Well I just had my oil changed again along with the typical "Works" package (27K miles). While I was checking out my service writer mentions to me that for the next visit my DCT fluid will need to be changed as per warranty specs. Price is about $200.00 just for that!
Well I just had my oil changed again along with the typical "Works" package (27K miles). While I was checking out my service writer mentions to me that for the next visit my DCT fluid will need to be changed as per warranty specs. Price is $200.00 just for that!
That's odd...I was going to play it safe and have it done at 50,000 miles. I never heard of the 30,000 mile interval before, and my maintenance schedule at owner.ford.com doesn't mention it.
Yeah, I checked that too and cannot see it listed anywhere. I recall hearing or seeing something a while back about the first batch of DCT's being shipped from South America with the incorrect fluid in them? I wonder if it has something to do with that? Mine is a May 2011 build.
Ford specified a 10 year 100 or 150k service interval on the powershift DCT afaik, but that won't stop the dealer from trying to make extra money by changing the fluid at 30 k intervals.
Its like a manual transmission internally so I'd follow either ford's recomendations or those commonly used with other manual transmissions which generally don't require fluid changes as frequently as a normal torque converter and planetary automatic gearbox.
Page 390 says it isn't REQUIRED until 150K miles, but it is supposed to be done every 30K if you PRIMARILY (not occasionally) either:
Tow a trailer or use a car top carrier or camper
Extensive Idling or commercial use
Dusty Conditions or unpaved roads
It's a sealed unit, so it's similar to manual transmission fluid change intervals (which I think were around 75-125K miles for most cars, but most people ignored).
$200 seems reasonable, but I wouldn't really want anyone opening up the system. If it were my car, I might think about it at 100K or 125K rather than 150K, but there's a good chance I'd just run it to 150K miles.
The dealers like to sell fuel injector cleaning also ...
Page 394, 395 and 396 of the Owner's Manual makes a special exception to the Focus. All three conditions suggest changing the automatic transmission fluid every 30,000 miles, but they put in parentheses "except Focus."
Also - it's MAINTENANCE, not REPAIR, so it WON'T be covered by the Ford ESP extended warranty. Now if you have a maintenance agreement on the Focus and you trust the dealer, I think it would be covered by that and be free (or you can at least embarass the dealer a bit ...)
I've been known to do that with brake pads and such when I had a lifetime warranty on them - i.e. "I'd like these pads checked" "Oh these are terrible, you should replace them immediately" "Okay, great, they're lifetime warranty from you!!!"
I suspect there's a fill plug higher up on the transmission case. So the drill would be: 1) raise the car ensuring it's level 2) make sure you can remove the fill plug 3) remove drain plug, drain old fluid and replace plug 4) using one of the simple pumps for 1 quart bottles found at auto stores, pump fresh fluid into the fill hole until it starts to overflow 5) replace fill plug.
This is my assumption based on a look at the DCT case, but someone with access the shop manual could confirm or correct.
My wife's car is a 2005 Honda Odyssey, purchased new. The manual calls for a trans fluid change at 30,000 miles under severe operating conditions but otherwise not until 90,000. However, my dealer (whom I trust) and several Honda forums tell me that Odyssey transmissions are notoriously weak, and that a fluid change will extend the tranny's life.
If you plan to keep the car past the mileage or time limit on your ESP plan, it might be worth thinking about changing the fluid. This is especially true since the Powershift trans is new and has had a lot of teething problems.
The Odyssey uses a traditional torque converter and planetary gear set based automatic transmission and depends on the fluid to operate properly as it is a hydraulic transmission. The DCT is essentially two manual transmissions in a single gear case. Ergo there is only a small volume of fluid used to cool the gears and allow for proper meshing. I don't know of any manual transmissions that call for a fluid change at 30k intervals. Just because it is shifted by servos/ electric motors that also apply and release the clutches doesn't mean it has the same fluid change requirement as a planetary automatic transmission.
Planetary automatic transmissions with torque converters use up to 16 quarts of fluid and the fluid is especially sensitive to heat and breaking down, that is why they need their fluid changed much more regularly. If you wait too long the metal fragments in the fluid might be the only thing that allow the brake bands and wet clutches between planetary gears to actually work.
I understand that the DCT is entirely different from a traditional auto. The DCT still has bearings, synchros, seals, and meshing gears. This design appears to be Ford's first try, so erring on the side of caution might be worth thinking about, especially as info becomes available on forums, etc.
To me this is the most sensible post. With all the concerns about this transmission, not the least of which includes "grinding noises" (usually resulting in metal shavings ) there would seem to be little room for debate...?
It talks about this subject at 3.00 in this Ford Retailer Education & Training video on the Ford DCT transmission.
From the video: "It's also maintenance free. Transmission fluid never needs to be changed for the life of the vehicle which is defined as 10 years or 150K miles."
The 2012 Focus owners guide says that a transmission fluid change is not required until 150K miles.
I always change my engine oil sooner than is required by the owners manual, but I don't want the service department messing around with my DCT unless there is a problem with it.
I'm going to seek out the dealer from whom I purchased the car from. I walked away from them as I found the service manager to be a bit of a DH.
What I wish would happen is for one of the Ford folks here to PM me and let me know what gives. I'm not opposed to the $200.00 fluid change, I'm questioning the "maintenance free" aspect of the DCT - as I understood it to be presented as.
"One benefit, Ford says, is that the dual-clutch transmission is maintenance-free for 150,000 miles. The dual-clutch transmission is currently only offered in the Fiesta and Focus but the technology is expected to catch on with other models in Ford’s lineup."
Our DTC is a dry clutch system, VW/Audi´s DSG as used in the GTi/GLI is a wet clutch system where the clutches are oil bathed for operation and cooling. In Ford´s DTC, oil is not used for continuous clutch operation and is only used for gears and actuators, so its oil does not degrades as fast and does not requires to be changed as often as VW´s.
I used to own a 2007 VW GLI with the wet clutch DSG and as per VW requirements its DSG oil was to be changed every 40,000 miles.
However, neither Ford´s DTC or VW/Audi's dry clutch DSG require such frequent changes since they use their oil only for internal lubrication like a manual transmission and not for the clutches operation.
However, neither Ford´s DTC or VW/Audi's dry clutch DSG require such frequent changes since they use their oil only for internal lubrication like a manual transmission and not for the clutches operation.
u will find it hard to find a place to touch/change your transmission fluid at 100k miles, let alone 150k miles. its 150k miles at normal driving conditions, what is normal driving? if you change the maintenance program to excessive idling/real driving conditions im guessing its showing it about every 30k miles. on my own vehicle i would do it every 50k miles.
If your car is a traditional planetary automatic transmission with a torque converter then yes you likely need to change the fluid every 30k or less. However the DCT is essentially a manual transmission form a lubrication stand point and no one usually changes the transmission fluid in a manual at 30k as it isn't broken down at that point the DCT should be fine following the same intervals. The old transmission uses a lot more fluid and also runs hotter due to the torque converter and oil pump, but the DCT is more akin to a manual transmission with less than 3 quarts of Dual Clutch fluid which is similar to MTX fluid.
FWIW - it was previously pointed out the the Focus manual under severe conditions specifies "30K fluid change - (except Focus)", which implies the severe limit for the Focus is 150K also (and make you wonder why the Fiesta isn't excluded also, but ...)
$200 @ 30K is ridiculous. VW doesn't even recommend changing DSG fluid until 40K miles. Rates for that service at a VW dealership range anywhere from $250 to $500. Parts alone cost $135 for the DSG fluid change.
Ford has cheaper parts, less fluid in the transmission, and cheaper labor rates. The VW fluid costs about $20 a liter, and you need six liters. They also recommend a specialized tool for changing the fluid (It costs over $100). I was able to make a tool from $15 worth of hardware store parts and do the maintinence for under $150, plus the cost of pizza and beer for a friend.
From what I know, you shouldn't need to change the trans fluid before 90k or 150k I think. I personally will do mine about every 60-90k but I don't think it needs to be done at 30k. Take it somewhere else to confirm, but even in the manual, I think it states that it's a sealed transmission and doesn't require regular service.
My brother in law just brought his 2007 Explorer into the dealer for transmission warranty work, and the called him "informing" him that the oil really needed to be changed, as the oil change sticker was faded, and the oil "looked pretty dark"...he had just replaced the oil not 300 miles earlier. With Royal Purple. SO, take taht recommedation with a grain of salt, unless they can give you some specific need to change it at 30K, against the owners manual interval of 150K!
Been there, done that - I had a Ford Tempo in for warranty work and the dealer recommended a plug replacement and tune-up. I was surprised - both b/c I didn't give them any reason to pull the plugs and b/c I had just changed them a few thousand miles ago - 30K plug interval. He admitted that they were just going by the mileage on my car, so I said to put the car back together and I'd pick it up.
The worst example I had was a tire shop telling me I needed new rear rotors on a gf's Honda with rear drum brakes.
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