Anyone else feel like their transmission is very laggy and unresponsive?

[TXRAM23]

So the Hemi seems to have decent power in my 2019 Ram (3.92 on 22" wheels, no eTorque); however, the transmission seems to be very laggy. When I am cruising and I hit the pedal, to pass for example, seems to take it a full 2 seconds to be able to drop gears and actually react to me flooring the pedal.

Also, trans seems to run through the gears very fast when taking off. Unless I floor it right off the line, it'll go to 3rd or 4th gear almost immediately and barely have an giddy up off the line.

I don't think the transmission is terrible but I do think it's not performing as well as it should be. What do you guys think? Are ya'll experiencing similar issues?

 

[Neurobit]

No complaints from me, but you are correct, sometimes it does lag a little, not off the line, but when you are cruising (although if you mash the accelerator then it does take off). This is the reason so many folks here are running the pedal commander.

BTW, If you want it to stay in the gears a longer, put in tow/haul mode and it will give you better response.

Neurobit

 

[j517]

Pedal comander time

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[HKP7PSP]

While I notice the lag now that I'm used to it, it's nowhere near as laggy as the same unit was on my 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee. That thing took way longer to decide to shift down, and how many gears to skip.

 

[Grayman5752]

Remember, fuel economy is the name of the game nowadays. The transmission shift schedule is programmed to keep the engine RPMs low in order to save fuel, which is why it upshifts so fast. Same goes for when trying to speed up or pass someone while cruising, it will seem unresponsive. The PCM is trying to keep the transmission in the same gear it’s already in to get you up to speed without downshifting and increasing RPM. Putting it in tow/haul mode may increase pedal responsiveness but it will also widen the RPM bands before upshifting, making fuel economy suffer.

Over time, there will be PCM and TCM software flashes that address certain issues and change shift points. I believe there is a new flash out now, I’ll check when I get to the shop.


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[BlckDT]

I do feel there is a slight delay of response as well. More noticeable when I move to pass or when turning out into traffic and need to be quick. My previous vehicle was a 14’ Jeep Grand Cherokee V6 and it had lots of lag issue until a software flash fixed it. So there is hope the same can happen hear (without going to the PC route).

 

[User_3336]

Aren't these "drive by wire" throttle bodies? Expect a slight lag.

 

[cotonymopar]

its not a race car... its a truck.. and with the push to get the test gas mileage, they are tuning for that, not dragstrip.. the computer will learn the way you drive.

 

[User_3336]

Mine has no "lag" that I perceive. BUT, its already in 6th gear at 30mph, which is sometimes annoying.

 

[RedRocketZ28]

Only thing I don't like is the slight hesitation between the 1-2 and 2-3 shift. All other gears are fine and I don't notice much hesitation on downshifts when going to pass or accelerate on the highway.

 

[TXRAM23]

Remember, fuel economy is the name of the game nowadays. The transmission shift schedule is programmed to keep the engine RPMs low in order to save fuel, which is why it upshifts so fast. Same goes for when trying to speed up or pass someone while cruising, it will seem unresponsive. The PCM is trying to keep the transmission in the same gear it’s already in to get you up to speed without downshifting and increasing RPM. Putting it in tow/haul mode may increase pedal responsiveness but it will also widen the RPM bands before upshifting, making fuel economy suffer.

Over time, there will be PCM and TCM software flashes that address certain issues and change shift points. I believe there is a new flash out now, I’ll check when I get to the shop.


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Which is kind of funny considering the horrible gas mileage the people are reporting. Myself, I'm only getting 14 MPG.

 

[TXRAM23]

its not a race car... its a truck.. and with the push to get the test gas mileage, they are tuning for that, not dragstrip.. the computer will learn the way you drive.

I don't agree with your reasoning. A modern vehicle should still have a smooth power band and transmission. This truck is no exception, especially consider it is a 400 HP V8 matched to an 8-speed transmission. I shouldn't have to factor in a delay when I decide to pass someone or find myself in a situation where I need quick acceleration.

 

[HotHareSpey]

I don't agree with your reasoning. A modern vehicle should still have a smooth power band and transmission. This truck is no exception, especially consider it is a 400 HP V8 matched to an 8-speed transmission. I shouldn't have to factor in a delay when I decide to pass someone or find myself in a situation where I need quick acceleration.

Nooooo a modern vehicle will not have a smooth powerband guaranteed- take the F150 (please!! Hahaha) it has 10,000 gears and is always hunting for the appropriate gear. The RAM runs high on RPMS partly due to the “low” number of gears but the gearing is made for truck behavior and has longer revs before shifting not Honda car behavior. So it’s got plenty of omph at any time required without having to downshift 23 gears to get some power. Eco vehicles upshift constantly for best mpg

My trans clunks once in awhile usually if I lug the engine (not a big deal), it shifts any time I “get on it” and power is instant. I think some of us are more fussy than others

It’s a truck guys, made to get dirty work hard and get beaten up. If you wanted a garage Queen you should have gotten a euro car

Dust complaints, paint chips, $250 tonneau covers, 87 octane, and now not enough power out of a hemi?

With all the bitching about California y’all sure sound like West Coasters!!




(Just teasing, be sure to tip your waitress)

 

[SilverSurfer15]

I actually think it’s the opposite. These trucks drive great compared to the others. All 3 of them I’ve owned. If you have that much delay, you may have an issue going on. Ram 8spd shift schedules are the best of all the trucks IMO.

Based on your post, it seems like you may be new to trucks? Not sure what you are expecting in terms of the take offs, they are built to accelerate as lightly as possible until you need more.

 

[SD Rebel]

Yes, but that's the stock tune of the transmission to improve mpg. You need to give a stronger right foot in order for it to shift quicker. You can also limit the gears with your gear limit selector.

I wish my RAM had the "Sport" transmission mode like my F150 had. Not only did it extend how long you stayed in gear, but it adjusted the throttle response to be more immediate.

The first thing I noticed when I test drove the RAM is how slowly the reaction of the transmission felt. Either by shifting sooner to keep rpms low or not downshifting quickly with increased throttle application, especially compared to my F150. I found this was evident in all RAM models I tested. However, you only need to prod the throttle a bit harder to get it to wake up, or hold the gear longer or downshift quicker. They all shifted smoothly, almost imperceptibly, but you can tell they were tuned for mpg at standard throttle applications.

 

[silver billet]

Y'all should try driving a 2012 v6 Jeep GC for a few years, it makes the Ram feel like a rocket. V6 "power", 5 gears, and a 3.09(?) rear end. Positively criminal behaviour on the part of Jeep, and forget trying to tow anything.

Aren't these "drive by wire" throttle bodies? Expect a slight lag.

"drive by wire" doesn't contribute anything to the lag. Electricity travels (pretty much) at the speed of light, and a computer can process all that data in nano seconds. IE, the drive by wire will react far far quicker than you or I can possibly detect by the seat of our pants.

If there is a lag, it's due to programming (ie, "by design" to get you better mpg).

 

[SD Rebel]

Y'all should try driving a 2012 v6 Jeep GC for a few years, it makes the Ram feel like a rocket. V6 "power", 5 gears, and a 3.09(?) rear end. Positively criminal behaviour on the part of Jeep, and forget trying to tow anything.



"drive by wire" doesn't contribute anything to the lag. Electricity travels (pretty much) at the speed of light, and a computer can process all that data in nano seconds. IE, the drive by wire will react far far quicker than you or I can possibly detect by the seat of our pants.

If there is a lag, it's due to programming (ie, "by design" to get you better mpg).

Yup, drive by wire also allows tuning different reaction modes to the throttle for quicker or slower response. I wished RAM utilized that capability for these trucks like other manufacturers do.

 

[CaptainCJ35]

New to trucks, RAM's, and the forum. Recently bought a 2019 Rebel and love it. I have about 2,000 miles on it now.

My perspective is that it's a combination of the transmission trying to hold gears for efficiency, but also how linear the throttle is. It's far more linear in my mind than a lot of other vehicles I've driven, where there's a lot more throttle input at the beginning of pedal travel to give the perception of a more powerful car. Example... 25% pedal = 40% throttle or some such, making the car lurch at slow speeds as if there's a lot of power on tap. I find my Rebel is much more 1-to-1 in this respect, with more pedal travel to boot.

You can convince me the trans holds gears a touch to long at times, but add a bit more throttle solves the issue, and it downshifts quickly. Like others said, maybe some fine tuning to the throttle/downshift balance is necessary, but it's hardly an annoyance for me. Put your foot in it, it downshifts several gears fast, is just what I want.

Of course, the Rebel has 3.92 gears... I wonder if this is more pronounce on 1500's with 3.21's?

 

[SilverSurfer15]

IMO, the 3.21 trucks actually drive better. They are “easier” to take off in since you don’t have the super steep 1st gear. It’s still steep, but it’s definitely more pronounced with 3.92s.

But I think you nailed it with the 1:1 pedal feeling, and that’s something I love. You can’t please everyone I guess. Average person isn’t a driver, half don’t know how to drive a standard, or take off in a standard without touching the gas, or drive at 3mph in first gear without the car bucking around.... all of these are skills that help you feel what’s happening with the vehicle, and ultimately transfer over into driving these newer automatics, where you can use the pedal pressure to get the transmission to do what you want when you want it.

I think people get into these fords and think they are so awesome because all the power is front loaded (at least on the EB). They just get in, point and click so to speak, and they “don’t have to press the pedal so far to go fast”. Smoke and mirrors.... I just came out of a 17 EB f150, and the ram is much better IMO, in terms of feeling more “raw” or natural with the acceleration anyways. The mid range on the EB is legit for rolling into the Throttle in gear thanks to the super low boost curves, but it just drives funky to me. The shifts aren’t as smooth, gear ratios aren’t as linear, just didn’t feel good to me. This was on a 2.7 6 spd, the little I’ve driven my dads 10spd 3.5 model it does seem a little better except it shifts around a lot more which can be odd at times.

 

[cotonymopar]

I don't agree with your reasoning. A modern vehicle should still have a smooth power band and transmission. This truck is no exception, especially consider it is a 400 HP V8 matched to an 8-speed transmission. I shouldn't have to factor in a delay when I decide to pass someone or find myself in a situation where I need quick acceleration.

we used to have the ability to make them a performance truck, and now you have to spend more and more, its geared and set up to get the best possible MPG, less emissions, hence all the improvements and tech gadgets to open and close vents, air dams etc. the older versions used to have a mwechanical fan, and now that is electric. Mine would do fine at a track, but when I need it, it goes. I guess just driving these hemis since the inception has given me a perspective on how they run..