mine works just fine whether i shift into 4th at 40 or 70. No noises or shaking or anything. I say get it looked at.

 

Your not shifting too early, at least not IMO. I routinely cruise at 45mph in 5th. Engine turing about 1500 rpm. At this speeed, if I try to "romp it", driveline is generally not happy but under slow/moderate acceleration it's fine.

My tranny (or something) has significant vibration (growl) in 3rd gear under moderate to light acceleration or deceleration. Only at about 3000 rpm though. Dealer has tried to fix it once and seemed better for a short time but it's definitely back. You don't notice it under hard acceleration because your pass through the rmp range too quick.

I'd get your tranny checked out.

 

yeah.. the reverse thing is normal.... or sounds normal. try pumping your clutch... throw it in neutral and let the clutch out, then back in and try to drop it into reverse.. But the 4th gear thing... sounds like like a bad bearing on a gear shaft or something.

 

Read the manual if you don't believe me. Granted you don't have much torqueif you gun it at that gear/speed, but it will give you that 24 mpg as advertised.

 

Actually if you bog a computer controlled car too much it will run rich to try and compensate, thus worse mpg.

 

I drive mine frequently at 45 in 5th and the engine does not shake or vibrate, and I get good fuel economy on my way to the office ... hey, if all i can legaly do is 45 most of the way, might as well. Yeah if i have a need to do some agressive accelleration I will drop it down a gear. Ford has done a real good job with electronic engine management and this car loves low RPM's as much as high. My BOSS 302 would never hear of it.

If he is getting this vibration only in 4th and has a reverse engagement problem its time to take it to Mr Ford for a complaint. I am sure he is putting the clutch pedal solidly to the floor too when going to reverse, or into any other gear for that matter.

 

Clutch always to floor when shifting gears.

Car is now parked/stored for the winter.

Next spring will see what happens, matbe it is still the break in period, car only has about 800 miles on it right now.

And again the fourth gear noice is only during acceleration, once I got to speed the nice was gone.
Drove it a caouple more times before it was parked and it seemed to come and go in fourth. So again I'll waite and see what happens. Just hope if it does continue next spring that the dealership will not think it is the way I drive. For one it has not been driven that much and two this car is being treated with white gloves.

Something else I remember also about the tranny, when I first start to drive it the first couple times I try to go into fifth gear it was really tough, as tough as trying to get it into reverse. But after the first couple times it went in smooth for the rest of the day.

Again will just have to wait until snow is completely gone to find out. Which in my area will probably be middle of April.

 

Reverse is a hard gear to get into for the V6 as it doesn't have a synchro. To get it in easier you have to be fully stopped and shift to 1st to align the clutching gears, once it is all aligned getting to reverse should be easier.
To see what's going on for 4th gear they would have to take it apart, but now dealerships are only part swappers, so if they can duplicate it you can have yourself a new tranny