How are these DCT's supposed to feel on a downshift?

[Darth_Focus]

I've got 4000 kilometers on my focus so far and aside from Space shuttle like fuel economy and a clunky front end all seems well. However I'm not sure if my transmission is working right or not. It does not shake and for the most part behaves quite well. The "S" mode does seem to shift way to early unless I really get my foot into it.

This brings me to my question. Does this transmission feel different than the old school torque converter style during downshifts? There's no real kick in the pants. If I'm above 80 kph and floor it, the RPM shoots to redline instantly and the car accelerates but not very hard. There's really no pushed back in the seat sensation ( I know it's not a rocket launch)and the car picks up speed but it's nothing spectacular. I have noticed that at high RPM shifts it almost sounds like sand paper when the shift happens. Just wanted to know if that's normal.

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[Joeywhat]

It doesn't have a ton of power...at higher speeds it's not going to take off that fast.

[TBLightning84]

You'll definitely feel the trans shifting more than you would with a torque converter auto and there are definitely more noises than you would normally hear...but mine feels great! And in agreement with the post above me, you're only working with 160hp...it's not going to rip the skin off your face on acceleration.

[Darth_Focus]

Originally Posted by TBLightning84

You'll definitely feel the trans shifting more than you would with a torque converter auto and there are definitely more noises than you would normally hear...but mine feels great! And in agreement with the post above me, you're only working with 160hp...it's not going to rip the skin off your face on acceleration.

What I mean by the downshift is this: it almost feels like a cvt when at highway speeds. I'm used to that windup you'd normally experience then the acceleration. It kind of just slides into the acceleration band instead of a solid shift into it.

[TBLightning84]

Originally Posted by Darth_Focus

What I mean by the downshift is this: it almost feels like a cvt when at highway speeds. I'm used to that windup you'd normally experience then the acceleration. It kind of just slides into the acceleration band instead of a solid shift into it.

Prolly the dual clutches smoothing the shifts out at higher speeds...I don't do a lot of highway driving in my car, so I don't have much experience there...

[suss6052]

Originally Posted by Darth_Focus

What I mean by the downshift is this: it almost feels like a cvt when at highway speeds. I'm used to that windup you'd normally experience then the acceleration. It kind of just slides into the acceleration band instead of a solid shift into it.

A 6-3 down shift will do that at 60-70 mph (96.54-112.63 kph) as the car shifts from clutch 2 to clutch 1 and to the upper range of that gear's road speed range putting the car near peak power right before the next upshift.

The car tends to either downshift to 4th or 3rd at that speed if you were to decide to suddenly punch it even in manual mode when you can see what the car is doing on the instrument cluster.

The handing off of torque between the twin clutch disks = uninterrupted power flow to the front wheels, which is much smoother and quicker than a sliding gear manual and more efficient than a torque converter backed automatic.

[FordCustomerService]

Originally Posted by Darth_Focus

...This brings me to my question. Does this transmission feel different than the old school torque converter style during downshifts? There's no real kick in the pants. If I'm above 80 kph and floor it, the RPM shoots to redline instantly and the car accelerates but not very hard. There's really no pushed back in the seat sensation ( I know it's not a rocket launch)and the car picks up speed but it's nothing spectacular. I have noticed that at high RPM shifts it almost sounds like sand paper when the shift happens. Just wanted to know if that's normal.

Hi Darth_Focus,

If you're concerned, you can always swing by your dealership so they can inspect. If you'd rather not make a special trip, you can always combine it with an upcoming oil change or scheduled maintenance visit. At the very least your dealer will be able to give you some peace of mind.

Originally Posted by Joeywhat

It doesn't have a ton of power...at higher speeds it's not going to take off that fast.

Originally Posted by TBLightning84

You'll definitely feel the trans shifting more than you would with a torque converter auto and there are definitely more noises than you would normally hear...but mine feels great! And in agreement with the post above me, you're only working with 160hp...it's not going to rip the skin off your face on acceleration.

Originally Posted by suss6052

A 6-3 down shift will do that at 60-70 mph (96.54-112.63 kph) as the car shifts from clutch 2 to clutch 1 and to the upper range of that gear's road speed range putting the car near peak power right before the next upshift.

The car tends to either downshift to 4th or 3rd at that speed if you were to decide to suddenly punch it even in manual mode when you can see what the car is doing on the instrument cluster.

The handing off of torque between the twin clutch disks = uninterrupted power flow to the front wheels, which is much smoother and quicker than a sliding gear manual and more efficient than a torque converter backed automatic.

Great information, everyone. Thanks for adding to the discussion!

Have a great day,
Crystal

[MyThIc3LiTe]

These DCTs shouldn't feel too agressive in up or downshifts, they aren't playing with enough power nor is the car light enough to experience any sort of 'kick'.