Lugging an engine with auto trans

[Shohobo]

Sorry not an expert but after researching this I cannot find a definitive answer...with an automatic transmission what would be considered lugging the engine....if I am cruising down the highway at 65 and I come up on a slower vehicle and I have to pass it, of course, when I gag it and I go from 55mph in OD to WOT to complete the pass to clear any of the oncoming vehicles..because I have a SHO and I know she has the acceleration capabilities to complete the pass where others would fail and cause havoc....is this considered true lugging?

 

[Johnbigdog]

I would say no you can't on a stock tune if the car is working properly.. It won't let you. To me lugging is low rpm in a high gear where the engine has to work HARD/strugeling to keep the car moving. 2nd gear take offs are not ******* the car. It's ment to reduce power to help with slick take offs where 1st may spin. Only can get a 5th gear take off if the transmission is in limp mode.


Cruising at 70, going to WOT in 3rd, then back to 6th isn' going to hurt anything. The car pulls well in 3rd at that speed. Quite fun I would say.

What you can do with aftermarket tunes I have no expirience.

 

[Shohobo]

She is stock and that is what I figured because with an automatic trans if you gag it the trans obviously responds by down shifting to the appropriate gear per throttle input but after checking youtube and Google there was no clear answer. What I do not understand is if one has a manual trans why would one not down shift when ur looking for optimal acceleration - seems like common sense to me? What am I missing? - seems like everything is over analyzed these days.

 

[SHOdded]

You WOULD downshift to a lower gear as needed with a manual transmission also. How far down you have to go depends on the power demand as well as the power band.

 

[krewat]

Just an FYI, later year SHO's (2013+?) if you're manually shifting with the paddles, and the RPMs are low, the computer WILL downshift to keep it from lugging.

So on a stock vehicle, it won't let you lug the engine anyway

 

[OmaHahn]

Just an FYI, later year SHO's (2013+?) if you're manually shifting with the paddles, and the RPMs are low, the computer WILL downshift to keep it from lugging.

So on a stock vehicle, it won't let you lug the engine anyway

Correct! And if you're manually shifting with paddles and you're going, say 15mph, and you try to up-shift with the paddles, it won't let you. It will only go to like 2nd gear and that's it.

 

[SilverSH0]

Just an FYI, later year SHO's (2013+?) if you're manually shifting with the paddles, and the RPMs are low, the computer WILL downshift to keep it from lugging.

So on a stock vehicle, it won't let you lug the engine anyway

Even back to 2010 the car will downshift in manual mode depending on the load on the engine. What it absolutely won't do is up shift the car in manual mode. It will just "bounce" off the rev limiter (really just bogs down bad) until the driver shifts the car. But if I'm cruising down the highway in 5th gear and push down on the pedal too far it'll downshift to the appropriate gear needed.

I don't think you can lug these engines/transmissions.

*EDIT* I did some testing with my car this evening when I was out, everything in manual mode. I have a 2010 and can shift into 3rd gear at 11 mph. 10 mph and I can only be in 2nd (or 1st). Once I hit 11 mph it unlocks 3rd gear. In any gear (3rd at 11 mph to 5th at 35 mph) if I stab the gas pedal to the floor it will automatically downshift to the lowest gear and take off. If I push the pedal down and take about 1 second to get to the floor (rough estimate, didn't time it, just pushing to floor not stabbing it down) the car will NOT downshift. I can be in 5th at 35 mph, push it to the floor, and it will stick in 5th gear. I don't know if one would consider that lugging or not. I figure based on all the other nanny features of the car, if it hurt the car Ford wouldn't allow it.