What's wrong with my 2010 Ford Focus - does it sound like the differential?

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903 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1179411 19-Nov-2014 12:05

sxz:
Pulinski:
sxz: 2010 Ford Focus, Manual, 1.8L Turbo Diesel. I have owned this car for 8 months. Lately I have noticed a problem, which the Ford Dealer cannot find or diagnose. They gave the car a clean bill of health. The problem: Every now and then there is a clunking, or grinding somewhere in the powertrain. As I am driving along it clunks, whirs, grinds, the car loses power, I then usually lift off the throttle or engage the clutch, and something seems to pop back in, then the car is fine again. This happens very rarely, usually only on long trips. We've slowly narrowed it down and it seems to only happen on windy hills. It doesn't happen seem to happen in town or on long straight roads. The clutch and gearbox both feel fine to me as all other times, so to me, it seems like the problem only happens when the diff is under pressure. Has anyone else had any experience with this? Because the local Ford dealer hasn't...

I took my 2009 Ford Focus away to the Coromandel last weekend. I am experiencing the same issue, but in a Automatic. It was purchased from a dealer in August.

While driving around corners especially while accelerating (hills), I get a distinctive whirring and then a clunk. I would happen randomly but often about 10 minutes would pass before it would occur again. The sound did not affect the car at all. Once I got to the Hauraki Plains and State Highway 2, I did not hear it again.

Where did you take it to be looked at?

Fairview motors Hamilton - the Ford dealer. They took it for a drive (despite me telling them they wont be able to replicate it around town), looked in the engine somewhere (who knows where), plugged in the computer (whatever good that will do with a mechanical fault) and said the car was in perfect shape. They suggested I monitor it and bring it back if it happens again. Not sure how that helps if it only happens for 3-7 seconds at a time. Next stop will be a transmission specialist I think.

If there was an engine fault that was causing the engine to lose power then it would show up on the engine diagnostics.

But, despite the presumed lack of an engine fault, you feel that you are losing power.

That really sounds like a clutch problem. Especially as you wrote that you think that the engine revs increase when you get the problem.

You also write that the problem occurs on windy hill roads. Roads like that are the worst for clutch problems as you are putting high levels of torque through the clutch for long periods of time. Anything dodgy in any part of the clutch mechanism will turn up there.

Coil

6615 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1179489 19-Nov-2014 12:56

Could be the OBC freaking out. Cutting power etc. Common with trans faults.
Take it to a pro. keyboard mechanics wont fix your issue unfortunately.
people can suggest good repairers. I would suggest Causeway Automotive on Barrys Point Road.

sxz

699 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1182200 24-Nov-2014 15:36

Now Marshal Transmissions (the transmission magicians) also cannot find the problem.

On the phone they seemed confident it was a CV joint. I told them the problem was hard to replicate, they couldn't replicate it, they did a visual inspection of the CV joint and couldn't see a problem so they can't do anything.

Back to just wait and see I guess.

DravidDavid

1894 posts

Uber Geek

#1182202 24-Nov-2014 15:43

sxz: Now Marshal Transmissions (the transmission magicians) also cannot find the problem.

On the phone they seemed confident it was a CV joint. I told them the problem was hard to replicate, they couldn't replicate it, they did a visual inspection of the CV joint and couldn't see a problem so they can't do anything.

Back to just wait and see I guess.

Powertrain issues suck!

We have one with our Caldina GT-T. It will shake and shudder under acceleration and when decelerating, it will click and bang violently as if we were hitting bricks on the motorway. Yet when the mechanic looks or I take him for a spin...NOTHING. It drives like a late model Mercedes! Then that night, the rattle, clicking and banging starts again.

I have no other choice but to wait until the problem gets worse and potentially dangerous!

ckc

321 posts

Ultimate Geek
Inactive user

#1182222 24-Nov-2014 16:08

sxz: Now Marshal Transmissions (the transmission magicians) also cannot find the problem.

On the phone they seemed confident it was a CV joint. I told them the problem was hard to replicate, they couldn't replicate it, they did a visual inspection of the CV joint and couldn't see a problem so they can't do anything.

Back to just wait and see I guess.

At least they had a go. One mechanic in Dunedin told me that they just didn't want to touch my AC problem, although they were happy to do the obvious jobs.

I told them not to touch the rest of the car either, I'd take it somewhere else.

Batman

Mad Scientist
23063 posts

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Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#1182229 24-Nov-2014 16:27

i had a ford fiesta once. swore never to buy another. the australian cars always tempt me. the falcon and the territory. but thankfully had not gone back. i did say the same about a mitubishi but i did renegade and bought another. thing is, all cars have bad apples, just that some cars have more apples and gremlins than others. fingers crossed it works out for you

Involuntary autocorrect in operation on mobile device. Apologies in advance.

Sidestep

866 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1183192 26-Nov-2014 11:00

sxz: Now Marshal Transmissions (the transmission magicians) also cannot find the problem.

On the phone they seemed confident it was a CV joint. I told them the problem was hard to replicate, they couldn't replicate it, they did a visual inspection of the CV joint and couldn't see a problem so they can't do anything.

Back to just wait and see I guess.

The best thing you can do here is keep an accurate record of what actually happens:

Does the noise correspond to road speed/wheel rotation? (ie CV joint/final drive problem is usually 'clicking' or 'grinding' noise, once every wheel rotation when turning)
Or is it related to engine speed (noise rises or falls with the engine revs?) or the gear selected (always happens in 3rd under load?)
Do the engine revs jump when you loose power? Or is it like the brakes are partially applied?
Does anything light up on the dash (like your traction control light?)

Also if you can capture the problem on video, that can really be useful.

One you have the info, drop back to your trans shop. It sounds like they've just taken a guess at a likely problem, as they couldn't recreate the issue.

I'm wary of just "wait and see" as that can be a potentially dangerous and/or expensive way to go.

benokobi

838 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1200688 19-Dec-2014 17:20

Got the clutches replaced on the 2013 which solved the problems but now theres a crunching sound from the "active grill shutters"

TLD

721 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1206322 31-Dec-2014 09:24

I'll plus one on a CVJ. They are usually easy to test. Find a big open space, and turn on full lock one way, then the other. CVJs generally only show symptoms when turning. Have a look for a damaged boot that has let moisture into the joint. Not too painful to repair if that's what it is. A dummy drive shaft end would be handy if doing it yourself, so you don't lose oil when the drive shaft is removed.

The first prototype Focuses we had at Dunton had big turbos, and used to wind up the drive shafts something awful. We were new to front wheel drive then, so the cars used to _leap_ to the side after a quick gear change, or even when the turbo came in on some of them. CVJ was the most common drive train failure while I was still working.

Trevor Dennis
Rapaura (near Blenheim)

sneaka

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#1373937 25-Aug-2015 15:24

Hi. Did this issue originally posted by sxz ever get resolved? We are having the exact same problem, in the exact same car and it's proving to be a bit difficult to diagnose as it's intermittent and not throwing up any fault codes. Any info that can point us in the right direction would be great. Thanks.

TLD

721 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1374117 25-Aug-2015 18:54

sneaka: Hi. Did this issue originally posted by sxz ever get resolved? We are having the exact same problem, in the exact same car and it's proving to be a bit difficult to diagnose as it's intermittent and not throwing up any fault codes. Any info that can point us in the right direction would be great. Thanks.

Have you tried the full lock test? Find an open space, and drive it at full lock clockwise, and then try anticlockwise. That puts the CVJs under maximum stress, (short of doing the same thing peddle to the metal towing a large trailer with flat tires and full of ballast.)

Trevor Dennis
Rapaura (near Blenheim)

Rickles

2255 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1374393 26-Aug-2015 09:03

My bet is on CV joints.

Many years ago I owned a Subaru Leone that did all the things SXZ describes ... random clunks and clonks, loss of forward motion, engine revs up, usually no problem on straight lines, turning caused problem, stopping and waiting 4 or 5 minutes made problem go away!.

Fred99

11128 posts

Uber Geek

#1375289 27-Aug-2015 16:30

My guess is not CV. Reason - these days CJ joints seem to last perhaps 10 years / 150,000km, then often just the boots are stuffed, which if replaced before they leak, you can get a lot more out of the CV. Other reason - no loss of power unless/until the CV breaks, axle splines slip out of the trans etc - all very unlikely to be an "intermittent" issue. In the early days, CVs were rubbish. Much better now.

Does this 2010 model actually have a DSG / dual clutch transmission? If so I gather that the Ford Getrag units are much like the Audi/VW Borg Warner units - extremely complex, and you might say that "issues" aren't exactly unheard of, and I doubt that anywhere in NZ they "fix" the mechatronics unit with all the servos, sensors etc. rathet than just put a new one in. However they can be "adjusted" when playing up if someone has the right electronic gear and knowledge. Using the wrong fluid in them is recipe for disaster - worse perhaps than not servicing as per schedule. Many $$$ to fix/replace, and because they do fail, then finding a working used transmission might be a bit of a mission. Extremely good transmissions when they're working right, but otherwise...

But anyway, the report that it does this when turning does make me wonder about ESC rather than trans. Kind of a bit like ABS in reverse, apply brakes to individual wheels automatically (which might explain the noise and lack of power if it actuates) when the system (perhaps falsely in this case) detects loss of traction. A sensor or other fault with the ESC system may cause the symptom and may well be related to the different speeds of opposing wheels when turning - tricking the ESC system into action.

sxz

699 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1375293 27-Aug-2015 16:37

Hi - OP here.

NO, problem not resolved. Has been to ford dealer, Marshals Transmissions and an independent mechanic. No one could replicate it, all said they could find no problem, and didn't see the point in taking it apart to look closer.

We have narrowed it down a lot more and can pretty much guarantee it will happen on two particular hills (up and down), generally going about 50-60 in third gear in the open road and turning to the left or right. The traction control light comes on but I suspect this is more symptom than cause, as it feels like the engine is whurring past the transmission, like a cog has popped out (note my non-technical jargon).

Luckily for me I don't have many hills like that, so it happens to us about once every thee or four months, so for now, we are ignoring it. Have been meaning to take a video of it when we are next on those hills to show the mechanic.

Fred99

11128 posts

Uber Geek

#1375295 27-Aug-2015 16:42

sxz: Hi - OP here.

The traction control light comes on but I suspect this is more symptom than cause

I don't - see the last part of my post above. Copy the relevant part and put it under your mechanic's nose if he doesn't believe it.

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