I'd think you'd drive it like any other car.

 

+1.

But when should I change the Oil?

 

Lol mine in stop and go, is stutter then stop and stutter and stop lol, waiting to gather some money for tune , heard it takes it away


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Drive it like you would a stick shift...in a stick you don't let the clutch drag so that you just creep forward. You come to a complete stop wait for a decent gap in front of you, then give it right foot and go forward till you catch up and then come to a complete stop again...lather rinse repeat.

 

This x10.
Don't stay behind creepers either, people that stop with 5 car lengths ahead and slowly let the car creep up.
Also, some people take off slowly, and you need to take of quickly in the DCT. So let the dude in front of you go a tiny bit before you start to. If you go, hit your brakes, then go some more, your DCT will hate you.

Once you get used to driving it correctly it becomes second nature. I'm one of the few people that actually likes the DCT, it's different but it isn't hard.

 

drop it in sport mode and drive it like a manual. Hell, I drive sport mode 90% of the time. DCT is just freeway driving for me.

 

I stay in sport mode until at least in 3rd then switch to D. I then put back in S when I know I'll be stopping. I've tried using the selector to shift but it doesn't come close to driving a manual.

 

Wait wait wait, I thought we WEREN'T supposed to let the car creep with a DCT? That causes more shuddering, no?

 

exactly don't let the clutches slip (1 gear no throttle)

on some conditions it could make the clutch pack overheat.

 

OP got it backwards, creep is def. to be avoided with clutches in the mix - manual or automated.

 

So how do we drive it then?


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It's tough in stop/go traffic. You leave a gap and someone pulls into it. I remember seeing it noted that the DCT was to be driving "decisively" vs tentatively. Drive with purpose.
Since I've seen a few mentions of Clutch Scrubbing, I've tried googling it. Not found. I have not yet had time to watch the video link on the scrubbing. Exactly what is it and does it work?

 

It's tough in stop/go traffic. You leave a gap and someone pulls into it. I remember seeing it noted that the DCT was to be driving "decisively" vs tentatively. Drive with purpose.

Since I've seen a few mentions of Clutch Scrubbing, I've tried googling it. Not found. I have not yet had time to watch the video link on the scrubbing. Exactly what is it and does it work?

I've done it and it helped, pretty much your going to want to floor your car up to like 3-4th gear then stop and do it again like 4-5 times, so you'll have to find a place with an open area

 

I prefer manuals but I take what's available except for the ZX3. I called my local Ford dealer and as a joke, asked if they had a new 07 ZX3 in Screaming Yellow, 5spd with the 500 Watt Sony Audiophile sound system. I got a call back within an hour saying they found one at another dealer and will bring it in tomorrow. I went and got it.

 

I admit due to the DCT, I've been reluctant to let my wife drive it. the car knows my driving habits. and she is much more likely to let it crawl in D in stop/go traffic. Plus I admit I hate to re-adjust my seat, mirrors and steering column.

 

From what I have learned this is what I do.

1) Do not creep forward. I know this is hard to do but refrain from it as much as possible. Do not let your foot off the gas and let the car move forward on its own. This is slipping or dragging the clutch.

2) In D accelerate strongly from a stop. This trans grabs the gears and holds on to them firmly.

3) In S you don't have to switch between gears 1,2,3,4,5,6 with the toggle switch. Leave the gear shift lever alone in S. The computer brain will do the switching for you in S. The difference between D and S is that in S the computer will hold the gear for a longer time before switching to the next gear. The computer switches because it has to, since you are not switching gears. The computer won't let you hurt your car. Holding gears for a longer time is good. I think this is the result when you drive "decisively". When it rumbles or stumbles it does that because it does not know what gear to be in. If it is holding a gear longer the computer brain is not confused. That is what is so bad about stop and go driving. The computer brain can't figure out what gear to be in. I think the clutches must get overworked and hot. I drive in S without shifting in town for stop and go driving. I drive in D at 45 and above when there are no stops. D has 6th gear and is like overdrive. S does not get into 6 gear unless you toggle switch through the gears to 6. If you drive above 45 in S without toggling to gear 6 the engine is working harder then it needs to.

4) If you are good at switching gears leave it in S and switch the gears yourself with the toggle switch. When you start pushing the toggle switch the number of the gear you are in will appear next to there S in the small blue screen above the steering wheel. Me, I am not so good at switching gears. I just leave it in S for stop and go and D for the highway.

 

These cars are so sensitive from the trans it's annoying lol


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These cars are so sensitive from the trans it's annoying lol


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sell/trade it... it's a car []

 

OHH the lucky people with a sport or rx and paddle shifters, those of us with the standard DCT only have D + L have to deal with the shuddering
what is with ford? can they not use the normal automatic trans from the 2x4 escape and drop this junk getrag dry clutch dct?

 

those of us with the standard DCT only have D + L have to deal with the shuddering

Not everyone has the shuddering.

 

Just my 2 cents, the way it drive; i let people in front move forward about a car lenght. I then hit the gas pedal pretty hard. Not launch it, but a pretty good acceleration. I also NEVER creep the car forward. Also, i can pretty much feel when its about to upshift. So if i need to stop, i let off the gas before it upshifts. If youre going to accelerate, make sure you are able to follow through. If you upshift then hit the brakes, you'll confuse the trans and you'll get a quick jerk. Had that happen once when i bought. I hardly ever use sport mode. Only time i use it is if i need to pass someone on the highway. Otherwise it stays in drive. I cant thinknof anything else atm. 19600 miles and no shuttering. It makes noises every now and then but apparently its normal.

 

For you guys using sport mode and stabbing the "go pedal" All of this seems like a band aid to this transmission. Holding gears longer in sport mode is using a lot of gas i would assume and same goes for stabbing the gas to take off.

 

If it works, it works. Some might prefer to visit the gas station more often than deal witht the dealership and fix the car. Not to mention the time it would take to fix the clutch.

 

Heh, [hihi] Works fine for you, then more power to you. Glad something is working for some of you.

This all seems crazy. One guy said hes hesitate to let his wife drive his focus. Come on now. Ford made a "1" driver car on accident. [giddy]

On Topic: Do the clutch scrub whenever the car starts acting up then drive it like a normal automatic. Thats the only way i can enjoy this car. After doing the most recent scrub. My shuddering is gone and slipping while making a fast turn.

So thats my band-aid advice. Scrub then drive it like a normal automatic till it acts up which mean scrub again. Sooner or later youll need new clutches on Fords $$$.

 

Lol I read that too! Seat adustment can be solved by putting some tape on the adjuster to where it suits the driver. If sone one tampers with it, just adjust it to where the tape lines up.
I REFUSE to let ANYONE drive my baby, ford focus or not!

 

It's not simply the back/forth adjustment that changes but the up/down and tilt that can change with a different driver. 6 way power seats are ok, but if they had a memory for the settings used by the main driver, it would be really nice.

 

i've never had an issue with this but of course since i've driven manual more than i have an automatic(this is my first DCT car) i'm used to always giving it gas instead of lurching forward, so i've carried that over.

EDIT: this also may be since i have paddles as some people have stated?

 

If by paddles, you mean the paddle shifter? Paddle shifter are not part of the transmission problem. All they do is allow the driver to shift gears.

 

I drive mine normally in heavy traffic. No issues.

 

I can't believe people are still complaining about the DCT. There are so many resources available that inform drivers of the differences between the DCT and a traditional transmission. There are so many resources that give drivers the best techniques to use while driving the DCT. Yet, people continue to complain and curse Ford for not 'fixing' the transmission that works exactly as it was engineered.

Its like if you owned a Corvette and traded it for a Kia Rio and were completely shocked that the Kia Rio doesn't handle like a Corvette. "I had no idea this car would handle so poorly! Kia should fix this problem!" It's like people aren't willing to accept that they should stop driving the Rio like a Corvette and start driving it like a Rio.

If you don't like the way the DCT functions, then you bought the wrong car. The Focus had this transmission BEFORE you bought it, so don't get your panties in a twist when you realize you wanted a different car.

*This post is not directed at the OP, but rather at whiny Mk3 owners*

 

I very well knew about how a dct works and shifts well before ford started using it, as VW had them starting in 2003 with a better wet clutch unit. us VW techs started going to schools for them in 2002.we well knew how they work. fords using the poorer less torque rated dry clutch design is the issue, it simply fails to work as well as the stronger wet design, electric ver hydraulic operation.
why am I ticked off? it is sold and listed as a automatic not what it is. sales people don't know about it's operation or fail to tell people about how it works. they simply sell it as a automatic . the dct is something a non tech wouldn't know anything about,

sailor yes ford could very well use the 6f35 6 speed escape trans since it is used in the base 2x4 escape mated with the 2.5l duratech engine a bigger bother of the 2.0 and both cars share a lot of parts,
the euro ver focus with a 1.5 ecoboost I sure would love to know more about as it's drive line here in the usa.IMM would help ford regain the bad word that the dry dct has caused them and increase sales at the same time. taking away people long time ford owners like myself who are going to the mazda 3 version of the focus

 

In answer to the question why didn't Ford drop an Escape transmission into the Focus. The answer is gas mileage and CAFE standards. An Escape trans would give you MK2 gas mileage.

I do find it interesting the new 2017 Escape has LOWER gas mileage with its new stop start technology than the outgoing 2016. The 2017 battery must weigh a TON. Somehow Ford is okay with lower gas mileage in that Escape. Why they are not concerned with CAFE I don't understand.

Lastly, when people buy these cars they are not advised on how to drive them. Many salesmen themselves are not good with manual transmissions and don't have that background experience to draw on. Don't put down the buyers. They are just people looking for help.

 

In answer to the question why didn't Ford drop an Escape transmission into the Focus. The answer is gas mileage and CAFE standards. An Escape trans would give you MK2 gas mileage.

I do find it interesting the new 2017 Escape has LOWER gas mileage with its new stop start technology than the outgoing 2016. The 2017 battery must weigh a TON. Somehow Ford is okay with lower gas mileage in that Escape. Why they are not concerned with CAFE I don't understand.

The EPA issued new rules last year describing how to test new vehicles starting with model year 2017.

You can read the entire letter the EPA sent to automakers, which contains details on how many miles the test vehicle should have on it, how old the tires should be and more. here - https://iaspub.epa.gov/otaqpub/display_file.jsp?docid=34102&flag=1

Hence the MPG change in some of the 2017 vehicles [welcome]

BTW, Ford Europe is using the same automatic transmission from the Escape in the Focus equipped with the 1.5l EcoBoost.

 

Could be Ford's cafe is lower then GM's & FCA's

 

It is also the buyers job to research a vehicle. Buying a car is huge investment. If you cant take the time to research a vehicle, dont expect it be trouble free just from going on a test drive. Some may get lucky, others wont.

 

Agreed.

 

Thank you, should have remembered that one (6F35) as it's been discussed before as an alternative.

IIRC the reasons mentioned for not using it were primarily that it's "overkill" for the purpose matched to a 2.0 or 1.6 N/A as in the Focus & Fiesta. Larger/heavier/more complex & expensive than needed supposedly, since it was designed for larger vehicles.

Interesting to see it mated to the 1.5 Ecoboost in newer European versions.

(I'm sure I'd be happier with one of those if I had a MkIII automatic, prefer not to have one at all but if you need one the traditional type can be handy. DCT's need to be great to be worth the downsides.)