2020 Ford F-150 Owners Manual - Transmission

Transmission

Note: Under certain conditions, you will not be able to shift out of park (P) unless the intelligent access key is inside the vehicle.

Fully press down on the brake pedal.

Move the gearshift lever into the desired gear.

When you are finished driving, come to a complete stop.

Move the gearshift lever and securely latch it in park (P).

The instrument cluster displays the current gear.

This position locks the transmission and prevents the wheels from turning.

With the gearshift lever in reverse (R), your vehicle moves backward. Always come to a complete stop before shifting into and out of reverse (R).

With the gearshift lever in neutral (N), you can start your vehicle, which is free to roll. Hold the brake pedal down when in this position.

Drive (D) is the normal driving position for the best fuel economy, and allows automatic upshifts and downshifts through all available gears.

With the gearshift lever in manual (M), the driver can change gears up or down as desired. By moving the gearshift lever from drive position drive (D) to manual (M) you now have control of selecting the gear you desire using buttons on the shift lever. See Understanding your SelectShift Automatic™ transmission later in this section.

To return to normal drive (D) position, move the gearshift lever back to drive (D). The transmission operates in all available gears.

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Note: When pressing the button on the gearshift lever, you can cycle through the available drive modes.

Transmission operates in third (3) gear only. Use third (3) gear for improved traction on slippery roads.

Transmission operates in second (2) gear only. Use second (2) gear to start-up on slippery roads.

Transmission operates in first (1) gear only.

Provides maximum engine braking.

Allows upshifts by moving gearshift lever.

Does not downshift into first (1) gear at high speeds; allows for first (1) gear when vehicle reaches slower speeds.

To activate tow mode, press the button on the gearshift lever until tow mode is selected. The

indicator light illuminates in the instrument cluster when the system becomes active.

The tow mode feature:

Moves upshifts to higher engine speeds to reduce the frequency of transmission shifting.

Provides engine braking in all forward gears, which slows your vehicle and assists you in controlling your vehicle when descending a grade.

Depending on driving conditions and load conditions, may downshift the transmission, slow your vehicle and control your vehicle speed when descending a hill, without pressing the accelerator pedal. The amount of downshift braking provided varies based upon the amount you press the brake pedal.

The tow mode feature improves transmission operation when towing a trailer or a heavy load. All transmission gear ranges are available when using tow mode.

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To deactivate the tow mode feature and return to normal driving mode, press the button on the gearshift lever twice. The indicator light deactivates when the system turns off. Tow mode also deactivates when you power down your vehicle.

To activate Sport Mode, press the button on the gearshift lever until sport mode is selected. The

SPORT or S indicator light illuminates in the instrument display when the system becomes active.

The sport mode feature:

Provides additional slope, engine braking and extends lower gear operation to enhance performance for uphill climbs, hilly terrain or mountainous areas. This increases engine RPM during engine braking.

Provides additional lower gear operation through the automatic transmission shift strategy.

Selects gears more quickly and at higher engine speeds.

To deactivate the sport mode feature and return to normal driving mode, press the button on the gearshift lever again. The SPORT or S indicator light deactivates when the system turns off. The sport mode feature also deactivates when you power down your vehicle.

This feature increases durability and provides consistent shift feel over the life of your vehicle. A new vehicle or transmission may have firm shifts, soft shifts or both. This operation is normal and does not affect function or durability of the transmission. Over time, the adaptive learning process fully updates transmission operation.

Your vehicle is equipped with a SelectShift Automatic transmission gearshift lever.

The SelectShift Automatic transmission gives you the ability to change gears up or down (without a clutch) as desired.

In order to prevent the engine from running at too low an RPM, which may cause it to stall, SelectShift still automatically makes some downshifts if it has determined that you have not downshifted in time.

Although SelectShift makes some downshifts for you, it still allows you to downshift at any time as long as SelectShift determines that damage to the engine from over-revving does not occur.

SelectShift does not automatically upshift, even if the engine is approaching the RPM limit. It must be shifted manually by pressing the + button.

Note: Engine damage may occur if you maintain excessive engine revving without shifting.

The SelectShift Automatic transmission feature has two modes: PRS and M mode.

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Moving the gearshift lever to the manual

(M) position allows you to manually select the gear you desire. Only the current gear displays. Use the buttons on the gearshift lever or steering wheel to manually select gears. Press the + button to upshift or the

– button to downshift. Return the transmission to a different gearshift position to deactivate manual control.

Progressive Range Selection gives you the ability to lockout gears from the automatic shifting range. This could provide you with an improved driving experience, for example, in slippery conditions or when experiencing a steep slope.

With the transmission in drive (D), press the – button to active PRS. The available and selected gears are indicated on the instrument cluster.

All available gears display with the current gear indicated. Press the – button again to lock out gears beginning with the highest gear. Only the available gears display and the transmission automatically shifts between the available gears. Press the + button to unlock gears to allow the transmission to shift to higher gears. The transmission shifts automatically within the gear range you select.

Your vehicle is equipped with a brake-shift interlock feature that prevents moving the gearshift lever from park (P) when the ignition is in the on position and the brake pedal is not pressed.

If you cannot move the gearshift lever out of park (P) position with the ignition in the on position and the brake pedal pressed, a malfunction may have occurred. It is possible that a fuse has blown or your vehicle’s brake lamps are not operating properly. See Fuse Specification Chart (page 344).

If the fuse is not blown and the brake lamps are working properly, the following procedure allows you to move the gearshift lever from park (P):

Apply the parking brake and switch off your vehicle.

Move the steering column to the full down and full rearward position (toward the driver’s seat).

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Remove the gearshift lever boot.

Place fingers into gearshift lever boot hole and pull top half of shroud up and forward to separate it from the lower half of the shroud. There is a hinge at the forward edge of the top shroud. Roll the top half of the shroud upward on the hinge point, then pull straight rearward toward the driver’s seat to remove.

Remove the top half of the shroud.

Remove the three fasteners under the column that secure the lower shroud half to the column.

9. Start your vehicle.

Perform Steps 4 through 8 in reverse order, making sure to engage the hinge pivots between the upper and lower halves of the shroud. Keep slight pressure in the forward direction as the halves rotate together.

Apply the parking brake and switch off your vehicle.

Remove the rubber mat between the shifter and cup holder. Using a screwdriver or similar tool, carefully pry up the access panel from the attachment points and disconnect it from the console to expose the inside of the gearshift.

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7. Pull the lock lever into the full unlocked position and remove the lower shroud cover by pulling the lever handle through the slot in the cover.

3. Locate the white brake shift interlock lever on the passenger side of the shifter assembly.

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8. Apply the brake, pull the white disk then move the shifter to neutral (N).

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Apply the brake pedal. Using light finger pressure, move the white lever forward when pulling the gearshift lever out of the park (P) position and into the neutral (N) position.

Install the access panel and rubber mat.

Apply brake pedal, start your vehicle, and release the parking brake. See your authorized dealer as soon as possible if this procedure is used.

Note: Do not rock your vehicle if the engine is not at normal operating temperature or damage to the transmission may occur.

Note: Do not rock your vehicle for more than a minute or damage to the transmission and tires could occur, or the engine could overheat.

If your vehicle gets stuck in mud or snow, you may rock it out by shifting between forward and reverse gears, stopping between shifts in a steady pattern. Press lightly on the accelerator in each gear.

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