My wife called me at work to say our 2.0 (150hp) diesel won't get out of first gear. Unfortunately I'm not home for another week so she had to get the aa out to help her. Thank goodness for breakdown cover! 

There are no warning lights on the dash and the aa man couldn't find any faults from running the diagnostic so he was completely at a loss. He said it sounds fine, its just not getting out of first. The car has been towed back to my local garage, which thankfully is at the end of my road, and there it will sit for who knows how long since the garage is so busy. 

Reading online it could be a faulty transmission control module. Has anyone here had a similar problem and has it been fixed by replacing this module? 

As a bit of back story, the car throws up an engine management light (and disables the turbo) sometimes while on the motorway that clears after the car is switched on and off and doesn't reappear again for days or even weeks.

Also, once in a blue moon the car gives a hill start disengaged error. 

Oh, and one final thing, the cruise control sometimes doesn't activate. I think that fault's something to do with the brake pedal though because it activates fine when I hold the pedal up with my foot.

Most problems to do with the TCM seem to be to do with the wiring to the connectors of the unit. The harnesses are stupidly short and constantly tug and pull at the connection to the TCM. This leads to cables rubbing in the harness and shorting together or even snapping. You need to disconnect the plugs from the TCM and remove the backshells to inspect the wires for damage and/or corrosion. Whatever is discovered and repaired or replaced the gearbox will need to be put in to the calibration and drum relearn mode using FORScan. 

1 hour ago, unofix said:

Most problems to do with the TCM seem to be to do with the wiring to the connectors of the unit. The harnesses are stupidly short and constantly tug and pull at the connection to the TCM. This leads to cables rubbing in the harness and shorting together or even snapping. You need to disconnect the plugs from the TCM and remove the backshells to inspect the wires for damage and/or corrosion. Whatever is discovered and repaired or replaced the gearbox will need to be put in to the calibration and drum relearn mode using FORScan. 

Thanks, i'll get the wife to mention that to the garage. I kind of hope they don't get round to looking at it so I can have a look when I get home next week. 

I bet they charge me 100 quid for a diagnostic when the aa have already checked for codes...

Out of interest, does my car have the powershift gearbox that so many people seem to be moaning about? I should have said in my OP that my car is 2017 reg.

2 minutes ago, siezar said:

does my car have the powershift gearbox

I'd only be guessing, but @DaveT70 will know the answer

9 hours ago, unofix said:

I'd only be guessing, but @DaveT70 will know the answer

I assume it is a powershift because a quick scan of autotrader shows all the cars from 2017 with the same engine as mine having the powershift gearbox 😞

 

Being a diesel then, yes, it should be powershift.

But, by 2017 they were pretty much sorted, especially the wet clutch diesels (DCT450), the dry clutch (DCT250) had been discontinued by then.

I am sure all powershift cars have an extended warranty for the transmission and TCM, I'm not sure but phone Ford CRC with your VIN and ask them.

From your issue description though, I reckon you have a wheel sensor going down, that's why you keep getting faults.

If the vehicle doesn't know how fast it is going, it won't come out of first.

Have you tried manually engaging 2nd and 3rd to confirm they work? 

51 minutes ago, DaveT70 said:

Being a diesel then, yes, it should be powershift.

But, by 2017 they were pretty much sorted, especially the wet clutch diesels (DCT450), the dry clutch (DCT250) had been discontinued by then.

I am sure all powershift cars have an extended warranty for the transmission and TCM, I'm not sure but phone Ford CRC with your VIN and ask them.

From your issue description though, I reckon you have a wheel sensor going down, that's why you keep getting faults.

If the vehicle doesn't know how fast it is going, it won't come out of first.

Have you tried manually engaging 2nd and 3rd to confirm they work? 

She tried using the tiptronic paddles but it still never changed gear.  

Could it be something to do with the breaks? She's just messaged me to say the break lights have been on constantly since it wouldnt change gear. They are on just now with the car just sitting in the drive. 

Suspect faulty brake light switch or brake pedal sensor switch (if there's two)

Just now, siezar said:

She tried using the tiptronic paddles but it still never changed gear.  

Could it be something to do with the breaks? She's just messaged me to say the break lights have been on constantly since it wouldnt change gear. They are on just now with the car just sitting in the drive. 

Wheel sensor? It was just in for an mot last week and one of the front wheels had the valve changed, which has a pressure sensor I believe. Surely that couldn't affect it? 

22 minutes ago, siezar said:

Wheel sensor? It was just in for an mot last week and one of the front wheels had the valve changed, which has a pressure sensor I believe. Surely that couldn't affect it? 

No.

As above, the car thinks the brakes are on all the time, so it won't change gear.  That's the fault you need to rectify.  Most likely one of the brake pedal switches as Dave says.

5 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

No.

As above, the car thinks the brakes are on all the time, so it won't change gear.  That's the fault you need to rectify.  Most likely one of the brake pedal switches as Dave says.

This is all music to my ears!

My wife has just spoke to the mechanic at the garage and he seems to think it will be the brake pedal sensor as well.  Fingers crossed.

Thanks for your help guys. I'll let you know the outcome once(if) it's fixed.

That's the car fixed and back at my house. I believe he just changed out the brake pedal sensor but I'll find out more details tomorrow when my wife pops back in to the garage to pay the bill. The boy that owns the garage dropped the car off at my house to save my wife having to collect the car with six kids on tow and reckoned it would be about £150.