Transmission Shaking To/From 1st Gear

[paul21]

Originally Posted by tigertiger

Test drove verified customer concern,

What concern did you tell them? The biggest problem everyone has here is getting a service dept to agree there is an actual problem to begin an investigation. They typically just check for codes and drive it around the block, if nothing is there, they move on. If I go in there and say check my seals they won't do it just for fun.

[BPEW584]

I mentioned the issue to my dealer a couple days ago and they said that this is a known issue with no official fix yet. I don't buy it. I'll be bringing TSB 11-12-13 to their attention on my next visit; too bad I didn't know about it then.

To add, my driver side door is creaking, and they have yet to fix the issue... Two visits later. This dealership is a joke.

I find it frustrating that these "service" departments don't apply TSBs as they are released. You've got to make a fuss about something for them to do what they're paid to do.

All of these issues are simply down to people not paying enough care while at work.

[PratoN]

Originally Posted by BPEW584

I find it frustrating that these "service" departments don't apply TSBs as they are released. You've got to make a fuss about something for them to do what they're paid to do.

I agree... I mean, it's (kind of) unreasonable to expect them to apply to TSBs to every car seeing that it's not a recall. But when you come in with an issue and it's still not resolved (e.g. my intermittent IA unlocking issues that they couldn't replicate so they didn't update the BCM) - that's what pisses me off. The best part is when I picked up my keys after dropping it off, I had to pull on the handle like 6 or 7 times until it unlocked.

[tigertiger]

Originally Posted by paul21

What concern did you tell them? The biggest problem everyone has here is getting a service dept to agree there is an actual problem to begin an investigation. They typically just check for codes and drive it around the block, if nothing is there, they move on. If I go in there and say check my seals they won't do it just for fun.

When I filled out the online appointment scheduler I said it shudders when creeping forward in stop and go traffic and at stop lights, shakes/shudders when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear and shifts very roughly and/or lurches when car is hot and driving in the city. I also told them it gets worse the longer the car is driven. My wife and I drove from Oregon to arizona this summer and when getting off the interstate after driving for a couple hours it shifted especially rough.

My dealer is pretty good about applying TSBs. Not so good on the other issues I bring up. Been trying to get a rear door rattle/buzz fixed sine we bought the car. And, as I mentioned earlier, they had the car for four days, waiting for parts for three days and did nothing about the driver's strut clunking.

One thing I've been curious about regarding this thread is whether those who say the shaking from first to second gear didn't occur until after the transmission flash noticed it immediately or some undetermined time afterwards. The reason I ask is I didn't notice it until after the flash but I'm pretty certain it was not immediately. I wonder if everyone experiencing this actually has seal leaks and it's the miles driven and time factor catching up.

My understanding is the shaking is caused by the clutch slipping. The clutch slips because the seals are failing causing trans fluid to get on the clutch. However, I should state my understanding of the mechanical workings of a DCT is very limited and quite possibly wrong. And, this wouldn't explain why some report disabling of the traction control resolves the shaking. But, I've never disabled the traction control and I assume my car still has the same software as when it was reflashed and it shifts beautifully now and does not shudder when creeping/idling forward at stop lights and in traffic. It has never been this smooth since day one.

[FordCustomerService]

Originally Posted by blwilson103

Well after 2000 or so miles the seals are out again. I have owned fords all of my life and have never had the trouble this car has had. My wife drives a 08 galant 150k miles no problems, buddy has a Cruze bought 1 year before mine no problems. I have had this car for 4 months, 2 clutches, new struts, and new windshield...

Originally Posted by tigertiger

...Bad news: Dealer had car for four days and did not do anything about clunking front driver side strut. When I asked service advisor why, he said, "Well, I just got back from vacation, let me see . . . ." Then proceeded to say that they thought the clunking sound I mentioned was from the trans and shifting. I pointed out my note when I scheduled the appt. online specifically said it was coming from the strut...

Hi blwilson103 and tigertiger,

I'm happy to step in and assist; send me a PM with your VIN, dealer, mileage, and daytime phone number. I'll get your regional Customer Service Managers involved so they can work on a resolution for your concerns.

Originally Posted by BPEW584

I mentioned the issue to my dealer a couple days ago and they said that this is a known issue with no official fix yet. I don't buy it. I'll be bringing TSB 11-12-13 to their attention on my next visit; too bad I didn't know about it then...

Hi BPEW584,

I would advise that you get in touch with the Ford of Canada Customer Relationship Centre. They'll be in the best position to assist you. You can reach them at 1-800-565-3673.

Thanks,
Crystal

[FrostedG]

This is a follow up to my post (#97) on page 9 of this thread. Crystal asked me to follow up, but I thought others may benefit. I had my Focus at the dealer on 10/1. They redid the 12B37 update, and checked a couple other items on the work order that I couldn't decipher. I really didn't notice any difference, but like I said before - this issue was very intermittent. Well I had another instance of the transmission shaking this morning. But the conditions under which it happens are starting to come together.

I was on my way to work on a particularly horrible traffic day. I was on the road for an hour when the shaking happened, and at least 30 minutes of that was stop and go traffic. It started when I was on a slight up incline and traffic was stop-and-creep (always under 10 MPH). Because of the slight incline, I wasn't able to let off the brake and just let the car creep forward. I had to put my foot on the accelerator ever so slightly to move up. After a few minutes of these conditions, the shaking started. Accompanying the shaking was the transmission making a repetitive click-click-click-click noise, which I was only able to hear because the radio was turned way down. I'm used to hearing the click when the car upshifts or downshifts, but it's always a single click as it moves from one gear to the next. As soon as I was able to be a little bit heavier on the accelerator, it straightened right out. Other environmental conditions at the time were as follows:
- Weather was in the mid-50's F with off and on drizzle.
- HVAC was on mid-temp with combination windshield defroster and floor vents. Fan speed was on 1.
- Traction control was turned on
- Radio was at a volume of 2
- Headlights were on automatic, but not illuminated at the time.
- My ride is a stock SFE

I tried to reproduce the exact conditions, but was unable to. By the time I got to a spot with a slight incline and no traffic, the car had been moving at normal highway speeds for at least 20 minutes. I'm starting to see a pattern of this being highly conditional for me. Every time it's happened, the car has been operating for at least 45 minutes with stop-and-go traffic in the minutes prior. I have been in a situation where I'm at very low speed (under 10mph) with a feather-light touch on the accelerator. Once the shaking starts, if I retain the feather-light touch on the accelerator, then the shaking continues. If I back off the accelerator and coast, or give the car a little more gas, it straightens out immediately.

I do not recall having this issue prior to the first 12B37 update in July. I did notice after the update the transmission seemed to take longer to make up its mind what gear it wanted to be in. Before the update the shifts seemed crisper.

I've been following the Traction Control Thread HERE, and have tried turning it off. With the T.C. off, the shifts seem crisper. It's subtle, but I notice it. The odd thing is the crispness seems to disappear the longer I drive. I know this last point is purely subjective. I have no way of telling if it's really different, or I just get used to it. For now, I'm going to get in the habit of turning the T.C. off, and hope the driving conditions occur again.

[PratoN]

Originally Posted by FrostedG

It started when I was on a slight up incline and traffic was stop-and-creep (always under 10 MPH). Because of the slight incline, I wasn't able to let off the brake and just let the car creep forward. I had to put my foot on the accelerator ever so slightly to move up. After a few minutes of these conditions, the shaking started. Accompanying the shaking was the transmission making a repetitive click-click-click-click noise, which I was only able to hear because the radio was turned way down. I'm used to hearing the click when the car upshifts or downshifts, but it's always a single click as it moves from one gear to the next. As soon as I was able to be a little bit heavier on the accelerator, it straightened right out.

Welcome to the club! I believe you also have the leaking transmission seals contaminating the clutch... (TSB 11-12-13)

Unfortunately, I haven't found the right person's d I have to s in order to get my car fixed yet.

[hotleadsingerguy]

Originally Posted by PratoN

Welcome to the club! I believe you also have the leaking transmission seals contaminating the clutch... (TSB 11-12-13)

Unfortunately, I haven't found the right person's d I have to s in order to get my car fixed yet.

Yup same here. I made an appointment with the dealership to apply the TSB and even informed them the request came directly from the regional customer service manager. He called back an hour after I dropped it off and said "We couldn't reproduce the issue".

It's complete bull. Can't wait to trade this heap in and get a Subaru.

I'll of course be filling out a Better Business Bureau complaint and an FTC complaint for the dealership. I'll also be writing the local news organizations and calling the local television stations to let them know about the issues I've faced and how the dealerships (all of them) have refused to fix anything by saying it's either my fault or it's meant to drive that way.

Wonder how the dealerships will respond afterwards.

[FrostedG]

^^ My rundown was intended to be informational. What I have stated are just the facts to the best of my recollection. I can count on one hand how many times this has occurred. I just haven't been able to reproduce the behavior at will - yet. I am confident that the issue will get fixed once the root cause of the problem is found. Until a root cause is found, people are going to waste a lot of time chasing symptoms. When there are no error codes being thrown, the next best course of action is to compile a list of the conditions under which the symptoms occur and try to infer what's going on from that.

I'd like nothing better than it to be something simple. But I just don't see how my transmission's behavior could be caused leaking transmission seals contaminating the clutch. If that were the case, I would expect this behavior to occur through a wide range of speed, RPMs, and my foot pressure on the accelerator. In my experience, that is not the case. The behavior has only occurred when road and traffic conditions have forced me to have a feather-light touch on the accelerator at very low speeds (under 10MPH).

[hotleadsingerguy]

Originally Posted by FrostedG

^^ My rundown was intended to be informational. What I have stated are just the facts to the best of my recollection. I can count on one hand how many times this has occurred. I just haven't been able to reproduce the behavior at will - yet. I am confident that the issue will get fixed once the root cause of the problem is found. Until a root cause is found, people are going to waste a lot of time chasing symptoms. When there are no error codes being thrown, the next best course of action is to compile a list of the conditions under which the symptoms occur and try to infer what's going on from that.

I'd like nothing better than it to be something simple. But I just don't see how my transmission's behavior could be caused leaking transmission seals contaminating the clutch. If that were the case, I would expect this behavior to occur through a wide range of speed, RPMs, and my foot pressure on the accelerator. In my experience, that is not the case. The behavior has only occurred when road and traffic conditions have forced me to have a feather-light touch on the accelerator at very low speeds (under 10MPH).

But that's exactly what I'm saying. Every time I've gone to the dealership about this issue and tell them when it happens they just ignore it. They say "This is how it's supposed to drive" and ignore everything beyond that point.

The issue occurs mainly from 1-10mph, almost always from a stop, and almost always in first gear. Some of it is definitely clutch wear (I can feel a worn clutch), and some of it feels like the TCS. My guess is the clutch wear is for some reason registering as an issue with traction and the TCS is taking over to fix the issue. Who knows if that's the truth, but it would explain why turning off the TCS fixed the issue for most people for awhile.

But then it came back.