Transmission slipping

[Oldguy16]

Hey everyone,

 

I have my 2010 Fusion SEL V6, 3.0, and I just got a recall on it about some kind of transmission problem. I had noticed a few months ago the tranny wasn't right so i brought it to the dealer and they told me nothing was wrong. Recently, I just brought the car to the dealer, today actually, and for the recall they just reprogrammed the tranny. The car seems to drive a bit better than it did before, however in manual mode, I can't downshift into 1st gear while moving, even at like 10mph or the transmission SLAMS into gear. Is this normal? Even after a reprogram? I've had this problem for a while. All other downshifts work fine except into 1st, and that's only when I manually put it in 1st, drive, everything is fine. Any help is appreciated, thanks.

[Tarrant64]

Hey everyone,

 

I have my 2010 Fusion SEL V6, 3.0, and I just got a recall on it about some kind of transmission problem. I had noticed a few months ago the tranny wasn't right so i brought it to the dealer and they told me nothing was wrong. Recently, I just brought the car to the dealer, today actually, and for the recall they just reprogrammed the tranny. The car seems to drive a bit better than it did before, however in manual mode, I can't downshift into 1st gear while moving, even at like 10mph or the transmission SLAMS into gear. Is this normal? Even after a reprogram? I've had this problem for a while. All other downshifts work fine except into 1st, and that's only when I manually put it in 1st, drive, everything is fine. Any help is appreciated, thanks.

 

I'd say that downshifting into 1st and having it slam into gear sounds normal. You shouldn't downshift to 1st, it'll do it for you. Unless I'm going really slow I can't downshift into 1st - I think it's more of a safety precaution. I don't think it's best practice in a true manual to ever downshift into 1st gear anyways either.

 

I just got a 2010 Ford Fusion SE 3.0L V6 - goes into the shop to get checked on Thursday. I've had it stall on me once while in manual mode, and the tranny acts weird sometimes with hesitation. Other than that the car f*ing rocks. I think the TCM just needs updated or flashed or something. As of today I'm at 1000.1 miles. :) So it's still pretty new.

[Rodeo]

My new Milan (3.0-V6) has been giving me problems when cold (if thats possible in the heat of summer?) and could give you whiplash because it over-revs in second and then really slams into third gear, and this without really pushing on the throttle hard at all. Took it into a Mercury Dealer yesterday who said te software was already up to date so they opted to keep my car for a few days to test it.

 

Personally, I feel these transmissions just plain suck as I have also experienced a few times of no acceleration (or hesitation) too. These trannys could be the down-fall of an otherwise pretty good car.

[Oldguy16]

My new Milan (3.0-V6) has been giving me problems when cold (if thats possible in the heat of summer?) and could give you whiplash because it over-revs in second and then really slams into third gear, and this without really pushing on the throttle hard at all. Took it into a Mercury Dealer yesterday who said te software was already up to date so they opted to keep my car for a few days to test it.

 

Personally, I feel these transmissions just plain suck as I have also experienced a few times of no acceleration (or hesitation) too. These trannys could be the down-fall of an otherwise pretty good car.

 

As far as that goes, I've never seen that happen before, mine upshifts and downshifts perfectly except a downshift into first gear, people at the dealer said that was normal and that Ford designed the transmission so it can't really be manually downshifted into first, they said it puts too much strain on the gears. What they say and what is true can be very different. They told me I didn't need a reprogram, then when I get a recall notice, they reprogram it, and it runs better.

[Tarrant64]

As far as that goes, I've never seen that happen before, mine upshifts and downshifts perfectly except a downshift into first gear, people at the dealer said that was normal and that Ford designed the transmission so it can't really be manually downshifted into first, they said it puts too much strain on the gears. What they say and what is true can be very different. They told me I didn't need a reprogram, then when I get a recall notice, they reprogram it, and it runs better.

 

Just got my car back from the shop. I never got a notice on the recall (granted I've only had my car for 30 days), but I had it in for weird issues I thought related to the transmission. They had an update for the PCM and TCM (powertrain and transmission). So far so good. Seems to drive a little better - I will know more tonight after taking it out for a much longer spin.

[Rodeo]

My new Milan (3.0-V6) has been giving me problems when cold (if thats possible in the heat of summer?) and could give you whiplash because it over-revs in second and then really slams into third gear, and this without really pushing on the throttle hard at all. Took it into a Mercury Dealer yesterday who said te software was already up to date so they opted to keep my car for a few days to test it.

 

Personally, I feel these transmissions just plain suck as I have also experienced a few times of no acceleration (or hesitation) too. These trannys could be the down-fall of an otherwise pretty good car.

I got my car back from the dealers shop today as well. They had it for two full days. They claim that they were able to replicate my complaint and also said they tried a new car off their lot with the same results. They then called the factory who told them to have me drive the car because the transmission needs to learn. (whatever that means?) I just hope it learns quick before it kills itself or my wallet after the warranty expires and I own this car. They also claim they made some minor adjustments to the tranny and topped off the fluid which they said was a tad low. We'll see how it goes.. They told me to just drive it until the first service interval which is 7500 miles and then see how it is. I hope it gets better because this thing honestly could snap your head back against the headrest when shifting some times and feels like you got hit from behind while sitting still. It's an impressive machine, I gotta tell ya....

[Oldguy16]

I got my car back from the dealers shop today as well. They had it for two full days. They claim that they were able to replicate my complaint and also said they tried a new car off their lot with the same results. They then called the factory who told them to have me drive the car because the transmission needs to learn. (whatever that means?) I just hope it learns quick before it kills itself or my wallet after the warranty expires and I own this car. They also claim they made some minor adjustments to the tranny and topped off the fluid which they said was a tad low. We'll see how it goes.. They told me to just drive it until the first service interval which is 7500 miles and then see how it is. I hope it gets better because this thing honestly could snap your head back against the headrest when shifting some times and feels like you got hit from behind while sitting still. It's an impressive machine, I gotta tell ya....

 

Damn, you don't seem to be having any luck with your car at all, my dad has a Fusion sport, no problems with that one, and overall the reliability of this car is supposed to be pretty good. Maybe you just got a bad tranny. My SEL is excellent, except for downshift into 1st in manual like I said. Personally, I hate the dealer, and I try to take my car to my mechanic any chance I can. "Learn", talk about bs, they're just too lazy to change anything it seems. Try talking to Ford direct, or go to another dealer.

[Oldguy16]

Just got my car back from the shop. I never got a notice on the recall (granted I've only had my car for 30 days), but I had it in for weird issues I thought related to the transmission. They had an update for the PCM and TCM (powertrain and transmission). So far so good. Seems to drive a little better - I will know more tonight after taking it out for a much longer spin.

 

Yea, possibly since you just got the car, they did it when you bought it, which would make sense, try downshifting it into 1st manually at like 10mph and let me know what happens please. Or try downshifting at an even lower speed if you don't mind, I just want to see if it's my car that has the problem, or everyone has the problem.

[jazztrumpet216]

Damn, you don't seem to be having any luck with your car at all, my dad has a Fusion sport, no problems with that one, and overall the reliability of this car is supposed to be pretty good. Maybe you just got a bad tranny. My SEL is excellent, except for downshift into 1st in manual like I said. Personally, I hate the dealer, and I try to take my car to my mechanic any chance I can. "Learn", talk about bs, they're just too lazy to change anything it seems. Try talking to Ford direct, or go to another dealer.

 

They do need a chance to learn. Every automatic transmission of the last 15-20 years is called an "adaptive" automatic transmission. I'm not saying that's the problem with Rodeo's transmission, but there is some "learning" that goes on with the TCM.

[Tarrant64]

They do need a chance to learn. Every automatic transmission of the last 15-20 years is called an "adaptive" automatic transmission. I'm not saying that's the problem with Rodeo's transmission, but there is some "learning" that goes on with the TCM.

 

I agree. I was told that when I first got my Fusion and again yesterday after they reprogrammed everything. They basically said with the firmware update it's liking starting from 0 again, and it could take a couple thousand miles. Felt like I had issues between 800-1000 miles. Update was done at 1005 miles so we'll see how things go going forward.

[Oldguy16]

They do need a chance to learn. Every automatic transmission of the last 15-20 years is called an "adaptive" automatic transmission. I'm not saying that's the problem with Rodeo's transmission, but there is some "learning" that goes on with the TCM.

 

So why can't my transmission learn to downshift into first when i tell it to? I don't see the problem, the car can shift every other gear.

[jazztrumpet216]

So why can't my transmission learn to downshift into first when i tell it to? I don't see the problem, the car can shift every other gear.

 

Two possible reasons I can think of:

 

1) Because you are shifting manually- the transmission has adapted to shift one way and you are telling it to shift another way.

 

2) It may be programmed not to allow you to do that. There are certain parameters these things are programmed to operate within. Could be to try to cut down on tranny wear, or could be for fuel economy reasons, or both.

 

Not being a Ford engineer I can't tell you which it is, if it is a combination of both reasons, if there is another reason, or if there is just something wrong with your tranny. But those seem like the most likely explanations to me.

Edited June 14, 2010 by jazztrumpet216

[Oldguy16]

Two possible reasons I can think of:

 

1) Because you are shifting manually- the transmission has adapted to shift one way and you are telling it to shift another way.

 

2) It may be programmed not to allow you to do that. There are certain parameters these things are programmed to operate within. Could be to try to cut down on tranny wear, or could be for fuel economy reasons, or both.

 

Not being a Ford engineer I can't tell you which it is, if it is a combination of both reasons, if there is another reason, or if there is just something wrong with your tranny. But those seem like the most likely explanations to me.

 

I wish it could learn to do that, screw fuel economy, sometimes I want that instant throttle response in first starting from like 10, but I can't do that cause the downshift in drive is no fun, and slow, well too slow for me. But i see what you're saying about tranny wear, that's a very good possibility. My guess is most people would try to shift it into first at like 25 and that puts massive strain on the transmission, so I would guess then that ford programs it not to. But what doesn't make sense is that the car will go into first, just with a huge bang. Why not make it not be able to downshift it into first at all? Or do it how they do with every other gear, the car won't downshift if the rpm's are too high for the selected gear?

[LagunaFusion]

My 2010 V6 SEL fusion occasionally slips between 2nd and 3rd or 3rd and 4th (not 100% sure)

 

This seems to only happen when the engine & transmission are cold and I am light on the gas. I checked my VIN against Ford's recall notices and it doesn't seem to be affected by the known transmission recalls.

 

Also: It won't upshift from 3rd to 4th until I reach 3500 - 4000 RPM. This is how it's always been but it seems a bit high if you ask me.... Is this normal?

 

Edit: I should point out that this happens when the transmission is in its normal automatic mode.

Edited July 5, 2010 by LagunaFusion

[Oldguy16]

My 2010 V6 SEL fusion occasionally slips between 2nd and 3rd or 3rd and 4th (not 100% sure)

 

This seems to only happen when the engine & transmission are cold and I am light on the gas. I checked my VIN against Ford's recall notices and it doesn't seem to be affected by the known transmission recalls.

 

Also: It won't upshift from 3rd to 4th until I reach 3500 - 4000 RPM. This is how it's always been but it seems a bit high if you ask me.... Is this normal?

 

Edit: I should point out that this happens when the transmission is in its normal automatic mode.

The problem in the cold I used to see myself, it kind of stopped after I had the transmission reprogrammed. Also, it should upshift at like 2000rpm and above each time, depending how light you are on the throttle. That you should get checked out. Something is not right here, the transmission if you're driving normally should shift from 3rd to 4th at around 3000rpm. Take it to the dealer, see if they can do a reprogram. usually they complain though in my experience so you may have to raise a little hell.

[LagunaFusion]

Update: I am now finally able to reproduce the issue consistently. The slipping occurs when the car is cold while shifting from 2nd to 3rd in full automatic mode, and only when the engine is cold and when I am light on the gas. It's time to take it in for repair. Can anyone recommend a particularly good and trustworthy Ford dealer in or near Laguna Niguel, CA?

[danford1]

If the trans can "learn" a drivers style, can it be reprogrammed back to zero?

I bought a used 08 Sport. It has 50,000 miles on it. I'm sure it "learned" the original owners driving habits. I want it to "learn" my driving habits.

Is there a simple way I can reset the trans? Will unhooking the battery cables for 20 minutes cause it to go back to factory defaults so it can "learn" again?

 

Danford1

[bbf2530]

If the trans can "learn" a drivers style, can it be reprogrammed back to zero?

I bought a used 08 Sport. It has 50,000 miles on it. I'm sure it "learned" the original owners driving habits. I want it to "learn" my driving habits.

Is there a simple way I can reset the trans? Will unhooking the battery cables for 20 minutes cause it to go back to factory defaults so it can "learn" again?

 

Danford1

 

Hi Dansford. :D The Fusion/Milan/MKZ transmission does not "adapt" in that way. It does not "adapt" to individual the drivers driving styles. More expensive vehicles have that sort of "adaptive" transmissions, but not ours.

 

Ours can adapt in two basic ways (and this is a simplified explanation). First, it adapts over time to wear and tear to keep the shift pressures/timing within certain pre-programmed parameters. So it "adapts" for wear and tear".

 

Second, the transmission has certain stored/pre-programmed shift strategies that allow it to "adapt" to driving inputs in a limited way. So if the car is being driven harder, it will recognize things like throttle position, steering input/slip angles, etc., and adapt the shift strategy slightly for those contingencies. So if you are going around a particular curve at 60, the transmission will take certain parameters into consideration and shift more aggressively than if you were going around the same curve at 30 mph (an overly simplified explanation). But the transmission is not "adapting" to the driver, it is just doing what the programming parameters tell it to do when A, B and C happen.

 

So to answer your particular question: Your cars transmission has not "learned" anything from the previous owner. And unhooking the battery will not help it "adapt" to you. In fact, if you read your Owners Manual, you will find there is a procedure that must be followed to help the car relearn the Idle Trim strategy each time the battery is disconnected. Unfortunately, many people do not read the Manual and neglect to perform this procedure. Bottom line is disconnecting the battery will not help the car adapt to your driving style. It will only cause it to unlearn the wear and tear adjustments it has already made and it will then need to relearn all the same things all over again. If you read the "battery replacement" section of the Owners Manual, you can find further information concerning this subject.

 

I have used this analogy in the past: This would be like whacking yourself on the head with a hammer tonight to give yourself a case of amnesia and forget the bad year you have had at work. Tomorrow, you will need to relearn everything that you knew before (and all the same stuff) all over again, and you will have a headache on top of it all.

 

Hope this information helps.

 

Good luck. :beerchug:

Edited December 10, 2010 by bbf2530