[Sayer]

So my odometer just clicked past the 5000 mark a little over a week ago and I have to say this car just runs better and better the longer I have it. The dual clutch tranny had smoothed out considerably after a couple thousand miles but right before 5K it got even smoother. The car runs superbly smooth now, has no trouble figuring out which gear to be in and accelerates smooth and evenly. I noticed a pronounced improvement in performance once I switched to 93 octane and now the car just runs like a Swiss watch. Apparently the dual clutch just needs 4 to 5 thousand miles to really break in properly. It makes me wonder how long this tranny will last if it needs this long to be properly run in. I have never had the car in for a warranty issue, just a first oil change at 5000 miles. I couldn't be more satisfied with my purchase. Great car Ford.

 

[fordtech122]

That's great to hear. My wife's car had some clutch chatter pulling out, but seems to be getting better. I agree with you that Ford did a nice job on this car.

 

[feta_mgp]

I seem to notice that after more aggressively driving and highway driving, my clutch seems to get choppy again and give me the "kid learning how to drive stick" shifts, but not for long. Hopefully with mixed styles of driving the longer it goes the better it gets. It was a little irritating today as down south where I go to school there's a lot more city stop and go and I have to be more aggressive.

Glad to know that the longer you have it the better it runs! That gives me a lot to look forward to as I'm not even over the 1000mi. mark yet!

 

[KMT100612]

This is good to hear I love driving my car also... Once I finally got it, for the first month of ownership, I tried to think of EVERY excuse 'under the sun' to drive it somewhere, just because wanted to drive it around all the time [8D]

Now I am more at that stage of wanting to see what Avg MPG I am getting, and also am working on getting that eco trophy lol. Also - I will mention the Foci's first big road trip is next month, so I very anxious to hit the open road[driving]

1600mi and counting... Kudos Ford [thumb] This car is Amazing!

 

[doug121041]

I have a little over 3,000 miles on my Focus now and notice that the tranny is getting smoother - - sometimes very smooth shifts and at other times I still get the abrupt shfts. I really don't uinderstand why it's not more consistently smooth. This double clutch automatic/manual transmission definitely takes some getting used to - - especially if you're a "car guy" and are tuned in to all of what's going on with the powertrain!

 

[PennSt8]

I've noticed that mine has begun to smooth itself out as well, then again it wasn't that bad to begin with.

 

[DanteCaspian]

I don't under stand the "breaking in" theory on this or other modern vehicles... any well made mechanics for that matter.
In regards to the duel clutch transmission, it is mechanics that have form, fit, function tolerances from the start. Is that to say then that there is wear on mechanical functions and materials that cause them to become worn out of build specifications... or is it that they are worn INTO specifications? I have a hard time believing the latter. As one who works within the mechanical tool industry, no one I know builds machinery of any nature to purposely "wear down" anymore. That is old mechanical 'sloppiness' that was given provision as back-in-the-day; the CNCs, VNCs and the like were not able to produce the tight tolerances. Now with vast improvements in technology, we are able to turn out incredibly accurate fitting components... down to nanometers.
We are not talking about a leather jacket here; rather steel, steadfast components measured and engineered to the thousands of an inch or less for QC and mechanical operation reliably.

Not to question the OP, or others on that, but I am honestly curious with "the breaking in" concept.
When it comes to the software and 'AI' that reads and adjusts timed operations to driving habbits, I could see the validity... but is that even the case?

I would love to hear an educated engineering response to my inquires!

 

[wag4513]

I don't think it is a mechanical break-in. I think the software has a learning function and over time it learns to function better with the driver(s) and the hardware. That is my wild ass guess.

 

[fordtech122]

I'm not an engineer but have been an automotive tech for 37 years. As far as the dual clutch six speed, here's what I know about them. The clutch assm. has 2 dry dics contained inside. The trans has 2 input shafts. There are 2shift motors for the shift forks and it also has 2 motors to release the clutches. The clutch motors are a screw type that release and engage each clutch individually. How fast or how slow they engage is an adaptive process. And the friction material on the discs also break in to the flywheel side of the dual clutch assm. Whenever you do a repair on one of these tranmissions, there is a whole drive cycle procedure that must be done with a laptop using Fords diagnostic software. If you fail to do the procedure, it could take 1k miles before the shift quality would be acceptable to the driver. Like I said, I didn't design it, but have to fix it if a problem arises. Hope this explanation helps some.

 

[Nutty 5.0]

As mentioned, the auto's need to "learn". fordtech122 seems to be a great asset to the community with his honest answers and help on here.

When the new F150's came out in 2009 the new 6 speed has similar learning characteristics. Totally different style of auto, but the software learning takes some time. Our 2010 150 was a bit odd, but as was stated by other Ford techs and owners, after 3-5k, they seem to smooth out nicely.

 

[Sayer]

I wouldn't be surprised if it is a combination of both. All I can tell you is that the car runs smoother over time and the clutches make less noise.

 

[feta_mgp]

That's good to hear! I'm also glad that just under 1k miles, I'm already seeing just about EPA rated MPG. My last tank which was ALL city driving except 40mi. on Tuesday to school and back and I averaged 27.6mpg, realistically. (Fuelly calculation, just did my first fill-up using trip miles as my calculation. 265 miles and less than 10 gallons put in, I thought I was lower than that!) So, I'm really loving this car already too!

 

[warneej]

Mine is just over 6400 miles and I love it more every day. Road tripped it twice and it performed fabulously. Transmission gives me very few quirks, I keep it in the back of my mind that its technically a manual and remember that its still shifting smoother than anyone I know driving any manual transmission.

 

[JSR84]

I don't under stand the "breaking in" theory on this or other modern vehicles... any well made mechanics for that matter.
In regards to the duel clutch transmission, it is mechanics that have form, fit, function tolerances from the start. Is that to say then that there is wear on mechanical functions and materials that cause them to become worn out of build specifications... or is it that they are worn INTO specifications? I have a hard time believing the latter. As one who works within the mechanical tool industry, no one I know builds machinery of any nature to purposely "wear down" anymore. That is old mechanical 'sloppiness' that was given provision as back-in-the-day; the CNCs, VNCs and the like were not able to produce the tight tolerances. Now with vast improvements in technology, we are able to turn out incredibly accurate fitting components... down to nanometers.
We are not talking about a leather jacket here; rather steel, steadfast components measured and engineered to the thousands of an inch or less for QC and mechanical operation reliably.

Not to question the OP, or others on that, but I am honestly curious with "the breaking in" concept.
When it comes to the software and 'AI' that reads and adjusts timed operations to driving habbits, I could see the validity... but is that even the case?

I would love to hear an educated engineering response to my inquires!

I understand what you're saying, but breaking in of components in an engine/transmission ect, makes perfect sense. Rings need to seat, clutches/bearings need to conform etc. With improved manufacturing technologies proper break in has become less of an issue but it still exists. Even with the ability to produce tighter tolerances components still need to time to adapt to each others unique shapes and we're talking a microscopic level here. This process creates more friction hence why new engines generally produce less power and less fuel economy then engines with a few KM/mile on them. I know when engines are designed there's a tolerance of initial wear taken into consideration when producing the components. The evidence is in the oil, if you do an oil analysis at 1,000, 2,000, and 3000KM you'll notice a steady decline of bearing material. This is because the bearings have conformed to the harder journals.

So I can see why the PowerShift improves with time.