Does shifter position D/S make a difference when in Sport/Track mode?

[Hooch180]

Hello.
I'm still waiting for my car.

Does the shifter position D/S make a difference when you drive anything but Normal mode?

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[DickR]

Hello.
I'm still waiting for my car.

Does the shifter position D/S make a difference when you drive anything but Normal mode?

The primary, and maybe only "significant", difference is that in S when you shift with the paddles the transmission will hold the selected gear without upshifting or downshifting. S also allows starting in 2nd (except in snow/wet). If you are in a relatively high gear in S and slow to very low speed or a stop the trans will downshift to avoid stalling and then stay in first when you accelerate again. You can shift with the paddles in D but unless you are coasting with your foot off the throttle the trans will revert back to full automatic after a few seconds. This is useful for engine braking on long downgrades if you otherwise want to be in D.

Edit to add: In S in manual mode (i.e. using the paddles) the trans will stay in the selected gear to the rev limiter and stay in that gear. It will not upshift until you use the upshift paddle.

 

[Nagare]

What he said above, I haven't noticed any difference between the two outside of normal other than being in manual mode.

 

[Cobra Jet]

Here’s some helpful info for new 10R80 (A10) Owners that I had posted a year or so ago when I got my 2018:

[1] In Normal (D) mode:
After initial vehicle start up, when the vehicle is in (D) and without driver intervention of touching the paddles, the trans is going to auto shift based on what it has adapated from learning the Driver’s driving habits and Ford’s mapping. The trans will hold the gear long enough as preprogrammed from Ford’s mapping and will auto down/up shift as needed based on that mapping AND the adapted Driver’s habits. The transmission will select the BEST and most OPTIMUM gear needed - it does NOT always shift like 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 nor does it downshift through 10 consecutive gears.... it could go 1,3,5 or if downshifting, go 9,7,5.... you get the idea.

HOWEVER, if the driver intervenes while in (D) and clicks up/down with the paddles, the trans will hold the gear selected longer than the preprogrammed mode, but it will NOT redline and will auto shift out into the next gear IF the driver has not. The same is true for downshifting.


[2] In Sport (S) mode, the Driver has (2) options:

A) Touch the paddle and the trans is now controlled strictly by the Driver. This means if you click the paddle from a dead stop and start accelerating - the trans will NOT shift from 1 to 2 (or into any next gear) until the Driver makes the change manually. The car WILL hold the gear and WILL redline until the manual change is made by the driver. If the car was in motion and the Driver clicked a paddle (up or down), again, the trans WILL hold the current gear and CAN redline until the Driver makes the manual change.

B) If after vehicle start up, the Driver selected (S) initially and has NOT touched the paddles at all - in (S) the car will hold out the gears much longer than if in (D); the trans WILL auto shift but will NOT hold the gear out to redline based on the preprogrammed mapping from Ford. IF while driving, the user moves the shifter from (D) to (S) and the Driver does NOT touch the paddles, again the trans will react exactly in the same manner where it’s following the preprogrammed mapping from Ford.

 

[MX Raptor]

Has there been any noted/tested difference in the 1/4 between the two modes? I see a lot of people say the just keep it in "D" and romp on it. But, with the programming wouldn't "S" be theoretically quicker because of the firmer shifts?

Also on a side note from what I understand about highway pulls in Mexico is that, quite a few people start in "S" to select the correct gear, then right after the pull starts they would shift into "D" and let the car take over. IF it is quicker in "S" why not just keep it there and simply us the paddles?

 

[Hooch180]

So in conclusion.

When in Normal mode then D and S position have different characteristic (S hold gears longer, etc) (Not comaring paddles here).

Does it also switch gears differently (hold them longer, etc) when for example in Sport+/Track mode and using S vs D? Or does it only switch gears differently when using S in Normal mode?

 

[Nagare]

When in Normal mode then D and S position have different characteristic (S hold gears longer, etc)

Correct

Does it also switch gears differently (hold them longer, etc) when for example in Sport+/Track mode and using S vs D?

No

Or does it only switch gears differently when using S in Normal mode?

Yes.

 

[Ed M]

When in Normal mode then D and S position have different characteristic (S hold gears longer, etc).

The etc includes more aggressive mapping of the throttle response.

 

[Zinc03svt]

Depends on options 300a versus 301a and up. On base car the difference is throttle response, shift strategy, and rpm shift points.

 

[Cobra Jet]

The S+ mode triggered and activated only by the mode toggle in the center stack only changes:
1) Engine performance due to preprogrammed engine parameters.
2) Trans shift points

When in S+ with shifter in D, the car will still auto shift - even if the user has touched a paddle - if the user does not touch a paddle again, the car will still auto upshift (or downshift) itself.

The ONLY time the trans allows the vehicle to be in “full manual mode” is when the operator puts the shifter into “S”, regardless of what “mode” the operator chooses for engine performance.

If the vehicle mode in S+ and the shifter is in S (OR the vehicle is in any other “engine” mode while in trans position S), once the operator touches a paddle to upshift or downshift (while driving OR from a standing stop) - the trans is taken out of its own “auto logic” and is now in complete manual mode - it will NOT upshift at all until the operator manually shifts via the paddles.

 

[brucelinc]

In normal drive mode, there are the significant differences between "D" and "S" shifter positions as outlined in the previous posts. Once you select an alternative drive mode from the toggles, the only difference between the shifter positions is that you can select and hold specific gears with the the shifter in the "S" mode using the paddles. Car will not upshift once paddles are engaged in "S" mode but it will downshift to prevent lugging.

 

[Ed M]

1) Engine performance due to preprogrammed engine parameters.

Yes for the EB, no for the GT.

 

[Qcman17]

Hi quick question I don't have my car yet either. In my old Camaro in sport/manual mode I could run full manual or I could hold the upshift paddle so it would return to sport mode. Can the GT do that or do I need to switch it back to D to disengage full manual? it was one thing I thought was done well on the car actually.

 

[Silver Bullitt]

Damn! And, who said driving a stick was more complicated?

 

[Qcman17]

Great thx!

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