Dual clutch transmission

[fordtion]

Ford made this video recently? "I didn't hear the "click" and "more you drive it the smoother it gets"..Got to love Ford for making this video, sort of like the old Navy films on VD..

Edited October 14, 2011 by fordtion

[mrgdr57]

Here's another link, couldn't get the previous one to work.

 

 

Thanks. The other video was removed. I suspect they were not pleased with the quality of the video. The new post is much more crisp.

[GapBoyPCS]

Ford made this video recently? "I didn't hear the "click" and "more you drive it the smoother it gets"..Got to love Ford for making this video, sort of like the old Navy films on VD..

 

It was probably made sometime this year -- in Dearborn (I recognize some of the buildings that I've been in).

 

It might seem late to the game, but I have to agree with the "quirks" and break-in period for those who do a lot of highway like me. Only now is my transmission feeling a bit smoother after over 3,000 km in just over a month of driving.

[BlackHorse]

First thing, if you watch the video, right at 30 seconds in the car is pulling away from a stop and you can see it lunging and surging. That is all due to the transmission.

 

I know that the dual clutch has been in use in Europe for awhile now but this particular tranny is garbage. Mine is at 8000 miles and the clutches still rattle like crazy, the whole car shudders at times and always shudders around 40 mph and it hunts for gears at low speeds. It's just an all around crappy application of the technology. Ford blew it!!!!!! I'd hate to be one of the folks that spent 27 or 28K on a Titanium Focus and have to deal with this thing. That would really make me mad. The car feels like you're riding with someone who just learned to drive a stick two weeks ago all the time. It's gone as soon as I can afford to get rid of it.

[NSA]

First thing, if you watch the video, right at 30 seconds in the car is pulling away from a stop and you can see it lunging and surging. That is all due to the transmission.

 

I know that the dual clutch has been in use in Europe for awhile now but this particular tranny is garbage. Mine is at 8000 miles and the clutches still rattle like crazy, the whole car shudders at times and always shudders around 40 mph and it hunts for gears at low speeds. It's just an all around crappy application of the technology. Ford blew it!!!!!! I'd hate to be one of the folks that spent 27 or 28K on a Titanium Focus and have to deal with this thing. That would really make me mad. The car feels like you're riding with someone who just learned to drive a stick two weeks ago all the time. It's gone as soon as I can afford to get rid of it.

 

Truth.

 

I'm one of those who spent the $$ for the Titanium! Ugh.

 

Looking around at other cars right now, but I do appreciate a lot of the amenities that came with the Titanium (Push button start/keyless entry/etc), and trying to find something comparable that drives better.

[aneekr]

Truth.

 

I'm one of those who spent the $$ for the Titanium! Ugh.

 

Looking around at other cars right now, but I do appreciate a lot of the amenities that came with the Titanium (Push button start/keyless entry/etc), and trying to find something comparable that drives better.

You may want to consider the 2012 Mazda 3 Grand Touring. The 2.5L version has Push button start/keyless entry; I'm not sure if the 2.0L SKYACTIV version does. But either variant should offer a better driving experience compared to your PowerShift equipped Ford Focus Titanium.

[Chibana]

I'm surprised by the complaints. I don't like the *programming* (shift logic) of the PowerShift in my Focus, but other than that, mine drives just fine for an autotragic. Certainly better than any other autotragic car I've ever driven. It's smooth and shifts very smoothly. I just want them to program it so that the manual mode actually is, and so it doesn't hesitate to shift and get moving so often in D mode. S mode is actually pretty good for an auto.

[NSA]

Yeah, I am guessing something is wrong with mine, though the dealership wont do anything about it.

 

I've been driving my work 2006 Scion xB for the past week or two and MAN it feels SO much nicer to be driving something else than the Focus. It's like it's a guessing game each time I accelerate in the Focus.. whether power will be there, what gear it'll be in, etc. If I put it in the "manual" shift mode its better, but that gets annoying.

 

So over this car.

 

Need to drop it off at the dealership soon and refuse to take it back till they fix it. Anyone know what to do with a F'd up car?

[nyfocus]

TSB

11-10-2•CALIBRATION UPDATE - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION/ENGINE DRIVABILITY IMPROVEMENTS, AMBIENT TEMPERATURE DISPLAY - BUILT ON OR BEFORE 8/12/2011

Publication Date: October 2, 2011

FORD:2012 Focus

 

 

 

This article supersedes TSBs 11-5-11, 11-7-22 and 11-9-5 to consolidate previously released articles, updated Title, Issue Statement and Service Procedure.

ISSUE:

Some 2012 Focus vehicles built on or before 8/12/2011 may exhibit the following engine drivability and/or automatic transmission concerns; RPM flare on deceleration coming to a stop, rough idle on deceleration coming to a stop, intermittent engine idle fluctuations at a stop, intermittent vehicle speed control inoperative, intermittent harsh engagement/shift, engine no-start with engine coolant temperature (ECT) open circuit faults and intermittent no-crank/no-start condition after performing normal Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) pinpoint test (PPT) diagnostic procedures. The vehicle may also exhibit diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) U0422, P00D2, P068A, P0850, P2610, P2832, P286F or P2877. The vehicle may also exhibit intermittent false initialization to 21 °C (70 °F) on the instrument cluster's ambient temperature display upon engine start up.

 

 

ACTION:

Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition.

 

 

SERVICE PROCEDURE

 

 

1.Reprogram the powertrain control module (PCM) and transmission control module (TCM) to the latest calibration using IDS release 75.02 and higher. This new calibration is not included in the VCM 2011.9 DVD. Calibration files may also be obtained at www.motorcraft.com.

2.Perform Transmission Adaptive Learning. Refer to Workshop Manual, Section 307-01 General Procedures.

 

NOTE:REPROGRAMMING PCM AND TCM WITH LOW VEHICLE BATTERY VOLTAGE AND/OR LOW IDS BATTERY VOLTAGE MAY RESULT IN A BLANKED PCM AND/OR TCM.

 

 

 

NOTE:THE PCM AND TCM ARE A MATCHED SET. PROGRAMMING THE PCM WILL AUTOMATICALLY UPDATE THE TCM.

 

 

 

NOTE:PLEASE ADVISE THE CUSTOMER THAT THIS VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH AN ADAPTIVE TRANSMISSION SHIFT STRATEGY WHICH ALLOWS THE VEHICLE'S COMPUTER TO LEARN THE TRANSMISSION'S UNIQUE PARAMETERS AND IMPROVE SHIFT QUALITY. WHEN THE ADAPTIVE STRATEGY IS RESET, THE COMPUTER WILL BEGIN A RE-LEARNING PROCESS. THIS RE-LEARNING PROCESS MAY RESULT IN FIRMER THAN NORMAL UPSHIFTS AND DOWNSHIFTS FOR SEVERAL DAYS.

 

 

 

WARRANTY STATUS:

Eligible Under Provisions Of New Vehicle Limited Warranty Coverage And Emissions Warranty Coverage

IMPORTANT: Warranty coverage limits/policies are not altered by a TSB. Warranty coverage limits are determined by the identified causal part.

 

OPERATIONDESCRIPTIONTIME111002A2012 Focus Automatic Transmission (DPS6): Reprogram The PCM And TCM Includes Time To Perform Adaptive Learning And Drive Cycle (Do Not Use With Any Other Labor Operations)1.1 Hrs.

[Chibana]

I definitely want to get that TSB done. I hope it makes a big difference in the performance in D mode. I also need to bitch to the dealer about MFT. When I first got the 2.11 update, it was better for quite a while, but now it's been absolutely terrible. Almost every day it has some bad brain fart, won't turn off, won't turn on, misses phone calls because it's too slow to respond, or has to be forcibly rebooted via fuse/battery cable. I've just about had it. I saw there's a TSB for MFT for cars built before July or August, and mine was built in April, so maybe there's actually something wrong with the hardware (or maybe this is just the 2.11 update?).

[theoldwizard]

This transmission was available in the Fiesta for a year before they put it in the Focus.

 

How come we don't hear much (any?) negative comments from the Fiesta crowd ?

[BlackHorse]

This transmission was available in the Fiesta for a year before they put it in the Focus.

 

How come we don't hear much (any?) negative comments from the Fiesta crowd ?

 

Not sure why that is but I do know there were some complaints. As for me, I'm in the same boat with NSA. When I drive my Toyota its so much nicer than driving the Focus and that's a Toyota truck. But at least I don't have to worry about the lunging on again off again performance of the transmission in the Focus. The Ford dealer called me today and informed me that I need to bring the car in and have the latest software update applied that was released last month. At the same time they also informed me that even with the software patch the clutches will still rattle and make noise. It's normal and there is nothing they can do about it. Personally I find it completely unacceptable that a car which can reach prices as high as 28K should rattle like some junk heap whenever it changes gears. A complete failure in my book Ford. I'll trade this thing off as soon as I can and I won't be back.

 

The sad thing is Ford could really have made real progress in the small car market with the new Focus. This was their chance to take a big bite out of those Corolla and Civic sales and they blew it with this half baked transmission that feels like it belongs in an 85 Yugo.

Edited November 1, 2011 by BlackHorse

[Alex D.]

I had this TSB applied at the local dealer yesterday. Although I have not experienced issues to the degree of severity described on this forum and elsewhere, the trans did occasionally suffer from some degree of lunging under 10 mph as well as a flare upon shifting into 2nd. After the TSB was applied, the shifting is indeed smoother and I hear less noise from the clutches. The shifts also seem to be more firm. This was while driving in D. In S, not much improvement was noticed, although I keep it in D most of the time anyways. If anyone has experienced issues with their shift quality, they should consider getting this TSB applied.

[NSA]

Got the TSB done on Monday.. haven't driven the car a whole lot yet, but in the small time I did drive it it seems more like a "normal" car, which is a good thing!

 

I'll hopefully get more drive time over the weekend, but i can say in the hour or so I spent in the car this week, I didn't get mad at it once (BIG HUGE improvement!).

[Chibana]

I got the full ECU update done yesterday morning. I didn't notice much on the way to work, but I didn't have much reason to drive in a way where I would have noticed anything. On the way home, though, it became very clear the PowerShift update made a positive change. It's smoother in slow speed driving, and more importantly, it's faster to downshift and get moving when you press the gas pedal. On the way home last night on I-75 I had to get over to the middle lane to let traffic merge, and I hit the gas to accelerate so as not to slow down upcoming traffic. The car startled me with how quickly it responded and downshifted once, and then again right after, and I got up to speed quickly. And the car showed no sign of hesitation when hitting the gas from a stop. The update transformed the car to a genuinely fun car to drive (at least as fun as an automatic can be). It's too early to say for sure that it's 100% cured of the annoying hesitation, but there's no doubt it's a big improvement.

[BlackHorse]

I had the TSB update applied to mine and it did make a difference in how the car runs out but mine still rattles when it changes gears and shudders pretty regularly. Today the Ford Regional Engineer guy came to look at it. He drove the car for only five miles and decided nothing is wrong with it and said its normal. Of course he left before I could talk to him so I had to deal with the service rep guy at the dealership. I flat out told him that if this is the way that Ford intentionally designed the car to operate then they designed a piece of ****. I can't wait to get rid of this **** heap.

[GaryG]

I got the full ECU update done yesterday morning. I didn't notice much on the way to work, but I didn't have much reason to drive in a way where I would have noticed anything. On the way home, though, it became very clear the PowerShift update made a positive change. It's smoother in slow speed driving, and more importantly, it's faster to downshift and get moving when you press the gas pedal. On the way home last night on I-75 I had to get over to the middle lane to let traffic merge, and I hit the gas to accelerate so as not to slow down upcoming traffic. The car startled me with how quickly it responded and downshifted once, and then again right after, and I got up to speed quickly. And the car showed no sign of hesitation when hitting the gas from a stop. The update transformed the car to a genuinely fun car to drive (at least as fun as an automatic can be). It's too early to say for sure that it's 100% cured of the annoying hesitation, but there's no doubt it's a big improvement.

 

I had my Son who drives my '12 Focus, read your post here. He said he has the same problem so I drove the Focus today to check it out. I seen some of the same issues, but here is my concern. Do you still have DFSO (fuel-cut) after the reprogramming? I wouldn't trade that fuel saving design to drive the Focus like a race car myself. My Son has put over 10,000 miles on the Focus and has a lifetime MPG of 34.8mpg. He would not be close to that without DFSO (deceleration fuel shut-off) because he does mostly city driving. All my Fords have a Scangauge and all my Fords have aggressive DFSO. I test drove a '12 Explorer 2.0L EcoBoost with my Scangauge plugged-in, and couldn't get it to go DFSO. My Son's Focus 2.0L will go DFSO all the way down to 15mph.

 

Does anyone here have a Scangauge or a tool to read Instant MPG before and after getting the new reprogramming? Does anyone know if reprogramming eliminates DFSO? The present '12 Focus uses the transmission and drive wheel with DFSO programming to hold the engine at an idle while fuel is cut at the injectors. This programming can cause strange shifting while accelerating and deceleration and can be normal during DFSO.

[Chibana]

I can't think of any reason why you wouldn't want a linear response between gas pedal application and throttle opening. This gives you the most control over what the car is doing. After all, if you don't want the car to move, then don't press the gas pedal, no? I can think of no reason why I would want my car to sit still when I press the gas, which is what it frequently did prior to the TSB application.

 

I have not hooked up my OBDII-to-Bluetooth adapter to my Focus yet, but based on the fact that my average fuel efficiency numbers still skyrocket when I coast to a stop immediately after filling up (when the average fuel efficiency displayed by the trip computer will approach instantaneous fuel efficiency), I have to believe the aggressive deceleration fuel shut-off is still very much in effect. I've noticed no difference in my displayed or calculated fuel efficiency since having the update done (I fill up about 3 times a week).

[tmnCA]

I had my Son who drives my '12 Focus, read your post here. He said he has the same problem so I drove the Focus today to check it out. I seen some of the same issues, but here is my concern. Do you still have DFSO (fuel-cut) after the reprogramming? I wouldn't trade that fuel saving design to drive the Focus like a race car myself. My Son has put over 10,000 miles on the Focus and has a lifetime MPG of 34.8mpg. He would not be close to that without DFSO (deceleration fuel shut-off) because he does mostly city driving. All my Fords have a Scangauge and all my Fords have aggressive DFSO. I test drove a '12 Explorer 2.0L EcoBoost with my Scangauge plugged-in, and couldn't get it to go DFSO. My Son's Focus 2.0L will go DFSO all the way down to 15mph.

 

Does anyone here have a Scangauge or a tool to read Instant MPG before and after getting the new reprogramming? Does anyone know if reprogramming eliminates DFSO? The present '12 Focus uses the transmission and drive wheel with DFSO programming to hold the engine at an idle while fuel is cut at the injectors. This programming can cause strange shifting while accelerating and deceleration and can be normal during DFSO.

 

It is definitely still on. The TSB updates the shift patterns not the throttle control. My car came with the new software (it was built after August) and it has this feature, and I am getting close to 40 MPG when I do mostly-highwya driving with a mile or so of city on each end. This long weekend I did a bunch more city driving with long stop lights to sit at (all those holiday shoppers) and my average for this tank fell to 33 MPG but still very good for city driving. So there is no compromise for fuel efficiency to get smother shifting. Oh and I have not had any rattles, hesitations or other problems.

[GaryG]

I can't think of any reason why you wouldn't want a linear response between gas pedal application and throttle opening. This gives you the most control over what the car is doing. After all, if you don't want the car to move, then don't press the gas pedal, no? I can think of no reason why I would want my car to sit still when I press the gas, which is what it frequently did prior to the TSB application.

 

I have not hooked up my OBDII-to-Bluetooth adapter to my Focus yet, but based on the fact that my average fuel efficiency numbers still skyrocket when I coast to a stop immediately after filling up (when the average fuel efficiency displayed by the trip computer will approach instantaneous fuel efficiency), I have to believe the aggressive deceleration fuel shut-off is still very much in effect. I've noticed no difference in my displayed or calculated fuel efficiency since having the update done (I fill up about 3 times a week).

 

That's great news! I'll have the TSB work done now that I know DFSO will still work. Thanks!

[Ivytractors]

I'm just over 7000 miles and the transmission is still noisy, and the car shudders often. I've taken it to Ford and had the shop foreman ride with me. He informed me that the rattling noise when it shifts gears is the synchros in the clutch and it's normal as well. There's no reason for a 22K car to drive like this. It's getting traded ASAP.

 

It is surprising to hear so many concerns. After all this clutch is made by GETRAG, a company that provides DCT's to Mercedes, BMW, Audi...

 

Perhaps going with the dry clutch design was ok for the Fiesta but not not good enough for the Focus?

Edited December 11, 2011 by Ivytractors

[Ivytractors]

Here's another link, couldn't get the previous one to work.

 

 

IMHO this clutch may be better than it is made sound. GETRAG -the manufacturer- is a major player in this field. For a nice technical overview of design rationale, current and future use, and features follow My link

[llennok1]

Another comment. With nearly 1,000 miles on the odo, shift quality in auto seems to be smoother than when brand-spanking new. I recall being somewhat dubious about the tranny the first several weeks but lately, as the miles rack-up, things seem to have improved. I'm definitely not just becoming accustomed to it. Perhaps there is a break-in effect on the clutches. Just sayin'.

 

There is in fact a break in on any clutch, as there is with brakes. The operation becomes more positive after the clutch surfaces have become mated.