early warning signs auto gearbox

Clunking, excessive slipping, snatching gearchanges.

Also check the torque convertor by pressing hard on the footbrake, putting it in first and pressing down the accelerator. The revs should rise to around 2000RPM and hold there. If they start creeping up, walk away.

Check that the fluid is a nice clear red colour with no brown or signs of dirt. Also check the level WITH the engine running.

Faulty changes, burnt fluid, leaks, clonks, don't forget to try reverse.

Check that the fluid is a nice clear red colour with no brown or signs of dirt. Also check the level WITH the engine running.

thanks to all. what is the difference between checking the fluid level with or without the engine running please?

it will usually give a substantially different level between stopped and running and hot and cold, also it is not unknown for someone to put fresh fluid in, so if you dip it straight away it looks good, after a run it will all be mixed !!

mrcheerful

Yes, dont buy one of the earlier 99/2000 Focus auto's. They can be major problems. 02 onwards cars are fine.

Tim..

Oh dear, with respect, if you dont know whether to oil-check an auto engine on or off, I suggest you buy a manual.

Tim..

btfm?

If the Corolla box is anything like the carina they're unburstable, we got nearly 300K miles on ours...(AFAIK it's still running..)

BTFM?

Tim..

There was a recall out for the early Auto boxes on the Focus - check this has been done or that the car is not liable to it. Symptom is massive ATF leaks everywhere - beware of any pre 01 car with bright red new ATF - it's probably just piddled the original stuff everywhere.

Boxes from 02 plates onwards are sound - I wouldn't consider an earlier one even if it's been sorted.

"Tim (remove obvious)" wrote

Why? This type of question is *exactly* what this newsgroup is for.

Indeed, Ford state that you should take it for at least a 10 mile run, and move the transmission from P to 1 and then back again immediatly before a check with the engine idling.

The message from "jw 1111" contains these words:

Many autos now you can't check the level at all - there's no access to the fluid for ordinary mortals.

In news:f8Yof.37903$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe4-win.ntli.net, jw 1111 decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows

Don't buy an Auto Focus, they're bloody awful. Ford seem inable to do decent FWD autos.

Actually they are surprisingly good, possibly because it's a Mazda box and a Yamaha engine. Only a 4 speed box though.

They're no good if you have to explain them...

cf RTFM

sheltered

Not bad at all when compared to the 1.6 manual, the auto is actually quicker day to day, as its not lumbered with the stupidly high gearing the manual is, and its keen to kick down.

Tim..

Have they changed the auto boxes in Focii lately then? The ones I drove, which admittedly were all new and pre-X reg, were absolutely atrocious. Indecisive, clunky, not that smooth, and seemed to sap tons of poke.

When I was looking for new car in 2002, it seemed that the loss in performance and economy between manual and auto versions was much worse for the Focus than for its competitors. I don't know why; I can't believe it doesn't have torque converter lock-up and other similar functions.