Looking for input from A10 owners

[MNstang]

So. I have been driving my car for around 3,000 miles now and almost daily for the last month. It is a '19 PP1 GT premium with the A10 trans. I purchased it used with about 14k miles - it currently has just under 17k miles.

I am looking for input from those of you who drive your car in modes other than normal.

In normal mode my car shifts smoothly and feels normal to me.

In sport mode/track/drag it shifts much harder - I know it is supposed to have much more firm shifts in these modes and I'm not complaining about that - it's just hard for me to tell if some of the shifts are abnormally hard or not. I love the throttle response gain/feel by being in sport mode but there are times when it is very harsh.

I have read the entire A10 mega thread two times (thank you for that Cobra Jet!) along with most of the other A10 threads here. I am pretty familiar with the characteristics of this trans and the complaints people have had. I did a KAM reset this past weekend and have put a bunch of miles on since then but it seems unchanged so far.

Ultimately - I am wondering if I should take it in to get the fluid level checked - I'm currently just under 17k mikes and it's under warranty. Would it be able to shift smoothly in normal mode if the fluid was low?

Right now when I get on the gas aggressively in sport mode it shifts firm through the first 5-6 gears but the shift into 7th (or somewhere close to that gear) is much more harsh than the shifts between the other gears.

Also, most downshifts in sport mode are firm and most seem normal but somewhere around the 4-3 gear change downshift there is a much more noticeable jolt in the car.

I would appreciate any insight from your experiences with this transmission as to whether or not I'm just being a sissy boy or if there might be something I should have checked out by the dealership. The dealership ran my VIN today to see if there were any TSBs but nothing came up.

Thanks for reading...

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[Salty]

Well everything you have stated sounds normal to me. I myself have a 19 premium and mostly drive in sport mode. It is pretty aggressive in the 3-4 shift and 4-3 downshift. It doesn't hurt to check fluid levels even though I heard its a pain. I recently picked up my mother in law and had to switch over back to normal because of the violent shifts lol. I find myself questioning at times if these shifts are normal but I would say they are especially in sport mode. I don't think you are being a sissy boy but definitely keep a tab on tranny characteristics and if fails that's what u got warranty for.

 

[MNstang]

Well everything you have stated sounds normal to me. I myself have a 19 premium and mostly drive in sport mode. It is pretty aggressive in the 3-4 shift and 4-3 downshift. It doesn't hurt to check fluid levels even though I heard its a pain. I recently picked up my mother in law and had to switch over back to normal because of the violent shifts lol. I find myself questioning at times if these shifts are normal but I would say they are especially in sport mode. I don't think you are being a sissy boy but definitely keep a tab on tranny characteristics and if fails that's what u got warranty for.

Thank you for your input. I'm hoping to hear from more A10 owners just to confirm. Hopefully Cobra Jet will chime in - he seems to really know a lot about these transmissions.

 

[KeyLime]

It doesn't hurt to check fluid levels even though I heard its a pain.

I have a manual but took a look at the owners manual after reading your comment. Why didn't Ford put a transmission fluid dipstick on the A10? Are auto transmission so robust these days that a dipstick is not needed?

 

[MNstang]

I have a manual but took a look at the owners manual after reading your comment. Why didn't Ford put a transmission fluid dipstick on the A10? Are auto transmission so robust these days that a dipstick is not needed?

There is a dipstick for the A10. However, my understanding is that it's under the car, close to the exhaust and the level is supposed to be checked at full operating temperature which I believe is 200 degrees. Also, there are two marks on the dipstick for different applications so you need to be sure you are looking at the correct mark which I believe is "A" - the higher mark. Why this has to be so complicated is beyond me - I feel like I have to check the level myself to make sure the proper procedure is followed. I just don't have a great way to jack up the car quickly to check the levels...

 

[gmupatriot]

I have 41,000 miles on my 2018 GT and the A10 has a harsh 4-5 shift which makes it seem I got rear ended. I also have the 2-3 lurching shift which makes the car seem as if someone pushed it from the back during the shift. Its not the nice crisp shift that should happen in S or S+ mode, rather it feels like something will break. Down shift from 5-3 or 4-3 in D or S, S+ etc is harsh and makes a thunking sound in addition to the bucking. I have not taken it to the dealership yet.

Do keep in mind the transmission was not like this when I got the car new. This started happening around 20,000 miles.

 

[MNstang]

I have 41,000 miles on my 2018 GT and the A10 has a harsh 4-5 shift which makes it seem I got rear ended. I also have the 2-3 lurching shift which makes the car seem as if someone pushed it from the back during the shift. Its not the nice crisp shift that should happen in S or S+ mode, rather it feels like something will break. Down shift from 5-3 or 4-3 in D or S, S+ etc is harsh and makes a thunking sound in addition to the bucking. I have not taken it to the dealership yet.

Do keep in mind the transmission was not like this when I got the car new. This started happening around 20,000 miles.

Thanks for the input. If your car didn't shift like that from the beginning one would think something is wrong. Are you planning to take it into the dealership soon? Does your car exhibit these characteristics all the time or mainly on hard acceleration/deceleration? It's just hard to determine what Ford would consider to be "normal" when it does not seem normal to us owners.

My biggest concern is that there is one upshift gear and one downshift gear that is way more harsh than the other gear shifting - this is what doesn't seem right to me...

 

[TnWHTMARE]

I'm afraid that its most likely just characteristic of the trans. I made the same observations about mine when I had it. In WOT, its an awesome trans but outside of normal, for me, its just way to edgy. I understand that this can be a preference thing but I just drove in normal or drag at the strip.

I eventually traded it for a 19 SS A10. Let me tell ya, the GM shift protocol is so much smoother than Fords. I dont pretend to understand the specifics but it was night and day to me. At some point when I had the Mustang, I made the statement that manual transmission would ultimately be a smoother driving option (assuming you can drive a manual well than the A10. But again, I was trying to balance MY preference for smoothness/performance. Some people are perfectly happy with the more aggressive nature of the Mustangs A10. It just wasn't for me.

 

[Bikeman315]

Option #1 - Listen to everyone telling you it’s normal and do nothing.
Option #2 - Understand what’s normal for others could be a possible problem for you.

You’re under warranty. If it’s nothing the dealer will tell you that. If it’s low fluid or another issue they will fix it. Win-win.

BTW, Cobra Jet is a valuable source of information but he doesn’t know your car and transmission. None if us do. We can offer advise and opinions. Only a mechanic can tell you if your car is normal or not.

 

[MNstang]

Took mine fit the dealer couple weeks back for some warranty work. Had them install the new TCU software. It’s a world of difference in response and shift quality. I would almost venture to say it’s a different transmission.

My trans had many quirks before including overly harsh 4-5 shift.

What year car? I have not heard of this new TCU software - was this covered by Ford or did you have to pay for it?

 

[Bikeman315]

What year car? I have not heard of this new TCU software - was this covered by Ford or did you have to pay for it?

His is an 18‘. You already have that update. He also said it was covered under warranty as yours would be.

Note, he took it to the dealer. His issue was not “normal”. You might consider doing the same.

 

[MNstang]

His is an 18‘. You already have that update. He also said it was covered under warranty as yours would be.

Note, he took it to the dealer. His issue was not “normal”. You might consider doing the same.

He said he took it in for some warranty work but didn't say if TCU update was part of the warranty work. How would I know whether or not I have that TCU update? My car has never been to the dealer as far as I know. I bought it used in October.

 

[Bikeman315]

He said he took it in for some warranty work but didn't say if TCU update was part of the warranty work. How would I know whether or not I have that TCU update? My car has never been to the dealer as far as I know. I bought it used in October.

I'm not sure why you are making this so difficult. The A10 was new for 2018. There were some initial issues that were addressed with a software update. All 2019's had this update. Now if for some crazy reason your car needs the update, it will be done under warranty. But you will never know if you do not bring your car in.

 

[Bikeman315]

The question I don’t know the answer to is if they are still improving the A10 software? His car being a 19 would have 2 year old software at this point. Mine was a April car so in theory there may only be a 3-4 months difference in the productions on our two cars.

That could be very true. I have not come across any posts regarding additional software updates for the A10. My dealer hasn’t mentioned it either. That doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

 

[ChrisJ]

Get the fluid checked, my 19 shifted pretty rough too. Had the car in for another issue and had it checked and it was low, have notice it shifts a lot smoother in normal and sport. It a good place to start

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