All Focus 5-speed DRIVERS POST HERE!!!!

I have a test/ question for you guys:

I want you to go outside get into your car and start driving go exactly 35 mph and be in 4th gear, ok? simple enough right?

Then i want you to GIVE IT SOME like you where trying to pass a guy with out downshifting and tell me what you hear, i hear a chattering noise and the car dealership who had it in shop for 11 days said that it was indicative of the focus, that it is supposed to do that? pelase tell me the
YEAR:
MILEAGE:
and if it does it THANK YOU PLEASE HELP!

Yep, mine did that, I believe it's because there is no power available in that gear for acceleration.

OK d00D +h4T5 pHOr the H3lP h0p3FuLlY m0R3 WILL pO$t H3Re $0On :)

OK d00D +h4T5 pHOr the H3lP h0p3FuLlY m0R3 WILL pO$t H3Re $0On

:disappoin

Nosegoblin, don't post if you can't write English. Go to the non-English forums if you're gonna post like that.

Now to the point of this thread. The Focus doesn't have the proper power band in that gear at that low speed to be responsive, so that sound you're hearing is your transmission struggling to get you going.

My suggestion is that if you're at 35mph, don't use 4th gear. 35mph is roughly 50km/h, in which you can use 5th to keep fuel efficiency optimized and cruise easily. Should you need to speed up/pass, 5th will do fine.

Really, if you need to give'er at 35mph, you should be dropping it to 2nd to bring the revs right up high and get the engine working, then slamming it into 3rd to get the best performance. That's just my :2cents: though.

hi there
I think that this is b/c you are going to slow. you should be in 3rd. I'm in 4th between 60km and 80km....maybe that's the chattering? Or maybe it's about to bite it:(
I think my focus could be about to bite it....all i need is a match and some gas-o-line:)

ive got a question... what are the gear ratio's for you focus tranny? cuz even if they're really high... you still shouldn't use 4th at 35 mph... common sense says so... i can use 4th in my zx2 that low but not for acceleration purposes... just for shit like cruisin to save gas. but if your tryin to step on it... downshift... ive found that 2nd works wonders in a situation like that...

I have a 2001 Focus SE Manual and I find that it's a High-End shifter, I have done 80 Km in second and it hasn't red-lined. To answer your question, it sounds like to me your definetly in the wrong gear, a manual car will shutter if you are in too high of a gear for the speed and RPM's.

The Focus does not have the power to pull from 4th at 35 mph. Well, it won't pull up a hill and it certainly won't pull strong enough to pass anyone safely. If you were on flat ground, you could get it to pull in 4th, but you'd be waiting a long time. Better just to downshift to 3rd.

If you want a little bit of power, make sure the tach is above 2000 rpm, above 2500 is better. The engine is pretty wound up at that point. If you want RIGHT NOW power, make sure it's above 3000 rpm. Remember, this is only a 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engine. there is very little power below 2000 rpm in all gears.

I use 5th quite a bit and I can get pretty close to the EPA rated mileage in the city, if I don't beat on it AND WITHOUT obeying the shift light :) And I live in Pittsburgh, PA not a flat area to drive in.

wow, i never knew they had mini-vans with manual transmissions, guess ya learn something new everyday.

wow, i never knew they had mini-vans with manual transmissions, guess ya learn something new everyday.

Who mentioned minivans??? :eek7:

Who mentioned minivans??? :eek7:

i think you missed the sarcasm of the meaning of the word "mini-van.". :lol2:

4th gear at 35, huh? I had a friend with a Mustang 5.0L that couldn't accelerate from that slow either. Dunno if it's ford, or their drivers.

4th gear at 35, huh? I had a friend with a Mustang 5.0L that couldn't accelerate from that slow either. Dunno if it's ford, or their drivers.


Simple, it's only a 4 cylinder engine. Take a crotch rocket at 35mph in 4th gear shifting to 5th it'll probaly die on you. You could gear the car differently but what do you want from a car designed for economy w/sporty looks or sacrifice the gas mileage and all the engineering that went into the car to make it handle well just to look like a ricer!
JT

The Focus does not have the power to pull from 4th at 35 mph. Well, it won't pull up a hill and it certainly won't pull strong enough to pass anyone safely. If you were on flat ground, you could get it to pull in 4th, but you'd be waiting a long time. Better just to downshift to 3rd.

If you want a little bit of power, make sure the tach is above 2000 rpm, above 2500 is better. The engine is pretty wound up at that point. If you want RIGHT NOW power, make sure it's above 3000 rpm. Remember, this is only a 2.0 liter 4 cylinder engine. there is very little power below 2000 rpm in all gears.

I use 5th quite a bit and I can get pretty close to the EPA rated mileage in the city, if I don't beat on it AND WITHOUT obeying the shift light :) And I live in Pittsburgh, PA not a flat area to drive in.
wouldn't RIGHT NOW power be at like... eh, 4500 rpms?

35mph? down that bitch to 2nd lol

i got a v6 and 35 in 4th is about as low as i take it, it can go at that speed tho, but thats a v6, i wouldnt think that the focus would have the torque to run 35 in 4th gear. and still if i ever wanna pass i shift to second or third, depending on how fast i wanna pass...

dude i run 35 in 5th in my escort lol

well i can go under 35... i just choose not to. but you got a zx2 and u have some mods dont you?

just listed and im only making 108wtq due to a shitty pcm calibration, good calibration its 113wtq but thats still about par w/ a stock focus, (mu cut airbox kills my low end tq it should be about 116 with a good code)

idk how much wtq i actually have ive never gotten a dyno, its probably a little low right now tho cause my EGR valve is stuck open... still need to clean that out.

spec v's can run 35 in 6th... lol

idk how much wtq i actually have ive never gotten a dyno, its probably a little low right now tho cause my EGR valve is stuck open... still need to clean that out.


i bet your still making over 108

4th gear in the focus trans is designed wrong. The planetary set is weird. The input, output, and stationary gears are setup in such a way that the rest of the trans free-wheels at a VERY high rate. This is known, but the assumption was that you wouldn't ever cruise in 4th gear at any rate of speed. It's a bad gear, only meant for shifting into 5th.

You have to understand engine to know how to shift. The RPM is probably <2500 RPM at 35mph in 4th gear and even under full throttle, engine doesn't produce very much power. If you want to accelerate with all the engine has to offer, you have to put it in a gear where the engine would be at an RPM near the maximum power range.

You have to understand engine to know how to shift. The RPM is probably <2500 RPM at 35mph in 4th gear and even under full throttle, engine doesn't produce very much power. If you want to accelerate with all the engine has to offer, you have to put it in a gear where the engine would be at an RPM near the maximum power range.

I guess also you have to realize, that the manual tranny in the Focus is not a sports car transmission. The only other manual that I have to compare it to, is my '91 Miata, the 1.6L engine is a dog with the A/C on but off it's geared much different(quite peppy for 108hp/rwd). Comparing it to my '05 ZX3, the power bands are totally different but that like comparing apples to oranges. My '05 Focus with A/C on has plenty of power. It would be interesting to have RWD in a Focus.IMO.
JT

35 and 4th just chatters like a bastid if u give it gas at all.

35 and 4th just chatters like a bastid if u give it gas at all.

Do you think some octane booster would help or are the RPM's just too low and need to be in 3rd gear? If engine has be modded with CAI and after market exhaust, that may have messed up computer settings, more likely if you have advanced the timing, that'll definitely make it clatter(needs higher octane). My ZX3 is an '05 and I don't know how much difference there is between the trannies but it's still all factory w/o any mods. Most cars when you advance timing for more power, will require a higher octane fuel. IMO!
JT

mine does that every 15k miles i can run a engine cleaner and it goes away for awhile

i guess everyone's conditions are different, but ... i run 30-35 in 5th in my toyota tercel... no problem, life isin't a race, if you're patient any gear will work... lol

you know when in my 86 accord i do hear a similiar noise i beleive it is just too high of a gear

If engine has be modded with CAI and after market exhaust, that may have messed up computer settings, more likely if you have advanced the timing


no it wouldnt you can do intake header, catback, udp, tune camgears, and maybe a mild head job b4 the pcm will give you issues and it should be making 140+whp by then. How do you advance timing on a stock computer? you cant you have to tune it (sct/chip)


more likely if you have advanced the timing,that'll definitely make it clatter(needs higher octane).

no that will make the engine PING not the tranny chatter


My ZX3 is an '05 and I don't know how much difference there is between the trannies but it's still all factory w/o any mods. Most cars when you advance timing for more power, will require a higher octane fuel. IMO!
JT

all cars need better fuel if yu add timing (depending how much is added) but that doesnt mean jack to the tranny