2012 Focus Transmission Shaking

[dan50]

Originally Posted by FordCustomerService

MR.MIKE,

I’m reaching out to be sure it’s still driving well since the last visit to the dealer. Please don’t hesitate to get a hold of me if you want my help.


I’m doing all I can to get this looked into, Ysteven. I shot you another follow-up.

R
SportyChick,

I wanted to check in with you after you got your ride back. Please let me know.

Cory

Cory, after spending time here for over a year I've gotta say I'm astonished that DCT-related things really don't seem to be getting better. Even those of us that have DCTs that behave worry it is only temporary. Does anyone at Ford really care enough about this stuff to fix it once and for all? Evidence here suggests maybe not.

[flingwing1969]

Maybe it's been mentioned in the mass of DCT posts but when you get a bad shudder/vibration/chatter when letting out the clutch on any manual transmission it is usually attributable to oil on the friction plate. The operative term is "friction" and the oil on the absorbent friction plates makes friction application inconsistent. The Focus DCT is a manual transmission (kind of like two manuals bolted together each with its own clutch) one clutch works 1, 3, & 5 and the other 2,4, and 6. It is possible for one to experience a shudder only in 1, 3, & 5 if only one clutch is contaminated but this is unlikely since the primary cause of contamination in a new car is internal oil seal failure.

If you drive a normal manual with a foot operated clutch, you can also generate a very mild shudder by slowly letting off on clutch peddle (engaging the friction plate with the flywheel) while not applying increased fuel feed and this condition can also be felt with the Focus DCT when creeping forward/rearward slowly (although it tends to be lessened with time as the friction plate/flywheel interface wears in).

[FordCustomerService]

Originally Posted by dan50

...Even those of us that have DCTs that behave worry it is only temporary...

dan50,

My technical adviser said flingwing1969 summed it up nicely. For an excessive shudder, the dealer can look into it and fix it. He also said it might be felt when creeping forward or backward very slowly, which is characteristic of the vehicle and transmission. It’s meant to be driven, not idled along.

Originally Posted by flingwing1969

...If you drive a normal manual with a foot operated clutch, you can also generate a very mild shudder by slowly letting off on clutch peddle (engaging the friction plate with the flywheel) while not applying increased fuel feed and this condition can also be felt with the Focus DCT when creeping forward/rearward slowly...

It’s great to see the community helping out, flingwing1969; thanks!

Cory

[dan50]

Originally Posted by FordCustomerService

dan50,

My technical adviser said flingwing1969 summed it up nicely. For an excessive shudder, the dealer can look into it and fix it. He also said it might be felt when creeping forward or backward very slowly, which is characteristic of the vehicle and transmission. It’s meant to be driven, not idled along.


It’s great to see the community helping out, flingwing1969; thanks!

Cory

And of course this characteristic is described in Ford's sales literature about the Focus' "automatic" transmission, right? Good thing we all live in low-traffic areas where cars are "driven" and not "idled along", just as God and Ford intended.

Those with significant, unresolved clutch shudder will be relieved to know their cars can be fixed. They just have to figure out by whom.

[FordCustomerService]

Originally Posted by dan50

And of course this characteristic is described in Ford's sales literature about the Focus' "automatic" transmission, right?...

This section is on page 317 of the 2012MY Focus Owner Guide 5th Printing:

“When the battery is disconnected or a new battery is installed, the automatic transmission must relearn its shift strategy. As a result, the transmission may have firm soft shifts, firm shifts or both. This operation is considered normal and will not affect function or durability of the transmission. Over time, the adaptive learning process will fully update transmission operation.”

Go here for a free digital copy of your Owner Guide:

http://Owner.Ford.com/servlet/Conten...OwnerGuidePage

Cory

[dan50]

Originally Posted by FordCustomerService

This section is on page 317 of the 2012MY Focus Owner Guide 5th Printing:

“When the battery is disconnected or a new battery is installed, the automatic transmission must relearn its shift strategy. As a result, the transmission may have firm soft shifts, firm shifts or both. This operation is considered normal and will not affect function or durability of the transmission. Over time, the adaptive learning process will fully update transmission operation.”

Go here for a free digital copy of your Owner Guide:

http://Owner.Ford.com/servlet/Conten...OwnerGuidePage

Cory

Sorry Cory, but short-term misbehavior because the car is "relearning" after a battery disconnect is very different from a permanent "characteristic" of the car. In any event, I don't recall being provided with a copy of the Owners' Manual by the dealer while shopping.

[FordCustomerService]

Originally Posted by dan50

Sorry Cory, but short-term misbehavior because the car is "relearning" after a battery disconnect is very different from a permanent "characteristic" of the car...

That’s true, dan50. I’m just happy you’re not having a concern, so I don’t have to help. LOL JK

Cory

[femaven]

I occasionally get some hesitation from a stop and grinding between 1 and 2 along with hesitation on the shift. I'm not sure if this is related but according to the dash, I typically get about 29 mpg with mostly highway driving, well below the stated 35 or so mpg. I've got 16k miles on the car so I don't think it's a matter of the engine/trans being broken in.

Any ideas?

[kam327]

Originally Posted by FordCustomerService

My technical adviser said... it’s meant to be driven, not idled along.

Can Ford provide a letter to all Focus owners that I can show to all the drivers ahead of me that are holding me up and forcing me to idle along? Maybe after reading the letter they'll realize I'm in a special situation and they need to get out of my way and let me pass unhindered so that I don't have to slow down and experience shuddering/hesitation from the DCT.

Originally Posted by femaven

I occasionally get some hesitation from a stop and grinding between 1 and 2 along with hesitation on the shift. I'm not sure if this is related but according to the dash, I typically get about 29 mpg with mostly highway driving, well below the stated 35 or so mpg. I've got 16k miles on the car so I don't think it's a matter of the engine/trans being broken in.

Any ideas?

When you say "mostly highway driving", that could mean 49% of brutal city stop and go. No matter how optimal your 51% on the highway is, that 49% of stop and go is going to bring you way down.

[dan50]

Originally Posted by femaven

I occasionally get some hesitation from a stop and grinding between 1 and 2 along with hesitation on the shift. I'm not sure if this is related but according to the dash, I typically get about 29 mpg with mostly highway driving, well below the stated 35 or so mpg. I've got 16k miles on the car so I don't think it's a matter of the engine/trans being broken in.

Any ideas?

The hesitation issue may be the nature of the beast. I bet you experience this when accelerated fairly gently, with shift points at say 2,300 - 2,500 RPMs, like in much urban/suburban traffic? Early shift points are engineered into almost all cars these days for better fuel economy, so this isn't unique to the Focus. However, after the upshift the engine is barely turning more than 1,500 RPMs and there just isn't much torque available, so the engine seems to bog or hesitate. Once up the torque curve a bit, things are fine again.

Why is this so noticeable in the Focus? Conventional automatics have a torque converter to multiply the torque produced by the engine and smooth out unevenness in power deliver. The Focus has none; the clutch can help with this at launch, but not in subsequent gear changes. So the solution to me seems to be live with it or drive it more aggressively.