# CD4E hard downshift 3-2 **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** transmissions, ford\ **Created:** [September 14, 2020, 2:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cd4e-hard-downshift-3-2/169940 "2020-09-14T14:59:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![noharacontact\_162694](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@noharacontact\_162694](https://community.cartalk.com/u/noharacontact_162694)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2020, 2:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cd4e-hard-downshift-3-2/169940/1 "2020-09-14T14:59:05Z")
Hello! I have 2001 Ford Mondeo Mk3 with the CD4E transmission that is hard downshifting in some situations when: -coming to a stop from at least 35 mph, during the 3-2 seems like the transmission literally ‘falls’ into gear, it is quite hard. This does not happens when coming to a stop from lower speeds. -it is in 3rd gear at around 20 mph and I depress the gas pedal enough to kickdown, again it falls into 2nd very hard. This gets worse when engine is cold but much less noticable when hot. -at around 40-45 mph when going downhill, if I turn off the O/D to use engine brake, it does a hard 4-3 downshift. This does not happens when reducing from 4-3 normally. additional info: -all other gears are up/down shifting well in any situation. -while in 3rd gear, if I manually engage the 2nd gear it shifts normally every time. -no trouble codes from both scanner and self-diagnostic. -did a partial fluid change a couple of thousand miles ago but it did not helped much. I’m using the Mercon/Dexron III-H. The fluid color was starting to get a light brown color before changing. Appreciate any ideas! ---
**Author:** ![davepsinbox\_157004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@davepsinbox\_157004](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davepsinbox_157004)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2020, 9:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cd4e-hard-downshift-3-2/169940/2 "2020-09-14T21:55:47Z")
Offhand it sounds like the transmission is on its way out. You may be lucky and it’s only a bad control solenoid but a qualified transmission shop can tell you for sure. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2020, 9:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cd4e-hard-downshift-3-2/169940/3 "2020-09-14T21:58:23Z")
> [@noharacontact\_162694](#): > > did a partial fluid change a couple of thousand miles ago Have you verified that the fluid is still at the correct level? A low fluid level will produce very hard downshifts. ---
**Author:** ![noharacontact\_162694](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@noharacontact\_162694](https://community.cartalk.com/u/noharacontact_162694)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2020, 5:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cd4e-hard-downshift-3-2/169940/4 "2020-10-13T17:01:24Z")
I checked and the level was a bit high in fact, then I removed around 1/2 liter, drove for 2 miles and the level was in the middle, I noticed better shifts but it is still quite hard. Speaking of which, the **hardshift occurs at 4-3 and NOT at 3-2** , that was my mistake since the 3-2-1 was always good, I didn’t realized the problem was with the last gear. A couple of weeks later I further removed another 300 ml to add a full bottle of LubeGard Red, now after 50 miles I can tell the 1-2-3-4 and 3-2-1 are perfect and I noticed a decrease of slippage, my milage also improved a bit. However it had a strange effect with the 4-3 ‘kick’, now the hardshift is almost unoticable if the A/C is turned off, when A/C is on, it still kicks hard when coming to a stop UNLESS you start to brake very earlier. I’m confused, I know that A/C affects vacuum and idling, also reduces power, etc… but why does affects the shifting of 4th gear (4-3 only, 3-4 is perfect) and not the other gears as well? Thanks!! ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2020, 5:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cd4e-hard-downshift-3-2/169940/5 "2020-10-13T17:55:44Z")
Having the a/c on increases the Idle speed a bit. Some transmissions are very sensitive to idle speed while decelerating to a stop. This shouldn’t cause any trouble, but if it’s very bothersome, you’d need a good transmission tuner to attempt to minimize it. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2020, 6:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cd4e-hard-downshift-3-2/169940/6 "2020-10-13T18:45:48Z")
Maybe if you stop that practice of turning off the overdrive and trying to use engine braking you might have the transmission last longer . Or at least until you are ready to have the transmission replaced. ---
**Author:** ![noharacontact\_162694](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@noharacontact\_162694](https://community.cartalk.com/u/noharacontact_162694)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2020, 7:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cd4e-hard-downshift-3-2/169940/7 "2020-10-13T19:48:50Z")
> [@old\_mopar\_guy](#): > > Having the a/c on increases the Idle speed a bit. Some transmissions are very sensitive to idle speed while decelerating to a stop. This shouldn’t cause any trouble, but if it’s very bothersome, you’d need a good transmission tuner to attempt to minimize it. This transmission doesn’t have adaptive learning, but I’m not sure if anything can be done through a scanner tool. In your opinion, is there anything that can be done at the engine side? > [@VOLVO-V70](#): > > Maybe if you stop that practice of turning off the overdrive and trying to use engine braking you might have the transmission last longer . Or at least until you are ready to have the transmission replaced. I don’t do that this is nonsense, it was only for testing purposes, but after the additive & level correction, manually turning off O/D results in a much better downshift than the automatic way. Still, I don’t want to press the button every time I have to stop. ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2020, 8:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/cd4e-hard-downshift-3-2/169940/8 "2020-10-13T20:37:57Z")
If it feels like it’s “hanging” in the higher gear, and then reluctantly downshifting, the only way that gets corrected is by a really skilled transmission tuner. Very tough to find.