07 Focus, 2nd Transmission, Dead Again?

2.0 Focus · 02-10-2013, 06:55 PM

Hey guys, I have a 07 ford focus with currently 112k miles. Last year I had the transmission (automatic) replaced from a donor car with 43k miles.

Yesterday I drove the car in a blizzard, giving it some gas throughout the bad sections and using the handbrake a bit. I arrived home everything was fine and I parked it overnight.

The next day I tried to move it forward and it seemed the handbrake was stuck on. When the car was in drive, reverse or neutral it would not budge, I gave it some gas in drive and the front right wheel spun on the snow, making me sure it was the handbrake. I turned it off and went to look for a solution thinking the handbrake was stuck on.

I came back to start the car and when i put in in reverse or drive it would start to vibrate violently. Then I realized that something was up with the trans and the reason it would not move was not because the handbrake but because it would not engaging neutral in neutral. When I tried to move the car again in drive giving it a bit gas, it hesitated, vibrated but then it moved and drove.

So I am wondering if anyone knows what could be wrong. Is it the transmission or something else? I never encountered anything like this before.

Thanks.

my_beautious_ZX3 · 02-11-2013, 12:05 AM

was that the first time you used the handbrake in a long time? It might just be stuck. Can you jack up the rear end and spin the wheels with your hands?

2.0 Focus · 02-11-2013, 01:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by my_beautious_ZX3

was that the first time you used the handbrake in a long time? It might just be stuck. Can you jack up the rear end and spin the wheels with your hands?

I put the handbrake on every single day I park. The car was only outside for one night and it wasn't the coldest day it's been so far. And when I drove off the rear wheels where spinning freely.

The only thing I can derive from the first time when I gave it some gas and the front passenger wheel was spinning the drivers wheel was actually stationary/parked or spinning in reverse (if that's possible) and stopping the car from moving, making it feel like the handbrake was on.

***whynotthinkwhynot*** · 02-11-2013, 05:02 AM

That sounds more like a differential problem than a transmission problem, but I'd stick it to the elements and the hand brake if it doesn't happen again. It could've been that some snow got packed and frozen inside the wheel on either the front or rear brakes and prevented you from moving easily for a short time until it broke up.

2.0 Focus · 02-12-2013, 11:07 PM

Found the reason for it for anyone that searches this topic..

The problem was caused by the ice and snow build up behind the front bumper and engine bay. The snow then melted and froze again causing interference with the transmission module from shifting properly from park, reverse, neutral to drive which caused all the strange issues.

Next time I'd probably cover the lower half of the bumper (watching the engine and trans temperature), or clear the snow after driving, as these cars where clearly not designed to go through snow higher then the front bumper.