Gearbox issue
I love my little wagon – a 2002
Ford Focus, though I’m beginning to have problems. In December 2018 the transmission had major issues. I had it rebuilt and it drove fine for about five months, then it became reluctant to change and would slip down a gear after changing.
The same guy rebuilt the transmission three times, finally admitting that on the first rebuild, the wrong part had been fitted, causing it to keep breaking gears and causing faults.
Last week the transmission felt as though it was slipping. I had to accelerate gently, and it would stutter from 1st to
2nd, and again from 2nd to 3rd. It felt like it could not get fuel, or was being held back.
At about 55-60mph it felt like it was trembling or stuttering again, while the fuel gauge fell noticeably. I took it back to the dealer and he said it was due to either the air filter (we took it off, but it didn’t help) or the catalytic converter. So, I let another mechanic drive it and he said it was a transmission problem.
Today, I saw a little light, shaped like an exclamation mark in a jagged-edge circle. Can you tell me what you think is going on, and is it safe to drive?
Paulette Baker
From the details you have given I would suspect that, as the second mechanic suggested, the transmission is at fault. The gearbox on your Focus is a four-speed electronically-controlled unit, and the light you can see is indicating a problem with the automatic gearbox or the cooling system.
As you have mentioned no problem with the temperature gauge rising, then the light is more than likely alerting you to a problem in the gearbox. As the light has come on, there should be a code retained in the gearbox control unit which a garage using Ford equipment should be able to read, giving an indication of the problem. This may be a temperature or speed sensor but given the previous problems it may be more serious.
If you do still have any form of warranty, I would return to the mechanic who carried out the rebuild, but given the problems you have already had I would not hold out much faith in his ability to repair it.
I cannot say if it is safe to drive without inspecting the vehicle, but the danger of losing drive altogether does seem possible, and for this reason
I would advise against using it.