally keep the rpm higher but even it is not optimal plus you are required to use premium fuel. I solved the issue with my Tremor by having Unleashed create me a custom tranny calibration with an 87 octane performance tune. I have had it on my truck for over 10k miles now and just don't think about the transmission any more. I haven't felt the need to lock out gears, use tow mode (unless towing) or drop it into sport. IMHO, this is the way the tranny should have been calibrated from the factory.

 

[yamahaSHO]

I changed the shifting strategy in mine and it's way more enjoyable to drive. I wanted something in between Drive and Sport, which works well.

 

[TheRealStreetcommander]

I agree it should be better. My perception is that it lugs intentionally for MPG and PWMs the converter excessively. Ford must have tested many interactions of programming and found this is optimal for efficiency. It is a genuine irritant. I towed a car and trailer about 300 miles this morning. About ~6000lbs combined load. In tow-hall the trans shifts much better. It does seem very busy shifting through 10 gears.
For me, particularly on hills and in the mountains, I think it’s the unattractive 4 cyl sound and the perception I’m in too high a gear at low speeds, with the converter at max stall and fully loaded. Then, it realizes it’s in to high a gear, downshifts and blows the tires off at the same throttle input. I like the truck and trans as its been very durable and has great gear spread. Ford is negligent in their programming polish and in their market awareness.

 

[Msfitoy]

Over the course of approximately 100,000 miles on the 2.3 Ecoboost in a Mustang I found that the 2.3 is not happy much below 1500 rpm. It is not lugging persey it is just not smooth, you also get better mileage if you keep the rpm between 1500 and 2000 when cruising.

The FP tune will adjust the shift points to generally keep the rpm higher but even it is not optimal plus you are required to use premium fuel. I solved the issue with my Tremor by having Unleashed create me a custom tranny calibration with an 87 octane performance tune. I have had it on my truck for over 10k miles now and just don't think about the transmission any more. I haven't felt the need to lock out gears, use tow mode (unless towing) or drop it into sport. IMHO, this is the way the tranny should have been calibrated from the factory.

I see the same thing...driving at 25mph through neighborhoods, the RPMs are in a stagnant zone and the drive train lurches...I switch to S for crawling speeds...

 

[BS67]

I see the same thing...driving at 25mph through neighborhoods, the RPMs are in a stagnant zone and the drive train lurches...I switch to S for crawling speeds...

I notice the same......I just lock out down to 6th and run about 1400rpms. The '22 is happy then!

 

[Bsthroop]

I believe this is common regardless of model. First thing I do when I shift into drive is drop down to 5th. Then add gears as I get to higher speed roads. I hate the lug feeling and don't like all the shifting. Drive is made for freeway driving, so anything less than that should have gears locked out.

 

[Frenchy]

To start with unless there's a major problem you will never lug in an automatic transmission. Second why would Ford give different programming for the same Transmission in the same vehicle even though it has slightly bigger tires? There really isn't a reason when there's not enough load to cause a huge difference where the shift patterns can be similar. Just have to understand that there's a lot of learning that goes on because it is a 10-speed.

 

[yamahaSHO]

I agree it should be better. My perception is that it lugs intentionally for MPG and PWMs the converter excessively. Ford must have tested many interactions of programming and found this is optimal for efficiency. It is a genuine irritant. I towed a car and trailer about 300 miles this morning. About ~6000lbs combined load. In tow-hall the trans shifts much better. It does seem very busy shifting through 10 gears.
For me, particularly on hills and in the mountains, I think it’s the unattractive 4 cyl sound and the perception I’m in too high a gear at low speeds, with the converter at max stall and fully loaded. Then, it realizes it’s in to high a gear, downshifts and blows the tires off at the same throttle input. I like the truck and trans as its been very durable and has great gear spread. Ford is negligent in their programming polish and in their market awareness.

I get better MPG's with the RPM kept from lugging, so I'm not particularly sure why they opted for lugging the motor at such low RPM.

 

[9zero1790]

so not to say others are not correct or have good work arounds for the issue but, we should not have to even have this conversation if Ford did things correctly... apparently the new sop for those that go to dealers with transmission issues is do the relearn process and send it out. which is what was done to mine. then if the customer brings it back again with same issues again they change out the valve bodies that are screwy due to the issues from the factory and do another pcm update to relearn. so this lugging thing is "normal" in terms of all 5g rangers are likely doing the same thing. However it is not normal for how a new truck should run. in a auto transmission truck we should not be having all these hoops to jump. we should be able to put the stupid thing in drive and then - simply drive and the transmission do its job in a respectable manner. tunes, resets, relearns, switching modes, locking gears in and out, and monitoring your rpms and what gear so we can set or shift - is clown shoes. if its really necessary for us to do all that just to drive the trucks we should have been given a manual
transmission to do it all on our own and forget the helpless 1080 automatic.

 

[FunInTheSun]

The basic misunderstanding you are all struggling to deal with is that D stands for Default, and it is calibrated to avoid CAFE penalties by making the maximum fuel efficiency numbers on the EPA Drive Cycle tests. User experience is considered, but it is a distant second to this consideration, as a miscalculation here can result in bankruptcy of the entire company. Ford does care, but to play for maximum by the EPA rules, they are prevented from making any user convenience or performance settings that impact fuel efficiency persistent across multiple drive cycles. If they persist, the vehicle must be qualified with them enabled, which puts them down on the efficiency numbers.

Ford's compromise, in order to meet customer expectations as closely as they can, have provided some settings that the user can modify to improve the driving experience, but they are not allowed to "persist" across multiple drive cycles. The most basic things Ford has made available are "Tow/Haul" mode, which raises the shift point from 1200 rpm or so to about 1800 rpm, which almost completely avoids the sensation that the engine is in too high a gear (lugging). The engine has enlarged bearing journals and strengthened connecting rods so the "lugging" is not actually damaging anything, like it would if the engine was designed like an old-school NA engine. But most of us have our driving sensibilities trained by operating these engines, and we just don't like the sensation. So Slip it into "Tow/Haul" mode for instant improvement in this department. I've made it one of my "pre-flight" checklist items for nearly every trip. (I don't have to turn off ASS any more, but I digress).

S mode (Sport) offers an additional calibration that gives a little more aggresive shift point adjustment. SOme days I do the whole trip in S, but I mostly use it for a "discreet downshift" mode. When you want to speed up a little bit without mashing the loud pedal enough to make it downshift and spool up the turbo, etc. it's cool and clean to click it back into S and it goes down a gear (sometimes two, but rarely) the rpm goes up and she's ready to move out smartly without a lot of commotion to draw attention.

And last, a more extreme option is to turn off the "Advance Trac" traction control by pressing the Traction control button for 4-5 seconds until the "Advance Trac OFF" message appears in the gage cluster. This is the nanny that prevents wheelspin by hitting the brake on a wheel that is on the edge of breaking loose. (It does other tricks, too, and turning it off can expose you to the risk of rolling over if you drive carelessly) Now, I don't go around burning rubber and hooning around like an idiot, but I have recently discovered that this little gremlin is more aggressive than most people realize. The rear brake wear some people are experiencing may be related to this little feature. But the Ranger feels a lot more agile and peppy with this off. YMMV, and if you hurt yourself, don't say you weren't warned. But try it and see what you think.

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