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DCT / PowerShift Transmission Update TSB Thread

1M views 4K replies 556 participants last post by  rczrider 
#1 ·
Well, I just scheduled an appointment on Monday to get my update for my 6-speed dual clutch. Seems like some dealers are willing to hand over the update (another poster on this board did), some dealers will still give the ole "its not a torque converter" mantra, and some dealers (the one I just called) don't know that there's a TSB out there, and when researched will come up with it. And the dealer I called fell into the latter (after I went to another dealer who gave me the mantra).

I'm happy with my DCT but I'm willing to see what this new update does for the transmission (in terms of smoothness and less hesitation). Hopefully, I'll have some noticeable difference. Did anyone else get an update? If so, how'd it work out for you. I'll let you know my thoughts after a good drive on Monday.
 
#3,266 ·
Well, it's been almost 2 months since I've had the clutches and seals replaced. The shuddering is gone, but now I'm experiencing some a little different. This has only happened a handful of times, but there have been instances where I'll give it gas and the car just revs for a split second before actually going. It's like a bit of a hard shift and I've never experienced this in the time I've owned the car, which is now over a year and a half.

My current hypothesis: I think the software update that was installed when I had the clutches and seals replaced is a little buggy. I wonder how often Ford issues software tweaks. I just hope it's a fluke and won't turn into a bigger problem.
 
#3,267 ·
I still think 95% of the DCT problems are related to the software. I just noticed that when I hit the key fob to lock the doors and if i get a nice loud courtesy honk along with the lighst lighting up the trans on my wife's '14 Focus doesnt shudder and the times when it doesnt honk but just lghts up the lights after I lock the doors, it shudders after driving around a short distance... coincidence or related? werid.
 
#3,272 ·
Taking my 2012 back in for the fourth time. I really love the car just hate the transmission. I can almost assume they will have to replace the clutch again by the way it is acting. I thinking of cutting my loses too. Can't afford a escape(with normal auto trans) with the loss I'm going to take on the focus. Been to the chevy dealer and they had 5 focus setting on the used side of their lot already. Mine might be 6 if ford doesn't cut me a deal. That would be five people I would think took a loss on their cars. Good job ford!! Your new trans is a real money maker for you. Not to good for your faithful customers.
 
#3,274 ·
I thought about them but I had a "dodge guy" friend of mine tell me they were not that good and had issues. Not sure if that is true but to me he is a respected dodge person. Do you own one?
 
#3,276 ·
Even the TI with a manual trans would have been a awesome car. Just wanted a auto trans with good gas mileage. Wish I could talk Ford into putting a auto trans off a 2 liter escape with a tork converter in it would be great and would take the small drop in gas mileage it would cause.
 
#3,279 ·
I had the opportunity to drive a 2014 Escape 1.6 Ecoboost with the 6 speed Select Shift at Thanksgiving. Obviously a torque converter automatic, which ironically takes as long if not longer to move to the next gear in Sport mode manual shift than the Focus DCT.

I don't think Ford offers a CVT in the Escape.
 
#3,284 ·
30000km oil change and like every 8000k. Oil change i bring up the dct.. Its minus 10c these days and honestly the thing behaves on the short drives around town. But as it warms up on longer drives we get the shudder infact a very good hard shudder going up a hill from a rolling start..

They could not duplicate but the tech wanted to replace clutch and even has all the parts shown as ordered on my invoice. When i showed up the service rep said FORD wont authorize the repair without proof. Pc data log.. They said the parts will he on sitr and come back if it acts up and they will hop in for the ride to catch it on laptop..

At least no run around.. But still everyone at the shop knows the problem want to fix the problem but are hand tied by the warranty process. Im sure once spring arrives it will be more obvious again..
 
#3,287 ·
I drove mine around for 1/2 hour before I took it to the dealer for the test drive. The car failed beautifully for the Service Manager, and I got an appointment the following week. Maybe you need to drive it around for an hour or so before taking it in, and make sure that the Tech will be available as soon as you arrive.

By the way mine also acts better in the winter, but will still act up after about 1/2 hour.
 
#3,289 ·
I have a 2013 Focus SFE. The car has been great but lately (16,000 miles) I am getting some shutter between 1st and 2nd gear. When I called the dealer a couple of weeks ago I was told they would look at my car but it sounds like my shudder is within Ford specs. I know this sound familiar to many of you. But this only happens when the car is warm. It shifts great when it is cold. So I decided not to have the dealer look at the car.

Now the past couple of days I have noticed a little stall just before it shifts from a standing start (only happened a couple of times so far) and I am worried this shuddering is getting worse. I have an appointment with my dealer to check it out next week. I am dropping off the car after hours. I am thinking of writing a letter to the dealer when dropping off my keys to really describe what is happening. Anyone have any advise for me? Thanks for listening.
 
#3,296 ·
Hi wolfman2013,

I want to look into some additional assistance. Please send me a private message with your VIN, mileage, best daytime phone number, full name, and dealer name/location.

Meagan
 
#3,290 ·
You should ALWAYS write up a problem & what you're asking them to do when dropping off a car after hours, and it helps to do it during normal business hours as well.

Your 15 min. verbal description could be written down as nothing more than "shudder complaint" for example otherwise, or at the least details could be missed/misunderstood. Service Writers aren't stenographers, so they can't type in your words verbatim. They do their best to summarize & look for significant details that might help the mechanic, but it's still a summary & translation of what you said & can't be cross checked looking for helpful details later as can be done with written communications.

P.S. - if your troubles show up only when warm after driving a while, as many mention here you may need to drive your car personally before presenting it for evaluation. You can discuss that with the dealer if they don't see an issue when just warmed up, pre-arrangements are usually needed for an immediate test after you drive it.
 
#3,291 ·
If it's possible to log the symptoms and what leads to them, you can state this in your letter. My dealer said that sometimes it's necessary for a tech to take the car home at night to try to reproduce the problems. It seems like the dealers are willing to provide a loaner vehicle if they need to keep the car. Hopefully they'll find the problem quickly and set up a service appointment.
 
#3,297 ·
It should function the same no matter whether the ambient temps are cold or warm. While I understand that some of these vehicles are experiencing slipping clutches due in part to leaking seals, that is NOT the issue that the rest of us have with the shudder. It is definitely NOT clutch slip, I know what that feels like. This is faulty shift actuators "fluttering" due to flaws in the programming. It can be mitigated though. Because of the way I've altered my driving habits, I have totally eliminated the shudder.

If it was my clutch slipping, it wouldn't matter, it would do it all the time under the same conditions.

Basically, you have to "teach" the damned programming that you want it to shift higher by starting out in S mode (do not engage the shift buttons though) through gears 1 and 2. Once I started doing this, after about a week, the shudders were gone. Every now and then I'll let it start in D mode, and they are still gone. If my clutch was slipping, this process would have no effect on shudders.... clutch slippage is always accompanied by RPM spikes during the slipping... this is not what happens when mine shudders. It's the actuators fluttering because the stupid software can't make up it's damned mind about a shift.
 
#3,293 ·
Heat from repeated clutch slipping as they are engaged is usually blamed as the cause, with the low gears & slow speed operation needing more slippage to function.

Can't start smoothly from a stop without slipping a clutch.

Pre-production literature that's been posted (ford & getrag) shows they considered using "shudder" on command as a way to discourage operation that would heat the clutches excessively, such as crawling in traffic at a speed lower than the minimum full engagement speed. No way to know for sure if any made it to actual production with that included in the software.

We know that the obvious overheat warning is still in the system, with a warning light illuminated in serious clutch over heat conditions like an extended attempt to crawl slowly uphill.
 
#3,294 ·
Thanks Sailer. So maybe that is why the dealer says a little shudder is normal but I really don't like the feel of the this shudder. So this may be a dumb question but if the seals are leaking fluid onto the clutch, wouldn't they slip more causing less shudder? If the answer is yes and if you are getting some shudder, your seals are not leaking?
 
#3,300 ·
"Could be faulty actuators as well. Possibly, the way people drive the car is different, or they've learned to live with it. Also, I am now running the latest software available as of December 2014, which I believe is TSB 14-0197. However, I had virtually eliminated the shudders 2 months prior to getting that software. I wish someone who is experiencing these shudders would attempt to replicate what I did, start in S mode every time pulling away from a stop, and after a week, let us know if it makes any difference."

Vision

I also "taught" mine not to shudder. Little background. I bought a 2012 demo with 5k miles in March 2013. Love the car. I knew exactly what the transmission was when I bought it. It started to shudder quite bad after owning for a few months. I started "playing " with anticipation at take off, throttle, and selectshift in both sport and manual mode and essentially forced the tranny to work properly. I eliminated virtually all the shudder and that's despite eventually needing the "fix" for a leaking seal and slippage. Only compliant I have is for a slight grind sound every once in a while going through the 2-3 shift. It is minimized with sufficient throttle response and smooth acceleration.
 
#3,301 ·
Deal called... Clutch parts arrived and i have an appointment booked for next week. The service advisor said they did not get authorization but ordered the parts anyway.. Not sure if the parts actually get installed but they called so i took the appointment..

REV F is what i noticed on the order sheet.
 
#3,302 ·
Thanks for all the comments. I dropped off my car at the dealer today. They called me this afternoon. The technician told me they drove the car to warm it up and then it started "bucking". I think he told me that the clutch will need replacing but said the source of fluid getting on the clutch is from either the rear engine seal or the transmission seal. So they put a dye in the oil and told me to drive the car for 500 miles and bring the car back before removing the transmission from the car. Then we will know what seal is bad. He told me he says he sees more rear engine seals go bad than transmission seals. After reading all the postings here, I have not read about problems with rear engine seals. I almost hope it is the transmission seal and then I get the newer "brown" seals the seem other people are getting put in their cars. Interesting in that this is the same technician that first told me over the phone that the shuddering that I was experiencing is "normal" for this car....
 
#3,303 ·
He told me he says he sees more rear engine seals go bad than transmission seals.
Maybe for cars in general, but on the Focus the transmission seals are a well-documented problem. I almost want to tell you to avoid that dealer, but I guess the technician is using a proper technique for diagnosing the problem.
 
#3,304 ·
Couldn't take it anymore. Second clutch pack gone and last update didn't make a bit of difference on my Ti. Had way to many issues with the car on top of the transmission. If Ford just could have got the transmission to work I would have kept the car. Now I'm in a escape with a real trans on it. Just a added note, when I was looking for a replacement car at Chevy, Ford, Dodge, and Honda: the car the dealers had the most in the used lot was 2012 and 2013 ford focus. Hummm? make you wounder why every used lot had 4 to 7 used Focus's on their lots. So I guess this is good bye to to all the Focus Fanatics. Keep up the good work posting, this is a great place to get info. Wish you luck with you trans and hope Ford is able to fix it in the long run and doesn't forget to help out all the people that prototype their new trans for them.
 
#3,310 ·
so far so good


Ive had numerous clutches replaced on mine and so far this last one has been the best. Ive got about 5k miles on the new clutch and it hasnt given me a single grind or low gear shudder. I dont wanna say that ford has "solved" the issue but so far in my case it could be possible lol. I also got the revision d clutch with all the new seals. Dont be put off by it not being the revision f stuff. Its just the d clutch paired with the seals in a package instead of seperate.
 
#3,313 ·
Took mine in for other work and said to give it a dct software update for minor issues. Turns out after they ran some tests and timed my shifts the clutches are shot after 30k...
 
#3,315 ·
Same story...

My car always shuttered a bit, and it got worse and worse. I took it to the dealer at 29,000 miles. After getting into a yelling match with my dealer, he agreed to look at it. A week, later they called and told me that the clutch needed replaced. A week later they called and told me they were waiting on parts. On the third week, I got it back. Been 1500 miles and it is starting to struggle again. I have a feeling I will be getting in another yelling match in about 7 to 10,000 miles.
 
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