2024 XLT 4x4 Transmission Slipping or Clunking Only 3rd Gear

[1996-to-2025]

No shifting issues for me. Just commenting on the 1 to 3 shift. Mine always skips 2nd gear (verified through OBD2 data). I imagine if you are towing, loaded down, or maybe on a very steep grade, it will use 2nd.

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[dbcallaw]

My service advisor called me yet again to reschedule my appointment to June 15. Ive been trying to get this truck in since March. I asked to speak with the service director and the advisor said the service director was the one telling him to reschedule. I was super fed up and called the sales manager and told him I'm interested in selling the truck and getting out of the Ranger because I can't my truck service and what good is a warranty if I can't use it. He spoke with the service director who in turn called me and asked me to come in this morning. He said he's going to log some data on the truck and drive it with me to see what the issue is.

Hope this leads somewhere. I love the truck otherwise, but this third gear dead spot it driving me insane.

 

[ElectronNinja]

My service advisor called me yet again to reschedule my appointment to June 15. Ive been trying to get this truck in since March. I asked to speak with the service director and the advisor said the service director was the one telling him to reschedule. I was super fed up and called the sales manager and told him I'm interested in selling the truck and getting out of the Ranger because I can't my truck service and what good is a warranty if I can't use it. He spoke with the service director who in turn called me and asked me to come in this morning. He said he's going to log some data on the truck and drive it with me to see what the issue is.

Hope this leads somewhere. I love the truck otherwise, but this third gear dead spot it driving me insane.

Standard dealer shenanigans. I've never been able to sort out why automotive is so much worse than dirtbike dealers on average....

Anyway I did the same this week.
I've gotta go back and checked the tagged spots, but cursory glance didn't seem to show the ECU messing with the throttle position or strange shift patterns.

I'm going to hit a parking lot and narrowly check 3rd gear and see if anything odd is present with the solenoids.

 

[dbcallaw]

Thanks for posting info and results. I took the service director for a drive this morning. He felt the dead spot and saw it on the tach. He was concerned and said there's definitely something funky going on. He thinks it's hanging up wanting to shift into 4th too early then forcing itself to stay in 3rd gear for the correct duration. He looked at store codes and saw several instances of communications dropping with the central communications module (the name escaped me right now. I'll edit this post with the correct name if I remember) and the telematics control unit. He doesn't think that would cause the issue but he's open to the possibility.

I am dropping the truck off on Thursday morning and he is going to spend the day logging data on the truck to help diagnose it. Fingers crossed!

 

[superj]

Nice

 

[ElectronNinja]

Thanks for posting info and results. I took the service director for a drive this morning. He felt the dead spot and saw it on the tach. He was concerned and said there's definitely something funky going on. He thinks it's hanging up wanting to shift into 4th too early then forcing itself to stay in 3rd gear for the correct duration. He looked at store codes and saw several instances of communications dropping with the central communications module (the name escaped me right now. I'll edit this post with the correct name if I remember) and the telematics control unit. He doesn't think that would cause the issue but he's open to the possibility.

I am dropping the truck off on Thursday morning and he is going to spend the day logging data on the truck to help diagnose it. Fingers crossed!

Hmmmm.....

My bet (and hope) is on shift logic or a sensor cal in the PCM, just because it seems a lot (read: most) of 2.3L 24 FX4s seem to do it. My build date is in Oct for the record.
A friend has an FX4 24 as well from Job-2 and his does it as well.

I'd be curious what the director thinks finding out that there's a non trivial number of trucks doing it. I'd wager most people don't even notice it.

Good to hear they aren't giving you the "yeah that's normal" deal

Good luck (for all of us) and thanks for keeping us in the loop!

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