LS auto issues

prydey · 03-09-2010, 08:29 AM

while waiting for our focus to be delivered, we've borrowed the mother in laws focus for a few days. i haven't driven it since driving it back from sydney a couple of months ago.

the problem is, when you go to take off, nothing happens for the first bit of pedal travel, and then it launches away quite fast. a bit like a light switch. off, then on! i also noticed that when it changes into 2nd there is another major deadspot before it picks up again. if you nail the throttle its a lot better but thats not how the car gets driven.

is this something others have come accross? is it a gearbox thing or is it something like throttle position sensor (do they have one? fly by wire?) ?

imaz · 03-09-2010, 12:14 PM

thats actually dangerous if your taking off from a dead stop, say stop sign junction. especially if the driver driving the car doesnt know about it.

Sorry no help. sounds electrical/sensor rather than anything mechanical.

I occasionally get the start the car, put into drive and the car doesnt go when I hit the pedal all the way down. as if the car is not started!... This happens on hotdays/summer and turning the engine off again and starting it will fix it back to normal. I told ford about it before my warranty ended and of course its not something easy to replicate or demonstrate... intermittent issues...

20focus05 · 06-09-2010, 10:30 PM

These autos usually only have issues(if at all) with solonoids in the trans.
Or Program issues in the ECU.
It maybe a case if taking it to a mechanic with a scanner that can look at live data. As the Trans takes inputs for about 12 different things to make its decission on gear changes.

prydey · 07-09-2010, 07:38 AM

yeah i'm not sure if its as much gearbox related as it is engine/sensor related. like i said, its almost like a tps issue. the other thing is, once it warms up it isn't as bad.

we have our own focus now which is manual so hopefully no gearbox issues for us.