3speed

I have a new 2013 3.7L V6 with a couple of issues I really hoped I'd not have to deal with already. I'm at 4500 miles and it's been there since about day one that I can tell. It's a great truck but I'm not going to be happy until these issues can be cleared up.

The 6-speed auto transmission, at first, seemed to hunt for gears alot. It didn't like to remain in any gear...and the slightest throttle change resulted in shifts, usually skipping gears. Like going from 6th to 3rd and bypassing 5th and 4th...when speeding up a little on the highway. It also seemed to shift into gears that didn't seem appropriate for the circumstances. Going around a corner in town if in 4th, you'd think 3rd would be fine but it selected 2nd. In all this rpms seemed to be too high and unecessary in the particular circumstance. It wasn't "learning" like the dealer said it would. Not even close.

Next, when accelerating moderately (but not taking rpms beyond 4000)...the trans seems to shift from 2nd to 3rd, but doesnt. It's like it wants to, then decides to stay in 2nd, build alot more rpm, then shift. The rpm's level off, actually drop about 50, then builds up another 500 then shifts. Like it's stalling or defueling. Very annoying.

It also bumped during downshifts...especially when slowing at a stop sign. It never went thru 2nd in town driving down shifts. Always 3rd to 1st. And you always got a nice bump into 1st. And if it's a rolling stop then the light turns green, it would bang taking up slack somewhere...as if the rear end gears have alot of clearance.

I took it to the dealer and they said there was an update flash for the engine and transmission. They flashed it and now the bumping at slow speeds has lessened but is still noticable to me. But much less. It also holds gears better when going around corners and doesn't downshift too far when unecessary. I have to give it more throttle input to downshift which is better. So the gear hunting is better.

Problem now however is the weird stalling when upshifting 2nd to 3rd is still there and more noticable. And it started doing it from 3rd to 4th. You can actually watch the tach level off, drop, then start building rpm's again then finally it shifts. It's very strange. You can hear it in the engine and feel the truck stall out.

Another new problem is I start the truck and let it idle for about 10 seconds. I drop it in drive and sometimes it fails to engage. Like it's in neutral for about 5 seconds then it drops in drive. The first few times this was bad because I dropped in drive and applied throttle. When it dropped the rpm's were up about 1500-2000...so I got a nice BANG!!! It will also do this when shifting into reverse. It's happened about 10 times in 4500 miles. Three times yesterday alone. Now everytime I place in drive I have to make sure it's pulling before I apply throttle. This isn't right at all. And I'm not starting the truck and gunning it into gear in 1/2 second. I'm talking start truck, put my sun glasses on, take a drink of pop, put in drive, check my blind spots, apply some throttle to take off.....and it's in neutral.....then BANG!!

I can't check the fluid...and it looks like I have to go complain to Ford again. I have a feeling I'm gonna be told some lines of how this is normal and there isn't anything wrong. But it's unlike ANY truck I've ever driven the way it upshifts and won't apply power once shifted park to drive.

kmac1036

I've seen some mention there is a "break in" software profile the truck uses for awhile when it's new. checking the fluid is a great idea I would ask them to do it (they probably should have already).

the trans also learns your driving style as well. takes about 500-1000 for the truck to get this down, if I remember correctly. a reflash usually clears out this data & it has to do it again.

packplantpath

kmac is right, but no way is the delay shift right. On my old saturn that was symptomatic of a bad valve body (and they were all bad eventually). Not sure if that carries through to the F150 though.

Low fluid could probably do it too.

ns_redneck

there is a small trans dipstick on the side of tranny to check fluid. the owners manuel will show you where. but the dealer probably allready checked that.

TomParisOBC

but since he is now at 4500 miles it would seem to me that there is more of a problem here then just a learning curve for the transmission.

That is very disheartening when your new vehicle is not running correctly. That stinks man, hopefully they will make it right.

3speed

My friend at work bought a 2013 F150 at the same time I did. He purchased the SuperCrew 4x4 XLT with the 5.0L. He's not having any such issues. What's worse is my sticker displayed 16 and 22 for MPG's. His was 15 and 21. He's getting better averages than me and we drive the same, more or less. I'm at 14.1MPG average with about a 50% city/highway pattern. Which is what my former 06 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 4.7L V8 Magnum got...and I was glad to get away from that so I thought. It averaged about 13.8 or 13.9 over long term usage. I'm barely better with the new V6 and I lost my V8 low end grunt. But that is another issue. Or maybe it's related.

Wanted33

3speed, welcome to the froum. These trannys are hard to get used to. But, it sounds as if yours does have a few issues. Since the udate the tranny will have to go through the learning process all over. The trannys are programmed to go from 3rd to 1st when you slow to a stop. They also have a lock-up in the lower gears, and that may be what your experiencing when you see the rpms drop then climb again in the same gear. With that, all the bumping, and the slow to engage when put into drive/reverse isn't normal. I would have the dealer check the fluid level as soon as you can, and I hope they get you fixed up soon. Stay on them till they get it right. Good luck.

I had a 3.7L 4x2 XLT SCREW approx. two years. And, I agree that sometimes the tranny just didn't seem to be in the correct gear. It must be the nature of the beast with the 3.7's.

nate3420

The 3.7s are very rev happy. They do this. I have a 3.7 and if I punch it hard it will skip two gears. But like a lot of people have said you gotta let it break in. I am only at 14 mpg with mine as well with only 2,500 miles on it and I don't drive like a wild man that often either. My guy at the dealership said if it is only at 14 at 5,000 or 6,000 miles there could be a problem but before that it is normal.

kmac1036

I'll see what I can look up tonight. not sure if I can look up your truck or not. Will check the TSBs (I got access for the month to the online service info from Ford for my power seat project).

schizbomb

My 3.7 is very rev happy. Keep that mind. The delay in shift is not something I've experienced. The shift from 3rd to 1st is. And that clunking is fixed via a regreasing of the yoke and a trans flash. Hope they fix your truck man. Love mine.