Ford Focus 3 manual transmission doesn't turn on well. Diagnostics and repair of Ford transmissions and manual transmissions. Insufficient oil pressure

At correct operation and timely maintenance, Ford transmissions last 250-300 thousand km without problems. But if the gears on your Ford are difficult to engage, the gearshift lever vibrates, and you hear a hum and grinding noise while driving, you will need prompt diagnostics and repairs.

At the S-Auto technical center, diagnostics is understood as a multi-stage procedure. First, specialists study the symptoms of the malfunction and conduct visual and operational diagnostics. After this, as necessary, the box is dismantled, disassembled, and all components and mechanisms are defective. Next, the details of the repair are discussed - timing, estimates, list consumables. After restoration, the client receives a car with working box gear shift that will not require intervention in the near future.

What typical malfunctions do you encounter when repairing a Ford manual transmission?

1) Gears do not engage

The reason lies in a loose nut on the bolt that secures the coupling to the slide. It also cannot be ruled out that the coupling locknut or control shaft may be simply loose. To find out the exact cause, a thorough examination will be required, because different models Ford's own design flaws. For example, on a Ford Focus, the gears do not engage well when the release bearing, clutch petals are bent.

We would like to draw your attention to the complicated switching when the engine is not warmed up - up to 60°. It is usually accompanied by problems with turning on low gear while driving, you have to slow down. The defect is associated with poor lubrication of the pin on which the counterweight is attached. After it is applied high temperature grease, the problem disappears.

2) The transmission makes noise in neutral gear

The reasons can be completely different - from the destruction of teeth on gears, bearings on the drive shaft to wear of bushings for a needle bearing.

3) Gearbox hum when you press the gas pedal

Due to untimely oil changes, the bearings on the shaft were most likely destroyed. In Focuses, internal elements without high-quality lubrication quickly stick. Extraneous noise in the gearbox appears when synchronizers and gears wear out, when play forms on the shaft.

Also extraneous noise bearings may make noise. Leads to their accelerated wear low level manual transmission oils. What is causing the leaks?

• The integrity of the seals is damaged.
• The gaskets sank.
• Weak crankcase cover fasteners.
• The connection between the box and the crankcase is loose.

When adding oil to the five-speed MTX-75, iB5 gearboxes, which were installed on the second generation Focus, you should wait until it drains into the 5th gear housing. Only after this are control and measurement procedures carried out.

The iB5 is equipped with a reinforced two-section crankcase with reinforced fins. According to the factory regulations, the oil volume in such a gearbox is 2.5 liters, and replacement is not required. But in Russian conditions transmission fluid they try to change it at least once every 50-70 thousand km. The oil is drained within 15 minutes after stopping the car, until it has had time to cool down and has good fluidity.

To carry out the replacement, use a set of 8 and 19 socket heads, 8 hex keys, a container for used oil and a special syringe. The box is filled with oil that meets the manufacturer’s specifications with quality class API GL-4/ 5 SAE 80W-90. When used in cold regions where temperatures often drop below -30°C, as transmission oil Full synthetics are recommended, corresponding SAE standards 75W.

Please note that when driving a Ford Focus with a low oil level in the manual transmission, the plain bearings, circular gear teeth and other elements suffer.

4) Complicated gear shifting with a characteristic grinding noise

There are 5 main reasons for this phenomenon:

• Incorrect adjustment of the clutch drive, air entering the hydraulic system.
• Worn gearbox drive cables.
• Synchronizer cones or blocking rings are damaged.
• The filled transmission fluid does not comply with the manufacturer's specifications.
• The synchronizer springs have weakened.

5) Knocks out gears

If the ends of the teeth of the gear ring or synchronizer are worn out, the clamp springs are loose, or the shift fork is faulty, the gears switch off spontaneously. The same thing happens when the gears are not fully engaged.

Why does a Ford Focus have trouble shifting gears? Let's try to figure out the reasons. Firstly, an aggressive driving style with incorrect gear shifting. Secondly, violation of standard clutch adjustments and neglect of regular maintenance. Thirdly, natural wear and tear of internal mechanisms.

Focus owners complain that winter time year, the gearshift lever becomes tighter. This is because in severe frosts the box needs to be warmed up before driving. According to the automaker's manual, you should hold the clutch depressed for 3 seconds before engaging gears. This will make switching easier.

6) Oil leaks

Loss of tightness is often associated with destruction of seals and damage to o-rings. It is enough to replace worn out elements, add or change transmission fluid and filter. If this does not solve the problem, you will have to dismantle the gearbox. After repairing the gearbox, before reinstalling it, apply grease to the splines and pump the clutch hydraulic drive.

S-Auto specialists work with manual transmissions only model range Ford. They are able to accurately diagnose and promptly eliminate any transmission defects.

Now there are almost no cars left that do not have an automatic transmission. Malfunctions in its operation occur more often than with a manual transmission, but this does not in any way affect the annually growing demand for cars with an automatic transmission.

In this article we will look at the Ford Focus 3 and its modern included the latest transmission called Power Shift. To begin with I will describe brief description the car itself, and then we will look at possible automatic transmission malfunctions that drivers may encounter with this wonderful car.

New Power Shift transmission

What awaits us when purchasing this car model? Preselective Power Shift transmission with two clutch packs, EcoBoost series turbo engines, electric amplifier, with the help of which the car parks itself and also adheres to its lane line.

There is even a robotic electronic eye that can distinguish between the most common road signs. Any car enthusiast will be delighted with such unusual and useful innovations in the Ford Focus 3.

Some even listed this model as a competitor to the A3. Car with automatic transmission at the moment breaks all sales records in Russia. Its popularity is the fruit of the successful work of highly qualified specialists.

The new Focus 3 family of cars is a truly large-scale project by Ford. They are produced in Spain, Thailand, China, Germany, and of course, in the USA and Russia. And this model can be found on sale in 129 countries around the world. Over these 2 years, the car has shown itself excellently and fully met the expectations of both developers and car enthusiasts around the world. Ford Focus 3, which has an automatic transmission, is becoming an even more popular option among other representatives of this class.

Choosing between automatic and manual

The resources of modern gearboxes are quite high. Judge for yourself, any gearbox can last up to 250 thousand kilometers if used properly. To significantly extend service life this mechanism It is imperative to study the rules for using an automatic transmission. This is a very important factor in car operation. So, the performance of the box largely depends on the driving style. It’s not for nothing that professional racers and just drivers who love driving fast prefer “mechanics”. Of course, modern machines can allow you to move quite quickly and dynamically. But if you look from the point of view of endurance, then city racing in the “gas to the floor - hard brake” mode is categorically contraindicated for an automatic machine.

It’s not for nothing that previously only executive class cars were equipped with an automatic transmission, the task of which was to comfortably and safely transport passengers from one point to another. Well, now automatic transmission can be found in every car: from a small car to a large SUV. And it is not surprising that a person who buys a car with a powerful five-liter engine prefers to squeeze the maximum out of it, for which sooner or later he still has to pay by overkill.

Another problem that confronts owners of cars with an automatic transmission is towing. The problem is this: the pump that supplies lubricant naturally does not function when the engines are not running, while other parts rotate “forcibly.” Surely you know about the consequences of dry friction: parts wear out much faster and become frayed.

There are several more very important subtleties associated with driving a car with an automatic transmission, for example, some inexperienced drivers think that when stopping at a traffic light they need to turn on the “P” mode (parking mode), and when starting to coast down a hill they should activate “neutral” " Such touching and strange concern is absolutely useless. Experienced car enthusiasts recommend moving the selector handle only twice during the entire trip: before starting to drive, set the position to “D” (drive), and after the end of the trip, to the parking mode.

As an exception, there may be a situation when you need to tow a car out of a bog, deep snow or mud. In such cases, forced automatic transmission restrictions are usually used - this is position “1” or position “2”. Of course, it is better to use third-party help with such a problem. Don’t be suspicious - enjoy the convenience and comfort that gives us automatic transmission.

Possible malfunctions in the automatic transmission

We propose to consider possible malfunctions of the automatic transmission using the example of some of the most common breakdowns.

• If the automatic transmission does not move forward and the car is towed on the spot. This problem may be associated with wear of the friction discs, cuffs, or breakage of the clutch oil sealing rings. If the automatic transmission does not want to go backwards, and only 1st and 2nd speeds are switched forward, then it is possible that the piston cuff is worn out or broken.

• It also happens that the automatic transmission only goes forward and all shifts are present, but does not want to move back at all, then most likely the brake band piston rod has broken. Or again, wear of the friction layer or piston seal.
• When the automatic transmission does not move forward or backward, and when switching from mode “P” or “N” to any other speed, there is no noticeable push to activate the gear. Or the pump drive gear does not work, due to which it has moved away and there is no clutch. If this problem occurs, you need to check the presence of oil in the automatic transmission. Check the 1st speed valve, it may be stuck.
• If, when moving from a standstill, the car slips a little, but after a few seconds it picks up normal speed if you switch to other speeds. This indicates that the turbine wheel hub splines are worn, resulting in the gearbox shaft slipping when high speed engine.

Multimedia steering wheel new Ford Focus 3

Another common problem is clutch slipping when changing gears. This is due to the average clogging of the filter mesh. It could also be a low oil level or a faulty clutch C1. If the car jerks while driving and slips from time to time, then the freewheel has clearly failed. Malfunctions in the automatic transmission can occur in a variety of ways. And you need to understand that such a complex mechanism as an automatic transmission does not need to be repaired yourself, you just need to take the car to a professional service center.

With the advent of the automatic gearbox, driving a car has become much easier - in fact, that’s what it was designed for. However, if we compare it with the traditional mechanical one, we cannot help but note a number of its disadvantages:

The main disadvantage of the automatic transmission is that at the moment of transition from one gear to another, a power failure occurs. The manual transmission also has such a failure, but when driving a car with manual transmission The driver, focusing on the road situation, chooses the moment to change from one gear to another, then the automatic decides everything, and this moment may not be the most suitable. Especially when it comes to an extreme situation on the road.

Benefits of Powershift

To the creators robotic box Powershift managed to solve this problem. Its design is as simple as it is original: it is, in fact, two synchronously operating mechanisms: the first is responsible for turning on/off even-numbered gears, the second turns on and off odd-numbered ones. Although they work in concert, they are independent of each other. Thus, the loss of power at the moment of transition from one gear to another almost completely disappears, which has a beneficial effect on both the car’s handling and its performance. dynamic characteristics. But that’s not all: the Powershift box allows you to reduce fuel consumption by almost 10% (of course, compared to automatic machines of other designs).

Disadvantages of the “robot”: repair of Powershift Ford Focus 3

But this box also has two serious drawbacks:

• Firstly, due to the fact that, in fact, it contains two independent gearboxes, the number possible malfunctions Powershift has also doubled;
• Secondly, the cost of the box has also increased significantly, as has the cost of its diagnostics and repairs. In addition, not every specialist will undertake the repair of a Ford Focus 3 robot - to do this, you need to have experience working with a gearbox of this particular design. And since this box was developed in the bowels of the Ford design bureau, it is installed on cars of this brand and on some Volvo cars. At least for now.

Notes in the margins! Despite the complexity of the design, the Powershift “robot” is relatively small in size, so it can be found on cars of different classes, ranging from powerful Mondeos to compact focuses.

Considering the original design of the automatic transmission of this model, it is not surprising that its failures make themselves felt somewhat differently than the failures of traditional automatic boxes. For example, a Focus with a Powershift gearbox may have problems shifting only to even or, conversely, to odd gears, which indicates a malfunction of one of the two gearboxes. While with a standard automatic transmission the malfunction would appear when all gears are in operation.

Most problem area or, as experts say, the “weak link” of Powershift is its coupling and shafts, then it is not surprising - after all, they are the ones who have to work in constant conditions increased loads. It should also be noted that Powershift is demanding on oil quality. Firstly, not all motor oils are suitable for it, and secondly, it should be changed more often than in other boxes (this, by the way, is reflected in the Ford Focus user manual). If these requirements are not met, the moving elements of the box quickly wear out, which first leads to isolated, and soon permanent malfunctions in its operation.

One more thing weak point Powershift is its electronic component. However, breakdowns control electronics are characteristic of almost all automatic machines, because the electronics are very sensitive to elevated temperatures, and the gearbox heats up during operation, and quite significantly. Therefore, Focus owners should be prepared for the fact that repairing a Powershift Ford Focus 3, no matter what kind of breakdown occurs, will cost them somewhat more than repairing an automatic transmission of any other type.

Ford Focus 3 repair: Powershift and other automatic transmission faults

The most common breakdowns Automatic transmission Power shift:

Causes of malfunctions leading to repair of Ford Focus 3 automatic transmission

By and large, the manifestation of one or another malfunction of the Ford Focus automatic transmission can be explained by one of three possible reasons:

This is why it is so important to carry out all scheduled maintenance procedures for the Ford Focus transmission in a timely manner and operate the car according to the manufacturer’s recommendations: do not overload and, most importantly, warm up the box before driving, especially in winter.

When gears shift poorly, driving a car becomes not only unpleasant, but also unsafe. Let's look at the main reasons why gears shift poorly or don't shift at all. And since the automatic transmission and manual transmission are too different, we will consider them separately.

If you have a mechanic

Gears shift poorly in a car with a manual transmission for three reasons. The first of these is a malfunction of the clutch when it does not completely disengage (drive). The first sign of this malfunction is that the reverse gear is engaged with a characteristic crash. The rear one reacts to this anomaly more noticeably than other gears, because it is the only one not equipped with a synchronizer.

The second reason is a defect in the gear selection mechanism of the gearbox. And finally, the third is excessive wear of the gearbox synchronizers.

There are also several clutch malfunctions in which manual transmission gears shift poorly:

Excessive wear of synchronizers mainly occurs in those gears that are engaged more often: these are usually first, second and third. The rear one is not included in this list because it does not have a synchronizer. When your gear shifts poorly, and you assume that the reason for this is wear of the synchronizers, firstly, you should only have difficulties with this while driving. Secondly, in this case it switches better if you use double squeeze.

For those who don’t know what double squeeze is. To shift to a higher gear: depress the clutch, engage neutral, release and depress the clutch again, engage the gear.

Backlash in the so-called “helicopter” is one of the reasons for unclear gear shifting

To switch to a lower gear: double squeezing must be combined with a shift, that is, when the clutch pedal is released and the gearbox is in neutral, you need to press and release the accelerator pedal. This is how gears are changed in cars that do not have synchronizers. If the gearbox shifts easier using double squeezing, then the culprit is that the gears shift poorly, most likely, worn out synchronizers.

If the gears shift poorly when the car is standing still with the engine turned off, the fault may only be in the gear selection mechanism of the gearbox.

Look for damage or check that it is adjusted correctly. Don't even think about the clutch and synchronizers.

For those with automatic

If your car has an automatic transmission. It will not hurt you to know the modes in which your machine can operate:

The automatic transmission also has a button on the mode shift lever with the inscription O/D OFF. When it is turned on, the inclusion is prohibited, increasing the gears of the analogue of the 5th gear of the manual transmission. That is, if your automatic machine has 4 gears for moving forward, then for more dynamic acceleration it will use only three lower gears.

About a faulty automatic transmission, an automatic transmission is much more complex than those encountered with a manual transmission, and the chances of repairing it in your garage are slim. But despite this, you still need to know something about it, if only in order not to harm it through improper use.

An automatic transmission is much more demanding in terms of accuracy in maintaining the oil level in it than a manual transmission. Both too low and too much are very harmful to her. high level oils Both of these can lead to serious damage. In both cases, oil foaming occurs. When there is a lack of oil due to the fact that the oil pump begins to capture air along with the oil. When there is excess oil, it foams on the rotating parts, which in this case are immersed in it. Foamed oil compresses better and has low thermal conductivity. Therefore, if you operate a machine with such oil, the pressure in its control systems will be low. Which will lead to slipping of the clutches and their intensive wear. Deteriorated thermal conductivity will not allow all excess heat to be removed. Which, together with low pressure, will lead to the machine failing and requiring serious repairs.

Foamed oil has more volume. Therefore, checking the oil will show the level is too high. If you find that the oil level has risen for no apparent reason, you need to turn off the engine and let the oil settle. After this, check the level again. If it turns out to be low, you need to safely add the required amount and repeat the test.

The oil level in the machine is checked using a dipstick or through a control hole closed with a plug.

How to check the oil level using a dipstick

• Heat the oil until operating temperature(for this you need to drive about 15 km).

Select a flat horizontal area for measurement. Put the car on the handbrake.

• Move the lever to select the operating mode of the box through all positions, holding in each position for 3 to 5 seconds, until the machine operates.
• Leave the mode selector in position P, and in this position determine the oil level.
• Without turning off the engine, remove the oil dipstick, wipe it dry and reinsert it into the tube until it stops, then pull it out and read the readings. The upper limit of oil traces on a dry dipstick should be at the mark with the inscription “hot” or in an area with intersecting notches.

Add oil if insufficient level It is possible through the tube into which the dipstick is inserted. Do not forget that the automatic transmission is afraid of dirt, so add only clean new oil. Wipe the dipstick with a clean cloth from which the threads do not fall out.

When checking the oil level, pay attention to its appearance. Dark liquid with a burning smell indicates that not everything is in order in the unit. First, try changing the oil and filter in the automatic transmission. The milky color of ATF indicates that coolant has entered the box. The coolant softens and swells the material from which the clutches are made. Do not hesitate to change such oil, having first eliminated the cause of antifreeze getting into the box, otherwise significant damage will be caused to the machine. Coolant may enter the box due to a leak in the oil section in the radiator of the cooling system. In this case, the emulsion will be observed both in the box and in the engine cooling system.

The most common machine malfunctions

• The car does not move forward or reverse normally. Possible reasons: wear of the forward clutch clutches, a defect in the piston of this clutch, breakage of the rings of the same clutch, jamming of the valve body valves.
• There is no reverse speed, there are only forward speeds 1 and 2. Probable causes: wear of the clutch clutches reverse, malfunction of the piston of this clutch, damage to the spline joint in the drum body, another defect of this drum.
• There is no rear, everything works forward. Reasons: wear of the brake band, malfunction of the piston of this band or breakage of its rod, defects in the braking package.
• There is no movement either forward or backward when you turn on any mode, there is a shift push, but the car stands still. Causes: torque converter malfunction, lack of oil, clogged filter.
• Only reverse, 1st and 2nd gears are engaged. Reasons: valve jamming in the valve body, low oil level, general wear of pistons and clutch clutches that do not engage.

Max 05/04/2019

Question Dmitry:






Question Dmitry:

Got rid of FF3 at the end of 2012, automatic transmission Power Shiwt 1.6 125hp. He sighed with relief. I bought the car for my wife.
It started twitching at 15 thousand. We re-flashed the brains. For 30 thousand, the plugs and automatics were replaced under warranty. At 35 I started twitching again. and the further you go, the more. At speeds of 30-40-50, when you release the gas and press it again, you hear a metallic pop. 45, 60, 75 - they rewired their brains. At 90, under warranty, they changed the automatic again. They said the forks were fine with the release - nothing squelched. At 95, after the warranty expired, a tow truck appeared for the first time - the display lit up with the message - The transmission is faulty - contact service. The engine started but the gear did not engage. We asked again. A kilometer after the service (Avtopole) everything was jerking again.
After that they gave up. The car was used as a bicycle, to the store and back. Mother takes the seedlings to the dacha a couple of times a year. Traveling more than fifty kilometers from home is simply scary. It stood under the house - car thieves don’t need it for nothing, it starts and drives, although it jerks. The popping sound in the box sometimes startled pedestrians passing by. We reached 120 thousand.
Our copy is not unique. We were always serviced by OD - all of the above replacements were accompanied by waits for spare parts from a month to 4 months! Because the problem in St. Petersburg was literally global (according to the dealer). I wouldn’t be surprised if whoever made the decision to install this box on FF3 was quietly shot.
So far the point is, my wife is in her third year of Q3, my Q5 has passed the 4th year. Also the same type of box. but there have never been any problems like this before. The Q5 has already been driven 110 thousand times. And now a steppe with a torque converter works as a bicycle at home.
FF3 is the worst car I've owned in 30 years of driving experience - and that's about a dozen different units. From Golf 2 and 2106 to assorted Japanese and several Audis.

You've come across a bad option.

Max 05/04/2019

I had a couple of times when accelerating when switching, but I slowed down before that. They consider this not a problem but a dulling of the brain of a box that does not understand what they want from it. I drove a Mitsubishi Colt with a robot, same story.
In general, I am happy with the car. Ford Focus 3 2012 125 hp. 1.6 PNDA engine, 6DCT250 powershift transmission with dry clutch, mileage 130,000 km. The machine is designed for calm ride no traffic jams. In traffic jams the box starts to kick and kick. In hot weather, the TCM may overheat and fail.
Good luck to everyone on the roads.

1. sovkien 08/28/2018

   Question Sergey:

   If it's just a little, it's acceptable.

   Sergey 08/12/2018

   FF3 transmission power shift 125 l.. when changing gears, the speed is not much higher.. shifts smoothly, does not twitch... there are no errors in the gearbox.. Guys, tell me what could be wrong.? I washed the throttle and then I don’t know what to do....

2. Dmitry 01/21/2018

   Got rid of FF3 end of 2012 Automatic transmission Power Shiwt 1.6 125hp. He sighed with relief. I bought the car for my wife.
   It started twitching at 15 thousand. We re-flashed the brains. For 30 thousand, the plugs and automatics were replaced under warranty. At 35 I started twitching again. and the further you go, the more. At speeds of 30-40-50, when you release the gas and press it again, you hear a metallic pop. 45, 60, 75 - they rewired their brains. At 90, under warranty, they changed the automatic again. They said the forks were fine with the release - nothing squelched. At 95, after the warranty expired, a tow truck appeared for the first time - the display lit up with the words - The transmission is faulty - contact service. The engine started but the gear did not engage. We asked again. A kilometer after the service (Avtopole) everything was jerking again.
   After that they gave up. The car was used as a bicycle, to the store and back. Mother takes the seedlings to the dacha a couple of times a year. Traveling more than fifty kilometers from home is simply scary. It stood under the house - car thieves don’t need it for nothing, it starts and drives, although it jerks. The popping sound in the box sometimes startled pedestrians passing by. We reached 120 thousand.
   Our copy is not unique. We were always serviced by OD - all of the above replacements were accompanied by waits for spare parts from a month to 4 months! Because the problem in St. Petersburg was literally global (according to the dealer). I wouldn’t be surprised if whoever made the decision to install this box on FF3 was quietly shot.
   So far the point is, my wife is in her third year of Q3, my Q5 has passed the 4th year. Also the same type of box. but there have never been any problems like this before. The Q5 has already been driven 110 thousand times. And now a steppe with a torque converter works as a bicycle at home.
   The FF3 is the worst car I've owned in 30 years of driving experience - and that's about a dozen different units. From Golf 2 and 2106 to assorted Japanese and several Audis.