2008 seems to go into neutral around 25 MPH under light acceleration...
Recently had my 2005 totalled in a head on accident... can post pics now that it is all wrapped up if anyone wants... I bought a new 2008 and have 2500 miles on it now and it recently started shifting weird. At around 25 MPH under very light acceleration, almost just feathering the gas, it seems to go into neutral, revving WAY up ~3000 RPM, and then slams into gear. It happens all the time in slow moving traffic but not much otherwise becuase it is rare that I am lightly accelerating at that speed.
Does anyone else know what's up? My 2005 didn't do this, but it did other weird things with the tranny until I had it flashed by Ford. Is there a PCM flash for the 2008s already?
This sounds like the same thing mine was / is doing. I took it to the dealer and showed him a few times. What I would do is start off from a stop and a slow steady speed increase until between 40-45 KM/H then hold at that speed and it feels like it would downshift, then upshift again (rev up then back down). They supposedly checked with Ford and this is because of the computer controlled throttle and trans... It just doesn't know what to do at those conditions. It still does it and has not gotten any worse. If you can find a fix or get it fixed, please reply back as it drives me nuts.
I have this happen on occasion as well. Just like your title states. I can make it happen as you say, I have done so in front of a few different techs at a couple dealerships. Normal. I have had them check for codes right after it does it. Nothing there. Even if it does this multiple times, no codes.
They told me the same thing, right around 25 MPH it does not know what to do, then you lightly feather in traffic and it gets confused (I suppose). Mine does not rev to 3000 though, usually to 1900-2000 and unless you watch it you really cannot feel it do this. Not sure. It seems like it goes to 4th, then real quick to third, or the TC is locked and then unlocked, all in this small time-span. How many miles? I have almost 6k. I noticed this right after I bought, but have be told it was just normal when you stop and go right there at that particular spot. Seems like 24-26 is a pecuiler zone. They did reflash but the tech could not tell from the computer what it concerned. It did not affect anything as far as I can tell. Any thoughts form anyone else? Let us know.
Does your odometer blink out at all when this happens? If so, the pcm is not getting a signal from the speed sensor on the top of the rear end. It uses this sensor to display the speed and record mileage and it also tells the pcm when to make your tranny shift. Without this signal the tranny gets confused or stupid as we call it. A defective cluster will also cause this. Keep complaining to your dealer as it is not too healthy for the tranny!
Not that I have noticed. No blinking. I had a guy ride with me with it hooked up to a PC. No issues found, but I will say I could not reproduce it just then. I'll go a month or so and not have it happen. 3 or 4 dealerships told me it had no codes, and they have seen it before. Not much you can do. Whne it happens it dose not amke a noise or anything that would lead you to think it was 'bad', just seems odd. I guess there is a 'sweet' spot right around 25 MPH if you let up and press down this can happen if done just right. I would guess if there was a blinking odometer there would be a TSB out or something, right? That would be obvious and helpful to get it taken care of. You know what they say, normal characteristic.
Last edited by Protein Anchor; 03-04-2008 at 11:25 PM.
My cluster has never blinked either when the trans shifting acted up. The easiest way I found to avoid it was if I know I will be accelerating slowly (usually through a school zone by my house), I just let off the throttle completely then drive normally and it won't do it. It's only on the slow smooth acceleration up to 40 to 45 KM/H and hold at that speed.
My truck has done this since new and it now has almost 30,000 KM and it has never changed. Yes, it is annoying as hell but when the dealer says it's normal... I guess good thing for the 5 year powertrain warranty!
Yeah, sounds about right. Do you let off the gas at all there when it happens? Mine will do it but I have to get to ~25-26 MPH then let of for just a second then, apparently, I hit it right when it is thinking about what it wants to do. Then it corrects and all is fine. Who knows? Like I said if I do not watch the tach, I would not really know. But it is a strange feeling when I catch it doing this. Are all your other shifts smooth? Seems like the entire system is well-mannered, I wish it did not do this every once in while, but 3+ dealerships scanned, rode and scanned, observed it to be something that will happen under these conditions. Of course, when they drive they get in a roll, they do not stop at this speed apparently. Any other thoughts?
Let's say you never observed this because you do not 'make it do it' by driving a certain way. Is there anything really wrong? Does it hurt the transmission for this to occur once in a while? They say no way, of course. What do you say?
Last edited by Protein Anchor; 03-05-2008 at 12:02 AM.
Well, mine sounds exactly like what you guys are describing, thanks for the input (and confirming that I am not insane). I don't really want to take it to a dealer if they are just going to waste my time and tell me it is normal. The only difference with what mine is doing and what yours seem to be doing is that it really drops HARD into gear after it loses it's mind and finds it again. That can't be real good on the tranny.
I'll give it some time, keep searching for TSBs on other web sites and maybe tell the dealership about it during the 3000 mile oil change... at least this way it will be documented if something ever does break.
The odometer on mine doesn't blink when this is happening, and like someone else said, I could predictably duplicate it on Monday, but couldn't make it happen on Tuesday. It doesn't bother me that much, it is just weird. The good news is that everything else that was an issue on my 2005 is no longer an issue on the 2008 and I really like the way this one drives otherwise!
It has happened to me on several occasions just like as stated in the above posts. I took it to the dealer on one occasion, on the same day that it did this. Sorry to say, as we went for a test ride, it could not be duplicated. It happends very rarely, mostly months apart from last occurence. I will say that I only noticed this after I took it in for a recall notice that I had received from Ford last Oct, having to do with a re-flash for emmisions. I advised the dealer, they stated that the tranny might be re-learing my driving habits after the re-flash. Last time it happened was the day after X-mas, has not done it since? I have an Extended warranty 7yrs-100K so I really not worried much.......
same thing- it is scary- It mostly does it when I am trying to drive real easy and slow, never does it when I keep the engine revs up tight on it. That is what I thought it was too , the PCM is not really sure what mode to have the tranny in at that certain point.
I was browsing this afternoon expressly to see if anyone had posted on this - VOILA!
I have a 2008 with 4,800 miles on it and it has done this since new. It happens when I am in slow stop & go conditions but only when traffic forces me to "hover" on the accelerator right at the 25-27 mph range, at which point the trans unlocks, the engine revs to about 2000 rpm and then completes the downshift. I am inclined to believe previous post suggestions that it is related to computer-controlled shift points. Although it's a little annoying, I guess I'm not going to get too excited about unless it gets worse or someone posts news of a fix.
I have this same problem with my 07. Engine will rev as if in nuetral but does not slam hard into a gear. Happens almost on a daily basis commuting to work in traffic. I've been testing for two weeks with overdrive off and problem has not happened since. I don't consider this a fix, so its going to the dealership tomorrow. I will report back.
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