Automatic shifting really harshly in Sport mode

[Rapid Red]

Yes, Sports/Sports+/Track modes will shift harder than Normal mode. Duh.

But individual shifts shouldn't feel like the transmission is ripping itself out of the drivetrain. You can say it's not affected by the amount of ATF (which DOES affect the amount of pressure that exists in the transmission, which is why it feels better when it warms up -- higher temp, more pressure) all you want, but mine drove better yesterday with the ATF topped off than it has since I've owned it.

And it was in the mid-'60's, so not exactly winter weather.

Unless ATF is extremely low will cause slipping, and overfilling will blow out the vent. You seem to have the functions or purposes of the fluid level & pressure confused.

Rock on

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[wynand32]

Unless ATF is extremely low will cause slipping, and overfilling will blow out the vent. You seem to have the functions or purposes of the fluid level & pressure confused.

Rock on

You're now the first person on this forum who's questioned whether low ATF could be causing issues, and of what kinds. And thus essentially telling me that I'm imagining my improved experience.

I'm not saying it's impossible that you're the ONLY person who's correct, but...

 

[luca1290]

As I understand it, you do have to check the level at operating temperature. I don't know that the engine needs to be running, though.

The engine must be running, otherwise Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) from the torque converter will drain back to the sump and will result in an overfilled reading even if the level is actually low.
Check the 10R80 main thread, you will find the instructions how to do the check yourself.
The accurate reading is obtained with the transmission between 96 and 101 °C, but there is also a minimum fill level at cold (engine running).

My suggestion is to check it with the engine cold, IF below the cold level go and buy some fluid (according to specifications) then top up as needed to arrive at the correct reading for cold operation.
If/when you are correct with the cold reading then proceed to make an accurate check with the transmission up to operating procedure.
Wear appropriate protecting gears because of the proximity of the catalytic converter!

 

[speedknot]

When I bought my 2019 GT with a 10A, I thought something was wrong with it. The shifts were hard and seemed to rev high in all modes. It always seemed to bang into gear, and I was chirping up to 4th gear. Reminded me of my 84' Trans Am with a shift kit. I brought it back to Ford and they did a reflash of the TCM. Did nothing. They said the hard shifts are normal. Maybe I just wasn't used to it. With my previous 6spd, you can control that much better. What worked wonders was the Lund tune. This tune smoothed out the shifts and changed the shift points to a more comfortable level, but still shifted spiritly when I got on it. Much better on the track as well.
I think others on this forum have noted the same experience, so I guess it's the nature of the beast.

 

[wynand32]

A few more driving sessions, another quick update:

1. Normal mode smooth as silk cold or warm. No harshness whatsoever remaining.

2. Sports/Sports+ mode mostly smooth cold or warm. Still a bit of harshness in the 3-4 shift every now and then, temp doesn't make a difference but I think throttle does. Seems if I'm giving JUST enough throttle the harsh shift occurs, but if I'm below or above that point it doesn't. If it works itself out, fine, but it's not something that will bother me long-term.

3. Track mode: Tried it out for the first time, and like Normal mode it's smooth as silk. Shifts are obviously sportier, but they're still smooth. No harshness at all. That was warm, I haven't tried it cold yet.

So, the experiment continues successfully.

 

[wynand32]

After my trans fluid top off, my 3-4 shifts when in sports/sports+ were also a little harsh still but smoothed out to normal after a few drive cycles in that mode so hopefully yours will be the same.

So, I've gone through a few cycles, and now my 3-4 shifts are 90% smooth and a little harsh only when I'm giving it JUST the right amount of throttle (not too little, not too much). So either it's on its way to resolving itself or, with mine, it's just throttle-dependent.

However, it's just a bit harsh and nothing I can't live with. Otherwise, the transmission is now pretty much perfect. And what's interesting is I'm noticing very little difference between cold and warmed-up performance, so I think the notion that the transmission needs to be warmed up in Sports/Sports+ to be usable is based on cars with low fluid.

 

[wynand32]

When I bought my 2019 GT with a 10A, I thought something was wrong with it. The shifts were hard and seemed to rev high in all modes. It always seemed to bang into gear, and I was chirping up to 4th gear. Reminded me of my 84' Trans Am with a shift kit. I brought it back to Ford and they did a reflash of the TCM. Did nothing. They said the hard shifts are normal. Maybe I just wasn't used to it. With my previous 6spd, you can control that much better. What worked wonders was the Lund tune. This tune smoothed out the shifts and changed the shift points to a more comfortable level, but still shifted spiritly when I got on it. Much better on the track as well.
I think others on this forum have noted the same experience, so I guess it's the nature of the beast.

With the way mine's performing now, I wouldn't touch a thing. Kind of like, don't poke the bear unnecessarily.

 

[merlin803]

So, I've gone through a few cycles, and now my 3-4 shifts are 90% smooth and a little harsh only when I'm giving it JUST the right amount of throttle (not too little, not too much). So either it's on its way to resolving itself or, with mine, it's just throttle-dependent.

However, it's just a bit harsh and nothing I can't live with. Otherwise, the transmission is now pretty much perfect. And what's interesting is I'm noticing very little difference between cold and warmed-up performance, so I think the notion that the transmission needs to be warmed up in Sports/Sports+ to be usable is based on cars with low fluid.

Yep, after my trans fluid top off, I noticed that I could drive in Sports/Sports + with little to no warming up too. Sounds like your trans is working pretty much exactly as mine did after my top off.

 

[wynand32]

Yep, after my trans fluid top off, I noticed that I could drive in Sports/Sports + with little to no warming up too. Sounds like your trans is working pretty much exactly as mine did after my top off.

And I'll tell you, it's a lot more fun just daily driving in Sports/Sports+. The car's so much more responsive and, I dunno, just feels more like a performance vehicle. I'm not really sure when I'll drive in Normal mode, unless I want to keep the sound lower. And even then I can still shift into Sports mode.

 

[Rodpwnz]

My transmission has always been a bit jerky and unrefined, but after a couple dealer visits, trans reset, fluid check and no solution from dealers, I gave up on trying to solve it and decided to live with it. Over the past year, my trans performance/operation has been declining. Sometimes on cold start, I’ll put it in drive and tap the gas gently - the engine will rev to 2-3k but with very little movement, almost like it’s in neutral still. That only happened a few times over the last few months since I don’t drive as often as I used to. Another weird thing more recently is with gentle and static pressure/throttle on pedal from a stop, the car is shifting and revving erratically through 1-5, and then mostly smooth onwards 6-10. It looks and feels as if I’m jabbing the pedal to 3k rpm and immediately letting go repeatedly until 5th gear but my pedal pressure is gentle and static. It seems to happen on auto gear changes from 1-3, and then 3-5. It’s almost unsafe to drive on the streets since my area is going through a massive storm/flooding and I don’t want the back end to kick out while the car is automatically reving up on its own. I’m going to call my SA tomorrow to bring it in - I’m still under power train warranty and I’ve had them report and document my complaints about transmission over the years.

 

[speedknot]

My transmission has always been a bit jerky and unrefined, but after a couple dealer visits, trans reset, fluid check and no solution from dealers, I gave up on trying to solve it and decided to live with it. Over the past year, my trans performance/operation has been declining. Sometimes on cold start, I’ll put it in drive and tap the gas gently - the engine will rev to 2-3k but with very little movement, almost like it’s in neutral still.

This was exactly what was happening to my 2019. Brought it back to service and they re-flashed some things, but it operated the same. To be honest, all of the jerkiness and quirks went away when I loaded the Lund tune. Huge difference in refinement. I never take it out of normal mode now. One or twice last year, I did have that issue where I backed out of my driveway and put it in D and it rev'd for a few seconds. I would have to put it back in P and D again for it to engage. Doesnt happen nearly as much as it did before the tune.

 

[Rodpwnz]

This was exactly what was happening to my 2019. Brought it back to service and they re-flashed some things, but it operated the same. To be honest, all of the jerkiness and quirks went away when I loaded the Lund tune. Huge difference in refinement. I never take it out of normal mode now. One or twice last year, I did have that issue where I backed out of my driveway and put it in D and it rev'd for a few seconds. I would have to put it back in P and D again for it to engage. Doesnt happen nearly as much as it did before the tune.

Thanks for sharing and I’ve heard the same about a tune. I’ll definitely look into it once warranty is up.

I have an appointment for this Monday to get it checked. The erratic behavior was still occurring this morning while in auto normal mode. When I paddle shift myself it feels less jarring but still not smooth. I also put it in rain/snow mode to test and it was much smoother upshifting and downshifting in auto mode than normal drive. I’ll have to do more testing to verify and confirm.

For the longest time, I also get clunking noises when auto is downshifting from 4th to 3rd, and also to 1st. I’ll post a video on YouTube and here soon to see if others experience anything similar.

I’m concerned that transmission damage has already occurred tbh and am hoping The dealer will just repair or replace it entirely.

 

[wynand32]

Okay, here's my final update. All transmission modes I've used (Normal, Sport/Sport+, Track) perform extremely well at both low and high throttle. And they're equally as good whether warm or cold. They're smooth when I'm cruising around town, and just as aggressive as they should be when I give it some throttle. Even the harsh 3-4 shift I was experiencing has apparently resolved itself.

I now couldn't be happier with the transmission.

 

[WildHorse]

Fact is: the Ford 10R80 gets the job done, but it's a train-wreck of a transmission.... unrefined basket case. Don't believe me ? Drive the Camaro that has the EXACT same trans except for the chevy specific valve body. Night a day difference. It's what a proper high performance transmission should be like.

 

[wynand32]

Fact is: the Ford 10R80 gets the job done, but it's a train-wreck of a transmission.... unrefined basket case. Don't believe me ? Drive the Camaro that has the EXACT same trans except for the chevy specific valve body. Night a day difference. It's what a proper high performance transmission should be like.

im not doubting you, and given that this is my first car with this kind of performance my standards may be lower. But the transmission feels great to me.

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