2012 Focus - Rough Idle

[cfioretti]

Hi everyone....

I just bought a 2012 Focus SEL a couple weeks ago. Love the car, but have been noticing that the engine seems a little rough at idle. I was just wondering if any other new owners have noticed this or if this is just an issue with my car?

Thanks!

[Sponsor]

[Riverdome]

In my experience it doesn't like to move at very low speeds such as idle or idle++. Pulling into a parking spot in a garage, where over shooting the spot really hurts, requires a little more touch than I'm used to. I had read similar reports prior to taking delivery so I figure it's just the way it is.

[newmission]

I'm at 1100 miles now and still have a "rough idle". However I'm new to Ford so I have no clue what a good idle is on the Duratec engine. My tach needle is dead nuts though. I have a MTX and the only issue that REALLY bothers me is the lag between the gas pedal and the throttle body. However I figure things will mellow out as it breaks in.

I've already been back to the dealer twice for a "clunk" in the front. They had me drive another 2012 and sure enough it was the same. I guess that's a Ford suspension. I was coming from a Camry with nothing but smooth comfort. To a degree I miss it!

[bball40dtw]

Originally Posted by cfioretti

Hi everyone....

I just bought a 2012 Focus SEL a couple weeks ago. Love the car, but have been noticing that the engine seems a little rough at idle. I was just wondering if any other new owners have noticed this or if this is just an issue with my car?

Thanks!

As a owner of a few 2.0T VW engines over the last few years I have noticed that the idle on the Direct Injection engines is rougher then traditional injection engines, especially the earlier models. My earlier FSI is alot rougher then the newer TSI engine on our GTI. I've heard similar complaints with the Sonata's 2.0 and the CTS's 3.6. If you really want a tractor like sound, test drive a B7(05.5-08) Audi A4.

[mysticbluebmw]

No experience with the Focus yet, but DI engines do seem to be a bit more jittery at idle and low RPMs in general than traditional FI engines, so maybe that's all it is.

[mmmoose]

Are you guys running regular or premium gas? And manual or PowerShift transmission?

[Red 2012]

low idle was one of the design objectives to get better MPG ... you know when you have a problem if it stalls at idle. we seemed to get used to it after a couple of weeks.

most noticeable is the back creep on hill once you have stopped ... and not that automatic nice hold like on a larger ford. or shifting into R and nothing happening until you step on the gas? not like the Freestyle where we have to keep the brake on when stopped and in gear.

automatic. whatever cheap gas is available.

[newmission]

Originally Posted by mmmoose

Are you guys running regular or premium gas? And manual or PowerShift transmission?

Manual says 89 only. And I'm running a MTX.

[bball40dtw]

You can attribute the hill back creep and differences in reverse compared to your Freestyle to the dual clutch transmission. Its basically two manual gearboxes switching back and forth on shifts. Plus, the absence of the torque converter gives the transmission attributes of a manual gearbox.

[15inthefastlane]

The transmission can be a little odd. Give it a few hundred miles, it should get a lot better. My idle is smooth as butter, but letting it "creep" forward, its pretty rough. Much like a manual. Truthfully, going from a manual to a dual clutch is pretty simple, it behaves much like what it technically is, an "automated manual".