Oil Leak: Dealer said Ford stated This is NORMAL

[BigFuzzyArchon]

So is this related to the transmission acting up? The oil leak? Is it worth going under my car and looking and then telling my dealer?

[xf7975]

Originally Posted by BigFuzzyArchon

So is this related to the transmission acting up? The oil leak? Is it worth going under my car and looking and then telling my dealer?

After the oil leak was fixed on my Focus, the transmission shifts were much smoother and I no longer heard the rattling noise that previously occurred under certain speeds. Is the oil change due soon? If so, perhaps it can be checked then?

[BigFuzzyArchon]

naw just had oil change, i can go under and look myself and if I see anything i can bring it in.

[Silver 2012 Focus]

Originally Posted by xf7975

Nice, your dealership is quick.

Quick to diagnose - it is yet to be seen if they get the parts, get them installed correctly and get the car back to me. Time will tell.

[IH84DZ]

A little sidebar regarding oil leaks:

Many manufacturers classify "leaks" in two ways. Leaks and seepage. Seepage is the wetness you'll often see around differential seals, front mains, driveshaft seals and it doesn't ever touch the ground. A very small amount pushes past seals and through the porosity of the case material. Seepage is considered "normal" in many cases and warranty repairs are technically forbidden. How your dealer responds to your concern and what they tell the manufacturer often differs from what the manufacturer would actually recommend, regarding seepage fixes.

Leakage is the same as seepage but it actually hits the ground


I always found this comical but it kinda makes sense. Most people are never underneath their car and those that are - more often than not have no clue what is and isn't supposed to be there....there is a reason your underbody isn't painted, chromed and covered in cute little plastic covers.

Furthermore producing millions of gearboxes, engines, differentials, transfer cases, etc with outsourced seals that have even greater production variance that seal every single drop of fluid for 5-10 years in every climate known to man is akin to government efficiency - it's just not gonna happen.

[Some Guy From NY]

Originally Posted by IH84DZ

A little sidebar regarding oil leaks:

Many manufacturers classify "leaks" in two ways. Leaks and seepage. Seepage is the wetness you'll often see around differential seals, front mains, driveshaft seals and it doesn't ever touch the ground. A very small amount pushes past seals and through the porosity of the case material. Seepage is considered "normal" in many cases and warranty repairs are technically forbidden. How your dealer responds to your concern and what they tell the manufacturer often differs from what the manufacturer would actually recommend, regarding seepage fixes.

Leakage is the same as seepage but it actually hits the ground


I always found this comical but it kinda makes sense. Most people are never underneath their car and those that are - more often than not have no clue what is and isn't supposed to be there....there is a reason your underbody isn't painted, chromed and covered in cute little plastic covers.

Furthermore producing millions of gearboxes, engines, differentials, transfer cases, etc with outsourced seals that have even greater production variance that seal every single drop of fluid for 5-10 years in every climate known to man is akin to government efficiency - it's just not gonna happen.

If anything the seals are what should be inspected the most and held to higher specs because look at the issue with the seals failing in the DCT. A "cheap" & "small" part such as the seal is causing thousands of dollars in damaged parts and labor.

[IH84DZ]

Originally Posted by Some Guy From NY

If anything the seals are what should be inspected the most and held to higher specs because look at the issue with the seals failing in the DCT. A "cheap" & "small" part such as the seal is causing thousands of dollars in damaged parts and labor.

And seal issues caused the same with the Edge/MKX's for years. I used to work for Ford and have a vested interest in seeing them do well but stuff like this happens. It happens to every manufacturer. If you build a hundred thousand pre-production models and test them from pole to pole in all climates around the world without issues - you eventually approve production. And every single time you will find things that ONLY happen when things are produced at higher volume and operated in climates that are as unique as the driver.

Perhaps it's not even a seal quality issue but rather an issue with how the seal is installed. I've seen seals that work perfect if installed by a machine in a jig and I've seen others that leak only because they were installed by a machine in a jig.

It's easy to play armchair quarterback and say "this should not happen". Few folks actually have the patience and willpower required to understand that no matter how rich and powerful a company (with HUGE competition) becomes, they have no interest whatsoever in making cheap junk that people don't want. It will be figured out. It will be fixed. It will require time.

Situations like THIS are why you have a warranty. Rogue exploding moonroofs, customer expectations of NVH and normal operating characteristics however are not.

[Silver 2012 Focus]

After 3+ days in the shop to fix the leak between the engine and the transmission, I have the car back. The paperwork does not specify that TSB 11-12-13 was performed but the text lists the steps that are in TSB 11-12-13 and the parts list is the same with one exception - the cluth assembly is BV6Z-7B546-B instead of BV6Z-7B546-A. I'm assuming since the TSB came out, the part was revised (hopefully for the better).

On the drive after picking the car up, I noticed the follwing:

1) The clutch was very grabby in the parking lot at low speed.
2) The transmission made no noise during any shift.
3) The shifts were a little harsh to start but by the end of the drive they had calmed down.
4) On my way home from work where I travel up and down different hills, the car did not seem to have difficulty with them - it seemed to be in the apprporiate gear and the transmission did not cause a shudder as it would have before the replacement.

Hopefully this is my last post on this subject. Only time will tell.

[Dysan911]

Originally Posted by Silver 2012 Focus

After 3+ days in the shop to fix the leak between the engine and the transmission, I have the car back. The paperwork does not specify that TSB 11-12-13 was performed but the text lists the steps that are in TSB 11-12-13 and the parts list is the same with one exception - the cluth assembly is BV6Z-7B546-B instead of BV6Z-7B546-A. I'm assuming since the TSB came out, the part was revised (hopefully for the better).

On the drive after picking the car up, I noticed the follwing:

1) The clutch was very grabby in the parking lot at low speed.
2) The transmission made no noise during any shift.
3) The shifts were a little harsh to start but by the end of the drive they had calmed down.
4) On my way home from work where I travel up and down different hills, the car did not seem to have difficulty with them - it seemed to be in the apprporiate gear and the transmission did not cause a shudder as it would have before the replacement.

Hopefully this is my last post on this subject. Only time will tell.

Mine was the exact same way in every detail. This was a couple months ago and to this day my transmission shifts PERFECTLY!. It always matches speed with the right gear, never bogs and if you need to slightly increase speed it will upshift smoothly and holds the gears through acceleration. You should also notice it pulls way harder from full throttle or passing on the highway.

[Kabigon]

Originally Posted by Silver 2012 Focus

After 3+ days in the shop to fix the leak between the engine and the transmission, I have the car back. The paperwork does not specify that TSB 11-12-13 was performed but the text lists the steps that are in TSB 11-12-13 and the parts list is the same with one exception - the cluth assembly is BV6Z-7B546-B instead of BV6Z-7B546-A. I'm assuming since the TSB came out, the part was revised (hopefully for the better).

On the drive after picking the car up, I noticed the follwing:

1) The clutch was very grabby in the parking lot at low speed.
2) The transmission made no noise during any shift.
3) The shifts were a little harsh to start but by the end of the drive they had calmed down.
4) On my way home from work where I travel up and down different hills, the car did not seem to have difficulty with them - it seemed to be in the apprporiate gear and the transmission did not cause a shudder as it would have before the replacement.

Hopefully this is my last post on this subject. Only time will tell.

The adaptive learning should improve the clutch engagement after some amount of mixed driving.