97svtgoin05gt Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Weeks after touting the 2012 Focus SEL as possibly the ultimate commuter tool, I now have an issue with the car that while unknown at the moment may be something serious. While driving it the car will emit a very strange scraping or grinding sound intermittently. The sound and issue can be felt through the wheel as you hold it. I have no idea what the heck it is, this sound is unlike anything I've heard come from a car. It only does it while moving and is coming from the drivers side under the hood. I brief inspection last night with a flashlight provided no additional clues as to what it may be. Nothing physically looks out of place or any issue or fluid leaks at all. I am fearful this may be a DCT problem. Dropping the car off tonight for diagnosis and repair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackinaw Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 This should be in the Focus sub-forum, not here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazerdude20 Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Is the car still under warranty? If so let the dealer solve the issue. And even if its not why not pay the $100 diagnostic fee and have them check it out. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB390fe Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 I'd almost be willing to bet that it's the plastic inner wheel liner rubbing against your tire or suspension... Especially if you only hear it on the move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSFan00 Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Transmission will throw an error if something internal happened. (Mine did; failure to find 4th code. They just re-set and reprogrammed it. 39K miles.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97svtgoin05gt Posted July 23, 2013 Author Share Posted July 23, 2013 Early diagnosis is something in the trans. More detail to follow tomorrow it seems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StangBang Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Surprise surprise! Damn auto transmissions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97svtgoin05gt Posted July 26, 2013 Author Share Posted July 26, 2013 Dealership service management is fighting for a replacement unit on my car. The original unit had metal shavings and debris in the fluid and service management feels it wouldn't be prudent to try to revive it. Ford isn't completely in agreement yet but may be there by the end of the day today. No matter how you slice it, I won't see this car until August. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YT90SC Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 Surprise surprise! Damn auto transmissions! The DSP6 isn't exactly an automatic transmission. It is an automatically shifted manual transmission that Ford has unsuccessfully tried to make feel exactly like a conventional automatic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efy Posted July 28, 2013 Share Posted July 28, 2013 My '12 Focus does the same thing. It's mostly at lower speeds for me, while accelerating. I drive a ton, to work, and am starting school in 3 weeks; I can't afford to have my car sit at the dealership for a month; I HAVE to have a vehicle, and I'm not old enough to rent one, much less have the money to.Did they say why it will take so long? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97svtgoin05gt Posted July 28, 2013 Author Share Posted July 28, 2013 Replacement of the entire unit has been approved by Ford and will be ordered tomorrow. I can't expect the car back until next week. It will take about 3 days for the new trans to arrive from Ford (Detroit) and then the installation process which I don't want to rush. Get it right, we'll deal with it. I believe there probably is about 3 or so full days of delay involved in this process due to dealership/Ford posturing issues and doing the dance with regard to repair or replace. There definitely is a process involved, Ford won't just throw out a transmission unless the dealership provides a lot of good background as to why they believe that is the best course of action. Thankfully this dealership is doing a good job handling Ford. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97svtgoin05gt Posted August 5, 2013 Author Share Posted August 5, 2013 Car is finally ready. Pick up tonight. I will let everyone know how it feels etc. once I get it back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97svtgoin05gt Posted August 6, 2013 Author Share Posted August 6, 2013 Car feels better than new to be honest. The new trans behaves more like I would've expected to begin with. Very happy with the results. Let's hope it lasts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blkst1 Posted August 6, 2013 Share Posted August 6, 2013 Wish you luck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efy Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 Mine was diagnosed as the clutch. Dropped it off Friday, 8/09 and they said it should be ready by Tuesday, 8/13. It's odd that though we had the same symptoms, your entire trans was replaced and they're only replacing my clutch. Hmm. We'll see how it does when I get it back, I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97svtgoin05gt Posted August 12, 2013 Author Share Posted August 12, 2013 Efy, I was told I had "shavings in my fluid" which of course means metal particulate matter was cycling through the fluid for some time. The amount of total damage done would be difficult if not impossible to really gauge so they elected to not mess around. Your circumstances may be different. One thing I think I can say with authority at this point, it seems the DCT is a bust in the new Focus. I hope they move away from it and give us a good 6 speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blkst1 Posted August 12, 2013 Share Posted August 12, 2013 How is you new dct treating you 97svtgoingon05gt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efy Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 Efy, I was told I had "shavings in my fluid" which of course means metal particulate matter was cycling through the fluid for some time. The amount of total damage done would be difficult if not impossible to really gauge so they elected to not mess around. Your circumstances may be different. One thing I think I can say with authority at this point, it seems the DCT is a bust in the new Focus. I hope they move away from it and give us a good 6 speed. Agreed. Good in theory, horrible in execution. Should never have made it to production. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97svtgoin05gt Posted August 14, 2013 Author Share Posted August 14, 2013 Blk, it seems to be fine. You know how this works though. Whenever I drive that car now, all I can do is observe the transmission performance, constantly trying to detect some defect. Its like it has a stigma now, that I have a pre-conceived notion that it will at some point fail again. I'm trying to pull against these feelings but it is difficult. The unit appears to be functioning normally though and for that I'm glad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blkst1 Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 That's great to hear and I understand the paranoia I do the same thing and it takes a long time for me to trust the fix. I hope all end up ok I might be per mature to judge but I feel like it will. Good luck 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efy Posted August 23, 2013 Share Posted August 23, 2013 My clutch assembly was replaced and the issue went away, but the noise is now starting to re-appear. Grrr. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97svtgoin05gt Posted August 26, 2013 Author Share Posted August 26, 2013 Uh boy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efy Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 (edited) Right. The issue I was experiencing before- it is slowly but surely coming back, though not yet as bad as before. But, now, every now and then, it'll make an awful grinding noise while shifting from 3-4 (I believe) while accelerating. It'll act like it's temporarily hung up mid-shift or something while making the noise. Grr. Long road trip this weekend, so maybe it'll hold up until next week when I make another appointment. Edited August 27, 2013 by efy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97svtgoin05gt Posted August 30, 2013 Author Share Posted August 30, 2013 Yea, that's not sounding good. That "grinding" noise you're describing, does is sound more like a loud scraping sound? Like a heavy piece of plastic is being drug along pavement? If it is, push for a replacement transmission. That is the sound mine was making and they elected to replace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
efy Posted September 6, 2013 Share Posted September 6, 2013 Nah, it sounds exactly like someone driving a stick shift and grinding the gears, although maybe not quite as loud, but the sound is exactly that. Maybe even similar to a rocks-rattling-in-a-metal-barrel sound. It's definitely worse when the car has been driven for a while, and the performance/smoothness/responsiveness gets worse and worse as time goes on.Right after the clutch replacement, it sounded fine and was smooth as silk the first few days. Then the sound started to reappear, and now I can tell the performance of the transmission is declining (sloppier/rougher shifts, less responsive, not being in the right gear, more jerkiness, etc.). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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