2012 Focus SE Transmission Grinding

[Miller88]

Originally Posted by Tarzanalog

Noemi (or anyone),

Mostly just a Q: about the adaptive transmission, but since the flash to bring it up to date (and my transmission service)... my Focus started out shifting in the lower gears at lower RPMs (which I prefer) but has gradually adjusted to shifting at around 3,000 RPMs. Perhaps I could understand this if I were a street racer, but I'm not... I'm 40 and I bought the car for the gas mileage and have to think that it'd be getting better MPGs if it would consistently shift at lower RPMs, no? Even using the Select Shift it is reluctant to shift below 2,000 RPMs. Is this normal? Is there a setting that my dealer can toggle in the software to get it to maximize shifting for MPGs?

Depends on how you look at it. It's a tiny 4 cylinder engine, it doesn't make torque down low.

While accelerating, if you can keep the engine in the low end of the torque band, you'll have the best efficiency.

Shifting at 3000 should put you at around 2200-2500 after the shift and that would be the low end of the torque curve.

Anything below that, for acceleration, and you're really overworking it out of it's torque curve.

I've found I get the best mileage out of my 2.0 Duratec in 11 Focus if I keep the revs between 2000 and 3000.

[Tarzanalog]

... which I would like to do also, but its shift point is anything BUT consistent. It's 500 miles now since they replaced the clutch and throwout bearing and I would think that it would have learned by now how I drive (which is fairly conservative... just short of being a hyper-miler) and it frequently shifts at 4000 rpm which I don't think it should EVER do based on my driving habits.

What's worse is I'm getting a rattling/grinding noise again periodically when it DOES shift at lower RPM but unlike before the repair (and in your video Tiburon) when it would grind at the moment of the shift... now it's a rattle or rock-tumbler noise after the shift at lower RPM as the higher gearing is trying to take over. I'm going to wait another week, but if it is getting worse at that point I'm going to turn it back over to my dealer to tinker with for the two weeks that I'm abroad when it won't be driven much.

[Jomax]

I'm having noises when I take a turn hard or when accelerating. Ford guy told me its normal and let it break in..is this the throw out bearing?? Only 1500miles..


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2000 Black DRW F-350
2012 pearl white Focus

[Tarzanalog]

Hard to tell... best to have a Ford tech investigate. I drove mine for only a couple of weeks with it making the noise as in Tiburon's video and it was bad enough to replace the clutch along with the throwout bearing when they dug into it... and that was at 700mi. for me.

Mine now also has a windshield creaking noise (since I got it back) that seems to be getting worse. At first I thought that it was just because of the cold weather, but it didn't have it when I first bought it Jan. 3 (colder than now) or in the month leading up to the repair work (that I could tell, there were other more pressing noises to deal with). I'm making a laundry list of things for them to look at later this week when I'm going to take it back in.

The new (but familiar) noise I described in post #22 of this thread now only appears infrequently but if I've been driving the car around town for awhile with frequent up/down shifting it'll do it on downshifts as well as when taking off from a stop. Still more of a shudder after the shift than a grinding like it's trying to get into gear. It was doing it so bad one day that I was contemplating dropping what I was doing and heading right to the dealer but then out of nowhere it just stopped... almost as if something fell off the car or something. Crazy. So now I feel like I need to ask them to look for something that might just flat out be missing. They're gonna think I'm crazy.

What's frustrating is that a key selling point of the 2012 Focus for me was the technology stuff that I'm currently not able to enjoy since I drive around with everything off (including the blower motor when I can) just listening for extraneous noises. Sigh.

[JCinKY]

Wow. My car makes the exact noise as in the video.

I've scheduled an appointment at the dealer tomorrow for an unrelated issue (the door pillars were scratched in transport) so I will have them look at that.

Love the car so I hope this isn't as bad an issue as it seems.

[FordCustomerService]

Originally Posted by JCinKY

Wow. My car makes the exact noise as in the video.
I've scheduled an appointment at the dealer tomorrow for an unrelated issue (the door pillars were scratched in transport) so I will have them look at that.
Love the car so I hope this isn't as bad an issue as it seems.

Hey JCinKY,

Congratulations on your Focus and to the forum.

If you need further assistance, send a PM with the VIN, current mileage, personal and dealer contact info and I'll contact the Customer Service Manger on your behalf. Keep me posted on the dealership visit.

Thanks,

Noemi

[JCinKY]

Originally Posted by FordCustomerService

Hey JCinKY,

Congratulations on your Focus and to the forum.

If you need further assistance, send a PM with the VIN, current mileage, personal and dealer contact info and I'll contact the Customer Service Manger on your behalf. Keep me posted on the dealership visit.

Thanks,

Noemi

Thank you. I have an appointment to have the transmission looked at this Monday. If I need further assistance I will PM you.

[FordCustomerService]

Originally Posted by JCinKY

Thank you. I have an appointment to have the transmission looked at this Monday. If I need further assistance I will PM you.

Hey JCinKY;


Great! Keep me posted on the results.

Thanks,

Noemi

[JCinKY]

Took the car in Monday and called to check up on it Tuesday afternoon. The techs were unable to duplicate the issue. I'm not sure what to do next as I know I had the exact sound as in this video.

Guess if they cannot duplicate it tomorrow I will get it back and take a record of when my car starts doing it and when it stops.

[sunny]

I purchased a 2012 Focus SE 10 days ago and the grinding noise started around 200mi. My car is in the shop and the Ford Service Director confirmed the noise today. The initial response from the Service Advisor was "Ford indicates this is normal until the break-in period after 5K mi." I had to escalated to the dealership for assistance. Next step is for me to drive with the Service Director to make sure we're hearing the same noise. I'm concerned they'll come back and provide the same standard response. This is my first Ford product and I feel like I've got a dud (lemon). I hope Ford can restore my confidence promptly.