Ford focus has transmission issues

General
1

I have a 2014 Ford Focus hatchback SE with 120,000 miles. I bought it when it had 50,000 miles, and it’s mostly been trouble-free until now.

Here are the issues I’m having:

  1. Acceleration Problems: Sometimes, when I try to accelerate, the car doesn’t respond. The RPMs shoot up to 4,000-5,000, but the car doesn’t speed up. Then, when it does accelerate, it jerks hard. This can happen at any speed, from highway speeds to 30-40 mph. Before this happens, the car usually runs okay, though it often shudders. After the problem starts, it’s hard to accelerate until I turn the car off and back on. I also get a check engine light with code P0902: clutch actuator circuit low. This problem has happened 4 times in the last 2 weeks.
  2. Transmission Issues: When I back out of my driveway, it works fine. But sometimes, when I shift from reverse to drive, nothing happens as if it’s still in park. Shifting to park and then back to drive usually fixes it.

Any advice? Could the clutch actuators need replacing, especially the A actuator since I have trouble coming out of park? Or could it be something else like the transmission control module (TCM), issues with the clutches, or a dying battery? I had just jumped another car the day before this started.

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2

Low voltage can cause weird problems in these cars. I had a loose negative battery terminal, and it put my transmission into limp mode.

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3

If I got a resting voltage on my battery, can i tell if it’s low enough to go for?

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4

tbh It’s best to check the battery voltage using the OBDII port on your car. Do you have a scan tool for that???

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5

Not exactly but do have a jump starter that shows me the voltage when I connect it. Do you think that would work?

Hold on, you’re talking about what the computer sees right???.

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6

that’s right, if your battery is low, checking the voltage will help. Bt if you have a loose connection or a bad ground, measuring the voltage at the terminals is better.

By the way, the DSP6 transmission is really troublesome. I had to replace the clutch and actuators 3x in 116,000 miles and was about to do it again.

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Sure, thanks :+1:
Do you have any suggestions for an affordable scanner? I’ve heard that many scanners need special software from the same brand.

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8

you should try out the Autel AL319,
it’s super it’s affordable and can read general OBD-II codes without need of special software.

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9

I did a test on the battery when the car was off, and it was between 12.0 and 12.1 volts. When I turned the car on, it stayed at 12.0 volts. I didn’t run the car for very long before testing it.

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10

Where did you get the reading at?

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11

i used a jump starter, though i’m not sure if that’s accurate

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I would advice you to get your battery tested for low voltage and remove any paint from the ground wire. My battery was bad and kept showing the P0902 code even with new actuators, so I thought it was the TCM.

I tested the battery, found it was bad, replaced it, and cleaned the paint off the ground wire. I haven’t seen the code since.

It helps to open the doors while disconnecting the ground to drain the car’s power and reset the ECM. You can also park the car in neutral while off to reset some computer systems; the dash will show “transmission reset.”

If that doesn’t work, it’s probably the TCM.

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i already tested the battery when the car was off, and it was between 12.0 and 12.1 volts. When I turned the car on, it stayed at 12.0 volts. I didn’t run the car for very long before testing it.

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14

You may consider having your battery tested at oreillys or autozone, doesn’t cost you a dollar, sounds like it could be low/bad