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

[Ace of Pop]

Doesnt say much for todays Diesell SUV Trucks does it,when i use them they only do about 8/10KPL. 16 Kpl for sjonburi Ford is easy on if you use highways at 2000RPM. Ive also found that tickover doesnt use up much fuel either.

[Wiggy]

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.

Apologies for the misread. Your figures are still very close to Ford's which state 6.7l/100km combined. Do you drive everywhere at 56mph? I'd be pleased to get those figures. Still, I expected around 11l/100km (9km/l) for Bangkok driving when I bought a 2 litre. Lovely engine by the way, isn't it?

[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

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?

Apologies for the late reply. Took a road trip and didn't break down.

We have the cheap model with no little L/100km info in the screen. Unfortunately. It would give me something to focus (pun?) on while sitting in traffic. But, yes, I believe the maths are correct. We are getting about 20L/100km in the city. Sukhumvit mostly.

Edited May 26, 2013 by smoochy

[smoochy]

Thanks for all the input here gents. It is much appreciated.

There are a bunch of numbers thrown around and the one that I don't get is the city driving. We just took the car on it's first real trip out of BKK and it did an admirable job on the highway. 282.8 km from one fill up to the next burned about half a tank on the gage and we topped off with 18.65 litres. That results in a burn of 15.16 km/litre according to my maths. That said, it is possible that the second fill up didn't top off all the way to the dripping out of the receptacle point, but it gets us in the correct ballpark.

One thing of note is that the gear changes are still rough and shoddy during slow-speed traffic. We got stuck in rush hour outside of BKK and had the same experience we do in Sukhumvit. The gear box does not always shift down to first at stops, causing an unwanted rise in RPM prior to snapping into first. It clicks and crunches at slow speed and it tends to shudder when it first takes off.

As I previously mentioned, the transmission was reportedly changed and the software flashed to improve fuel economy. I do not know if the flash was the one in this thread but will enquire very soon about this. We have noticed a much smoother gear change experience and much less grinding but it is still not what I would call a smooth and comfortable ride in the city.

We enjoyed the way it drove on the highway and were impressed with the comfort and smoothness at 100-120 km/hr. Unfortunately, that sort of driving will total up about 5% of our annual experience and we need an everyday car that changes gears correctly and gets reasonable city economy.

Cheers.

[kkerry]

The poor gear changing at low speed seems to be a common complaint with the Fiesta. We found the same with ours and at 3000 km had a service where they did something and the improvement was immediate. Even when we later needed to have the transmission completely replaced after the floods, the car continued to drive smooth so it seems like the computer settings. Think I've read before how the Ford auto takes time to learn your driving habits and adjusts accordingly but some further refinement is required so the need for the firmware upgrade.

Everyone knows the traffic around Suk. can be terrible but the figures you report are Hummer type fuel efficiency even for lots of short trips. Most people never achieve the economy figures the makers say you can but I don't think any 1.6 on the market is as bad as yours without there being something wrong with the car. There would be other makes out there with better fuel economy around town than a Fiesta but its not like they are going to use half the fuel, better maybe but not a lot better. You're using about double the fuel in city driving of anyone else posting here so something is wrong somewhere you would think.

If I was based around Sukhumvit I'd be trying to use the skytrain more, might be quicker if the traffic you are in all the time is so bad.

[culicine]

Sukhumvit? That might explain things. When we talk about 'city' driving, it can vary a lot. Mine is around Nonthaburi, it's stop and start occasionally, with some constant driving too. What's your average speed? If it's a crawl (10-20 km/h average with lots of stopping and starting), then economy will be bad - and might be exacerbated but the gearbox issues you are having.

[smoochy]

Sukhumvit? That might explain things. When we talk about 'city' driving, it can vary a lot. Mine is around Nonthaburi, it's stop and start occasionally, with some constant driving too. What's your average speed? If it's a crawl (10-20 km/h average with lots of stopping and starting), then economy will be bad - and might be exacerbated but the gearbox issues you are having.

Indeed, Sukhumvit must have something to do with the economy but our friends with Hondas get between 7 and 11 km/l in the city while we are under 5. We are rarely at a crawl, though we do get stuck from time to time. Back roads tend to help and we generally go opposite rush hour traffic so we can move while the other direction doesn't.

[tua2kee]

Seems like Ford is not the only brand having Dsg issues. VW is also recalling their 7sp dry clutch Dsg in singapore, Malaysia, japan and china. It could be the dry clutch Dsg is not adapting well to the hot and humid climate.

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 2

[IMHO]

Seems like Ford is not the only brand having Dsg issues. VW is also recalling their 7sp dry clutch Dsg in singapore, Malaysia, japan and china. It could be the dry clutch Dsg is not adapting well to the hot and humid climate.

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 2

The big difference between Ford and VW's DSG issues are that the VW's ones are mechanical failures - Ford's are just software

[tua2kee]

Glad to hear that it is Software issue for Ford. Vw had also claimed it was a software issue and could be fixed with an upgrade.

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 2

[kkerry]

Seems like Ford is not the only brand having Dsg issues. VW is also recalling their 7sp dry clutch Dsg in singapore, Malaysia, japan and china. It could be the dry clutch Dsg is not adapting well to the hot and humid climate.

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 2

The big difference between Ford and VW's DSG issues are that the VW's ones are mechanical failures - Ford's are just software

Slightly off-topic I know and I don't want to hijack the topic which is about Ford but this still may be of interest with VW in the news in Australia right now.

http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor-news/government-orders-probe-on-vw-faults-20130531-2nhgu.html?rand=1370048364954

The federal government has launched an investigation into possible faults in popular models of Volkswagens which have led to motorists experiencing a frightening and sudden loss of acceleration while driving their cars.

http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor-news/death-prompts-vw-owners-to-speak-out-20130530-2nexi.html?rand=1370048257894

400+ comments since Friday morning...

Edited June 1, 2013 by kkerry

[Ace of Pop]

Seems like Ford is not the only brand having Dsg issues. VW is also recalling their 7sp dry clutch Dsg in singapore, Malaysia, japan and china. It could be the dry clutch Dsg is not adapting well to the hot and humid climate.

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk 2

The big difference between Ford and VW's DSG issues are that the VW's ones are mechanical failures - Ford's are just software

Slightly off-topic I know and I don't want to hijack the topic which is about Ford but this still may be of interest with VW in the news in Australia right now.

http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor-news/government-orders-probe-on-vw-faults-20130531-2nhgu.html?rand=1370048364954

The federal government has launched an investigation into possible faults in popular models of Volkswagens which have led to motorists experiencing a frightening and sudden loss of acceleration while driving their cars.

http://news.drive.com.au/drive/motor-news/death-prompts-vw-owners-to-speak-out-20130530-2nexi.html?rand=1370048257894

400+ comments since Friday morning...

Fortuna Sportivo drivers are familiar with it whilst trying to pass a Honda City on a Hill They get real mad for some reason.

[churchill]

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.

I have the same problem with new focus 1 year old... Samui Ford would not look at the download as it is not in Thai ....Is there a Thai link ? I have looked but cannot find ...

They finally agreed there is a problem and plugged in their computer to reprogram ...Although the problem is a little better still not resolved.

Has Ford thailand confirmed this problem ? the link is not from Ford Thailand as far as I can see

Thanks for any assistance ..

[Rob5060]

I still have a problem with the grinding etc

Anybody get a final resolution

[sjonburi]

Just wanted to update you guys that there's a new technical service bulletin from Ford (worldwide TSB issued on 24.07.2013) covering all GETRAG DSP6 powershift transmission issues one might experience such as grinding and shuddering during acceleration. It covers both Fiesta and Focus built from 2011 onwards.

I had mine done at Ford Pattaya and brought the print out of the PDF as the link below. It's important that you immediately escalate the issue to the technical service manager and not the cute lady behind the counter It's equally important to know that software reflash is named 13-9-4 and supersedes all previous TSB's like 13-4-5 and 11-12-13. The job includes reprogramming the TCM and PCM + the visual inspection of the clutch in search of oil contamination as this can make the clutch slip or hesitant to grab thus causing the grinding / shudder. This job takes normally about 7 hours but expect it to take around 1.5 - 2 days in Thailand.

In order for the technician to be able to download the correct software update (13-9-4) they must update their own Integrated Diagnostic System (IDS) first to version 86.01 or newer because if they run an older version the update will not pop-up on their laptop. Stay with them during this process to make sure they follow the right steps.

If you are located in Pattaya then directly contact the technical service manager K. Lek who is glad to help out and even called a FSR from Ford Manufacturing Thailand (only 2 of the experts available in Thailand) to the dealer and spent an entire day with me to make sure all the latest updates were applied correctly and I did not have a problem since.

Let me know how it goes

Link: TSB 13-9-4: http://www.fordservicecontent.com/pubs/content/~WT/~MUS~LEN/3610/tsb13-09-04.pdf

I still have a problem with the grinding etc

Anybody get a final resolution

[Ace of Pop]

Fine Advert for Ford when the Customer knows more about the Product than the Dealer.

[sjonburi]

I agree but TiT and 99% of the time we do know more , try homepro or homeworks where employees outnumber customers by 5 to 1 and most of them have no clue of what they're selling but when you pay something at the cashier they run to the cashier to scan the badge for the 1% commission they get for doing nothing. But seriously, Ford is way behind in terms of customer-service but from personal experience I do know there are some dedicated people who do have the best intentions for the customer

Fine Advert for Ford when the Customer knows more about the Product than the Dealer.

[smoochy]

Nice info. Thanks.

Trying to sell the Fiesta now as there has been no improvement in either fuel economy or snapping, jerking shifts. Ford HQ says that the software is up to date.

Cheers.

[FarangTalk]

Nice info. Thanks.

Trying to sell the Fiesta now as there has been no improvement in either fuel economy or snapping, jerking shifts. Ford HQ says that the software is up to date.

Cheers.

Good luck. What you gonna buy once you rid yourself of that?

[Ace of Pop]

Makes you wonder, my neighbour has a 20 Y.O,Nissan Ciferro, or something, the 3 Speed Auto Box is perfect,so is the Car, so much for progress sometimes. Sent fro m these bloody awkward phone tings.

[arthurwait]

If you are only doing 4 km each way ( and city driving) the car is most likely spending all/most of that on 'choke' which would explain the poor fuel economy. The engine hasn't had a chance to warm up and run properly.

Normal economy on highway driving would suggest this.

[tua2kee]

sorry to dredge up this issue again, but I am beginning to think the transmission issue is worldwide and not related to software alone.

take a look at this guy's experience:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxcRiZTbNe8

[rayinkrabi]

I also took my Fiesta back to Ford after just a few weeks and questioned the poor economy and was told that this is normal around town but can expect much better on a long run. Turned out to be true, I forget the numbers but I when I converted them to good old MPG it worked out over 45 mpg.

Talking of fuel economy figures, why does the Ford computer insist on giving info on Ltrs to 100 Kilometres? I know its a simple conversion but my new Chevy simply states Kilometres to the Litre which is exactly what is required surely?

[sjonburi]

Yep, you're right. The software update can only do so much and the Getrag DCT250 is definitely not flawless. This gearbox is a real POS in my opinion in otherwise a great car.

sorry to dredge up this issue again, but I am beginning to think the transmission issue is worldwide and not related to software alone.

take a look at this guy's experience:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxcRiZTbNe8

[tua2kee]

Instead of fixing the gear, seems like Ford is trying to sell more cars through aggressive promotions. They will have tp face the customers later and I hope the aftersales can cope.

Sent from my GT-I9195 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[kkerry]

 

Talking of fuel economy figures, why does the Ford computer insist on giving info on Ltrs to 100 Kilometres? I know its a simple conversion but my new Chevy simply states Kilometres to the Litre which is exactly what is required surely?

 

...exactly what is required... for the US

Fiestas made in Thailand get exported e.g. to Australia so maybe they set the computer to l/100km as used in Australia and make that the default. Fewer regional changes means cheaper production costs I imagine. Same way Ford keep the indicator switch on the same side for both left and right hand drive versions of Fiestas.

[sjonburi]

The Focus is designed is developed in Germany by a multinational team of engineers and therefore probably follows the European measurement of liters per 100 km's. According Wikipedia:

Europe[edit]

Main article: NEDC

In the European Union, passenger vehicles are commonly tested using two drive cycles, and corresponding fuel economies are reported as 'urban' and 'extra-urban', in litres per 100km and (in the UK) in miles per imperial gallon.

I also took my Fiesta back to Ford after just a few weeks and questioned the poor economy and was told that this is normal around town but can expect much better on a long run. Turned out to be true, I forget the numbers but I when I converted them to good old MPG it worked out over 45 mpg.

Talking of fuel economy figures, why does the Ford computer insist on giving info on Ltrs to 100 Kilometres? I know its a simple conversion but my new Chevy simply states Kilometres to the Litre which is exactly what is required surely?

[DILLIGAD]

You can switch the fuel reading to MPG in the 2 litre Focus Sport+

[TramsRepus]

sorry to dredge up this issue again, but I am beginning to think the transmission issue is worldwide and not related to software alone.

take a look at this guy's experience:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxcRiZTbNe8

Hue , terrible. There goes another of my budget options down the drain. Thanks for writing about your experience.

Edited November 25, 2013 by TramsRepus

[Qauvorka]

Hi can anyone tell me where I can get a copy of this TSB 13-9-4? I read it at the dealership when they tried to justify the quoted expense of 50,000 thb and upon hearing I was an engineer and questioning the parts list and which part of the TSB would be accomplished as they hadn;t done a diagnostic yet to determine this, they refused to give me a copy and reduced the quote to 23,000 thb. (BTW it is 1 month out of warranty so I have to pay)