Moved this to the MkIII section where you'll get more discussion & find more info. on the trans..

 

from what I have been hearing from shop techs, the 16 while better then a earlier ones, they are still suffering from the same issues with the dct .one dealer has 2- 16's down with bad clutches already
it is not your normal trans and takes time to get used to esp. in the lower 3 gears where they sometimes tend to slip/shudder/grind and bang when they shift, sometimes bad enough to turn heads from people walking near by while one drives past. in my case my wife won't drive it unless she has no choice due to it.

ford has the trans in house for several years to fix it. simply use a normal one from the escape, but they opted to go after mpg's to up the corp. café ratings lost by the bigger gas guzzling models ie.shelby, sd trucks

 

So basically I should get a new trans installed from an Escape, is that right ? Is that even possible ' ?

 

No, that's not possible. He was just pointing out how Ford screwed the pooch on the DCT while the Focus's stablemate got a good transmission.

Ask a service writer or tech to go for a ride with you so you can point out the issue & they can begin working on it.

 

Ok sounds like a plan, hopefully they can figure it out and fix it, cause I really don't want to get rid of this car or do a trade as I basically had it fully customized before purchase >.<'. An then the trany starts having issues not even 6 months later, so not happy about that as I regularly go up in the mountains for bike rides etc, so having a trany thats reliable is a must.

Will be making a call to the dealer to make an apointment for a checkup, I've had this car there several times already for the window deflectors, bike racks etc etc, so they at least know me lolz.

 

One thing that has helped me out is driving decisively, commit to your throttle usage. it is not like a normal automatic where you can be off and on the gas and the transmission adjust to it without you knowing. I had my TCM re-flashed with the latest update about sixth months after purchase and changed my driving style for the relearning process and it has definitely helped since.

 

This right here is very VERY important. The DCT learns from your driving habits and adjusts accordingly. If your the type of person whose crazy inconsistent with the throttle then you sir will have a day day and expect to see shudder, grinding, and all sorts of weird behavior.

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If you can. You will end up trading this car. The transmission kills it. I'm waiting till the day I can trade this. See my signature. The transmission in this car is a mistake and give many buyers remorse if they wasn't aware of this trans before buying the car. Welcome to the club and sorry your a member of this club.

Also I'm tired of people saying Ford fixed this issue in the 2016. They haven't and will not unless they change transmission period from this dry clutch system.

If you search back you see post dating back that Ford fixed this issue in the 2013 back in late 2012. Or you see people saying Ford fixed this issue In the 2014 focus in June of 2014.

Please stop saying Ford fixed the dct main issues with each new year that comes out. Not to long ago people said it was fixed on the 2015 and it's not.


Oh yea. Ford did fix the issue with the 2016 ecoboost focus automatic.

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Have you tried putting the transmission in "S" mode and shifting thru the gears using the SelectShift button on the shifter ?

Start out in 1st applying the gas firmly and build up the revs till you are ready to upshift to 2nd and just before doing so, back off the gas just a tad and then shift. Try doing this as you upshift through each gear.

The action that I've described mimics what you would be doing if you were driving a six speed manual with a manual clutch. In other words, you back off the accelerator just a bit as you depress the clutch and manually shift into the next gear and resume acceleration.

As you are shifting through the gears, particularly 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd, IF you feel the beginning of a shudder accelerate harder with the mindset "I'm just going to push through this". This applies whether your shifter is in "D" or "S".

 

only have 300 miles on my 2017 elantra , it's 2.0 only makes 147 hp has MPI not gdi but sure feels stronger
strongest thing I like is it has a very smooth shifting TC controlled automatic and better a/c

 

I was talking with the sales manager at the Hyundai dealer about the dct trannies. turned out we had known each other years back so he opened up.
Hyundai has a few models with dct trannies the base veloster has a 6 sped dct the turbo uses a 7 spd the elantra will be getting a 7 spd dct soon behind the turbo 1.4 he stated they were having issues with their dct already in that 2016 model.
dodge was smart and pulled out of backing getrag but did use a dct in the dart but from what I hear gave up on it.

one poster wrote about driving and manually upshifting from sport mode. sorry guy not every focus has the S mode many people have lower base models that only have D& L with a hill botton,
mine was one of them, following the swap sticky thread I swapped out the shifter and made the BCM & ipc changes so it would have selective shifting .while it helped when the clutches are going south it only helps a little bit
one thing I did find was my SE was a base 200a car and had the better 201a bcm behind the glove box, " the fog lamp fuse being in place helps tell" for the factory upgrade of 201a which adds the selective shifting fog lamps and more , to do the shifter swap all I had to do was more of a plug and play of the shifter then change line 243 to selective shifting,
if the car is a base S model focus one has to follow the thread,

difference in a base SE shifter is the shift knob and shifter wire harness . sadly the harness is only available with the whole shifter it is not a separate service item. other wise the knob, harness and reprograming ofr the bcm line 243 turns a non S mode D & l into a D & S

 

Getrag's roadmap states that around now we should be seeing the 7DCT300 for mid-torque engines.

If Ford is still using 6sp DCTs then they are still using the old trans from Getrag, there's no possibility that they would use the new 6DCT150 since that is for lower torque applications than the current 6DCT250 and the 6DCT150 is expected around 2020 according to Getrag.

Maybe Ford is waiting for someone else to try the 7DCT300 before they put it into their own models?

 

Getrag's road map switches to all "wet" DCT types.

I'm figuring that they're running out the agreement on the joint venture plant for 6DCT250 production before making a change. To what is the question.

6DCT450 hasn't had the same bad rep., but they already went to a 6 spd. torque converter style for the smaller engines.

 

"one poster wrote about driving and manually upshifting from sport mode. sorry guy not every focus has the S mode many people have lower base models that only have D& L with a hill button,"

I know that guy "Roswelltop" very well, and this is proof that he has become such the elitist! Goes around thinking that every Focus has the "S" button!!

Just wait until someone breaks it to him that some Focus' have cloth seats !

[neener][neener]

 

you and me both, i did the swap to the shifter and programing .it still didn't help to much other then making the car more enjoyable to drive, esp. on this 25% grade mountain I live on but not enough to keep it

 

I'd like to help you on this but I have a 5 speed 16'.....and I can drive a 100000000x smoother than Ford's Focus DCT can.....and the car is great. That's how f'ed up the DCT is when any manual/driver (NO matter the experience), can make a Focus feel great.

That being said, the manual loves gas/fuel at initial "bite" of the gearing....something the DCT is programmed to not do..hence the,.... "there goes my shit off the seat due to the ever-annoying ...jerking...f'ed up Ford DCT along with my severe neck pain and feeling like I'm driving with a teenager learning how to drive a f'ing stick.... again"

BTW, My gf has a 14' DCT..........every time it does it, I tell her to push the clutch in....(figuratively)..and it's exactly the stupid Ford problem, to much clutch, not enough fuel/slip.

Interestingly enough, I drive ~8 miles to work in 30-45mph zones. I've averaged ~32.1mpg since day one and I'm only at ~1600 miles. The same MPG as my gf's DCT...that is starving itself of life.

16' Sedan/OEM Body kit/5 Speed,....love it.

 

When i drive my 5 speed mustang around i always think," Ford says the way my DCT feel is normal and normal stick shift drivers should be familar to it:/ Hell no freaking way. My mustang doesn't jerk or buck or shudder. Why the hell would my manual transmission car shudder. Shuddering is not normal to manuals. Ford just screwed up something and wont fix it properly. I would completely dump Ford after this Focus but i can't since im a mustang lover and will always love them. But i tell you one thing im done with Fords non mustang cars for sure. I have no trust in them and it seems they flavor the mustang line and treat there engineering a bit better.

http://www.autonews.com/article/201...01059997/ford-gets-the-powershift-dual-clutch-transmission-right-but-is-it-too-
Look at those comments. There all from 2016 and very recent. This transmission was broke from the start and will be broke when they stop offering it.

 

It will be challenging for you to wade thru all the widely varying responses. Ford waged a highly successful campaign thru memos and service staff to convince owners that this transmission needs to be driven a certain way or its antics are your fault. This led to a thread actually devoted here to getting you properly trained to work with it.
The simple truth is that perhaps a dry dual clutch transmission should never have been made.
If the VW wet dual clutch is totally smooth and fine, maybe dry was just a bad idea.
Granted I am speaking of wet clutch VS dry, but if you put any Focus owner has been given the "must be your driving style" koolaid and let him drive the VW dual clutch, he'd emerge from the car enraged at how he had been hoodwinked, not only by Ford, but also by other owners who actually bought into the dis-information. Some Focus owners never have problem one, but for others its continuous and never really gets fixed, except with Tom's Tune.

 

only time my 12 v6 stang gave me a problem with the clutch was when the dual mass flywheel broke, installed a full act clutch no more problem
i'm hearing from ford people I know inside dealers about getreg dropping the dry clutch unit replacing it with a 350 torque wet unit of 6 and 7 speeds
still I wouldn't want another esp when this 17 elantra gives me 32 city mpg's with the 6 speed TC auto

 

^^ Cmon Mr. C, Ford really messed up on their responses to this including the "It's normal" routine, but I don't remember any how to drive it from them.

The thread here on how to drive it along with many other similar comments were good faith efforts by members here to help each other out with info. on what helped or seemed to help some avoid troubles while others were having more difficulties. Practical suggestions vs. what it ought to do.

VW's & Ford's wet clutch versions have had much less trouble, but nothing is trouble free & VW's had recalls & issues to deal with.

Yep, many have had constant issues and IMHO despite the good results from Tom's tuning even that is not a 100% fix for all not even including the mechanical failure cases he doesn't recommend tuning (until repaired).

When you take the situation as a whole, it's not good to put down the good efforts of many owners here who have tried to figure out the issues and direct people to the best fixes and best operational use to avoid trouble.

There ARE certain limits to the system that affect all DCT type transmissions and manual transmissions to varied degrees. I'm referring specifically to creeping below minimum clutch engagement speed which can't be done for long with any clutch type setup as the main example.

My main point is to defend the members here trying to help each other out, not the transmission/Ford/etc..

 

Hi Sailor, "messed up" is the understatement of the year. The Ford Focus DCT story is one of the most egregious examples of treating your customer horribly that I have ever seen. And to boot, the ford reps who used to be very present here aren't around much these days, from what I can tell. And over at Facebook, imo, they deliberately folded the Focus page into their main page because of the growing number of complaints on these same issues.
http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/4544875-post1.html
The link above was Fords corporate white-wash of many of the issues which have SINCE all turned out to be fixable by the same repairs we see posted here ad infinitum.
As I have often asked in the past, how can they be "normal" if a repair makes them go away?
Absolutely agree vw has had issues in the past but the two GTI's I have owned never had them.
I disagree about some of the suggestions here, for instance WOT-what a terrible way to ensure your car running smooth.
On the other hand the suggestions to close gaps in the air intake system would be wise on any car for any reason.
Agree Tom's tune is not a total cure-all but withing the constraints he details, it seems to do very well and begs the question, why hasn't Ford bought him out?
I totally disagree with anyone who tries to find 20 ways to live with an outrageous situation that should never happened to them.
We have lost something since the 60's in the country and way too many people just take it rather than fight back. To wit we have a choice now between Trump & Hillary? Frig em I'll vote libertarian.
last but not least, absolutely ALL dual clutch trannies are indecisive at very low speeds.
I don't care if in church or reading a ford memo, we are all given a brain and supposed to use it, if the church does something wrong, its WRONg and the same goes for Ford.
I do not agree or support people who willingly go along with Fords white wash and blame shifting tactics for the widely known issues with the DCT tranny. Especially the "you must be driving it wrong meme". How insulting to say that to people who may well have owned 20 cars in their lifetime. Lets call a spade a spade here. many issues that people have tried to agree with Ford were normal-go away when repaired. I can't emphasize this enough, its a glaring red flag.
We need more angry owners, not more people trying to find & explain 20 ways to "just get along" with the well-known at this forum variety of issues that they should not have.
I believe that everyone here works as hard as I do for their money and they deserve better. Henry Ford would be spinning in his grave if he saw this.
I am aware and grateful that I got off easy on mine because I traded it before all dealers became aware of the issues and also got a good break on the next car. I truly feel for the people here who, for whatever reasons personal to them, got into this car very underwater-they can NOT just walk away.

In three years of posts here, we have seen some owners get Ford to buyback their vehicle, THAT is the treatment they deserve for this fiasco. When you have a microwave or other small object that doesn't work right, you don't even blink an eye and return it. You would never think of finding all sorts of ways to adapt yourself to it. There is also at least one class action lawsuit and I used to see a lemon law blog devoted to the vehicle. At one time Consumer reports was brave enough to mention the issue. When the rental agent near your dealer knows why you need a rental, there is another red flag.. I addition, Edmunds town hall forum has a long section devoted to the folks with DCT problems.

And last but not least, many folks have no issues at all, Great and I'm glad for them, when the DCT runs right, the Focus is quick, sporty and economical for a great price. I have owned and loved two Ford Mustangs with the 302V8, two ford escorts as well as a german Ford Fiesta and 2 German Ford Capris.

 

Even though I have a five spd, I've read countless stories about the miseries that many people go through with the DCT. I am fortunate enough that I didn't go make the decision to get one.

I believe ford to be a pretty good car manufacturer but I have to wonder why they haven't ditched this transmission yet and take the loss. The countless amount of customers they have lost send to out weigh the money they are saving from trying to keep this transmission.


Sent from a potato

 

I agree with plenty of that, particularly the lack of decent choices in the presidential election!

Primarily like to promote more understanding between members here.

Just for fun discussion, I'd like to comment that the 60's gets viewed with rose colored glasses. Cars didn't last very long back then, and needed a lot of repairs/maint. to make it very long at all.

A car from that era was VERY exceptional to make 100k, most were considered worn out beyond 60k and 40k was about the longest a new car was typically kept by many.

I remember water pumps being replaced every couple years, and exhaust systems at a similar interval for a locally driven car. 15k might be good for tires IIRC, hard to remember numbers but I think the mileage guarantees for "radials" when they came out were a revelation at 30k (maybe 40k?).

Expecting 100k without significant troubles or maint., and 200k or better for a car's lifetime is a huge change from the way things used to be a lot more recently than the 60's.

 

guess my getting 200k out of a falcon was a odd ball then. only issue I had was doing valve seals about every 50k 2 generator rb's and 1 water pump.

 

Oddly enough I've still got a 5 gal. oil can my older brother got of straight 30W Valvoline to keep his early 60's Falcon going. Tired of buying it by the quart. Old can is quite handy, used it a lot for kerosene.

IDK how many miles that one got to, it was finally totaled and replaced with a Mustang.

 

same here, falcon for a stang then we have to remember the first stang was made on the falcon floor pan and shared a lot of parts .

 

Yep, and the later Fairmont was a similar situation.

Introduced the Fox body platform that Mustangs used for years.

 

yes it was the first fox frame . 1979 to 1995 soo it had a good run. i don't miss the 79 turbo stang that loved to burn up it's cast pistons but do miss the 85 gt as it had the last 302 w a 4 barrel holley carb, 1st year of the roller cam, shorty header and 5 spd tremic if it had been a auto trans it would have had the first TBI system ford used shortly

 

To the OP: If you don't like the vehicle now, or even one aspect of the vehicle now, I would bet your dislike won't subside.

If you haven't too many miles on the vehicle, trade it in now. If you're upside down, it will only get worse for a few years.

You have to ask yourself if you can live with the vehicle. If you have the slightest hesitation, get out now. The pain will only be worse as time proceeds for the 5-7 years the loan exists.

 

This is true. I only had this focus for 7 months now. I added numerous nice things. Even a $600 2 way Ford remote start and I still don't like this car. Wish I would've got the red ti sedan sitting next to this car in the lot. In the end I would've had everything without adding aftermarket money pretty much but didn't like the car color. Now I added a bunch and still can't bring my self to love it. Im done adding stuff because my love for the transmission is terrible.

So this guy is right with everything he said. The car is like a sour relationship going bad. It's just better spilt parts.

Btw I added the remote smart while I still was a newbie to the car and thought the little shudders I was getting wouldn't be a huge deal.


I was wrong

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So, this is a Late response but I figured I'd chime in with what I have done with the car since I last posted lol.

So I still have the car, and my transmission issue was fixed *for real O.O....*.
I had the TCM cleared and reprogrammed, and I drove the car as if I was driving the Taurus, slightly aggressive but not stupidly aggressive lol.

I also found out that the gas I was using was having an affect on how the engine performed etc, so I changed from Reg to Plus then to Premium, I know theres Alot of debate on whether it actually does anything or not, but in my case it did help and continues to do so. No more stutters etc etc, less I just don't give it enough gas, then it reminds me lol, but other then that I don't get any random stuttering with accelerating etc.

I have also modified the car since I last posted with a new K&N intake and MagnaFlow exhaust kit, cars got a bit more pickup an go now and sounds great, with a nice low tone, and no raspy bs you hear with kids and there weee lil honda's lolz [giggle] *wait....my cars small too ...*

 

Yep. A friend talked my wife into buying a 16 Focus. No codes have come up. So the guy at the shop told me to actually drive it a little harder. He probably thought that way the car would trash sooner and he would have to deal with me for a shorter period of time. So what do today? Stuck in the right hand lane found a spot to shoot out into the left hand lane and get by the stall traffic. And I practically hopped into the next Lane. I hated this car when she bought it. I hate this car when I'm stuck having to drive it. And now what I thought about Ford has been reinforced. I'm sticking to my Toyota. Toyota does a better job of pretending to care.

 

This is late to the party, but in response to the last poster, the dct per the dealer is essentially a manual transmission suffered by a computer.

in other words drive the car a little hard. Drive it like you’d drive a car with a stick shift except you aren’t doing the shifting and there’s not a clutch pedal.

Look up about how to do the tcm relearn, then take it out to a deserted road and go from a stop to about 60mph a few times full throttle to let it run through the gears to learn your driving habits.

I’ve got a 2013, and I’ve learned if I start to feel it shutter at all, depending on the situation, step down on the gas aggressively for a second or two to make it rev up and grab the next gear, or let off the gas completely to let the rpm’s drop so it will downshift.

My 13 in 2024 is approaching 184,000 miles and I’m pretty happy with the car. Last time I had it in for an oil change they said the oil was dirty but not low (I’d let it go 8000 between changes). So not really using oil. If you get used to the transmission it’s really a good little car and actually a lot of fun to drive. Compared to my wife’s Chevy Sonic with a 1.8 liter 4 cylinder and traditional transmission, I find the focus a lot more fun to drive and that it has a lot more zip. I’m usually getting about 36.2 mpg according to the computer as well.