Ranger Shifting

[Smitty316]

I have a 2009 Ranger, 4 cylinder, automatic. I posted before about it revving so high when I'm going up hill from a stop. I'm pretty light on the gas pedal, but especially with the AC on, it wont go into high gear until I crest the hill. I really have to keep my foot off the accelerator to keep it from going over 3K RPM. In the meantime, traffic is on my bumper. Is this normal?

Thanks, Mike

 

[Uncle Gump]

Do you think the transmission is slipping?

Condition of fluid will tell you a lot.

 

[Smitty316]

Do you think the transmission is slipping?

Condition of fluid will tell you a lot.

No, It's not slipping and the fluid looks good. No burnt smell.

 

[Uncle Gump]

So going up an incline... you have to be lite on the throttle or the RPMs climb?

So it seems the transmission is slipping or it won't shift into the next gear.

 

[Smitty316]

So going up an incline... you have to be lite on the throttle or the RPMs climb?

So it seems the transmission is slipping or it won't shift into the next gear.

Yes, going up an incline. It shifts through first and second gears fine, but it revs high (over 3K) before it'll shift into 3rd. No slipping. It seems more likely to do this if the AC is on.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Well with the load going up the hill... and throttle position and other load indicators vs. the various speed inputs it seems it's just not ready to shift.

Throw a bit of your caution out the window and just put the pedal down and see what it does.

By chance your truck isn't loaded down or pulling a trailer us it?

 

[Smitty316]

Well with the load going up the hill... and throttle position and other load indicators vs. the various speed inputs it seems it's just not ready to shift.

Throw a bit of your caution out the window and just put the pedal down and see what it does.

By chance your truck isn't loaded down or pulling a trailer us it?

No, Not loaded down or pulling a trailer.

 

[1990RangerinSK]

I have a 2009 Ranger, 4 cylinder, automatic. I posted before about it revving so high when I'm going up hill from a stop. I'm pretty light on the gas pedal, but especially with the AC on, it wont go into high gear until I crest the hill. I really have to keep my foot off the accelerator to keep it from going over 3K RPM. In the meantime, traffic is on my bumper. Is this normal?

Thanks, Mike

Normal behaviour, and you're defeating the transmission doing what it's supposed to do. Running at 4k RPM going up hill will not hurt your engine (and people will be happier behind you).

Peak HP for that engine is over 5,000RPM, and peak torque is over 4k. If you're keeping it under 3k, you're not even in the power band. If you aren't up into the power band, your engine will pretty much fall flat. So, your automatic transmission will shift when it needs to in order to stay in the power band.

Next time you are climbing a hill, let the engine rev. The transmission will select the appropriate gear for the job of climbing the hill, so that the engine will make enough power to climb at a decent speed.

NOTE: The '91 Vulcan engine makes similar HP and Torque, but at lower RPMS. That engine will climb a fairly steep, long grade at 60mph, and hold speed, IF the transmission is in the right gear. (not overdrive, probably not 4th, depending on the hill).

 

[Smitty316]

Normal behaviour, and you're defeating the transmission doing what it's supposed to do. Running at 4k RPM going up hill will not hurt your engine (and people will be happier behind you).

Peak HP for that engine is over 5,000RPM, and peak torque is over 4k. If you're keeping it under 3k, you're not even in the power band. If you aren't up into the power band, your engine will pretty much fall flat. So, your automatic transmission will shift when it needs to in order to stay in the power band.

Next time you are climbing a hill, let the engine rev. The transmission will select the appropriate gear for the job of climbing the hill, so that the engine will make enough power to climb at a decent speed.

NOTE: The '91 Vulcan engine makes similar HP and Torque, but at lower RPMS. That engine will climb a fairly steep, long grade at 60mph, and hold speed, IF the transmission is in the right gear. (not overdrive, probably not 4th, depending on the hill).

Thanks. This is my first truck with an automatic transmission so I'm just getting used to it. Also, I do tend to drive like the grandpa that I am.

Mike

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Yeah, that pretty much covered it, a lot of these newer motors make peak power at higher RPMs than older stuff. When I got my first vehicle it was a Ranger with a 3.0 and a manual. I could shift it like the dump truck I drove for work that was screaming at 3k, but it didn’t have much power like that, it was much happier when I started letting it rev higher. The dump truck made all of its power low, but my Ranger didn’t, it made peak power something like 2,500-4,500. Rev limiter in the Ranger was 5,500 and redline 6k, so by letting it wind out some, it ran a lot better and actually used less fuel when I let it eat. Not by a lot, but at that time I tracked fuel economy very closely.

 

[Smitty316]

Thanks! You guys are great.

Mike