TSB - Transmission Downshift Issue

[kevinbakon]

Regarding Gen 2, V8 (6 speed auto tranny):



I just came back from getting my wheels rotated & balanced & oil changed.

While I was there, I stepped inside the Service Center just to ask a couple of questions.



I asked about the transmission downshift/tranny bump issue. He knew exactly what I was talking about and apparently they are working on getting a fix out real soon.



I know that some of us have heard this before so I don't mean to get anyone's hopes up. We all know that the service guys don't always know as much as they say they do. At the time though there was also a tech in the office and he confirmed that it is coming, they just don't have a date yet.



Also, this may be old news to some of you, but apparently they just had a recall on the Expeditions regarding the same issue. He told me that the Expedition one came out a week or two ago and it shouldn't be too much longer before the Explorer one is released.



I just thought I'd throw this little bit of information out there incase any of you are at the shop any time soon & might be able to confirm that there is any truth to what I have been told.



Like I said, this may be old news to some of you & a continuation to the rumors, but it was new news to me and hope that there might be a chance! (I'm not holding my breath, but I will be calling this guy in a few weeks.)

 

[D Potts]

Thanks for the Update....looking forward to it!

 

[Galen Burden]

I hope so. I really like my Trac, if the trans quirk was solved, it would be perfect.

 

[Martin]

I just checked with my SA (and I don't mean a hispanic term) And they are unaware of any new mod coming out, so I guess it hasn't gotten around to all the dealers yet.



Maybe they are waiting to see if they get their 25 mil bail out before releasing the info :unsure:



So far, the 'battery trick' has still solved all my issues and hope for the rest of you that they do get this resolved one way or another.



Thx for the update.

 

[gary s]

kpc,



thanks for the info and i hope it materializes.



as you know, i have been very negative of ford's lack of accountability for what i consider a major issue.

a good move by ford to acknowledge & repair, hopefully

 

[blksn8k]

If the new F150 uses the same transmission, which I believe it does, Ford could not afford to have these issues on their top selling vehicle. I hope they have it figured out and will be filtering a fix down to us guinea pigs.



Edit: If not, I think it might be time to consider a class-action lawsuit...unless one already exists. :unsure:

 

[blksn8k]

I realize the 09 F150 has only been on sale for a relatively short time but so far I have not been able to find any reported transmission shifting issues. Let's keep our fingers crossed that Ford has solved the six speed's problems and that we will get a fix. I only hope the powertrain warranty covers this and not the bumper to bumper warranty.

 

[Carey Frennier]

I just inquired about this last week and I was told the same thing.



I can't think of anything I don't like about my STA save for this one issue.



With the INSANE amount of time it has taken them to develop this fix....it had better be perfect.



Wonder if my dealership can afford to turn the heat on today! My keyboard is freezing!

 

[blksn8k]

Did this have anything to do with the delayed launch of the F150? I known the "official" reason was that they wanted to sell down 08 inventories but is that really the whole truth? Most dealers ran out of 08's before they got 09's...

 

[Carey Frennier]

There are still a ton of unsold 08 F150s.

 

[blksn8k]

That may be true but I have read that the 08 sell down went better than expected. I suppose it could depend on what part of the country you're in.

 

[EddieS'04]

What dont make sense to me. It is the same trans. Why the fix wont work in all vehicles. Same trans behind the same motor...:wacko:

 

[Martin]

I still think it's a computer glitch and not so much a tranny issue. In most cases...that is.

 

[Jeff Jolley]

I haven't had any real issues with mine, but I have had a couple of experiences where when stopping at a stop sign or making a turn without completely stopping for about 1-2 seconds I could feel that the tranny didn't seem like it down shiffted back to first, but I slowly get into the gas and no banging or lurching. That said I tend to agree with DesertFox it seems to me that it is computer related and Ford definitely needs to find a program to tighten up the 6 speed's shifting.

 

[Martin]

Thx Jeff...



My reasoning for it being a computer glitch is since I pulled the plug on my puter by removing the battery cables, the computer reset, went back into it's learning ordeal. But none of my issues returned. I would have thought if it was some mechanical issue with the tranny, the probs would have come back.



Mine still shifts up/down even better than it did when I drove it off from the dealer when I bought it.



I think whatever this fix is the dealer is working on, has to do with changing something in the computer and not the tranny itself. I know there are others on here that have tried that and it either didn't work or just worked for a short time.



It will be interesting to see what they do come up with as the 'real' fix.

 

[M Reido]

Wow, popular post. Sorry, I haven't been active on this website for almost a year, but this time I logged on hoping to find a resolution to this problem. I have an 07 V8 Limited which has exhibited this problem almost since day 1. Back in January I went to the dealership with a copy of a TSB that I found from this site, and they reluctantly addressed it. The "fix" lasted a couple weeks.



Still, every time I take off from a stop sign the truck starts in 2nd then bangs into first (unless I intentionally take off hard). Like all of you, I anxiously await a formal acknowledgement of this problem from Ford. In the meantime I will try the computer reset method. Thanks!

 

[Martin]

M Reido......make sure when you do try the battery thing....remove both cables, touch them together for a sec and leave them off the battery for 30 min.



Also, make sure you drive it 'hard' for about a week or two........Welcome back

 

[Collin Lyon]

I am experiencing (again) the "bump" right when coming to a complete stop &/or when slowing down to near-zero, then accelerating. It is very slight "bump", but a bump nonetheless. It gets "confused" at 0-5 mph to get in-and-out of 1st & 2nd gear. Back in the last spring/summer of '07, the bump was much more violent. It's livable right now, but I'd like to get it resolved once and for all. I hope the fix does come soon.

 

[kevinbakon]

Collin,

That’s the same that I believe most of us are experiencing.

Others however may have slightly different symptoms.

Do to the fact that a battery disconnect (computer reset) temporarily "fixes" the issues, there is no other explanation than it being an issue with the computer, not the transmission itself.

If Ford doesn't properly address the issue though, they/we will have a whole lot of transmissions to replace, as I'm sure its doing wonders for the wear on the tranny.

I did get a re-flash in August, but like most of everyone else, the problem started up again in about a month. Typically I try and brake hard from about 5 mph to a stop and that seems to prevent the bump. In stop & go traffic though, which I do a lot of, there is no way around it.

Some days its relatively subtle and others its quite a nuisance. I haven't tried the "Dingo Disconnect" yet, but I'll be getting a new intake & MAF this week, so I'll give it a try. Most people who've done this have no reoccurrences.

 

[Eric Gutknecht]

I'm pretty sure what we are feeling is the torque convertor unlocking... Its much later than in most vehicles (likely a fuel saving measure), and yes it is likely entirely a software related issue related to the "learning module" and the unlock timing signal for the torque convertor(also only occurs when vehicle has warmed up so there must be a delay in the signal when tranny is cold).



If it were to unlock a few miles an hour earlier, it would simply feel like a slight, normal downshift. We are noticing it so much now because its occurring under braking right before coming to a complete stop... You can try to see this for yourself, let off the brake and let the truck roll a bit just before you come to a complete stop and wait for the unlock to occur then brake again. You will feel it a LOT less...



Looking forward to fix as well...



Cheers;

Eric