Common Ford Focus Transmission Problem, How to fix

[AdrianVan]

I got a P0761 (Solenoid C stuck "off") and have ordered all six solenoids. I will attempt to change them all using some great YouTube videos and get back to the forum with the results in a few weeks. Wish me luck!

[amc49]

Solenoid failure is fairly rare, no way in he-- would I change all of them.............you really should disturb the wiring in there as little as possible since it has been precooked to break easily.

[finalfantasy]

Originally Posted by aokrongly

It is VERY IMPORTANT that you just apply a thin bead of gasket compound. Don't use too much or the excess will get into your transmission and cause a problem.

i did this and used a 1mm bead. was that too thin? the dealership mech said that It should be squirting out the sides.

im leaking on the back (its dripping off the bolts) and i see pink fluid on a harness in the front so i guess its spraying out the front too??

[amc49]

Problem is, if squirting out outside it will be squirting out inside, you don't want that. Oil makes the little silicone beads come loose to go in trans or motor. I couldn't tell you how many engines I've seen blown up because someone took what the dealer said and ran with it. It fills pickup tube and cuts off oil supply. Seems to me he's trying to steer you in there by damage, dealers give absolutely incorrect information all the time trying to drum up more work for themselves.

If you've already done it and no leaks you're good, it should be a nominal amount, more like 1/8" (.125"), 1mm. is only .040", virtually impossible to put that small an amount.

I cover entire gasket surface and then take a finger and run along it to squeegee off the excess. I also run that same finger around INSIDE edge to thin or none right where it would squeeze out (in, really). I don't car how much squeezes outside, not a problem there.

They make gaskets now to make that question moot and so much easier too. I'd put a gasket on any day before simply gluing, hard to get surface dry enough with all the drippage in there. One of my Focus cars is glued and the other has gasket.

[finalfantasy]

Originally Posted by amc49

Problem is, if squirting out outside it will be squirting out inside, you don't want that. Oil makes the little silicone beads come loose to go in trans or motor. I couldn't tell you how many engines I've seen blown up because someone took what the dealer said and ran with it. It fills pickup tube and cuts off oil supply. Seems to me he's trying to steer you in there by damage, dealers give absolutely incorrect information all the time trying to drum up more work for themselves.

If you've already done it and no leaks you're good, it should be a nominal amount, more like 1/8" (.125"), 1mm. is only .040", virtually impossible to put that small an amount.

I cover entire gasket surface and then take a finger and run along it to squeegee off the excess. I also run that same finger around inside edge to thin or none right where it would squeeze out. I don't car how much squeezes outside, not a problem there.

They make gaskets now to make that question moot and so much easier too. I'd put a gasket on any day before simply gluing, hard to get surface dry enough with all the drippage in there. One of my Focus cars is glued and the other has gasket.

thanks for your help. I needed to hear that. i did a very fine bead and it did not leak for a few months, then weather got cold and commute changed recently (up to highway speeds within minutes at beg of commute). Now its leaking and i'm half way on the dipstick.

[amc49]

See if you can find a gasket at a standard auto part store now, back when I did it there were none but may be now. If gasket used then no glue or sealant. It was moronic of Ford to simply glue them up anyway, you can do it easy on assembly line with trans upside down, clean and dry, and no oil in it but repeating that out in the field sucks, even their mechs have leak trouble because they cannot wait long enough to let trans stop dripping. One drop of oil dripped into the sealer and you got a leak even with best efforts.

[finalfantasy]

see http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=278431

you sure to apply gasket dry? that would require tightening pattern correct?

[AdrianVan]

Anybody else out there think I should just replace all six solenoids while in there anyway? I also have the new wiring harness but I don't want to mess with that.

[amc49]

Putting gasket sealer on does not absolve you having to use tightening pattern. In fact makes it more necessary, the sealer allows gasket to squish out of place easy if not tightened evenly.

If you change all six solenoids you may as well change the transmission too while you're in there............

[jackwagon1980]

02 focus wagon. shudders when it shifts between 3-4 at low RPM. Shifts fine with o/d button "off" does solenoid A control this?