chiodos wrote: Redline neutral drop. I bet that would fix your problem..until something broke
Can't do that. Computer won't let you.
chiodos wrote: Redline neutral drop. I bet that would fix your problem..until something broke
Can't do that. Computer won't let you.
Feedyurhed wrote:Klayfish wrote: The past three rental cars I've had this year were Ford Focus...by choice. I actually like the car quite a bit. That's the only one drawback I've seen to it. All of mine have done the same thing. It gives a bit of a shudder when pulling off from a stop, especially if you're only at part throttle. I don't know what it is, but I wonder if it has to do with some type of fuel saving measure. Does it deactivate cylinders while at a stop? But for me, other than that, I think it's a great compact car.So it's a great compact car except that it doesn't run right and it's miserable to drive? I am not being harsh it just seems like that's a pretty big thing. Like I said I couldn't wait to turn mine back in.
No, not at all. With that one exception, it has always run fine for me. It's not like an earthquake in the car, but it's a shudder. It's fairly brief and only at low speeds. Without a doubt, if it was my car I'd want it fixed. But I don't think it's miserable to drive at all. For a compact/economy car, I thought it was actually fun to drive. Responsive chassis, decent steering, even though I don't like autos this one shifted very well, comfortable, good mpg. I got 42mpg cruising the highway, and it only dropped down to about 35mpg after repeated in town parts runs where I was hammering the crap out of it. I'd love to try the ST, as I liked the SE versions I've driven. I'll bet the ST is a blast.
It's all perspective I guess. My current DD is a Chevy HHR, which considering what I paid for it, I'm satisfied with. Prior to that, my DD was a Prius. Comparing the 2015 Focus hatch to those makes the Focus seem great. 
alfadriver wrote: The good news is that the transmission will be going away, and being replace with a traditional auto trans box. Decent idea, but when faced with how people actually use their cars, poor execution- and is reflected in Consumer Reports.
I love our Focus but the trans behavior sucks in stop and go traffic.
Remove that DCT transmission from the Transit Connect and I will be looking VERY closely at them when it comes time to replace my Mazda 5.
ProDarwin wrote:Knurled wrote: Solution: Low-level hybrid like GM did with the Ecotec, where there is just a big beefy alternator that can backdrive the engine via the belt. Use the motor to get the car moving so you don't have to worry about creep killing transmissions.That reminds me. I really want to see one of these setups up close in person. Seems like one of the only hybrid setups that could be semi-easily retrofit onto another car.
I have one 10 feet from me. It really is just a big alternator, and a fancy belt tensioner because the slack side sometimes goes under tension.
It's not a hybrid in the sense that you can drive all-electric. The engine shuts off at lights (maybe approaching stops?) and the engine restarts as soon as you release the brake pedal. The motor also assists during some part of acceleration but drive is never EV-only.
pjbgravely wrote:Knurled wrote: "Cleveland Creep" - Stop a car length behind the guy ahead of you. Then creep forward a little every couple seconds, so the gap is closed by the time the light turns green. Why do people do this? WHY? WHY??? There is no point. I've seen this behaviour nowhere else. WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU, CLEVELAND DRIVERS? YOU USED TO BE COOLThey all do it NY state also. They think that their movement will trigger the light when in fact the opposite is true. They all must think I am nuts for staying still. It is funny when the lead car is so far under the light that they can't see it turn green and all that creeping was for nothing.
That's not what I mean. What I mean is coming to a stop a car length or two behind the car ahead of you, then slowly creeping up. The end result is that you never actually come to a stop, which is absolutely infuriating, especially with a manual trans.
I wait a half light cycle then leap forward three car lengths to close the gap.
alfadriver wrote:nutherjrfan wrote: just remembered he said it is the emissions shutting off the engine. I swear I hear it all the time now when I'm walking past a red light. I live in a city with a lot of european cars.That's not true. Unless the offending emission is CO2. It's a fuel economy tool, not an emissions tool.
"It's an emissions thing" is the cry of people who complain that cars don't come with manual chokes and points distributors. Friggin' EGR wires everywhere under the hood. Mah '59 Rambler didn't need none of that crap...
In reply to Knurled:
I doubt he knows what any of those things are in defense of his honor. It probably was some urban myth he heard over there - funny euros.
You know, it's funny. When I got the Focus, wife wanted me to do autotragic, said on my daily commute it would be easier. Being stubborn, and of a mind that cars were meant to be shifted by their drivers, I didn't even test drive the auto. 5-speed or die.
Several years later, The Answer was acquired and figured I'd sell the Focus - a few bites, but nothing panned out, and I think a big part of the reason is they're all painted with the "problem" moniker. Between the glut of former rental cars now in the used car market and the "known" problems killing the value, I figured I'd rather hang on to it than lose more than half it's value in 3 years.
I really enjoy driving the car, Ford did a great job in making this fat tub of lard "compact" car responsive and fun to drive. It's comfortable on long trips, "sporty" enough to have fun in and autocross (I thought I sucked at driving fwd cars - having autocrossed the Miata, I realize I just suck at driving, period. 
), gets really good mileage - 30 in town if I'm good to it, 36/37/38 or better highway depending on my average speed of usually not less than 75 or so, and to me is a pretty good looking car.
And the car has been dead nuts reliable, not one problem at all with nearly 60K on it. Actually, I think the 5sp (new) Focus should be on anybody's "what car" list, especially with what you can get a used one for at this point.
Feedyurhed wrote:Klayfish wrote: The past three rental cars I've had this year were Ford Focus...by choice. I actually like the car quite a bit. That's the only one drawback I've seen to it. All of mine have done the same thing. It gives a bit of a shudder when pulling off from a stop, especially if you're only at part throttle. I don't know what it is, but I wonder if it has to do with some type of fuel saving measure. Does it deactivate cylinders while at a stop? But for me, other than that, I think it's a great compact car.So it's a great compact car except that it doesn't run right and it's miserable to drive? I am not being harsh it just seems like that's a pretty big thing. Like I said I couldn't wait to turn mine back in.
They run right and are comfortable little bastards, but the whole DCT issue is purely on the buying public who think everything needs to have that forward push that traditional torque converter equipped automatics have.....the dct just needs driven like it is a manual. 
FWIW, e-gear/smg Lambo, Alfa, Ferrari, Maserati, BMW, etc stuff will only move in gear when you touch the accelerator. 
Darn that buying public. Always ruining our fun 
yamaha wrote:Feedyurhed wrote:They run right and are comfortable little bastards, but the whole DCT issue is purely on the buying public who think everything needs to have that forward push that traditional torque converter equipped automatics have.....the dct just needs driven like it is a manual.Klayfish wrote: The past three rental cars I've had this year were Ford Focus...by choice. I actually like the car quite a bit. That's the only one drawback I've seen to it. All of mine have done the same thing. It gives a bit of a shudder when pulling off from a stop, especially if you're only at part throttle. I don't know what it is, but I wonder if it has to do with some type of fuel saving measure. Does it deactivate cylinders while at a stop? But for me, other than that, I think it's a great compact car.So it's a great compact car except that it doesn't run right and it's miserable to drive? I am not being harsh it just seems like that's a pretty big thing. Like I said I couldn't wait to turn mine back in.
Mmmm, about that.... Some of that buying public have had real problems, transmission replacements, clutch seals, etc... Having spent the last three years on the FF website, there are, or were, some real problems with them.
Some have had zero DCT issues, some have had SW fixes that cured all, some have had two or three sets of seals, some have gotten used to how it reacts, and more than a few have had some serious issues.
Having said that, I think the '14s had largely cured the issue, most of those posters with the problems were 12 and 13 cars.
For those that rented them, what was the model year of the car you drove? Makes me curious to see if it follows what was on FF.
Again if it feels weird and you have less than 100k on it go see your dealer, it's free. The stuttering is caused by the clutches slipping a bit when changing gears.
The DCT in my '13 Fiesta is weird. I know. It seems to like the cold . Last winter at below O temps, I had a friend riding with me.
He asked if the transmission was torque convertor or VCT. He was surprised when I said dual clutch. It was vey smooth. Now with temps in the 90's it has a tendency to be wonky on occasion. Most times though, I get a slight shudder when the clutch first engages from a stop. After that it shifts fine.
Hill Assist. not hill start is a fun system. It down shifts when you brake for the corner and holds the gear coming out.
Low or now sport is wild. Red line for every shift. Fun but gas mileage sucks.
All temps are Farenheit. Car has 27,000 plus miles on it.
Doesnt matter whether it's a DCT or a CVT, start clutches are inherently sucky for stop and go driving. Torque converters are still where it's at, even if the rest of the trans is DCT or CVT (vs planetary-based auto). Acura just went back to a torque converter in the ILX. I guess their customer base won't bend over for stupid start-clutch behaviour as long as the Focus' has!
Plus with a torque converter you get torque multiplication off the line, which most >2.5L cars really need.
Torque converters are friggin' awesome. They're one of the best inventions of the 20th century.
You know what is really awesome? A torque converter and a turbo that are matched to each other. You sail a sea of BOOOOOOOOOOST as soon as you open the throttle. You get the engine coming up to spool speed, you get the boost, and you get the torque multiplication in the converter. It's a trifecta of getting what you want: namely, your head slamming the headrest when you hit the accelerator.
But people whine and crab and want three pedals because they like being slow in the name of art, or something. Whatever. You can have your stir stick and cockroach-stomp with your hipster transmissions.
Wife and I test drove a new focus,throttle response with the standard was truly horrific.Wasn't considering an auto but sales guys to try one so we did...it did what I'm guessing your talking about when I went to pull away from a light.Turned right around and handed the dude back the keys,I wanted to like it but I'd lose my mind with that nonsense paying for a new car.
Picked up a 2016 Elantra GT 6speed manual a couple weeks ago,it drove the closest to a normal car with clutch take up and throttle action.Revs stay up on the upshifts which is a little annoying but at least it doesn't fall on its face trying to pull out of a side street with a truck coming.
I have racked up a few hundred miles in my friend's '13 focus. 5 speed, 5 door, SEL. Uninspiring at best. When looking at the high performance versions, while I'm sure are better, put you into a price range with far better options.
In reply to OldGray320i:
We logged 100k on the family '12 SEL without any issues, just a programming reflash. Let's not forget you're referencing a website, that when I was part of it, might as well have been a combination of "ricers are us" and a significant group of retards who thought boosting automatic 00-04 sedans made sense without upgrading anything else....
The Focus Connection was much better than Focus Fanatics. Damn shame it isn't around anymore.
It's an automated manual transmission. (It has a "clutch" actuated by the computer.) The stuttering is caused by a worn clutch, which was an issue with the first year (2012s). It is repairable under warranty and updated to the specs of the later models, which shift quite smoothly.
yamaha wrote: In reply to OldGray320i: We logged 100k on the family '12 SEL without any issues, just a programming reflash. Let's not forget you're referencing a website, that when I was part of it, might as well have been a combination of "ricers are us" and a significant group of retards who thought boosting automatic 00-04 sedans made sense without upgrading anything else....
No, that's quite true, there are more than a few RAU types on there, but there's a core of pretty knowledgeable guys.
Reading through the auto trans comments, it's obvious that some of them are the "what do you mean my pedestrian economy car isn't perfection out of the box - how can there be a perceptible rattle somewhere in the car?" types, but there were a few that had legit gripes.
Having said that, more than a few had either the software updates or clutches replaced and had no more problems.
I'll be a shift myself or die trying type until then, but I'd really like to drive one of these "auto-manual" cars one of these days, just for the fun of it.
In reply to OldGray320i:
You don't want to drive the DCT if you prefer shifting.....you want to drive something with a proper sequential transmission that happens to have a horrible "automatic" mode. LoL
The Focus automatic is not dual clutch. It has a single clutch.
Wrong. It has two clutches.
Just look up "Powershift transmission. It is all explained.
You may be confused in that it is a clutch pak.
Sky_Render wrote: The Focus automatic is not dual clutch. It has a single clutch.
No, it's actually 2. If it were one, the shift times would take a lot longer. Much like very early auto shifting manual cars- like a 1996 M3- which was a terrible car.
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