Issues with new 2012 Ford Focus

[raywal]

My radios done that a couple of times I find if you change frequencies you go from Fm to AM and then back to FM it corrects itself

[Graeme S]

Originally Posted by raywal

My radios done that a couple of times I find if you change frequencies you go from Fm to AM and then back to FM it corrects itself

Awesome, I'll try that when I'm out today. Thanks!

[gtncpa]

Yup, that fixes it!

[suss6052]

Originally Posted by Graeme S

Just want to chip in here; I love the transmission on my oh-twelve focus Ti. I think I've noticed what you guys are talking about, the slight shuddering at times when starting up. I don't find any particular fault in that, I just think the computer is confused by what I want and wasn't expecting shifts or starts. It reminds me of when I was first learning manual and dropped my foot off the clutch a bit too fast and almost stalled out.

I have found that I am now leaving it almost constantly in S mode now that I've taught it how I like to drive. For the first couple hundred klicks I shifted manually in S-mode: downshifting when braking (especially downhill), and it now knows to downshift for me.

I can honestly say this is the first automatic transmission I have actively liked. Given that this is the first mass produced ford with a dual-clutch computer-controlled manual, I can be a bit forgiving about the occasional clutch hiccough; and as yet it has never failed to kick in when I've needed.
Next scheduled service is in a month, so I'll bug them about it when it goes in. Just leaving a comment here.

Snip

Oh, and also: does anyone know if it's possible to recalibrate the gas tank? Last time I filled it up, I got in about 30 Litres (the capacity of the tank is about 49 litres, right?) despite the fact that it was a bit below the 1/4 mark.

No you can't re-calibrate the fuel gauge, its designed this way on purpose.

There are at least two reasons why the analog gauge lies to you.

One it's programmed to get you to refuel before you have the chance to run out of fuel.

Secondly once you use the reserve fuel you risk damaging the fuel pump as you start to either over heat it, or start actively sucking out any of the debris and deposits that formed on the bottom of the tank over time.

The guage is optimistic over the first half so that people feel that the fuel is going further and then drops aggressively on the lower half to remind you to get fuel sooner, or so that's how it appears in pretty much every car I've seen or driven in the last 6 or 7 years.

[ElGatto]

Not to start a controversy, but my 2012 Focus fuel guage is quite is quite accurate. When it indicates a quarter tank it takes 9 gallons to fill up. Since the tank hold 12 gallons a quarter tank equals 3 gallons left. Quite accurate I'd say.

[Blk5dr64]

I guess I spoke too soon about having my transmission repaired by having new clutches installed twice. The car has reverted back to the "leaping, lurching, and/or jumping" from 1st to 2nd gear. It is worse when car is cold. And the trans refuses to downshift when needed. Like I have to get out of someone's way, press down on the gas, it hesitates too long. Then it will go into a much lower gear than needed.
Will take it back to the dealer, and back again, and again if necessary, I wish I had never purchased this car.

[ElGatto]

At this point in time I have absolutely no problems with my focus, but then, it's in the repair shop with $7000 worth of collision damage.
I have a feeling if any problems arise with this car it will be someone else's.

[52wrench]

Well it's nice to see I'm not the only one with this problem. I love the car except for the shudder on takeoff. I just got back from a 600+ mile trip on secondary roads and averaged 40.3 mpg, this was with two people, three scuba tanks and all my dive gear. I bought it in July '11 and it presently has 25000+ miles on it. No trouble up 'til now, they did the reprogram last time I had it in for an oil chg, about 4000 ago. It seems like the problem started then. Anyway, it does the shudder thing when taking off and going into 2nd. I've worked on cars all of my life and have done numerous clutch jobs, the clutch disc has to be either glazed or it has fluid on it from a leaky seal. It's temp related, the hotter the ambient, the bigger the problem. Used to be in the old days when you had a glazed disc you would do a few high RPM clutch dumps and it would remove the glazing and all would be good, can't do that with this one. Anyway I'm making an appt. I traded my '04 F350 CC 6.0 diesel for this, I don't have to tell you guys about the 6 OH! problems I'm sure. I will give Ford one more chance, if they don't take care of this it will be Toyo, Subaru, Nissan, Huyandi, etc. I will never give a cent to Obama motors and I will never buy a Chrysler. IMHO, Ford missed the boat on the DCT when they went with dry clutches, should have gone the multi-plate wet clutch route but they cost more. They are much smoother and don't have glazing probls. and only chatter if there is a mech. problem, ie. broken pressure plate, etc. Sorry for the long one.

[dmortonkingston]

I chimed in on the transmission problem awhile back.
After going on a long trip from Kingston, Ontario Canada to Philadelphia the problem has gotten ALOT worse. A few times during the trip my car would neutralize (rev up) when I stepped on the gas to speed up or pass someone.
When we take the car on the highway for approx 20-30 min and pull off and come to a stop, as soon as I accelerate it shudders immediately but then seems to be ok afterwards. We will have dinner, jump back on the highway to come home and will do it again when getting off the highway and coming to a stop.
I also have a bad chatter when it shifts into 2nd gear.
I am not stupid when it comes to transmissions, my husband has been buidling them since he was 12 (family owned shop) and I have worked here with him for 10 years.
We do warranty work for our local Ford dealer and they are dealing with engineering on it. They have a Fiesta with the same transmission pulled apart due to a leaking seal that has dumped fluid on the clutch system, they are NOT AVAILABLE here. Since they only have one holder for the car, I am stuck waiting. We do not want to have them sub the job to us since we have no information on them and do not have the holder.

I love my car but this is starting to make me crazy. We want to take a trip to New Brunswick, but I do not want to be stranded on the way there. We have a brand new Mustang 5.0L but I don't really feel like breaking the bank with gas to drive it there. Not when I pay a good chunk of change for my car.

Sorry for the rant.

[JimsFocus]

Originally Posted by Blk5dr64

I guess I spoke too soon about having my transmission repaired by having new clutches installed twice. The car has reverted back to the "leaping, lurching, and/or jumping" from 1st to 2nd gear. It is worse when car is cold. And the trans refuses to downshift when needed. Like I have to get out of someone's way, press down on the gas, it hesitates too long. Then it will go into a much lower gear than needed.
Will take it back to the dealer, and back again, and again if necessary, I wish I had never purchased this car.

This is why I decided not to keep my Focus. Ford service managers told me that Ford didn't know how to fix the transmission problems, and attempts to do so didn't last. I didn't need months and months of headaches.