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DCT / PowerShift Transmission Update TSB Thread

1M views 4K replies 556 participants last post by  rczrider 
#1 ·
Well, I just scheduled an appointment on Monday to get my update for my 6-speed dual clutch. Seems like some dealers are willing to hand over the update (another poster on this board did), some dealers will still give the ole "its not a torque converter" mantra, and some dealers (the one I just called) don't know that there's a TSB out there, and when researched will come up with it. And the dealer I called fell into the latter (after I went to another dealer who gave me the mantra).

I'm happy with my DCT but I'm willing to see what this new update does for the transmission (in terms of smoothness and less hesitation). Hopefully, I'll have some noticeable difference. Did anyone else get an update? If so, how'd it work out for you. I'll let you know my thoughts after a good drive on Monday.
 
#167 ·
I think theres a misunderstanding on what TSBs are and how they work

you can't tell a service advisor there's a TSB you want done and expect them to automatically do it and bill it to Ford. A TSB is not a recall, its a bulletin for technicians to refer to when diagnosing problems.

the better approach is to tell the service advisor the symptoms, and then politely mention you're aware of a TSB that sounds like it may correct the symptom.

If I walk into my doctor and tell him I want some antibiotics, he's not gonna say "sure, here ya go, I'll just bill your insurance" he's gonna first confirm the symptoms before recommending the solution.
 
#171 ·
i am aware of how a tsb works vs recalls. i went to the dealer where i purchased the car and explained my symptoms and mentioned the tsb and the "crunching" sound at front end. they said that this was all "normal" behavior and sounds. btw, another customer was there when i returned to pick up my car and they were complaining about the shudder symptoms and the dealer responded exactly the same and did not mention the tsb nor that other customers had concerns.

when i went to the second dealer they drove it and they were the ones that told me about the coil spring and strut tsb that i was unaware was even out. in addition they said many customers had been complaining about the transmission and that there was a tsb that could be applied.

either way...my transmission now works to my satisfaction and i look forward to the strut bearings/coil springs fix.

oh, and, i luv this car.
 
#176 ·
Time to provide some details

Okay guys, those who've had the update. Some have had it for a while now, we here who are waiting to get it or who have not need some more input on how it's working for you now.

I'm hoping that the DCT's learning hasn't taken the improvements away.

Joe
 
#177 ·
Okay guys, those who've had the update. Some have had it for a while now, we here who are waiting to get it or who have not need some more input on how it's working for you now.

I'm hoping that the DCT's learning hasn't taken the improvements away.

Joe
I am about 3 to 4 weeks into the update and it got better after the adaptive learning process, When I left the dealership it was better but a little rough (Which I was told it would be). At this point in time I cannot get the trans to misbehave (knocks on wood).

Montana
 
#179 ·
Less hair

So, just got a call from my dealer. As we know to do this update requires and IDS update on their end. They've tried to update their computer and wherever they're getting it from is saying that it's not available.

So, my car will not have the TSB update anytime soon.
 
#182 ·
So, just got a call from my dealer. As we know to do this update requires and IDS update on their end. They've tried to update their computer and wherever they're getting it from is saying that it's not available.

So, my car will not have the TSB update anytime soon.
LOL, IMO find a different dealer, If they can't find the TSB or the update all the rest of the dealerships have then they most certainly will botch the programming up.

If any other dealer is too far away maybe hit up Natasha and she may be able to guide them in the right path.

Montana
 
#180 ·
Just my .02 on requesting a driveability TSB fix with your Service Advisor.

Every vehicle I've ever owned has been a Ford or Mercury, so I have about 30 years' experience woking with Ford Service departments in Florida and Georgia. For what that's worth, I've never, ever been told that they would not perform TSB work if I was able to describe what the concern was and it was related to a fix in a TSB. I've used various methods to research the reason for a TSB and made darn sure that at least one of my concerns included the key words in the TSB. Now with the advent of the internet and Forums like this, it's become almost a no-brainer.

Here's what I recommend.

1) Print a copy of the TSB and take it with you. There's a text version on this post somewhere so just do a search and print out the text.

2) Take a highlighter and highlight the issues listed in the TSB that you've experienced.

3) Put some notes at the bottom to describe the conditions you were operating under when you've observed the concerns. (Descriptive phrases like "under WOT acceleration", "at 25 MPH when making a turn and under half-throttle", "at 0% throttle during deceleration", "at cruising speed" really help the tech undertsand what you're feeling and why). Also, probably 70% of the problems people describe are intermittent and not readily reproduced in the shop. Therefore, I usually tell them that I'd prefer that they implement the TSB fix even if they are unable to reproduce the concern at will.

4) Give the TSB to the Service Advisor that writes up your Service Order. Give them a number to reach you if they cannot duplicate your concern.


5) Engage your Service Advisor. Try and develop a good relationship with them. This can lead to them anticipating your needs and they will sometimes even do value-adds for you like a free wash and interior cleaning, oil changes, additional diagnosis for known problems, etc.

6) If you have a bad experience, don't immediately go to the "I'm severely pissed and will make your life a living hell" scenario. That almost never works. I recommend having a civil disagreement and if necessary engage the Service Manager or your salesperson to help mitigate the dispute. I've learned that honey catches more flies than vinegar in this scenario.

7) Finally, if you're still not satisfied, the dealer usually has a QA and Customer Satusfaction Manager that is responsible for ensuring that the dealership receives high marks for customer loyalty and customer experience rankings. This is usually an extension of the marketing and sales department. Engage them if you're still not happy.

Hopefully this strategy will help you address any concerns you may have; if not then you can always go the the scorched-earth scenario as a last resort.
 
#184 ·
There are several that have posted that are happy after the TSB was applied. There is always a chance that it was not applied as maybe there was not a issue to begin with or your vehicle was not built on or prior to 08/12/2011.

I noticed immediately the higher shift points so if anything you should notice those. Does it say on your Invoice that the TSB was applied?

I am about 3 to 4 weeks into the update and it got better after the adaptive learning process, When I left the dealership it was better but a little rough (Which I was told it would be). At this point in time I cannot get the trans to misbehave (knocks on wood).

Montana
 
#186 ·
How long does it take to have this done? I have the day off and could use it to run by the dealer and have them update mine. Not really having any problems, just like to keep everything updated.
 
#188 ·
I had the TSB applied to my car today and when I looked at the invoice, I noticed it said 11-10-6. I thought they made a mistake (6 versus 2), but when I called the dealer, they confirmed that there was a newer update than 11-10-2. Noticed the higher RPM shifting points. I like it much better.
 
#189 ·
Wow ... so another TSB 11-10-6 update from 11-10-2 , thats big news for this DCT TSB update thread!

Suppose to have mine looked at and updated this weekend so I'll have to make sure they get the latest PCM update TSB 11-10-6.

Wonder what changed from 11-10-2, has to be something different ... maybe complaints were made about the reverse gear acting "jumpy" after the update. Wonder if people who got 11-10-2 should go back for 11-10-6? Wonder when this software was applied to production or is it so new that everyone needs it???

Alot to wonder so anyone who can get more info on 11-10-6 or even get a copy of that TSB would like to post it here please!!!
 
#190 ·
Hmmm that is interesting as I went in the 3rd week of October and the latest then was 11-10-2 and that is what they said was flashed. Wonders if maybe that TSB was for something else. If it is a newer version I would like to know what is different as well.

Montana
 
#192 ·
I just got my car back from the dealer after doing the dct Trans and remote entry tsbs.

I can already tell the transmission update is 100 x's better than before. It doesn't fall flat on it's face when making a turn. That was getting old!

Hopefully everyone who wants the update can eventually get it.
 
#194 ·
Can you confirm what TSB was applied from your dealer? Should be on the paperwork. Curious to know if they applied latest TSB 11-10-6 since you just did it today.

Going for my update this weekend so will post back results & if they do it for me. I may have to go in during the week in case the weekend technician isn't qualified for this procedure.
 
#197 ·
The DCT Powershift transmission has been a disaster for me since it was new. I have had all the shakes, groans, banging and shudders I can stand.
In Oct the car was in the shop for two weeks due to a leaking transmission seal. Dealer replaced both clutches and other parts and reprogrammed the control modules. Now the tranny has been seemingly invaded by an invisible shifting devil that delights in shifting on its own into neutral at the worst possible moments! After having this happen four times I have taken it back to dealer for safety reasons - imagine shifting into neutral when turning left in front of a semi! Told dealer don't want the car back until they figure it out. I expect this will take weeks. If dealer can't fix then its off to the lemon law and NHTSA (hey Ford - how much money did Toyota lose on ignored safety concerns?) route.

It is a shame as this is a great car marred by hasty development.
 
#198 ·
Allen, I certainly can understand your concerns and would be as upset as you are given the same circumstances. While that's said, I don't think I'm ready to throw the baby out with the bath water yet. The majority of us are seeing a programming issue and not a build problem, which you have. I like this transaxle a lot, when it functions as one would/should expect. The problems as listed here are really two-fold, programming (as I stated) and Ford/dealer. One aspect of Ford understands the issue and seems to be working hard to resolve the problem while the other doesn't appear to be communicating across and then down to the dealers about this process.

I hope you get resolution to your problem but so far it looks like a one off issue. I do enjoy this car a lot and as you stated it is new to the market and there would be some bugs to work through (and my wife would be happy to tell you that as well as she continues to tell me followed with and "I told you so").

Joe
 
#963 ·
I just bought a used 2012 Focus SFE. Built in April-2011. It had the shuddering issues when coasting in drive from a dead stop. Local dealer did the computer upgrade (TSB dated 4/1/12). The problem is now fixed. It drives wonderful now. You have to understand that it is a totally different transmission than what we are use to. Theres no torque converter. Its electronically controlled to smooth out the shifts. Its really a pleasure to drive now. Youy cant expect it to act like the regular trannies. Also all the newer ones (built in Nov-11 and later) have an upgrade. Thank you Ford engineers for fixing the annoyance. Some of this is known and is old news, but if anyone else is having this problem, this should help you. Get the fix. And after they do it drive normal, the car memorizes your habits for a bit and adjusts the trans accordingly. If you mess up and drive too rough, disconnect the negative battery terminal and that will reset the computer. Never tried it though, but was told it will work. You can teach the trans how you drive again. [wave]
 
#207 ·
Got mine done today, and tech said 11-10-02 was the latest. I also got the "it has to relearn everything so it might shift harder for a few days" speech. I don't know about shifting harder, but I can say that the update changed the whole personality of the car.

  1. The dreaded momentary loss of power on takeoff from a stop is completely gone. This was my biggest problem with the engine/transmission by far. It almost got me hit twice. Now I have the opposite problem. It puts so much power to the front wheels that they bounce and grab (sticky tires on Titanium handling package, so they don't really do the "spinning" thing...). That means that I need to learn how to manage the power on takeoff to get the most that I can without that happening. This is my first front-wheel-drive car in forever, so my past experience with fast cars and bikes (on and off track) isn't exactly helping as much as I'd like. I can work on driver skill, though. I'm just happy to finally have some power to learn to manage.
  2. The shudder is still there, but harder to make happen. I finally got to the point that I could make it happen fairly reliably in traffic going very slightly downhill by slowly releasing the brakes and staying off the throttle. It wasn't nearly as bad as it was previously, though, and that's the only situation I can reproduce it in so far. I'm not sure I would have noticed it if I hadn't been trying to make it happen on purpose.
  3. The shifting doesn't seem harsher than it was before the update like the TSB and the tech said it would be. It's actually smoother than it was before, and if it does get even smoother than this like it's supposed to, I'm going to be overjoyed. I hope I don't lose the newfound power, though. :)
  4. It felt much stronger today other than in takeoff mentioned above, most probably due to not short-shifting all the time, but I haven't really done a lot of testing that included passing other cars and such. I also have even tried out sport mode since I got it back. I hope that happens later this weekend if the forecasted snow/freezing rain stuff will stay away.
Overall, this and the MFT 2.11 update have totally changed my opinion of the car. I've had to have several other things fixed, from things as big as having the headliner replaced to fix a rattle to having the weatherstrips on the doors trimmed where they were touching, but those two fixes really have taken me from wishing I'd never bought it to really liking it except for a couple very small things. It finally feels like a lightweight small car with 160hp and a DCT, instead of a lightweight small car with <100hp and a cheap transmission.

After this, the upcoming major update to the MFT software just might make me able to truthfully say I love the car. [headbang]
 
#208 ·
Just a update on mine after about week 4 of the update, I am noticing a pretty good flare on upshift into 4th gear. Engine rpm went up significantly and then the clutch engaged and down she came. You could hear the engine rev from inside the vehicle and see it on the tach as well. Will be keeping a eye on this and if it continues take her back in.

Montana
 
#211 ·
@danyall2010 - What good would do to the transmission the fuse pull or battery disconnect ? I think you have mistaken the threads. [whip]
 
#214 ·
Disconnect negative battery terminal for 10 minutes = computer reset to learn mode. This takes you back to default settings and it will shift pretty firmly while it relearns the best shift settings for your driving style.

I perform this process about once every 30-60 days on my Mustang and it runs like a scalded dog again. I'm sure it works the same way for the Focus and the DCT.
 
#219 ·
I have decided not to do it after all. I think that in the end, it will have the same performance.

I am going to a third Ford dealer (Sawgrass Ford) this Wednesday to have the TSB applied. Let me tell you what happened on my last two visits.

Visit One (Maroone Ford) - I had the transmission specialist in the car with me and I was driving around. He noticed the noises and said it was normal. I did not bring any TSB documentation or any articles.

Visit Two (Pines Ford/Lincoln) - I had the shop foreman ride with me. This time, I bought documementation with me. The funny thing is that when he was in the car, the transmission sounded a little quieter. I was told that it would break in by 5,000 miles and that if the transmission was noisy by the oil change, maybe they will do something.

I did get frustrated and wondered why everyone else had their transmissions updated, but me.

I would like to know what I need to say and what to bring when I see the dealer this Wednesday?
 
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