Mk4 2020 Focus auto shifting click/clunk noise getting worse

[Zeeb]

Hi my friend in Australia has had no luck so far with his Ford dealer on this - does anyone have an idea?

(Australian 2020 model with 8-speed auto, 1.5L turbo petrol.)

- started as occasional soft clicking noise when auto transmission changes gears, mainly changing down like when pressing accelerator

- seems to be getting worse - recently heard clunk noise when manually selecting Reverse or Drive after starting up (with window down in garage)

- dealer found nothing obviously wrong but will be having another look - suggested CV axle. owner suspects engine mounts

- also possibly related, bad shuddering noise (likely during cylinder deactivation) at just below 80km/h (50mph). Sport mode is a workaround fix.
The auto shift clicking may also happen more around this speed

Thanks

[Zeeb]

He took it to the dealer again - they found no faults and said it was the same as another car they compared it with.

But his son's ST-Line (same engine and transmission, but his is a lower-spec 'Trend') has only a faint click on shifts.

Has anyone come across a problem like this (maybe transmission or mounting related)?

[DaveT70]

Try re-calibrating the clutches.

Ideally do this procedure whilst the vehicle is at operating temperature

If you have forscan then simply go into maintenance and "re-set transmission adaptive learning characteristics"

If you don't have forscan:

Disconnect the battery whilst ignition is on (Positive terminal) but engine NOT running

Leave for 10 mins and press brake pedal a few times whilst disconnected.

Re-connect battery

Turn ignition on but do not start engine.

Turn off ALL acessories (A/C, Radio, Display Screen, lights.) Ensure doors closed.

Leave vehicle in Park and start engine - do not touch throttle

Leave on idle for about 5 mins (or until engine reaches running temperature)

After engine has been idling at operating temperature for one minute:

Turn on A/C and leave to idle a further one minute

Now you can turn on all other accessories

If you reset using Forscan, start from here

Engage the foot brake and release the handbrake.

Keeping your foot on the brake at ALL times:

Engage D and hold for 5 seconds

Engage R and hold for 5 seconds (DO NOT ENGAGE NEUTRAL IN BETWEEN)

Repeat this 5 times

Engage neutral and hold for 5 seconds

Engage D again and repeat the above steps again.

You should find the clunks when engaging D&R get better after each sequence.

Now take the vehicle out and make sure you can go on a trip where you can get up to 50 MPH/80 KMH and stop safely

Drive the vehicle in D in normal mode under light throttle (so that the gearbox changes up at around 2,500-3,000 RPM) and drive up to 50MPH/80 KMH and bring the vehicle to a complete halt.

Repeat this step again.

Now drive the vehicle under heavy load (about three quarter throttle, but NOT full throttle) up to the same speed as before. And repeat, once.

From stop - Now engage either "L" if you don't have paddle shifters

If you do have paddles, press "M" , activate "SPORT" mode and engage 1st gear (So that it'll hold first gear, not change up)

Accelerate up to 25 MPH/40??KMH very gently, on light throttle.

Now let off the throttle and let the gearbox slow the vehicle down (engine braking) to at least 5MPH - 8-10KMH (or idle coast) 

DO NOT TOUCH THE BRAKE (unless you have to)

and repeat.

Drive as normal and see if that corrects it👍

 

 

[Alexis94040]

3 hours ago, DaveT70 said:

Try re-calibrating the clutches.

Ideally do this procedure whilst the vehicle is at operating temperature

If you have forscan then simply go into maintenance and "re-set transmission adaptive learning characteristics"

If you don't have forscan:

Disconnect the battery whilst ignition is on (Positive terminal) but engine NOT running

Leave for 10 mins and press brake pedal a few times whilst disconnected.

Re-connect battery

Turn ignition on but do not start engine.

Turn off ALL acessories (A/C, Radio, Display Screen, lights.) Ensure doors closed.

Leave vehicle in Park and start engine - do not touch throttle

Leave on idle for about 5 mins (or until engine reaches running temperature)

After engine has been idling at operating temperature for one minute:

Turn on A/C and leave to idle a further one minute

Now you can turn on all other accessories

If you reset using Forscan, start from here

Engage the foot brake and release the handbrake.

Keeping your foot on the brake at ALL times:

Engage D and hold for 5 seconds

Engage R and hold for 5 seconds (DO NOT ENGAGE NEUTRAL IN BETWEEN)

Repeat this 5 times

Engage neutral and hold for 5 seconds

Engage D again and repeat the above steps again.

You should find the clunks when engaging D&R get better after each sequence.

Now take the vehicle out and make sure you can go on a trip where you can get up to 50 MPH/80 KMH and stop safely

Drive the vehicle in D in normal mode under light throttle (so that the gearbox changes up at around 2,500-3,000 RPM) and drive up to 50MPH/80 KMH and bring the vehicle to a complete halt.

Repeat this step again.

Now drive the vehicle under heavy load (about three quarter throttle, but NOT full throttle) up to the same speed as before. And repeat, once.

From stop - Now engage either "L" if you don't have paddle shifters

If you do have paddles, press "M" , activate "SPORT" mode and engage 1st gear (So that it'll hold first gear, not change up)

Accelerate up to 25 MPH/40??KMH very gently, on light throttle.

Now let off the throttle and let the gearbox slow the vehicle down (engine braking) to at least 5MPH - 8-10KMH (or idle coast) 

DO NOT TOUCH THE BRAKE (unless you have to)

and repeat.

Drive as normal and see if that corrects it👍

 

 

Suddenly i feel sooo lucky having a manual transmission on my Focus MK4 Ecoblue...

But i have sound issues too (loud metalic clicks) inside the engine's appartement when it is cold.

That's Ford i suppose!!!

[DaveT70]

31 minutes ago, Alexis94040 said:

Suddenly i feel sooo lucky having a manual transmission on my Focus MK4 Ecoblue...

But i have sound issues too (loud metalic clicks) inside the engine's appartement when it is cold.

That's Ford i suppose!!!

It looks long winded when you read it, but it only takes about 10 minutes

[Zeeb]

11 hours ago, DaveT70 said:

Try re-calibrating the clutches.

Ideally do this procedure ...

Thank you - very interesting that you can recalibrate the transmission - that might fix it! Is this guide definitely for the latest 8-speed torque converter box (not DCT or other) on the Mk4? What do these clutches do? - lock up the torque converter intermittently?

With the procedure: After you've done the reset with forscan, and then the exact steps of the D-R x5 part (and repeat)... Is it also important to do the exact steps on the driving part in the exact order - or can there be a bit of variance?
(It sounds like it might be difficult in some traffic to accelerate, halt, let the car slow etc like that.)

 

8 hours ago, Alexis94040 said:

Suddenly i feel sooo lucky having a manual transmission on my Focus MK4 Ecoblue...

But i have sound issues too (loud metalic clicks) inside the engine's appartement when it is cold.

I think I read that clicks on the diesel while cold like that are normal - can't remember where at the moment - I think someone quoted the Ford manual (?)

[DaveT70]

10 hours ago, Zeeb said:

Is this guide definitely for the latest 8-speed torque converter box (not DCT or other) on the Mk4? What do these clutches do? - lock up the torque converter intermittently?

Yes, this is the procedure for torque converter adaptive learning procedure. It relearns the internal clutch bite point and correct shift points.

10 hours ago, Zeeb said:

With the procedure: After you've done the reset with forscan, and then the exact steps of the D-R x5 part (and repeat)... Is it also important to do the exact steps on the driving part in the exact order - or can there be a bit of variance?
(It sounds like it might be difficult in some traffic to accelerate, halt, let the car slow etc like that.)

If you are going to use Forscan (which is recommended as it cuts out the first part of the engine re-learn process) then this will make it a lot easier.

I reset the wife's focus about every three months, or as soon as reverse to drive engagement starts to clunk again.

It's a lot easier to find the piece of road where you know you will be able to perform all the drive patterns, pull up on that road with the laptop (make sure you have initially connected to Forscan whilst you still have internet connection), then do the transmission reset at the side of the road and go straight into the learning process. That's what I do and it literally takes about 10 minutes.

You really should try and follow the procedure, in order

[Zeeb]

46 minutes ago, DaveT70 said:

Yes, this is the procedure ...

Thanks very much; my friend will try this. Every 3 months is a lot - is there something faulty with this transmission or a certain build of it? His is a 2019 model (I wrongly said 2020 before).

[DaveT70]

6 minutes ago, Zeeb said:

Thanks very much; my friend will try this. Every 3 months is a lot - is there something faulty with this transmission or a certain build of it? His is a 2019 model (I wrongly said 2020 before).

We have the 6F15 transmission in our Focus (MK3.5) which is a bit temperamental, not helped that both of us drive it in completely different styles and the wife only does very short, stop-start journeys. 

Only time will tell how long it lasts, but you can tell when it needs doing again as you start to get the clunk when going to D from reverse

Poor battery performance can make it forget too

 

[Zeeb]

On 5/4/2021 at 7:35 PM, DaveT70 said:

Disconnect the battery whilst ignition is on (Positive terminal) but engine NOT running

Just on this step - wouldn't it be better to have the ignition off when you disconnect the positive terminal - then turn the key to on position (not start engine position)... to avoid sparks while removing the lead with the circuit on?

Also not sure how this would work with a push button start engine. But yeah, easier to use Forscan if you know what you're doing.

[DaveT70]

You wouldn't restart a computer in standby mode. 

It'll spark no matter what position you are in.

Turn the ignition on, don't start the engine (Don't press the brake pedal), disconnect the battery positive cable, press the brake pedal a few times whilst disconnected (to remove residual energy still in the system) leave for 10 minutes and reconnect the battery positive cable.

That performs a hard reset, which is what you need to do.

Or use Forscan, you can skip all that and just reset transmission adaptive learning and start procedure from there

[Zeeb]

15 minutes ago, DaveT70 said:

That performs a hard reset, which is what you need to do ...

Ahh, I see, thanks.