Transmission Dropped Into Neutral?

[MC1992]

So today I was at the intersection on campus and it was my turn to go. When I started to accelerate and turn left the car felt like it just dropped into neutral. Kinda embarrassing, because everyone was waiting for me to go a little faster than snail speed at start off. It just wouldn't go. Gave it more punch and it buckled and launch off like a rocket! Wonder if it was because I didn't do a full stop and did more of a roll and when I accelerated the transmission just got confused. It's the automatic dct by the way. Never happened before though, even with the roll stops. Also while I'm at it, I never did notice any difference in the transmission after the update earlier this year.

[jellybean]

The same thing happened to me a few weeks back. http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=298670

1. Can you tell me the build date of your car.
2. How many miles on it.

Mine is 10/11 and has the 12B37 update too. It has 18K on it. I too did not notice any difference after the update, except for the roll back which no longer happens.

[Zestyfoo]

Same thing happened to me, twice. Pretty unsafe pulling onto a road and having the tranny drop to neutral. Fix for me was to shift into D and back to S. I have an ST now though, so doesn't matter anymore.

[jellybean]

Yes it is very dangerous...

My car would not engage S when I tried. In fact when I did do it, the car started shaking, the rpms dropped to less the 500rpm and S indicator light was not illuminated. The only way I could solve it was to turn the car off and then back on again.

[Joeywhat]

Originally Posted by MC1992

So today I was at the intersection on campus and it was my turn to go. When I started to accelerate and turn left the car felt like it just dropped into neutral. Kinda embarrassing, because everyone was waiting for me to go a little faster than snail speed at start off. It just wouldn't go. Gave it more punch and it buckled and launch off like a rocket! Wonder if it was because I didn't do a full stop and did more of a roll and when I accelerated the transmission just got confused. It's the automatic dct by the way. Never happened before though, even with the roll stops. Also while I'm at it, I never did notice any difference in the transmission after the update earlier this year.

What likely happened is that the car disengaged the clutch as you came close to stopping, and at precisely the same time you tried to accelerate. The computer has to reengage the clutch before you can go anywhere, and by the time it was able to do so you likely were given it more throttle then desired, which is why it took off like it did.

I can repeat this "issue" in my car at will. I don't believe it's an actual problem with the car, rather you just need to make sure to time your stops so you are not attempting to accelerate when the car is almost stopped. Either give it just a bit more time to reengage the clutch after releasing the brake, or come to a complete stop before accelerating again. This is just something the DCT does, as it has clutches and not a torque converter. A traditional automatic would always stay in gear, and connected to the engine, allowing for such operation, whereas our gearbox does not.

[MC1992]

Built date was 9/11 with 9,6xxx miles. It's just strange to me, because I do a lot of city driving and this is the first time that has happened from accelerating from a roll stop. I know that a lot of people had complaint about how it acts up in stop and go traffic, but I never had that issue before.

[cbdallas]

Strangely, mine does just the opposite when I try to accelerate after nearly coming to a complete stop. It chirps the tires & lurches forward...something it won't do from a dead stop even with full throttle.

[cobie56]

Originally Posted by Joeywhat

What likely happened is that the car disengaged the clutch as you came close to stopping, and at precisely the same time you tried to accelerate. The computer has to reengage the clutch before you can go anywhere, and by the time it was able to do so you likely were given it more throttle then desired, which is why it took off like it did.

I can repeat this "issue" in my car at will. I don't believe it's an actual problem with the car, rather you just need to make sure to time your stops so you are not attempting to accelerate when the car is almost stopped. Either give it just a bit more time to reengage the clutch after releasing the brake, or come to a complete stop before accelerating again. This is just something the DCT does, as it has clutches and not a torque converter. A traditional automatic would always stay in gear, and connected to the engine, allowing for such operation, whereas our gearbox does not.

I agree w/ what you wrote but it should not have to be this way... perhaps the DCT should have been engineered to disengage the clutch at a much lower speed , or not anticipate the stop and only disengage when the car actually does stop or, as in when using a manual, allow some 'slippage' so that these abrupt actions do not occur. The way things are now it's at best, annoying and at worst, dangerous. I have found that the only positive thing this 'issue' prevents is california stops which are uncomfortable w/ the present set up as the clutch can't 'read' the driver's intentions so it disengages when its engagement is needed most pushing the driver to make an actual full stop.

[jellybean]

Originally Posted by MC1992

Built date was 9/11 with 9,6xxx miles. It's just strange to me, because I do a lot of city driving and this is the first time that has happened from accelerating from a roll stop. I know that a lot of people had complaint about how it acts up in stop and go traffic, but I never had that issue before.

our build dates are within a month of each other. I am 10/11, 18000miles