Ford Focus Transmission Problems

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#71 of 689 Just replaced the trani by dancinangi80

May 18, 2008 (1:02 pm)

I just replaced the trani in my wonderful nickle-and-dime me focus, I was curious..is the torque converter in the transmission or is it seperate. I was charged 1289.63 for the trani, then 369.00 for the torque converter, then 69.00 for some other parts. I just got it back yesterday, and when I got onto the freeway and started driving, a light came on. A exclamation point. Pulled over and it turned off. Got back on, it turned on again.. it seems that when I start driving over 65 mile an hour, it comes on. If I keep it below that, it stays off. When I look it up in the little book that comes with the car, it says that it is a multifuction key for the transaxle/coolant engine system, something or other...its not in front of me now its back in the car. Now when changing the trani, what areas do they have to mess with...is it only the bottom of the car..the top and bottom...etc. When I took it in, my engine stuff seemed all nice and neat. Now it seems all messy. Does anyone have the answer to the millions of questions I just asked? Oh..its a 2002 Ford Focus with the ztech motor...dual overhead...if that helps at all.

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#72 of 689 Re: Transmission slips, dealership gives runaround... [marjk] by mabelle1

May 27, 2008 (8:14 am)

Replying to: marjk (Apr 20, 2005 11:52 am)

I also own a 2003 Focus ZTW that was having transmission problems. I also contacted Ford and was told they were not aware of any problems with this model. Less than 60,000 and transmission had to be rebuilt. The shop I brought my car too to have it repaired contacted a friend of his at a Ford dearlership to see if he knew why my Focus would be having this problem. Sure enough he new exactly what was wrong. He told the gentlemen that was working on my car to look at the pistons. The pistons are defective and Ford is well aware of this probelm. Part of the piston is chipping off, cloughing the filters causing the belt to run hot. I have both the pistons and belt that came out of my transmission. I wish I know how to make Ford live up to this problem. Maybe a class action suit should be looked into.

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alphilj (Sep 01, 2008 9:00 pm)

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#73 of 689 Re: Banging Noise [cnewman] by burnmyfocus

May 28, 2008 (12:53 pm)

Replying to: cnewman (Dec 30, 2007 4:22 am)

I just had the same problem, it is the coil springs. Mine broke and because it was broke the wheel bearing broke also. Luckily, Ford has extended the warranty on it so it was a covered repair. Good luck to you.

Now I am fighting with them over my slipping transmission.

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#74 of 689 2000 Ford Focus tranny and other issues by burnmyfocus

May 28, 2008 (1:07 pm)

Ok, so on Friday I had the broken coil sping and the wheel bearing replaced and now my tranny is slipping in 2nd and 3rd. I call Ford who tells me that my car HAD a 36/36 bumper to bumper and that it could not be extended even though the tranny problem is rampant in this model. She did tell me that the 2006 or newer has a 100,000 ml power train warranty due to the previous model years issues..... Hello.... Why not extend the warranty on the models that are HAVING the issue? She told me they cannot extend it, I asked to speak to someone who could and was told there was no one who could, not in the whole Ford Motor Company??? NOPE! She also told me that if I have problems with my fuel pump that the warranty for that has been extended for 10 years.... So, one can be extended and the other can't?? My rear door locks have been replaced once and one side only lasted 3 or 4 months, my ignition froze up and it cost me $250 for a locksmith to replace it, one side of my serpentine belt strips off as soon as it is put on (have been thru 3 0r 4 of them now in 3 years), button on shifter wouldnt push in to put it in gear due to some safety thing under the brake pedal that ford didnt have any clue what I was talking about so I just removed it, then the broken coil sping broke the wheel bearing and they had me drive it home and bring it back the next day without telling me my wheel could fall off! I have had enough!! Stand behind your product people!

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#75 of 689 2000 Zeetec 18kmi no power when hot outside by focusyo

Jul 13, 2008 (10:10 pm)

Hello,
I got this car with 5.5K miles on it. It was a literal Grandmas car (my Grandma)
Because the car was seven years old I changed all the fluids. The car would always run poorley when it got hot outside which is a lot of the time in Southern Calif. Liked others described, I would be going 40 and want to speed up. I apply gas and nothing. More gas and nothing. Punch it and the car would kick down.
I was getting terrible milege.

I read through the posts and stumbled on the Transmission Fluid Temperature Sensor. I replaced the sensor and the 3.1 Qts of Fluid. When I changed the fluid intitially, I used MaxLife Dextron/Mercon. This time when the sensor was replaced I used Mercon V fluid from Castrol. The car runs much better and my milageage has improved by a lot. I now have an ocassional problem at idle where the car bumps.
That is the best way I can describe it.

Thanks for all who post and I hope this helps

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#76 of 689 2002 Ford Focus Transmission Repair Instructions by aokrongly

Jul 26, 2008 (12:06 pm)

The first time this issue happened (at 60k miles) I paid a transmission shop $600 to fix it. It just happened again (at 100k miles) and I fixed it myself for about $50. It's a fairly common problem, so I'm posting the symptoms, codes and instructions here to help others.

I own a 2002 Ford Focus with automatic transmission. The symptoms are that the transmission disengages (slips out of gear) when it goes into 3rd gear. When the car slows down to 20 miles an hour or so (or when you stop) it re-engages. You can drive the car in 1st or 2nd gear generally. The transmission light comes on. There are no noises associated with this problem. If you have this problem then it's probably the "A" Solenoid that needs to be replaced. Here's how you make sure that's the case and fix it for $50.

1. You need to pull the diagnostic computer codes. Ford will pull them for you for $100. But, you can do it for free by going to AutoZone. They have a loaner computer diagnostic code puller. If you bring the car they'll just do it for you in the parking lot. If you want to borrow the tool then they will want a $200 security deposit. I recommend that you bring the car to them if you it's close. Also, there are lots of small shops that will pull the code for you for free. There's no reason to pay a "diagnostic fee" to pull the computer repair code. This code will tell you Exactly which solenoid to replace. It's typically the "A" solenoid, though.

2. Once you get the code you need to know which solenoid to replace. Here is a list of diagnostic solenoid codes:

P0750 SSA SSA solenoid circuit failure SSA circuit failed to provide voltage drop across solenoid. Circuit open or shorted or PCM driver failure during on-board diagnostic. No reverse gear (short) or no fourth gear (open). Refer to Pinpoint Test A.
P0751 SSA SSA functional failure Mechanical or hydraulic failure of the shift solenoid. Not all gears present. REFER to Diagnosis By Symptom (307-01 , DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING).
P0755 SSB SSB solenoid circuit failure SSB circuit fails to provide voltage drop across solenoid. Circuit open or shorted or PCM driver failure during on-board diagnostic. Not all gears present. No converter clutch apply in third and fourth gears. Refer to Pinpoint Test A.
P0756 SSB SSB functional failure Mechanical or hydraulic failure of the shift solenoid. Not all gears present. No converter clutch apply in third and fourth gears. REFER to Diagnosis By Symptom (307-01 , DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING).
P0760 SSC SSC solenoid circuit failure SSC circuit fails to provide voltage drop across solenoid. Circuit open or shorted or PCM driver failure during on-board diagnostic. Not all gears present. Refer to Pinpoint Test A.
P0761 SSC SSC functional failure Mechanical or hydraulic failure of the shift solenoid. Not all gears present. Refer to Pinpoint Test A.
P0765 SSD SSD solenoid circuit failure SSD circuit fails to provide voltage drop across solenoid. Circuit open, shorted or PCM driver circuit failure during on-board diagnostics. Not all gears present. Refer to Pinpoint Test A.
P0766 SSD SSD functional failure Mechanical or hydraulic failure of the shift solenoid. Not all gears present. Refer to Pinpoint Test A.
P0770 SSE SSE solenoid circuit failure SSE circuit failed to provide voltage drop across solenoid. Circuit open. Shorted or PCM driver circuit failed during on-board diagnostics. Not all gears present. Refer to Pinpoint Test A.
P0771 SSE SSE functional failure Mechanical or hydraulic failure of the shift solenoid. Not all gears present. Refer to Pinpoint Test A.

3. It's fairly easy to replace the solenoid. You need a 5/16 socket and rachet and a tube of Gray RTV Gasket Maker (you can get it at any auto parts store).

4. You need to buy the solenoid. I only found it at Ford. For some reason when I told 3 different parts managers I wanted the "A" solenoid (which is how it's described in every Ford transmission diagram and on the computer code) they didn't know which one it was. There are 6 solenoids in the transmission. The "A" solenoid is the one they sell the most of and probably have on hand - because it goes out fairly often on this model. The Ford part number (off the bag) is XS4Z-7H148-AA. I paid about $45 for it at a Ford dealership.

5. For the repair you need to raise the front of the car. I used ramps, but make sure it's secure. The transaxle (transmission) is in the front right, as you look at the car. The bottom is a pan, like an oil pan, with about 20 bolts holding it on. They're 5/16th's. There's transmission fluid in the pan, but no "drain bolt". So, have a pan ready to catch the fluid once the transmission pan comes loose. Be careful. Transmission fluid is hot, it will make a mess. And, the pan has a silicone gasket seal around it. So, once you get the bolts off/loose you will probably need to work the pan loose. Don't bend it. (Make sure you get all the bolts off, it's easy to miss one.) I left one bolt on the front so I could ease the pan loose from the transmission on the back and let the fluid run into a pan. Then I removed the pan.

6. You will see SIX solenoids in the transmission. You can't miss them. Each one has a different colored wire going to it. The A Solenoid has a white wire going to it, it's a small solenoid in the center on the right. It's held in place by one bolt (that's also 5/16ths). Unplug the wire, remove the bolt and remove the solenoid. Put the new solenoid in.

7. Carefully and completely scrape all the old gasket off the transmission surface the the edge of the fluid pan. Clean it. Then apply the new gasket (from the tube) onto the edge of the pan. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you just apply a thin bead of gasket compound. Don't use too much or the excess will get into your transmission and cause a problem.

8. Replace the pan. Let the gasket set according to the instructions on the tube - READ THE INSTRUCTIONS. And refill the transmission with transmission fluid. I was told to use the same fluid I took out, by someone I trust. You use a funnel and refill it through the transmission dipstick tube (front, right of the engine, yellow handle). Make sure you put it in the right place. Fill it slowly. Then run the engine and check the fluid. Add until it reads correctly on the dipstick. You check transmission fluid with the car running and the fluid hot.

9. Look under to car to make sure there are no leaks around the transmission pan. Over the next days and weeks keep an eye out for leaking transmission fluid when you park. If the transmission pan is leaking then you'll need to redo the gasket but do a better job this time.

That's it! It's so easy a 14 year old kid could do it. It doesn't take strength, mechanical ability or the ability to grow a beard. It just takes care, patience and dirty hands. Have a shop do it for you for $450-$600 OR MORE. Or do it yourself for $

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#77 of 689 automatic transmission fault by claires1

Aug 27, 2008 (5:43 am)

Hi,
looks like a few people have had this problem and I could really do with some help on this.
I have an automatic focus but live in England (where people mainly have manuals) and no garage not even ford can diagnose the problem.
The gear changes aren't smooth and it jolts into gear, sometimes the automatic transmition warning light comes on but this does not log a fault code onto the computer, an engineer has even test driven my car with the computer plugged in and the light has come on and no fault code shows up.
The fault started off very intermittent but now every time i get in it i am learched into gear.
The solenoid and valve body have been changed but the problem still remains - any ideas please???
Thanks

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#78 of 689 Re: Transmission slips, dealership gives runaround... [mabelle1] by alphilj

Sep 01, 2008 (9:00 pm)

Replying to: mabelle1 (May 27, 2008 8:14 am)

I have a 2002 ZTW with transmission problems. Actually, just about every other week something awful happens to it (my brakes are squeaky, even though every part has been replaced, it smelled like my engine caught on fire, then my battery died, but it turned out that my alternator was bad and ruining everything, and then my fuel pressure regulator was hit while trying to fix the alternator, which turned into an expensive dealer part! I still have a sound like a pigeon that goes off every-so-often that has yet to be made clear).

The problem at hand now: I get a strange smell 100% of the time when I turn off of a 40mph road onto a residential street (very tight 90* turn, so I slow way down). It smells like a belt is burning. On Labor Day weekend, I went out to a lake and right at about 85 miles on my trip, I made a bad turn that turned into a gravel road. I immediately turned around, but for some reason, after that rough gravel road, my transmission couldn't find 3rd gear anymore. It tries to go to it, but can't, so it slips itself into neutral. I can drive it just fine in my low gears, but now even they're having problems! Now, the car struggles to find 1st without slipping and had a very hard time finding 2nd once. I am worried the problem is more than a sensor or something coming loose on a bumpy road. I'll keep you posted on what my problem turns out to be, and I'm willing to talk about that class action if it is something like my pistons...

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#79 of 689 focus transmission by trait1000

Oct 07, 2008 (12:57 pm)

bought and '08 Focus several months ago. After 9500 miles, new transmission
was put in. After another 1000 miles, am starting to feel the lurches and slips that many on this forum are complaining about. When I talked to my dealer about it,
they stated they didn't know of any tranny problems with Focus. I've only made for or five payments on this vehicle. Any suggestions.

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#80 of 689 Re: 2002 Ford Focus Transmission Repair Instructions [aokrongly] by 4steeles1

Oct 15, 2008 (8:26 am)

Replying to: aokrongly (Jul 26, 2008 12:06 pm)

I just wanted to thank you for posting how to fix the transmission problems for the ford focus. I did exactly what you said to do and my transmission works fine now. Once again THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![aokrongly] His message is number 76!!! my transmission works perfectly and it only cost me a little over $48, if you have this problem with your tranny just follow his directions and it will be fine.

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