whoathere Posted January 22, 2011 Share Posted January 22, 2011 FWIW, I have a '10 SE automatic. I received the letter in the mail about the PCM programming. My car experienced hard shifts, but not often or hard enough to overly concern me. In fact, I got the letter long before my first hard shift. Anyway, I took it into the dealer after noticing that my transmission was leaking. They said there is a TSB out to replace an axle, seal and a bearing (or a bore, cant remember). Had to wait 2 weeks before they got the parts in. Took one day for them to fix it. Just got it back last night so I don't know if it still leaks, and I didn't have any hard shifts on the drive back. Another thing to note, when I asked about the PCM programming, they told me that it didn't apply to my car. I'm not sure what my build date is, but I picked it up in July of 2010. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
con_fusion Posted February 18, 2011 Author Share Posted February 18, 2011 (edited) Update: Since I started this thread this seemed like the best place to give an update - Earlier in the thread I detailed my trip to the dealer for the trans shift flare when cold. My Fusion is one of the 10B15 impacted ones. At the time, they applied some TSBs' redid the 10B15 programming, applied latest PCM updates. The shift flare went away. But...I've been having rough shifts from 1->2 and 2->3 when it's cold. Also intermittently when warm. At this point it has just under 11,000 miles. So I dropped it at the dealer yesterday to let it sit over night and they called me this afternoon. Basically, they feel they need to replace.....the valve body They need to order parts, expect to have them next week. At this point, they think only the valve body will need to be replaced. It sounded like they would have to remove the transmission to replace the valve body and do the inspection. I'm not sure of the exact process. Maybe some of you Ford techs can enlighten me. They said they would inspect everything and if there were signs of additional damage then other parts would be replaced. The clutches came to my mind. He did say that mine is not as severe as some that they have seen and typically, the new valve body has fixed those vehicles. Honestly, I thought there would be more PCM updates for them to apply. Needless to say I'm a bit disappointed. I'm also a bit scared given some of the experiences that others have had after their valve bodies were replaced. We shall see I guess. I'm assuming that they had to get authorization from Ford to do this. He didn't say specifically. Edit: They told me today they will not need to remove the transmission from the car to replace the valve body. Edited February 18, 2011 by con_fusion 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
con_fusion Posted February 24, 2011 Author Share Posted February 24, 2011 (edited) Video of Ford's Van Dyke transmission assembly plant. - Toward the end you get to see them putting valves into the valve body of a transmission. It sounded like it was the 6F35 but it might have been the 6F50. What caught my attention is the tour guide talks about the tight clearance of the valves into the valve body (by hand) and how they do this in a clean room to prevent contamination from getting into the valve body and possibly causing the valve to stick. Which would then make the car not shift right. Ok, so... they are going to replace my valve body. Wonder if new valves come with it. And...this is going to be done in a dealer shop, not a clean room :unsure: Also found this site with some good info about the plant and the 6F35 transmission: Trans 101 There is a mention of the fluid being engineered for 150K miles. :unsure: Found this article showing 6F35 internals: 6F35 Article Edited February 28, 2011 by con_fusion 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
durasel Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Does the Fusion Sport have the 6F35 transmission or does it have a different one?? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Does the Fusion Sport have the 6F35 transmission or does it have a different one?? I believe it has the Aisin along with the 3.5L MkZ. All the rest have the 6F35. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drolds1 Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 I believe it has the Aisin along with the 3.5L MkZ. All the rest have the 6F35. Correct. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
con_fusion Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 (edited) My Fusion is at the shop getting the trans valve body replaced. My service contact said the trans tech had done the valve body and was reinstalling the left/right half shafts and seals. I didn't think to ask but I'm not sure if he needed to do that when replacing the valve body or if he's just doing it because of the half shaft leak TSB? Hopefully they are following the TSB for the half shaft leak during the reassembly... It would really suck after all this to have it leak and have to return... In any event, it's supposed to be ready tomorrow... Edited March 3, 2011 by con_fusion 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Floyd Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 I have a 2011 Fusion SEL (3.0 V6) and also have "flare" problems, but more noticeably on the 3/4 shift I think. Took car in with about 700 miles on it in January, but dealer couldn't find anything wrong, and also called Ford for advice. Now I have about 1400 miles on it and taking it in on Monday, March 7, for same problem, which hasn't improved, although doesn't do it consistently. Also, get gear or pulley noise at lower speeds. All the Fusions I tested last December seemed to do this. Not a very quiet car, but handles pretty well. Floyd Tiffin, Ohio 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
con_fusion Posted March 6, 2011 Author Share Posted March 6, 2011 Update: So I got my Fusion back and it turns out they had to do more than originally thought. They were just going to replace the valve body in the trans. But...after further review. The fluid looked like it had some particles in it and diags showed some possible internal issues so they removed the transmission to inspect it. Some of the clutches showed signs of heating and wear but not as bad as some they have seen. So they did the repair steps outlined in the 10B15 customer satisfaction program. With the parts listed in it. They disassembled the trans and installed the new parts from the repair kit (clutches, seals, gaskets) along with the new valve body. They checked the torque convertor also. Applied all the latest PCM updates/TSBs, flushed out the old fluid and refilled. I'm kind of bummed that they had to remove the transmission but so far it seems to be driving great. I know it's early so we'll see how it goes. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drolds1 Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Update: I'm kind of bummed that they had to remove the transmission but so far it seems to be driving great. I know it's early so we'll see how it goes. Why does that bother you? You'd be more bummed if they didn't remove it and just did some slapdash repair. It sounds like they went "over and above" to me. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modular Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 FWIW, I have a '10 SE automatic. I received the letter in the mail about the PCM programming. My car experienced hard shifts, but not often or hard enough to overly concern me. In fact, I got the letter long before my first hard shift. Anyway, I took it into the dealer after noticing that my transmission was leaking. They said there is a TSB out to replace an axle, seal and a bearing (or a bore, cant remember). Had to wait 2 weeks before they got the parts in. Took one day for them to fix it. Just got it back last night so I don't know if it still leaks, and I didn't have any hard shifts on the drive back. Another thing to note, when I asked about the PCM programming, they told me that it didn't apply to my car. I'm not sure what my build date is, but I picked it up in July of 2010. I just brought the car in for 3 different trans. related problems...all well documented here. Those being poor shifting when cold, occasional flair with the 3-4 gear change, and a weird one....when accelerating onto the freeway the RPM's would dip about 500 RPM while STILL accelerating. They found the infamous axle/seal leak causing low fluid which in turn was making the trans act up. This is what the service adviser told me....blah, blah, blah....I know.....just fix it. They did the axle/seal repair, re-programmed the trans and did the load test, all documented on the work order. Picked it up Friday and the transmissions' behavior is markedly improved. We will see if it stays. Car has 42K on it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Possumrida Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 My 2010 SEL V6 had some issues lol. The trans started slipping and shuttering pretty harshly. I work in the automotive industry in service and parts and have for 14 years. Needless to say, I was concerned lol. Believe it or not, the re-program did nothing, lol. The trans was rebuilt with updated components (from what I was told) and it now functions flawlessly. This all happened at 20k miles. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
con_fusion Posted March 7, 2011 Author Share Posted March 7, 2011 Why does that bother you? You'd be more bummed if they didn't remove it and just did some slapdash repair. It sounds like they went "over and above" to me. You're right, I'm glad that they were thorough and did what they felt they needed to fix the problem. I just meant that I hate having my transmission cracked open at 11K miles. You're kind of at the mercy and skill of the person rebuilding your transmission. Too many other issues can pop up. Here's to many thousand miles of happy motoring...for all of us... :beerchug: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
durasel Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Sounds like I'm going to stay away from the 6F35 tranny and get a Sport that has the aisian transmission!! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soccerguy48025 Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 Everyone go to www.nhtsa.gov and file a complaint under the Powertrain : Automatic Transmission category. We have strength in numbers! I wish more people knew about this forum. The new spokesman on the obnoxious Ford commercials makes me want to puke. My attorney sent me to his mechanic. The mechanic took the car on a 13 mile test drive and verified all of my concerns on a road test. He also found clutch material inside the transmission fluid in addition to the front left transaxle shaft leaking transmission fluid at the seal. My trans fluid was also way overfilled from a recent tsb. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifyre Posted March 25, 2011 Share Posted March 25, 2011 My attorney sent me to his mechanic. The mechanic took the car on a 13 mile test drive and verified all of my concerns on a road test. He also found clutch material inside the transmission fluid in addition to the front left transaxle shaft leaking transmission fluid at the seal. My trans fluid was also way overfilled from a recent tsb. This makes me think we should have a spot to recommend and discuss good/bad mechanics/dealerships... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazztrumpet216 Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Well, mine now has 21,500 miles on it and it is currently sitting at the dealer awaiting it's appointment tomorrow. The 2-3 shift flare came back. It's not as bad this time- now, most of the time, it feels like a late shift and will only flare maybe 100-200 RPMs. Every once in awhile I still get a flare of 1000 RPMs or so. I sure hope they do something more than play with their computers this time. I have a rental 2011 Focus. Kind of like it. The 4 speed shifts nice. Maybe the dealership is interested in a trade? lol... well, half joking. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fusionmanor Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Just checking in with my 2/10 build, This car has been flawless with the flash and sets for weeks at a time, but I let it warm-up before I drive it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazztrumpet216 Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Well, got it back from the dealer today and they flashed the transmission again, with the same flash as the last time. I got the dreaded "could not duplicate" from them, they called Ford, and Ford told them to just flash it again. I'm pretty hacked off about this. Like the same flash that failed the first time is going to fix it now? All they did was wipe the trans programming- once the transmission "adapts" to whatever it is causing this problem, the shift flares will be back. Let the run around begin, I guess. I would recommend everyone here having transmission problems investigate joining this: http://www.girardgibbs.com/FordFusion.asp 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazztrumpet216 Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 Not long after my last post, I talked to the service manager at my dealership. He agreed to take the car back for a couple of days trying to track the problem down. After the first day I got a call to come in to do a ride-along with a tech, who, after listening to my description told me I was experiencing the problem after a "cold soak" where the car would get warmed up, then sit for a couple of hours. This led him to suspect either the MAF sensor, the throttle position sensor, or the fuel pump (all this in spite of the two harsh shifts I pointed out to him on the ride along- even though there were no flares). I got a call today asking me to pick up my car, three days after I gave it to them. No apology for coming up empty, nothing. I am disappointed in this dealer and in Ford, and am thinking of unloading the vehicle. First and last Ford. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dabige Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 (edited) No apology for coming up empty, nothing. I am disappointed in this dealer and in Ford, and am thinking of unloading the vehicle. First and last Ford. I feel your pain, although I can't say I'd blame my dealer, as they seem to be doing as much as they can [allowed to]. GM and FoMoCo are 100% to blame in my book. They built this mess, they tell the dealers what they can do without any trouble codes appearing, they reimburse the dealers for warranty claims, they own this problem. The Malibu forums are showing similar complaints, although more of their complaints have been about aggressive downshifting. I'm curious as to which dealer your working with; being in the Madison area, I've had experiences with all three Ford dealers. Edited April 30, 2011 by dabige 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dabige Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 So I have my Fusion at the dealer investigating the return of the rough 2>3 shifts (in addition to other shift points, but those aren't nearly as frequent). They ended up giving me a 2012 Focus as a loaner, and low-and-behold, it has the same/slightly-worse erratic shift patterns. Only 800 (+/-) miles on this one). Is this just some characteristic of the newer generation electronically-controlled transmissions? It may be for better fuel economy, but the engineer in me thinks that it is really doing a number on the solenoids and clutches. We'll see what they say later today. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cartmanea Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 I think it's a combination of a few things. The much lower viscosity ATF requires more precise shift timings since there is significantly less slip on the shifts than the older transmissions. This combined with the light vehicle weight makes you feel any timing imperfections a lot more. I have noticed, mine shifts pretty good when warm, but I don't get to that point in my short drive to work. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drolds1 Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 So I have my Fusion at the dealer investigating the return of the rough 2>3 shifts (in addition to other shift points, but those aren't nearly as frequent). They ended up giving me a 2012 Focus as a loaner, and low-and-behold, it has the same/slightly-worse erratic shift patterns. Only 800 (+/-) miles on this one). Is this just some characteristic of the newer generation electronically-controlled transmissions? It may be for better fuel economy, but the engineer in me thinks that it is really doing a number on the solenoids and clutches. We'll see what they say later today. The 2012 Focus has Ford's new Powershift dual clutch automatic transmission. It really has nothing in common with the conventional (hydraulic) automatic trans in your Fusion. There have been some early complaints of occasional erratic shifting. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
con_fusion Posted June 22, 2011 Author Share Posted June 22, 2011 (edited) Not long after my last post, I talked to the service manager at my dealership. He agreed to take the car back for a couple of days trying to track the problem down. After the first day I got a call to come in to do a ride-along with a tech, who, after listening to my description told me I was experiencing the problem after a "cold soak" where the car would get warmed up, then sit for a couple of hours. This led him to suspect either the MAF sensor, the throttle position sensor, or the fuel pump (all this in spite of the two harsh shifts I pointed out to him on the ride along- even though there were no flares). I got a call today asking me to pick up my car, three days after I gave it to them. No apology for coming up empty, nothing. I am disappointed in this dealer and in Ford, and am thinking of unloading the vehicle. First and last Ford. Hey jazztrumpet216, Did your symptoms go away or get worse? I had my trans rebuilt with a new valve body, clutches, gaskets, seals at 11,000 miles. Now (at 15,000) I just started having shift flares (2->3, 3->4) first thing in the morning again. Before the repair and PCM reprograms, It used to do this after it sat for two days. Now, it seems to do it if it sits overnight. I had it in for a GPS/Nav issue and asked if they could just wipe the "keep alive" memory. Cuz, in order for them to replicate it, I'll have to leave it for several days to let it sit. Edited June 22, 2011 by con_fusion 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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