DCT / PowerShift Transmission Update TSB Thread

[kam327]

Let's not forget though that several articles I've seen have suggested there have been a large number of customer complaints which have forced Ford to make several of these "running upgrades", both software and hardware. I doubt they would be putting so much work into improving the unit if only 5% of owners were coming back to their dealerships and complaining. Gotta be more like 25% or more. Otherwise they would've just waited to introduce all their improvements into the '13 model year.

And I'm still not convinced about the DCT's driving superiority. Had to give the Focus to my wife temporarily and borrow my parents' '03 Suzuki Aerio again, 4-banger and conventional 4-speed auto, 90,000 miles. It is night and day how much peppier the Suzuki is in city traffic, instant throttle response, shifts pretty much when I want it to. My particular Focus pales in comparison; so much off the line lag and indecision by comparison.

Of course I'm also monitoring the mpg of the Suzuki over the next few days and expect it to get probably 7mpg less than the Focus in the same driving. That's probably the primary tradeoff.

[dan50]

Originally Posted by kam327

Let's not forget though that several articles I've seen have suggested there have been a large number of customer complaints which have forced Ford to make several of these "running upgrades", both software and hardware. I doubt they would be putting so much work into improving the unit if only 5% of owners were coming back to their dealerships and complaining. Gotta be more like 25% or more. Otherwise they would've just waited to introduce all their improvements into the '13 model year.

And I'm still not convinced about the DCT's driving superiority. Had to give the Focus to my wife temporarily and borrow my parents' '03 Suzuki Aerio again, 4-banger and conventional 4-speed auto, 90,000 miles. It is night and day how much peppier the Suzuki is in city traffic, instant throttle response, shifts pretty much when I want it to. My particular Focus pales in comparison; so much off the line lag and indecision by comparison.

Of course I'm also monitoring the mpg of the Suzuki over the next few days and expect it to get probably 7mpg less than the Focus in the same driving. That's probably the primary tradeoff.

The New York Times had a complimentary article about the Skyactive Mazda 3. While the engine sounds similar in concept to the Focus, the Mazda DCT also has a torque converter that operates at speeds less than 5 mph. The added torque converter would likely eliminate most of things we Ford DCT owners complain about.

The Mazda's mileage is slightly better than the Focus and its transmission was judged a strong point. Not that I want a Mazda, mind you, but if only...

[kam327]

Originally Posted by dan50

The New York Times had a complimentary article about the Skyactive Mazda 3. While the engine sounds similar in concept to the Focus, the Mazda DCT also has a torque converter that operates at speeds less than 5 mph. The added torque converter would likely eliminate most of things we Ford DCT owners complain about.

The Mazda's mileage is slightly better than the Focus and its transmission was judged a strong point. Not that I want a Mazda, mind you, but if only...

Plus it supposedly uses a wet clutch. That could also be a key difference regarding some of the problems "some" of us have.

[dan50]

Originally Posted by kam327

Plus it supposedly uses a wet clutch. That could also be a key difference regarding some of the problems "some" of us have.

Good thing they aren't design defects!

[kam327]

Originally Posted by dan50

Good thing they aren't design defects!

Ha!!

[FordCustomerService]

Originally Posted by safetyguy14

Got the TSB last week and had an interesting thing happen this weekend. Was going down a very long, steep hill so the car shifted to a lower gear as expected. When I hit the flat at the bottom it stayed in that gear (3rd) revving at about 5000rpm for a good 45 seconds before it figured out it should shift to a higher gear...

Hey safetyguy14,

Let me know if this becomes an increased concern for you. A PM with the VIN, current mileage, personal and dealer contact will begin the escalation process to the Customer Service Manager.

Originally Posted by dan50

...My car is going in next Monday for a diagnosis. Not optimistic, but I'll post any interesting news.

Hello dan50,

I'm throwing all my optimistic feeling towards ya! Can you see it?! Shoot me a PM if you need assistance and keep me posted on the results.

Originally Posted by EliSandler

My Car is set to be built on 3/26...guess the new clutch should be in place.

Hi EliSandler,

Congratulations on the new Focus!

If you like; I can track it down for you. Send me a PM with the sales order number and dealer location.

Originally Posted by Black Bengal

...I'd like to point out that I had SEVERE shuddering & clanging/grinding after about the first week...My wife & I share the car so maybe the hard shuddering & clanging was because it was trying to adapt to her driving habits. But since she experienced the same shuddering & clanging, there may have been a 3rd mystery driver causing all the commotion...

Hey Black Bengal;

Delighted to learn your Focus is driving much smoother for you and the wife! Let me know if I can assist in the future; I'll be more than happy to escalate a concern to the Customer Service Manager about Casper. Problematic mystery drivers are in the realm of passenger seat drivers; not welcome!

Originally Posted by st falcon

Keep on enlightening the public on this, as its even spread to FordCustomerService on these forums! NO adaptive learning ever occurs, except for the 10 minute or so procedure the tech has to perform after a flash has been applied.

Hi st falcon,

There have been Focus owners who have a better driving experience after the transmission has been re-flashed and have commented on how the Focus seems to adjust to their driving habits.

Originally Posted by jbird1955

...After chasing my dealership for almost 4+ months I got the latest update in early February...Its now been about a month and 1200 miles later and it is unbelievably better...after 9 frigging months of DCT & MFT frustration I am so thrilled to drive this car. The MFT update that I downloaded and installed myself Friday night has put a huge smile on my face.
Oh, believe it or not my mileage has increased and I'm not babying the thing at all (avg. of 29.5 now 32).
Now to find the district rep. and complain about my dealers service group...

jbird1955,

Well, the next time you have a concern, just chase me via PM. Once I receive it with the VIN, current mileage, as well as your personal and dealer contact info, I'll be able to escalate your case to the Customer Service Manager.

Enjoy the Focus!

Originally Posted by allyy

From what i read on this forum most people do not like it ,they are all gripeing

Originally Posted by kam327

There are many who have said they have no problems and I think it's true that more people come on to these forums to gripe than to shower praise. So this forum is probably not a realistic sample of all Focus owners.

Originally Posted by suss6052

Again they wouldn't be on a forum generally to sing the car's praises, but the small but vocal community doesn't make up the entire population of people who have the cars, and those who are happy tend not to yell and stick out their necks about it, even if the car was fine for them...

Originally Posted by Rogerschro

Also earlier on when someone who DID like their DCT said so the one who were having problems went after those positive comments and said in effect shut up, this is about the PROBLEMS not the good stuff!! So most just quit trying to say how it isn't ALL bad.

Originally Posted by st falcon

...its a fact that a DCT isnt as mushy as a conventional auto, and maybe thats why people dont think the DCT is smooth...its a different beast, and people like kam327 can voice their concerns while remaining objective.

Hello all,

The great thing about this forum is the ability for owners to vent their frustration and/or shower their accolades about the Focus. Regardless of which side they fall on, my partners and I work to address concerns and comments.

Originally Posted by bsp_53

My DCT is far superior to any "automatic" I've ever owned or driven. Is it perfect? No. But then again, what is? Since having the TSB applied and enjoying the tranny holding gears a bit longer before the upshift, I like it all the more.

Hi bsp_53,

Cheers to you and your Focus!

I love it when frustrations turn to honest accolades. Thanks for your comment.

Originally Posted by thelongone13

Mine seems to get me now. I've driven a few Foci, but the others were just LAGGY. This one seems to hold 1st long enough not to just dog on me. The one thing they NEED to change?...The MINI has a gated shifter, and that adds so much to the driving experience. Without the gates, I'd rather have a manual, honestly.

thelongone13,

You seem passionate about this?! Ford reps and engineers are passionate about your comments and Social.Ford.com is just the right medium to post your passionate comments; with a bit of editing, of course.

Talk to you all soon!

Noemi

[dan50]

Noemi, thanks for the offer. How about a swap: just transplant bsp_51's DCT into my car. Seems like a reasonable solution to me. Heck, I'll even drive to the transplant site!

[SpinKix]

Originally Posted by allyy

From what i read on this forum most people do not like it ,they are all gripeing

Maybe those dissatisfied with the powershift are more motivated to post their complaints.

I happen to really like the powershift.

I drove a Infiniti G35 with the 6sp manual, and after 9 years pushing a (heavy) clutch, this is great.

The powershift isn't perfect. Occasional clunks, but I still prefer this over a standard automatic with a torque converter.

Paddle shifters, and quicker gear changes in sport mode would be nice.

All in all though, I'm not griping.

[VOLDAR]

Hi everyone,

What is the best approach to make PCM and TCM to learn anything ? I am not kidding, I just had my TSB update done and I see now :

- the rpms at idle are greater and the car "shakes" as never before
- from full stop, pressing on the pedal feels like the car has no power

It does keep the rpms before shifting, but... I think the TSB for me is an downgrade rather than an upgrade right now. On the file there is written that the drive cycle has been performed after the update... Really ?!?

P.S. If I want to repeat the drive cycle myself, how long should I unplug the battery before doing it ?

[dan50]

Originally Posted by VOLDAR

Hi everyone,

What is the best approach to make PCM and TCM to learn anything ? I am not kidding, I just had my TSB update done and I see now :

- the rpms at idle are greater and the car "shakes" as never before
- from full stop, pressing on the pedal feels like the car has no power

It does keep the rpms before shifting, but... I think the TSB for me is an downgrade rather than an upgrade right now. On the file there is written that the drive cycle has been performed after the update... Really ?!?

P.S. If I want to repeat the drive cycle myself, how long should I unplug the battery before doing it ?

This was after 12-1-4? Not sure how long the battery needs to be disconnected (somewhere in here is someone who did just that, but I can't find it quickly), but I'd think 5 minutes or so should be enough if that actually erases the "learning" memory.

It could also heal itself with a bit of driving. Good luck with it.