Ford Focus (+Fiesta) Mk3 (2012) Transmission Update (Resolves Dct Gearbox Shudder / Grinding)

[sjonburi]

Hi Chaps,

Bought a Focus 2.0 GDI late last year., really a blast to drive but the 6 speed "Powershift" DCT seems to have a mind if it's own and tends to grind / shudder during gear-shift under light loads. Ford recently issued a TSB (13-04-05) which updates the PCM / TCM to an updated version. I brought the car in last week and had the reflash applied. The difference for me is huge., shifts are smooth (slightly faster) as butter and no more grinding or shuddering. This is how the dual-clutch transmission suppose to behave and engine + transmission now really seem to "communicate" with each other. (still no lightning fast gearshifts like VW's DSG but pretty close)

I highly recommend to visit your dealer if you experience problems with your (2012) Focus or Fiesta.

http://www.fordservicecontent.com/pubs/content/~WT/~MUS~LEN/3581/tsb13-04-05.pdf

Good luck and keep us posted if it solved your issues.

[IMHO]

That's really good news

Can you give us an update in another week or two once you've had more time behind the wheel? These types of software upgrades can sometimes fix one thing, only to cause an issue somewhere else..

[richsilver]

Where did you bring in the car? Was your dealer aware of the update?

I have a similar issue with the Focus I bought last October here in Pattaya, but I'm concerned that if I take in the car and ask for the update, they will have no idea what I'm talking about.

[Big Guns]

Where did you bring in the car? Was your dealer aware of the update?

I have a similar issue with the Focus I bought last October here in Pattaya, but I'm concerned that if I take in the car and ask for the update, they will have no idea what I'm talking about.

My wife mentioned the problem when she took the car in for its first service. They didn't understand what she was talking about. However, the fix must be standard practice as she said it doesn't have the 'shudder' anymore.

[Wiggy]

Thanks for the info. I have had my 2.0 Focus since January and have had minor issues with the DCT, but no shuddering or grinding. Is there any way to tell which update the car has? The only issue I have is that the revs sometimes remain high after taking my foot of the accelerator at low speeds. It's as if the clutch is slipping. I've become used to it and other than that the gearbox is fine.

BTW, what fuel consumption are you guys getting? Thanks.

[smoochy]

Hello all,

We bought a Fiesta a few months ago with the same ridiculous gearbox as the Focus. Driving it off the lot, we noticed jerky shifts and random revving instead of smooth gear changes. Took it straight back and were told that we needed to "teach" the software how we drive. Tech looked at it but did nothing.

A couple more weeks went by with grinding, shuddering, terrible gear changes and finally had enough. Contacted some higher people at Ford and ended up with a technician coming to our condo for a test drive. He brought a different Fiesta for comparison and we found it much quieter and smoother.

Eventually, Ford took our car to the technical centre and kept it for nearly a month. The end result was the replacement of the transmission and supposed "flashing" of the software. We've just gotten it back recently and not driven much but the gear shift problem has disappeared. Shifts are smooth and relatively consistent. Best of all, we no longer hear the bag of coins noise in the gearbox.

That said, we are still experiencing poor fuel economy. We were told that 15km/litre in town was normal but we've never gotten much better than 5km/l. We'll keep running it for a few weeks to see if there is any improvement but if the economy stays this poor, we'll have to try to dump it and buy a Honda.

Any input would be much appreciated.

[DILLIGAD]

I've got a 2 litre Focus Sport + and rarely get over 8km/ litre

[smoochy]

I've got a 2 litre Focus Sport + and rarely get over 8km/ litre

Thanks.

So 10+/litre would not be out of the question for a 1.5 litre Fiesta. Something is still amiss with the car I presume.

[John 1]

Hello all,

We bought a Fiesta a few months ago with the same ridiculous gearbox as the Focus. Driving it off the lot, we noticed jerky shifts and random revving instead of smooth gear changes. Took it straight back and were told that we needed to "teach" the software how we drive. Tech looked at it but did nothing.

A couple more weeks went by with grinding, shuddering, terrible gear changes and finally had enough. Contacted some higher people at Ford and ended up with a technician coming to our condo for a test drive. He brought a different Fiesta for comparison and we found it much quieter and smoother.

Eventually, Ford took our car to the technical centre and kept it for nearly a month. The end result was the replacement of the transmission and supposed "flashing" of the software. We've just gotten it back recently and not driven much but the gear shift problem has disappeared. Shifts are smooth and relatively consistent. Best of all, we no longer hear the bag of coins noise in the gearbox.

That said, we are still experiencing poor fuel economy. We were told that 15km/litre in town was normal but we've never gotten much better than 5km/l. We'll keep running it for a few weeks to see if there is any improvement but if the economy stays this poor, we'll have to try to dump it and buy a Honda.

Any input would be much appreciated.

5km to a litre you have to be joking? someone must be siphoning the fuel out or you are sitting all day parked and running the air conditioner.

[Wiggy]

I've got a 2 litre Focus Sport + and rarely get over 8km/ litre

Is that city driving, rural or a combination? Thanks.

[Wiggy]

Hello all,

We bought a Fiesta a few months ago with the same ridiculous gearbox as the Focus. Driving it off the lot, we noticed jerky shifts and random revving instead of smooth gear changes. Took it straight back and were told that we needed to "teach" the software how we drive. Tech looked at it but did nothing.

A couple more weeks went by with grinding, shuddering, terrible gear changes and finally had enough. Contacted some higher people at Ford and ended up with a technician coming to our condo for a test drive. He brought a different Fiesta for comparison and we found it much quieter and smoother.

Eventually, Ford took our car to the technical centre and kept it for nearly a month. The end result was the replacement of the transmission and supposed "flashing" of the software. We've just gotten it back recently and not driven much but the gear shift problem has disappeared. Shifts are smooth and relatively consistent. Best of all, we no longer hear the bag of coins noise in the gearbox.

That said, we are still experiencing poor fuel economy. We were told that 15km/litre in town was normal but we've never gotten much better than 5km/l. We'll keep running it for a few weeks to see if there is any improvement but if the economy stays this poor, we'll have to try to dump it and buy a Honda.

Any input would be much appreciated.

What kind of driving for 5km/l? City? Urban? Both? I'm getting around 9km/l in my Focus 2.0 Titanium when in Bangkok, i.e. heavy traffic. Getting 14km/l on a long run outside of BKK. 5km/l does seem bad for a 1.6 engine. There must be other issues. I would reset it and try again and if it remains at 5km/l take it back. I know that fuel consumption can be less when using E20 fuel. If you're using this try Gasohol RON 95. It might be a tad better, but don't expect too much improvement.

[smoochy]

Hello all,

We bought a Fiesta a few months ago with the same ridiculous gearbox as the Focus. Driving it off the lot, we noticed jerky shifts and random revving instead of smooth gear changes. Took it straight back and were told that we needed to "teach" the software how we drive. Tech looked at it but did nothing.

A couple more weeks went by with grinding, shuddering, terrible gear changes and finally had enough. Contacted some higher people at Ford and ended up with a technician coming to our condo for a test drive. He brought a different Fiesta for comparison and we found it much quieter and smoother.

Eventually, Ford took our car to the technical centre and kept it for nearly a month. The end result was the replacement of the transmission and supposed "flashing" of the software. We've just gotten it back recently and not driven much but the gear shift problem has disappeared. Shifts are smooth and relatively consistent. Best of all, we no longer hear the bag of coins noise in the gearbox.

That said, we are still experiencing poor fuel economy. We were told that 15km/litre in town was normal but we've never gotten much better than 5km/l. We'll keep running it for a few weeks to see if there is any improvement but if the economy stays this poor, we'll have to try to dump it and buy a Honda.

Any input would be much appreciated.

5km to a litre you have to be joking? someone must be siphoning the fuel out or you are sitting all day parked and running the air conditioner.

Nope. No joke.

[smoochy]

Hello all,

We bought a Fiesta a few months ago with the same ridiculous gearbox as the Focus. Driving it off the lot, we noticed jerky shifts and random revving instead of smooth gear changes. Took it straight back and were told that we needed to "teach" the software how we drive. Tech looked at it but did nothing.

A couple more weeks went by with grinding, shuddering, terrible gear changes and finally had enough. Contacted some higher people at Ford and ended up with a technician coming to our condo for a test drive. He brought a different Fiesta for comparison and we found it much quieter and smoother.

Eventually, Ford took our car to the technical centre and kept it for nearly a month. The end result was the replacement of the transmission and supposed "flashing" of the software. We've just gotten it back recently and not driven much but the gear shift problem has disappeared. Shifts are smooth and relatively consistent. Best of all, we no longer hear the bag of coins noise in the gearbox.

That said, we are still experiencing poor fuel economy. We were told that 15km/litre in town was normal but we've never gotten much better than 5km/l. We'll keep running it for a few weeks to see if there is any improvement but if the economy stays this poor, we'll have to try to dump it and buy a Honda.

Any input would be much appreciated.

What kind of driving for 5km/l? City? Urban? Both? I'm getting around 9km/l in my Focus 2.0 Titanium when in Bangkok, i.e. heavy traffic. Getting 14km/l on a long run outside of BKK. 5km/l does seem bad for a 1.6 engine. There must be other issues. I would reset it and try again and if it remains at 5km/l take it back. I know that fuel consumption can be less when using E20 fuel. If you're using this try Gasohol RON 95. It might be a tad better, but don't expect too much improvement.

Started with E20 but gave in to 91 and 95. Still, a quarter tank has gotten 50 km total. 42 Litre tank with a 200 km range is equalling approximately 5 km/litre. It is really shocking even after the improved tranny. It'll go back again after a couple more tanks of fuel so we have some numbers.

Thanks for your comparative numbers. Gives us something to think about.

All downtown driving, but never really sitting in traffic as we just commute to and from work about 4 km each way through the back sois.

[Wiggy]

Hello all,

We bought a Fiesta a few months ago with the same ridiculous gearbox as the Focus. Driving it off the lot, we noticed jerky shifts and random revving instead of smooth gear changes. Took it straight back and were told that we needed to "teach" the software how we drive. Tech looked at it but did nothing.

A couple more weeks went by with grinding, shuddering, terrible gear changes and finally had enough. Contacted some higher people at Ford and ended up with a technician coming to our condo for a test drive. He brought a different Fiesta for comparison and we found it much quieter and smoother.

Eventually, Ford took our car to the technical centre and kept it for nearly a month. The end result was the replacement of the transmission and supposed "flashing" of the software. We've just gotten it back recently and not driven much but the gear shift problem has disappeared. Shifts are smooth and relatively consistent. Best of all, we no longer hear the bag of coins noise in the gearbox.

That said, we are still experiencing poor fuel economy. We were told that 15km/litre in town was normal but we've never gotten much better than 5km/l. We'll keep running it for a few weeks to see if there is any improvement but if the economy stays this poor, we'll have to try to dump it and buy a Honda.

Any input would be much appreciated.

What kind of driving for 5km/l? City? Urban? Both? I'm getting around 9km/l in my Focus 2.0 Titanium when in Bangkok, i.e. heavy traffic. Getting 14km/l on a long run outside of BKK. 5km/l does seem bad for a 1.6 engine. There must be other issues. I would reset it and try again and if it remains at 5km/l take it back. I know that fuel consumption can be less when using E20 fuel. If you're using this try Gasohol RON 95. It might be a tad better, but don't expect too much improvement.

Started with E20 but gave in to 91 and 95. Still, a quarter tank has gotten 50 km total. 42 Litre tank with a 200 km range is equalling approximately 5 km/litre. It is really shocking even after the improved tranny. It'll go back again after a couple more tanks of fuel so we have some numbers.

Thanks for your comparative numbers. Gives us something to think about.

All downtown driving, but never really sitting in traffic as we just commute to and from work about 4 km each way through the back sois.

I would be looking for a fuel leak with those numbers. Have a quick sniff around the car in the mornings to try to detect any irregularities - especially around the engine bay. Could be a fuel pump problem. No way should a Fiesta be returning those numbers.

[sjonburi]

I bought the car at Ford Pattaya as well but escalated the issue via FTM. In the end they sent a field service engineer who drove a few blocks with me and monitoring the car via the OBD. He acknowledged that the rattling / grinding / shudder at low speeds was not normal and upon return to the dealer they updated their Ford VCM-IDS to the latest version and hooked up the car again via the OBD and immediately 2 updates popped-up (TCM + PCM) which were applied in a matter of minutes. After that we took the car for a spin out for the recommended "adaptive drive cycle" (a procedure to re-learn the shift-points) and I immediately noticed the smooth gear changes and improved responsiveness. It has been about 1500 km's since the TSB was done and haven't noticed any grinding / shuddering since :-)

According the field service engineer my car was the second in Thailand to have this TSB applied and he confirmed me that Ford will not automatically apply this update unless specifically requested by the customer. (hence the difference between a recall and a TSB)

So if you're experiencing these issues and bring the car in for an update then make sure they update both TCM and PCM in the same time and bring in the copy of the TSB 13-4-5 and keep us posted if it worked out for you.

edit 1: the TSB 13-4-5 was issued on Apr 8 2013 so I'm quite sure it has not been applied to majority of Focus / Fiesta owners :-)

Where did you bring in the car? Was your dealer aware of the update?

I have a similar issue with the Focus I bought last October here in Pattaya, but I'm concerned that if I take in the car and ask for the update, they will have no idea what I'm talking about.

Edited May 19, 2013 by sjonburi

[DILLIGAD]

I've got a 2 litre Focus Sport + and rarely get over 8km/ litre

Is that city driving, rural or a combination? Thanks.

A combination. I do not live in big city

[smoochy]

Topped off the tank today and did the maths. 4.94 km/l. Haven't noticed any fuel smell or puddles anywhere. Doubt that someone's been stealing the petrol but anything is possible with a non-locking capless fuel receptacle.
Will continue to update. Thanks for the replies.

[DILLIGAD]

Topped off the tank today and did the maths. 4.94 km/l. Haven't noticed any fuel smell or puddles anywhere. Doubt that someone's been stealing the petrol but anything is possible with a non-locking capless fuel receptacle.

Will continue to update. Thanks for the replies.

Just a thought here.....

Do you always use the same Petrol Station as I have been scammed a few times by dishonest attendants???????

[Wiggy]

Topped off the tank today and did the maths. 4.94 km/l. Haven't noticed any fuel smell or puddles anywhere. Doubt that someone's been stealing the petrol but anything is possible with a non-locking capless fuel receptacle.

Will continue to update. Thanks for the replies.

If it's like the Focus the fuel cap door locks when the car is locked.

[IMHO]

Topped off the tank today and did the maths. 4.94 km/l. Haven't noticed any fuel smell or puddles anywhere. Doubt that someone's been stealing the petrol but anything is possible with a non-locking capless fuel receptacle.

Will continue to update. Thanks for the replies.

What the?!?! That's Bugatti Veyron fuel economy, LOL.

Either your maths is wrong, or something very fishy is happening somewhere between you paying for gas, and reading the odometer

[robblok]

Ford Focus 2.L normally over 1 to 10 for driving but in heavy traffic less.

[smoochy]

A full tank 42 litres nets 200ish km. Pretty certain the math isn't wrong. Mostly same petrol station but the gage shows full when we fill up.

Something is definitely not correct.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[IMHO]

A full tank 42 litres nets 200ish km. Pretty certain the math isn't wrong. Mostly same petrol station but the gage shows full when we fill up.

Something is definitely not correct.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Have you tried turning off the engine when parked?

[Wiggy]

A full tank 42 litres nets 200ish km. Pretty certain the math isn't wrong. Mostly same petrol station but the gage shows full when we fill up.

Something is definitely not correct.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Time for Ford to take a look.

[culicine]

A full tank 42 litres nets 200ish km. Pretty certain the math isn't wrong. Mostly same petrol station but the gage shows full when we fill up.

Something is definitely not correct.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Time for Ford to take a look.

Definately something is wrong. My swift is getting 600km / 42 litre tank around Nonthaburi. f\FFor a 2.0 I would think 10-11km/l mixed driving (which my civic gets), and perhaps 12/13 km/l for a 1.6.

[manzan]

A full tank 42 litres nets 200ish km. Pretty certain the math isn't wrong. Mostly same petrol station but the gage shows full when we fill up.

Something is definitely not correct.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Time for Ford to take a look.

Definately something is wrong. My swift is getting 600km / 42 litre tank around Nonthaburi. f\FFor a 2.0 I would think 10-11km/l mixed driving (which my civic gets), and perhaps 12/13 km/l for a 1.6.

Thats about right, my Fiesta 1.6 does about 6.7L/100km highway and it gets to about 9.2L/100km city, although the city numbers can vary greatly.

How many L/100KM does your Fiesta show you on the info screen? if your math is correct it should say something around 20L/100KM?

[kkerry]

I have a two year old Fiesta 1.6. A quick look at the fuel log I've kept since new and with E20 get on average roughly 14.0 km/L highway driving and 11km/L in city traffic (7L/100k, 9L/100k).

My wife uses it mainly and doesn't drive as economically as I can however anyone getting only 4.94km/L is either parked with the A/C running all day or has something wrong with their car.

[sjonburi]

I'm getting an avg of 15- 16 km/l during highway trips and about 11-12 km/l in city, trip computer shows 6.8 l / 100 km average which is slightly optimistic but not far from the actual 7.1 l* /100 km calculated at the pump. (Driving 2012 2.0 GDi) Usually can drive around 750 km on a full tank before the low-fuel waring light comes on and then there's about 85 km left. (*70% highway / 30% city)

A full tank 42 litres nets 200ish km. Pretty certain the math isn't wrong. Mostly same petrol station but the gage shows full when we fill up.
Something is definitely not correct.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Time for Ford to take a look.

Definately something is wrong. My swift is getting 600km / 42 litre tank around Nonthaburi. f\FFor a 2.0 I would think 10-11km/l mixed driving (which my civic gets), and perhaps 12/13 km/l for a 1.6.

[Wiggy]

I'm getting an avg of 15- 16 km/l during highway trips and about 11-12 km/l in city, trip computer shows 6.8 l / 100 km average which is slightly optimistic but not far from the actual 7.1 l* /100 km calculated at the pump. (Driving 2012 2.0 GDi) Usually can drive around 750 km on a full tank before the low-fuel waring light comes on and then there's about 85 km left. (*70% highway / 30% city)

A full tank 42 litres nets 200ish km. Pretty certain the math isn't wrong. Mostly same petrol station but the gage shows full when we fill up.

Something is definitely not correct.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Time for Ford to take a look.

Definately something is wrong. My swift is getting 600km / 42 litre tank around Nonthaburi. f\FFor a 2.0 I would think 10-11km/l mixed driving (which my civic gets), and perhaps 12/13 km/l for a 1.6.

I'm getting 11l/100km (9km/l) in 100% Bangkok driving. If you're getting 16km/l (6.25l/100km) average then that's better than what Ford says they get (6.4l/100km) http://www.ford.com.au/cars/focus/specifications/spec-options Impressive.

[sjonburi]

As I stated in my post "I average around 15-16 km/l during highway trips" and "about 11-12 km/l in the city" my actual average (70% highway / 30% city) measured at the pump is 7.10 l/100 km (about 14 km/l)

I'm getting an avg of 15- 16 km/l during highway trips and about 11-12 km/l in city, trip computer shows 6.8 l / 100 km average which is slightly optimistic but not far from the actual 7.1 l* /100 km calculated at the pump. (Driving 2012 2.0 GDi) Usually can drive around 750 km on a full tank before the low-fuel waring light comes on and then there's about 85 km left. (*70% highway / 30% city)

I'm getting 11l/100km (9km/l) in 100% Bangkok driving. If you're getting 16km/l (6.25l/100km) average then that's better than what Ford says they get (6.4l/100km) http://www.ford.com.au/cars/focus/specifications/spec-options Impressive.