“Learning” transmission question

[24stx87]

I have a 2024 with the 2.7. I always was annoyed by the transmission in that it seems to shift into the next gear way too early and having the lugging feeling. I assume this is to maximize fuel economy and keeping the rpm’s as low as humanly possible.

I’ve been locking out gears 8,9 and 10 around town and on the highway I reopen 8,9,10 as needed. Alternatively I drive in tow mode, but it makes the steering and downshifting a bit odd. Overall this has solved the issue 95% of the time.

It seems that locking out gears 8,9 and 10 works best to keep the intended ride quality of the truck intact, but it’s a little annoying in certain parts of town when I’m driving between 35 and 45 mph because it’s going into 7th gear at like 35 mph and giving a little of the lugging feeling. Pretty annoying to constantly lock out and unlock gear 7 when driving around town. Oddly enough sometimes it is fine in 7th gear at 35-39 mph, sometimes it feels like 6th is the gear it should be in. I assume this may have to do with any hills and maybe even if my a/c is on and working hard adding some extra strain.

now onto my actual question after that longwinded intro: will the transmission “learn” I don’t want the truck in 7th gear under let’s say 39mph if I press the gas and make it downshift every time it does it? Usually when I feel the lugging , I kinda just ride it out and not press down the throttle more. It stays in 7th gear and doesn’t downshift. So will it “learn” that when I give it a little gas, instead of just staying in gear, it’ll start to downshift itself sooner?

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[SilverPigeon]

So, if the "sport" drive mode still doesn't satisfy (it holds lower gears for longer, kicks back earlier with throttle input), you can use a tool like FORScan to either:
- clear the adaptive transmission tables, making it re-learn shift points for your driving style or
- pause use of adaptive learning to see if it shifts how you want (as a standard transmission without learning) and then clear and resume learning if not or
- stop use of adaptive learning altogether.

 

[tsigwing]

- pause use of adaptive learning to see if it shifts how you want (as a standard transmission without learning) and then clear and resume learning if not or
- stop use of adaptive learning altogether.

You've peaked my interest. These things are possible?

 

[SilverPigeon]

Yes. Myself and others have done this with FORScan service procedures. Didn't like the way mine was shifting in normal drive mode. I stopped use of adaptive for a few days, then cleared and resumed learning. Buttery smooth now. Others have also cleared the adaptive tables, driven in sport mode for a week or two. Resumed learning with the same results.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

I have a 2024 with the 2.7. I always was annoyed by the transmission in that it seems to shift into the next gear way too early and having the lugging feeling. I assume this is to maximize fuel economy and keeping the rpm’s as low as humanly possible.

I’ve been locking out gears 8,9 and 10 around town and on the highway I reopen 8,9,10 as needed. Alternatively I drive in tow mode, but it makes the steering and downshifting a bit odd. Overall this has solved the issue 95% of the time.

It seems that locking out gears 8,9 and 10 works best to keep the intended ride quality of the truck intact, but it’s a little annoying in certain parts of town when I’m driving between 35 and 45 mph because it’s going into 7th gear at like 35 mph and giving a little of the lugging feeling. Pretty annoying to constantly lock out and unlock gear 7 when driving around town. Oddly enough sometimes it is fine in 7th gear at 35-39 mph, sometimes it feels like 6th is the gear it should be in. I assume this may have to do with any hills and maybe even if my a/c is on and working hard adding some extra strain.

now onto my actual question after that longwinded intro: will the transmission “learn” I don’t want the truck in 7th gear under let’s say 39mph if I press the gas and make it downshift every time it does it? Usually when I feel the lugging , I kinda just ride it out and not press down the throttle more. It stays in 7th gear and doesn’t downshift. So will it “learn” that when I give it a little gas, instead of just staying in gear, it’ll start to downshift itself sooner?

The base shift logic of the 10R80 wants to race up to as high a gear as quickly as possible. Then you have the adaptive learning system that really ends up being a double edged knife. Most of the time it's really good at what it does but can pick up off shift behaviors from time to time thus necessitating the need to reset it with Forscan every now and then. You can try keeping it in Race or Tow mode which will hold the lower gears longer along with locking out the OD gears (which you're already doing) which may help some. You could also lock out 7th when on surface streets as well. Even doing all this on OEM shift logic may still have some undesirable behavior. I have had to reset the adaptive tables on mine several times because it's developed quirks especially after it has been with the dealer for more than an oil change... Then driving around in Sport mode for 150-200 miles to set a new base. In the end it'll still get flaky from time to time. Just the nature of this slushbox...

The only real solution for this is probably a custom tune such as Livernoise and see if they can write a custom shift logic map for you based on how you would like it to be.

 

[24stx87]

The base shift logic of the 10R80 wants to race up to as high a gear as quickly as possible. Then you have the adaptive learning system that really ends up being a double edged knife. Most of the time it's really good at what it does but can pick up off shift behaviors from time to time thus necessitating the need to reset it with Forscan every now and then. You can try keeping it in Race or Tow mode which will hold the lower gears longer along with locking out the OD gears (which you're already doing) which may help some. You could also lock out 7th when on surface streets as well. Even doing all this on OEM shift logic may still have some undesirable behavior. I have had to reset the adaptive tables on mine several times because it's developed quirks especially after it has been with the dealer for more than an oil change... Then driving around in Sport mode for 150-200 miles to set a new base. In the end it'll still get flaky from time to time. Just the nature of this slushbox...

The only real solution for this is probably a custom tune such as Livernoise and see if they can write a custom shift logic map for you based on how you would like it to be.

Thanks for the response. Isn’t there some other way of resetting the adaptive learning? I thought i read somewhere about some procedure with putting the key on accessory for so many second then doing some other step.

so by your note— if I drive in tow or sport for a few hundred miles, it may sort of relearn the shift points better after a reset?

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Easiest way is with Forscan. The OBD cable for it runs about $70. You can download the software and run it on a Windows 10-11 laptop for two months on the trial license. After that the annual license key is pretty cheap.

The reset only takes a couple of minutes, and you might even be able to find someone in your area with it to perform the reset for you as well.

 

[FI300]

Its never going to learn not to shift to a higher gear. Its more part of the PCM strategy and not just the transmission. From my experience the eco boost are worse at it than the 5.0. The 2.7 and 3.5 are designed to make a lot of torque as low in the RPM range as possible and that's where Ford runs them. They also skip shift a lot more. If sport mode isn't satisfactory the only other way to change this is with a tune.

 

[SilverPigeon]

Well, as I said above, one can turn it off using "stop" and leave it off if one likes it that way

 

[tsigwing]

Did this yesterday. Interesting that forscan has you turn on the truck (to start forscan), then turn off the truck, then turn the truck back on during the procedure. See if it makes any difference.

 

[Texas2022XLT]

I’ll be trying this too over the weekend. Did anyone do the recommended relearning procedure or did you just drive it?

 

[Porpoise Hork]

I’ll be trying this too over the weekend. Did anyone do the recommended relearning procedure or did you just drive it?

Most recommend putting it in sport mode and driving it around on surface streets for 100-150 miles if possible and try to avoid aggressive driving and freeways during this time. Mostly because the transmission is going to shift like crap and might behave erratically while it "learns" the various pressures needed to actuate the valves, prevent clutch slippage, be less prone to skipping gears, as well as how the driver applies the throttle etc. After the 150-200 miles initial learning period it will settle way down and should smooth out considerably.

After that you can use any other mode as you like. If it ever picks up odd behaviors or if you forget to put it in tow mode when hauling a heavy load, towing, or anything like that you can just repeat the process to reset it.

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