DCT / PowerShift Transmission Update TSB Thread

[TDiGuy]

If your service advisor is giving you a hard time about doing the update ask to speak to his supervisor or find a different dealership. This is an easy inexpensive software update and there is no reason it should be denied.


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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=28.466010,-81.392883

[danyall2010]

Originally Posted by sirhawkeye

It's nice to know that the update at least does something... because right now, unless I press hard of the gas when accelerating, the tranny seems to fly through the first 3 years really quick (like hit 3rd gear by the time I hit 20-25 MPH. I would think that the car would stay in gears a bit longer than mine has been doing (it's like it will be in 6th when I hit about 40 MPH, which I don't think should be the case...

(I haven't gotten any trans updates since I got my car 6 months ago, so hopefully any of the fixes mentioned above will help my concern. I'm waiting for my dealer to get me an appointment that works around my schedule... I'll update after I get the updates done..)

mine hits 6th gear at 35MPH with very light throttle!

[PratoN]

Originally Posted by danyall2010

mine hits 6th gear at 35MPH with very light throttle!

Same here. I took it to the dealer today, we set up an appointment for first-thing Wednesday morning.

[Titanium12]

Originally Posted by Starfury

I just read about the new fix. My car really scared the out of me the other day.

When entering the lot to work, a car pulled out in front of me from a side parking lot. I got off the gas and on the brakes, then on the gas again to avoid them. I was greeted by a high rev and no forward motion. Slid it into "D" to recover.

And last night:

When in Sport mode, I rounded a median during a turn, and the engine revved hard when I slowed to complete the turn. And I was going nowhere in a hurry. Had anyone been behind me at the time, my car would now be in the shop with severe rear-end damage.

Either something else is going on or this new TSB will fix it.

It will automatically downshift in sport mode.

[danyall2010]

Originally Posted by PratoN

Same here. I took it to the dealer today, we set up an appointment for first-thing Wednesday morning.

I thought you have the TSB update. Are there any other issues with the update besides the 35MPH 6th gear?

[Silver 2012 Focus]

After a few days, I have definitely noticed that third gear is held much longer than it used to be - now the shift doesn't occur until north of 3000 rpm. First and second are held a little higher in the rpms than they were before as well. When coming to a stop, the revs hover between 1000 and 1250 and then drop to around 700 when at idle. Single and double downshifts with the foot to the floor are more responsive and less lazy than they were before. One other thing I noticed is that in reverse the car will now creep along and it didn't do that before.

Overall, the TSB is a definite improvement.

As for getting it in the first place, that was a bit of a battle. I arranged for the appointment on Friday describing the issues I saw (jerky acceleration in 1st and 2nd gear, rpm flare when slowing to a stop, uneven idle, reluctance to downshift). When I got to the dealer and presented the TSB I knew about and had printed (11-10-2), I was told by one of the service goofs that he or I could not tell the tech what to do or which TSB to apply, the tech would have to experience the issue with a test drive. I had the NY Times and Motor Trend articles handy that talked about the TSB and the issues that the Powershift transmission was having for cars built before August but still "the tech has to experience the problem". I guess the tech experienced the problem - the TSB 12-01-04 took about 90 minutes to apply, 25 minutes for the driving procedure to be completed and then another 15 minutes for someone to come and get me after the car was parked outside the service door.

In my opinion, everyone who has a car with the Powershift transmission built before August should get the TSB applied. I no longer am afraid to turn left when there are oncoming vehicles approaching. That alone is worth the 2+ hours and hassle.

[6769MOPARS]

Originally Posted by Silver 2012 Focus

After a few days, I have definitely noticed that third gear is held much longer than it used to be - now the shift doesn't occur until north of 3000 rpm. First and second are held a little higher in the rpms than they were before as well. When coming to a stop, the revs hover between 1000 and 1250 and then drop to around 700 when at idle. Single and double downshifts with the foot to the floor are more responsive and less lazy than they were before. One other thing I noticed is that in reverse the car will now creep along and it didn't do that before.

Overall, the TSB is a definite improvement.

As for getting it in the first place, that was a bit of a battle. I arranged for the appointment on Friday describing the issues I saw (jerky acceleration in 1st and 2nd gear, rpm flare when slowing to a stop, uneven idle, reluctance to downshift). When I got to the dealer and presented the TSB I knew about and had printed (11-10-2), I was told by one of the service goofs that he or I could not tell the tech what to do or which TSB to apply, the tech would have to experience the issue with a test drive. I had the NY Times and Motor Trend articles handy that talked about the TSB and the issues that the Powershift transmission was having for cars built before August but still "the tech has to experience the problem". I guess the tech experienced the problem - the TSB 12-01-04 took about 90 minutes to apply, 25 minutes for the driving procedure to be completed and then another 15 minutes for someone to come and get me after the car was parked outside the service door.

In my opinion, everyone who has a car with the Powershift transmission built before August should get the TSB applied. I no longer am afraid to turn left when there are oncoming vehicles approaching. That alone is worth the 2+ hours and hassle.

Fantastic! I deal with a specific tech. He took my word for it and did not drive the car until after the TSB was applied.

[Kabigon]

Originally Posted by danyall2010

mine hits 6th gear at 35MPH with very light throttle!

That is normal.

[kbass24emtp]

Originally Posted by sirhawkeye

Is there anything "special" you have to do to get dealers to do these updates?? I already asked one and they had mentioned something ab out a list of criteria being met, one being that it had to be like 60 degrees outside (at least) to recreate the problem...
Mine I don't think matters what temperature it's at. It does funky things at different temperatures at speeds. (like I've noticed in the cold, when inching forward, there is sort of a knocking sound from the trans, but this doesn't always happen. but it happens more often than not...) And the car seems to shutter/vibrate/shake a bit when it does this--like it's about to stall or something.

All I said to my dealer was that the car was shifting weird in the lower gears, like shifting too fast. It was cold out and we got the new update 12-1-4. It definitely shifts different in the 1-3 gears. Holds them longer.

[smizak]

The clown I talked to at my dealer was super reluctant to even check for a TSB. You could tell he was one of those "I hate my life so I'm gonna make every SOB I meet pay for it" guys. Almost blatantly told me I didn't know what I was talking about and that "I see a thousand cars in here so I'm gonna have to see a problem before I do anything". I described my issues and said I had researched the problem and saw that Ford issued a TSB. Wasn't pushy at all, totally polite.

Thanx dick.

So anymore advice on how to get these guys to cooperate is much obliged.