Drive Modes & The A10

[Mustang5ohMan]

So I have a 19 A10.

my car has wet/snow which id probably seldom use... however it has drag, track, sport + and sport.

I know in sport I have manual control over the paddle shifters. Lately I’ve just been using sport via the gear selector and after trying sport + and sport together, and sport + with just drive.

it seems like there are so many different combinations like sport and track or drive and track or sport+ and sport or just sport.

what are the different characteristics of these different modes and when you combine one or the other. For a simple instance outside of paddle shifting control what’s the difference between sport and sport +.

How does that compare between sport + and track and drag and so on. Sorry for my rambling post.... just want to discuss it here

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[DmanDmythDlegend]

Sport is just switching the car out of drive and placing paddles as primary shift, this by its self does not impact driving. Sport plus prompts more aggressive gear changes, and it will consistently downshift to keep you in the powerband. If you have mag ride it will firm of the suspension. Track mode backs off the nannies and puts transmission into mode will it will hold gears and down shift even more aggressively. Drag mode will be most aggressive shifting, with mag ride it adapts rear suspension to handle squat from launch.

 

[Mustang5ohMan]

Sport is just switching the car out of drive and placing paddles as primary shift, this by its self does not impact driving. Sport plus prompts more aggressive gear changes, and it will consistently downshift to keep you in the powerband. If you have mag ride it will firm of the suspension. Track mode backs off the nannies and puts transmission into mode will it will hold gears and down shift even more aggressively. Drag mode will be most aggressive shifting, with mag ride it adapts rear suspension to handle squat from launch.

good to know, I don’t have mag ride. So sport on the shifter does nothing other give you manual paddles? (drag mode does have some hard shifting tried it for the first time today.)
If I put it into sport mode only and do not use the paddles it does nothing for driving performance.

 

[DmanDmythDlegend]

good to know, I don’t have mag ride. So sport on the shifter does nothing other give you manual paddles? (drag mode does have some hard shifting tried it for the first time today.)
If I put it into sport mode only and do not use the paddles it does nothing for driving performance.

Correct, it will still follow the dynamics of the drive mode you are currently in.

 

[dn1984]

i have noticed that it seems to shift smoother in track with the shifter in S than it does in D. also keep in mind that to get the full benefit of drag mode you need to be in D not S

 

[Mustang5ohMan]

i have noticed that it seems to shift smoother in track with the shifter in S than it does in D. also keep in mind that to get the full benefit of drag mode you need to be in D not S

never knew that either... but question why would it matter if I am in D or S would track effect it based on the person above stating S doesn’t change anything but the paddle function?

 

[DmanDmythDlegend]

never knew that either... but question why would it matter if I am in D or S would track effect it based on the person above stating S doesn’t change anything but the paddle function?

Because in s its waiting for an input from the driver rather thsn ripping off shifts on its own

 

[Mustang5ohMan]

Because in s its waiting for an input from the driver rather thsn ripping off shifts on its own

true. But I was thinking it meant in S without activating the paddles....

So would it be safe to assume never to use S unless I plan to use the paddles? No point right?

 

[DmanDmythDlegend]

true. But I was thinking it meant in S without activating the paddles....

So would it be safe to assume never to use S unless I plan to use the paddles? No point right?

Correct

 

[dn1984]

never knew that either... but question why would it matter if I am in D or S would track effect it based on the person above stating S doesn’t change anything but the paddle function?

the shift logic that makes drag mode what it is, is only present with the shifter in D

 

[Mustang5ohMan]

Thanks for the heads up no I have some clarification with the drive modes.

 

[Cobrakit]

Remember that even with shifter in drive, you can always over ride with paddle shifters. After you use paddles, it will revert back to auto shifting. The owners manual explains each driving mode at a very general level. Basically each mode can change throttle, engine, trans, traction control, steering, shocks and exhaust. Obviously depending on options uou might not have all these effects.

 

[Cobra Jet]

Here ya go - this is all the info you need to know about paddle shifting AND the Trans Modes AND the Drive Modes (a little long, but complete):

The below applies to the 2018 10R80, but still applies to the 2019+ w/10R80:.

Drive Mode info (ie: as pertaining to only the Center Stack “MODE” switch”).

This is directly form the 2018 Owners Manual (and can be found in prior year Owners manuals):

And this will help you too:


Here’s some helpful info for new 10R80 (A10) Owners that I had posted a few times on here:

[1] Trans selector in Normal (D) mode:
After initial vehicle start up, when the Trans 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] Trans selector 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 (and does NOT touch them while driving) - 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.


—————

The DRIVE MODE S+ is totally separate from the transmission selections. The S+ Drive Mode is triggered and activated only when the driver manually selects this mode using drive mode toggle switch in the center stack and it only changes:
1) Engine performance due to preprogrammed engine parameters.
2) Trans shift points

When in drive mode 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 selector into “S”, regardless of what “drive mode” the operator has chosen from center stack for engine performance.

If the vehicle drive mode is S+ and the Trans selector is in 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.

——

The above also applies to the 6R80 in the prior 2015-2017’s, with the obvious difference being the trans only cycles through 6 gears.

 

[13GetThere]

Thanks Cobra Jet.
I needed that review.

 

[Mustang5ohMan]

Remember that even with shifter in drive, you can always over ride with paddle shifters. After you use paddles, it will revert back to auto shifting. The owners manual explains each driving mode at a very general level. Basically each mode can change throttle, engine, trans, traction control, steering, shocks and exhaust. Obviously depending on options uou might not have all these effects.

No active exhaust. The suspension will only change if you have Magnaride correct? I have a PP1, 401A, & B&O, A10 as my only options. Typically is switch off traction control when I start playing with the modes.

Here ya go - this is all the info you need to know about paddle shifting AND the Trans Modes AND the Drive Modes (a little long, but complete):

The below applies to the 2018 10R80, but still applies to the 2019+ w/10R80:.

Drive Mode info (ie: as pertaining to only the Center Stack “MODE” switch”).

This is directly form the 2018 Owners Manual (and can be found in prior year Owners manuals):

And this will help you too:


Here’s some helpful info for new 10R80 (A10) Owners that I had posted a few times on here:

[1] Trans selector in Normal (D) mode:
After initial vehicle start up, when the Trans 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] Trans selector 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 (and does NOT touch them while driving) - 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.


—————

The DRIVE MODE S+ is totally separate from the transmission selections. The S+ Drive Mode is triggered and activated only when the driver manually selects this mode using drive mode toggle switch in the center stack and it only changes:
1) Engine performance due to preprogrammed engine parameters.
2) Trans shift points

When in drive mode 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 selector into “S”, regardless of what “drive mode” the operator has chosen from center stack for engine performance.

If the vehicle drive mode is S+ and the Trans selector is in 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.

——

The above also applies to the 6R80 in the prior 2015-2017’s, with the obvious difference being the trans only cycles through 6 gears.

Thank you for this breakdown! I will give this a more through read this evening!
On a quick glance it seems the (S) mode selected on the shifter still gives a spirited driving experience outside of the standard (D). Then I have that choice to enhance that performance further by selecting Sport + (via toggle) or Track which either can be used in (D) or (S) & with (S) giving me full control of the paddles...

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