3 Of The Biggest Problems With Ford's Powershift Transmission

You cognize that gut driblet erstwhile your car starts to sound aliases consciousness off. Maybe it's a unusual shudder, a delayed shift, aliases that dreaded informing ray connected nan dash. You return it to nan shop, hoping it's conscionable a sensor aliases thing elemental your mechanic tin benignant retired successful an afternoon. Then comes nan bad news that your car's automatic transmission is failing. You commencement moving done nan costs and downtime successful your head. And arsenic you wait, it only gets worse erstwhile nan mechanic can't look to hole your transmission.

Several 1000 Ford drivers ended up dealing pinch specified a situation aft buying cars equipped pinch nan brand's eager PowerShift transmission. Ford promised a smarter, much businesslike return connected nan automatic gearbox, 1 could present nan smoothness of an automatic pinch nan power and substance savings of a manual. But this evident method leap guardant ended up leaving galore drivers frustrated, stranded, and battling unpredictable capacity issues. Digging deeper, nan problem started pinch nan PowerShift's unsocial creation and nan measurement it managed cogwheel changes.

Everyonephoto Studio/Shutterstock

The Ford Powershift transmission functions adjacent to a manual transmission tally by a computer. Basically, this transmission uses 2 barren clutches wherever 1 clutch controls nan overseas gears while nan different handles nan moreover gears. That intends erstwhile nan car is operating successful 1 gear, nan machine automatically sets up nan adjacent cogwheel connected nan 2nd shaft. In turn, nan shifts are faster and smoother, starring to amended substance system compared to accepted automatics. However, successful reality nan strategy is little than cleanable arsenic drivers acquisition jerking betwixt gears. Sometimes, there's delayed consequence erstwhile accelerating and clunky cogwheel changes during stop-and-go traffic. This made nan car consciousness unpredictable, particularly erstwhile merging aliases pulling retired into traffic. 

It's clear that this problem traces backmost to nan dry-clutch creation and package calibration. The barren clutches lacked lipid for cooling and lubrication, truthful they wore retired faster. Inevitably, nan worn-out clutches slipped earlier engaging and caused delayed shifts. There were besides flaws wrong nan transmission power module that caused shifting issues. This module sounds signals from sensors astir nan motor and gearbox to determine which cogwheel to prime and really quickly to prosecute it. Software flaws aliases faults wrong it caused shifting issues.

Ford attempted to hole this rumor done aggregate package updates and method work bulletins. They besides replaced clutches and seals nether warranty, though successful galore cases nan issues later resurfaced wrong months. This led to class-action lawsuits successful which drivers claimed Ford knowingly sold cars pinch defective transmissions. The ineligible backlash forced Ford to rumor settlements and buyback programs for the faulty Focus and Fiesta models. 

The cheque motor ray aliases transmission malfunction informing connected nan dashboard often lit up abruptly pinch nan Ford's Powershift transmission. This usually meant nan car's transmission power portion (TCU) had detected a responsibility wrong nan system. Oftentimes, it was tied to nan clutch packs, sensors, aliases hydraulic unit controls.

Powershift's dual-clutch creation hinged connected precise physics coordination to grip cogwheel changes. But erstwhile that synchronization faltered, whether owed to worn clutch material, faulty solenoids, aliases package miscommunication, nan strategy would trigger a responsibility code. Most drivers saw this ray arsenic nan first motion of much trouble. It often preceded slipping gears, shuddering during acceleration, aliases nan car abruptly entering limp mode, restricting powerfulness to protect nan transmission from further damage.

Minor issues for illustration outdated package were sometimes resolved done a TCU reprogramming. However, erstwhile nan underlying problem was mechanical, specified arsenic worn clutch packs, leaking seals, aliases faulty mechatronic solenoids, nan hole usually progressive replacing those parts. Ford later introduced revised clutch materials, upgraded seals, and improved power modules successful an effort to trim overheating and slippage. In immoderate cars, full transmission replacements were nan only lasting solution.

Ricky8kurniawan/Shutterstock

Drivers often reported harsh metallic grinding aliases rattling sounds erstwhile shifting from first to 2nd gear, aliases during low-speed acceleration. At debased speeds, nan motor and transmission speeds are changing rapidly, but nan torque request is still high. The strategy has to disengage 1 clutch for nan first cogwheel and prosecute nan different for nan 2nd cogwheel almost simultaneously.

In a decently tuned dual-clutch system, this happens smoothly and goes unnoticed. But successful nan PowerShift, fluid viscosity changes made nan timing moreover harder to control. When temperatures were high, nan transmission fluid thinned out, reducing its expertise to lubricate and protect components. In acold conditions, it thickened and slowed clutch response. These fluctuations affected really quickly nan clutches could link and disengage during cogwheel shifts.

This is why nan grinding was astir evident successful stop-and-go postulation aliases driving up a gentle incline, erstwhile nan transmission was perpetually juggling those little gears nether ray throttle. Ford issued respective package updates that adjusted clutch timing and concisely reduced motor torque during shifts to soft powerfulness delivery. The alteration often softened nan grinding for a short time, but arsenic clutch deterioration worsened, nan sound inevitably returned.