Hard shifting only when cold.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 826
Likes: 129
Hard shifting only when cold.
2013, 5.0, 30k miles, shifts hard when cold. (35'f)
Is this normal?
I always warm the engine until low idle before putting in gear.
I'm 60 + and this is my first automatic.
My knees are getting bad and the clutch hurts.
I miss my standard shift.
Is this normal?
I always warm the engine until low idle before putting in gear.
I'm 60 + and this is my first automatic.
My knees are getting bad and the clutch hurts.
I miss my standard shift.
5 Year Member
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 1,036
Likes: 231
From: RI
Sounds normal to me. My truck is tuned so all my shifts are hard, but they are especially firm until the transmission warms up. Was like that stock too if I recall correctly. More prominent when going up a hill for sure.
By hard shifting, do you mean like a more "snappy" shift? That's how I'd describe mine.
By hard shifting, do you mean like a more "snappy" shift? That's how I'd describe mine.
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,517
Likes: 565
From: Ca. central
Cold Trans shift points
IIRC Cold transmission shift points are raised to aid warming transmission oil to normal operating temperature. Also, transmission cooler oil flow is thermostatically controlled to maintain operating temperature. Hopefully those harder shifts are just due to higher rpm shift points until warmed.
Normal operating temperature of mine is nominally 192 degrees and very rarely exceeds 200 degrees. But I've never taken note of transmission oil temperature where cold weather increased shift points return to normal.
Maybe a Ford Tech on here can give us a better idea how all this works and at what temperatures?
Normal operating temperature of mine is nominally 192 degrees and very rarely exceeds 200 degrees. But I've never taken note of transmission oil temperature where cold weather increased shift points return to normal.
Maybe a Ford Tech on here can give us a better idea how all this works and at what temperatures?
Last edited by Barry_Vee; Dec 15, 2017 at 02:24 PM.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 826
Likes: 129
IIRC Cold transmission shift points are raised to aid warming transmission oil to normal operating temperature. Also, transmission cooler oil flow is thermostatically controlled to maintain operating temperature. Hopefully those harder shifts are just due to higher rpm shift points until warmed.
Normal operating temperature of mine is nominally 192 degrees and very rarely exceeds 200 degrees. But I've never taken note of transmission oil temperature where cold weather increased shift points return to normal.
Maybe a Ford Tech on here can give us a better idea how all this works and at what temperatures?
Normal operating temperature of mine is nominally 192 degrees and very rarely exceeds 200 degrees. But I've never taken note of transmission oil temperature where cold weather increased shift points return to normal.
Maybe a Ford Tech on here can give us a better idea how all this works and at what temperatures?
I wish this truck did not have a computer , I would feel better.
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 13,811
Likes: 3,184
From: Texas
Do this:
Because your vehicle’s engine is electronically controlled by a computer, somecontrol conditions are maintained by power from the battery. When thebattery is disconnected or a new battery is installed, the engine must relearnits idle and fuel trim strategy for optimum driveability and performance.Flexible fuel vehicles (FFV) must also relearn the ethanol contentof the fuel for optimum driveability and performance.
To begin thisprocess:
1.With the vehicle at a complete stop, set the parking brake.
2.Put the gearshift in P (Park), turn off all accessories and start the engine.
3.Run the engine until it reaches normal operating temperature.
4.Allow the engine to idle for at least one minute.
5.Turn the A/C on and allow the engine to idle for at least one minute.
6.Release the parking brake. With your foot on the brake pedal and with
theA/C on, put the vehicle in D (Drive) and allow the engine to idle for
at least one minute.
Note: If you do not allow the engine to relearn its idle trim, the idle
quality of your vehicle may be adversely affected until the idle trim is
eventually relearned.
7.Drive the vehicle to complete the relearning process.
• The vehicle may need to be driven 10 miles (16kilometers) or more
to relearn the idle and fuel trim strategy along with the ethanol
content for flexible fuel vehicles.
• For flexible fuel vehicles, if you are operating on E85, you may
experience poor starts or an inability to start the engine and
drive ability problems until the fuel trim and ethanol content
have been relearned.
Because your vehicle’s engine is electronically controlled by a computer, somecontrol conditions are maintained by power from the battery. When thebattery is disconnected or a new battery is installed, the engine must relearnits idle and fuel trim strategy for optimum driveability and performance.Flexible fuel vehicles (FFV) must also relearn the ethanol contentof the fuel for optimum driveability and performance.
To begin thisprocess:
1.With the vehicle at a complete stop, set the parking brake.
2.Put the gearshift in P (Park), turn off all accessories and start the engine.
3.Run the engine until it reaches normal operating temperature.
4.Allow the engine to idle for at least one minute.
5.Turn the A/C on and allow the engine to idle for at least one minute.
6.Release the parking brake. With your foot on the brake pedal and with
theA/C on, put the vehicle in D (Drive) and allow the engine to idle for
at least one minute.
Note: If you do not allow the engine to relearn its idle trim, the idle
quality of your vehicle may be adversely affected until the idle trim is
eventually relearned.
7.Drive the vehicle to complete the relearning process.
• The vehicle may need to be driven 10 miles (16kilometers) or more
to relearn the idle and fuel trim strategy along with the ethanol
content for flexible fuel vehicles.
• For flexible fuel vehicles, if you are operating on E85, you may
experience poor starts or an inability to start the engine and
drive ability problems until the fuel trim and ethanol content
have been relearned.
Last edited by digitaltrucker; Dec 17, 2017 at 11:11 PM.
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Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2025
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Do this:
Because your vehicle’s engine is electronically controlled by a computer, somecontrol conditions are maintained by power from the battery. When thebattery is disconnected or a new battery is installed, the engine must relearnits idle and fuel trim strategy for optimum driveability and performance.Flexible fuel vehicles (FFV) must also relearn the ethanol contentof the fuel for optimum driveability and performance.
To begin thisprocess:
1.With the vehicle at a complete stop, set the parking brake.
2.Put the gearshift in P (Park), turn off all accessories and start the engine.
3.Run the engine until it reaches normal operating temperature.
4.Allow the engine to idle for at least one minute.
5.Turn the A/C on and allow the engine to idle for at least one minute.
6.Release the parking brake. With your foot on the brake pedal and with
theA/C on, put the vehicle in D (Drive) and allow the engine to idle for
at least one minute.
Note: If you do not allow the engine to relearn its idle trim, the idle
quality of your vehicle may be adversely affected until the idle trim is
eventually relearned.
7.Drive the vehicle to complete the relearning process.
• The vehicle may need to be driven 10 miles (16kilometers) or more
to relearn the idle and fuel trim strategy along with the ethanol
content for flexible fuel vehicles.
• For flexible fuel vehicles, if you are operating on E85, you may
experience poor starts or an inability to start the engine and
drive ability problems until the fuel trim and ethanol content
have been relearned.
Because your vehicle’s engine is electronically controlled by a computer, somecontrol conditions are maintained by power from the battery. When thebattery is disconnected or a new battery is installed, the engine must relearnits idle and fuel trim strategy for optimum driveability and performance.Flexible fuel vehicles (FFV) must also relearn the ethanol contentof the fuel for optimum driveability and performance.
To begin thisprocess:
1.With the vehicle at a complete stop, set the parking brake.
2.Put the gearshift in P (Park), turn off all accessories and start the engine.
3.Run the engine until it reaches normal operating temperature.
4.Allow the engine to idle for at least one minute.
5.Turn the A/C on and allow the engine to idle for at least one minute.
6.Release the parking brake. With your foot on the brake pedal and with
theA/C on, put the vehicle in D (Drive) and allow the engine to idle for
at least one minute.
Note: If you do not allow the engine to relearn its idle trim, the idle
quality of your vehicle may be adversely affected until the idle trim is
eventually relearned.
7.Drive the vehicle to complete the relearning process.
• The vehicle may need to be driven 10 miles (16kilometers) or more
to relearn the idle and fuel trim strategy along with the ethanol
content for flexible fuel vehicles.
• For flexible fuel vehicles, if you are operating on E85, you may
experience poor starts or an inability to start the engine and
drive ability problems until the fuel trim and ethanol content
have been relearned.
this is a good example of the same types of BS I find everywhere when I try to find a solution for my trucks shifting troubles. It would appear to me that nobody really knows very much about all this damn computerized crap that’s now in the new trucks. And theirs always somebody with some knowledge they want to sidetrack you with. I don’t know if it’s so they feel smart but I can tell you this .., this crap listed above is not gonna fix my trucks shifting issue.