Ford Focus & Fiesta Multiple Transmission Problems One Easy Fix

[@lougutti8234]

Thanks for sharing this fantastic tip and video. My wife's 2012 Ford Fiesta was shifting gears erratically upon acceleration from first gear and up. I removed all 3 of the 010 bolts show in your video. Neither of the 3 had the 4 little dots for the bolt you recommended. I could not find the the bolts with the dots online, so I cleaned the 010 bolts the car came with using carburetor cleaner spray to clean off dirt, grime and then used some sand paper to remove the little bits of rust and corrosion around them and the holes they were bolted to. I stripped the paint off all 3 holes. I sprayed them with carburetor cleaner and used Q-tips to clean the debris inside the hole threads. I also cleaned off the acids and corrosion on the battery terminals and used sandpaper to clean the negative battery cable ends for better contact. I put everything back together, and took the car for a 5 minute drive. The gears shifted smoothly, no hesitation, acceleration was quicker than in the past. Overall the car performed better than ever. Thank you FordTechMakuloco. You are the man.

[@DoubtingThomas333]

Did it stay that way or return after a period of time? Follow up is the best science we have

[@JohnnyVee007]

seriously, any follow up would be greatly appreciated

[@KenjiEspresso]

No it didn’t these people don’t understand what the source of the problem is.

[@feckless22]

Thank you. Thought I was going to be into weeks of issues. Went out and tried your fix on a 2013. They still are painting the ground location. 5 minutes work. Back in business. This is what the internet is all about, practical people solving problems.

[@diamondtrain9415]

feckless22 you’ve done this on your 2013 and it worked? I have one and the trans is starting to make some odd grinding noises and only shifts when I let off the throttle. Wonder if this could at least prolong the disaster until I can afford a manual civic/accord

[@4LSav]

Hello do you have any updates on how the transmission is ? Or months after did it start messing up again ?

[@nationalmotorco.9044]

@@4LSav Of course it will start messing up. Clutch kit and forks need replacing and programmed. After 20k miles you will have the same issues all over again because of poor design of these transmissions.

[@afdave7]

@@nationalmotorco.9044 Crazy question for you. My 2011 fiesta is MINT. Leather and tons of extras but the transmission chatter at low speeds. How much trouble would it be to change the motor and transmission? Put something faster and that shifts correctly. Maybe even something that doesn't have a class action lawsuits on it. Hah thoughts on swapping the motor and tranny all at once? I love this little car otherwise.

[@nationalmotorco.9044]

@@afdave7 I wouldnt take that route if i were you, just sell your fiesta and buy an ST (fiesta or focus) with stick shift. it will definitely be cheaper.

[@motomichael4775]

I performed this fix from this video to the ground cable when my 2013 Fiesta was still very low mileage; It instantly made an improvement to the shifting. Throughout the years, it had received Ford's reflash of the trans computer and it's shifting is pretty good! It now has 177,000 on it and is very consistent with 39-40 mpg with a mix of driving and with the A/C on! Thank-you sir for sharing your advice with us.

[@miguelsaldana3913]

Did this on my 2015 Focus... Clutch "A" was stuck... today she's running smooth. You're a life saver bro.. Thanks!

[@Jonnymg4]

Is it still running good today? Just got an ‘11 Fiesta, and while it shifts good now I’m considering doing this

[@MusicorumInternational]

Hi ! Thanks for this. Found a similar situation with my daughters Trend 2 litre here in Australia which lost reverse and surged in drive. Used my hand held code reader to find the error and found this KZbin as a result. The bolts (in fact I could only see one easily) are in a different location yet close to the battery. Took it out, soaked it in coffee machine de-scaler fluid until fluid turned cloudy, then wire brushed with my BBQ wire brush and rinsed and dried and re-installed and all good again. Engine light went back off and now all gears working, thanks so much, you have saved us potentially a lot of time and money.. Best regards from Australia.

[@holocaustxlx2819]

Did this to my 2012 Ford focus and it really helped.they were gonna charge me 1800$ to fix it I'm glad I saw this video first.thank so much for posting this 🤘

[@travisjones7516]

I'm having the same issue with my 2012 focus. Has the issue returned?

[@osvaldo4839]

I’m also having this type of problem but I’m going to try thugs

[@frankcornell8485]

Saved me a ton of headache. Fixed the ground issue and replaced the battery, all active codes went away. Thanks a lot!

[@Miketrt]

Worked on my 2013! I didn't rub the paint off, but used star washers and plenty of torque on all 3 bolts. The two smalls were the right ones, the big one was the wrong bolt. I didn't replace it, but tried the star-washer method instead (on all 3,) and it fixed the problem of the laggy, fidgety, temporamental tranny. (Hope I don't get Googled for saying "tranny.") Shifts great now. BTW - I did plenty of di-electric, cleaned all contact surfaces AND also cleaned both of my battery terminals & cable surfaces well while I was at it. THANK YOU FORD TECH guy!

[@joalruch]

I can't believe in the agency they changed the TCM and it broke again and has been in there for months, I got tired took it home, I did this and the key reprogramming and now the error disappeared and everything works perfectly fine again, I can't thank you enough!

[@caiomendes4799]

Good deal I just bought 11 Ford Fiesta from the auction and I am doing the same thing. Thank you Sr have a wonderful weekend.....

[@davidhinshaw2013]

Just had my 2013 fiesta with 120k just throw check engine light and service trans now. 6 codes stored. All trans related. Removed negative cable from battery and car connection. Dipped both in Coca cola, scrubbed with sand paper, sanded ground connection on car. Fixed all issues. Thanks a ton

[@davidraburn1017]

Dude, you almost bored me to death until you got to the solution. OMG you were exactly 100% correct. It fixed the car. We have had two warranty clutches put in the car and now it's out of warranty and I was sweating the $3000 decision. Thank you very much

[@FordTechMakuloco]

+David Raburn yup technical videos don't have much glitz or glamour that's for sure.

[@BC-ms3zs]

I'm in the same situation, but with my 2018. Ford couldn't learn from their mistake apparently! So they just decided to give up making sedans altogether 😆. Hahaha. Oh, wait ... this is terribly un-funny and clearly we're all dreaming and nothing I'm doing right now is real and these thoughts I'm typing will never leave my brain since this is most definitely a nightmare that I'll eventually wake up from... Oh. Wait. Nevermind 😑 I really did, like in real real real life, buy a total lemon? F*$#ing sh*#balls BAHHH. Well at least we got FordTech kicking ass and all the helpful comments!! 🩷🧠🩵🙏

[@abnerhernandez9330]

I have a Fiesta 2014 and it had the same problem. I managed to fix it with this video.

[@alextc2141]

Thanks for this. Took mine to the dealership 4 times and they wouldn't touch it because it wasn't throwing codes. It died over and over at stoplights and stop and go traffic. I went ahead and sanded the base of the ground bolts (2) behind the battery, one under the driver side fender and the one right by the battery that you recommended. I really appreciate it!

[@jstnmlndz]

So, I'm back to recap my experience. I did this to my Fiesta along with cleaning the battery terminal corrosion. I also cleaned up the MAF sensor and throttle body. Wow. I just have to say infinite thank yous. My transmission is still acting funny, and Ford is supposed to flash the TPM when I bring it in. But I'm not sure if they were just jerking me or if they were serious, but they said they couldn't do the TPM without me replacing my throttle body, MAF sensor and alternator (my reason for trying this). I went from 17 codes down to 3 (p0300/340/365 - camshaft pos sensors/misfire codes) which is definitely an improvement. Ford quoted me $1600+tax parts and labor for those 3 things. Something that took me about an hour to do (in the dark... and I scrubbed everything super clean), they told me would take 7 hours of labor. I spent $23 at autozone getting MAF sensor cleaner, throttle body cleaner and a wire brush and grease. My Fiesta was running really loud and revving high (about 1200-1500 idle and like 3000-4000 going at 20mph or so) and now idles really quiet and at about 750rpm, it doesn't shudder or grind at really low rolling speeds. Aside from the cam sensor issues and the TPM that I can't do anything about, I'd say the surgery was a success. I wish I could shake your hand. You are the man. For the record, I had ZERO prior experience working on cars. Total n00b. Before last week, I had no idea what I was looking at under the hood lol. I am just frugal and have a lot of curiosity in how things work and confidence (or stupidity) to try things myself.

[@bn880]

They were ripping you off. Throttle body has nothing to do with TCM flashing unless its also defective. Get a code reader of your own or go to an honest dealer to check.

[@jstnmlndz]

bn880 yea I know. I fixed that issue myself because I didn't trust them one bit. they just fixed the TCM and then told me my engine is bad (cel is on. I knew that) and that i needed to tear down the engine (8 hrs) to get in and figure out whats wrong. then who knows how much to fix whatever nonsense they supposedly find, then put it back together (8 hrs). I'm getting rid of the car because its too much of a burden and I am due for an inspection which I will fail with that check engine light and I'm not gonna drop ~$3k to fix a car with this many known issues. I doubt ford will be getting my business anytime in this decade.

[@bn880]

Yeah they seem to have dropped the ball on the small stuff, causing big issues for people. (as the small stuff can be hard to diagnose and replace... thus $$)

[@bn880]

@@larrybe2900 It's a design issue.

[@jq324]

It's bad enough it's a design error. But if you take it to the wrong place you're screwed. Either they soak you. Or they just can't fix it. 😒

[@DaddyBrotherTV]

i just tried it. and the magic happened 🤩 now i dont have jerking my transmission drive smoothly. and the biggest difference is my voltage. i got a reading of 13.4-8 always. and i just thinking that my alternator was bad. when i do this my voltage is now normal. i got 14.2-4 now all accessories are running.. tomorrow ill do a long drive. then i will update you guys.. thank you for this video.. by the way i have focus 2012

[@chocolatemilk2076]

Does it still go ?

[@chocolatemilk2076]

Does it really work or is it a placebo effect

[@jasminelanders3177]

Update?

[@DaddyBrotherTV]

@@jasminelanders3177 sorr for the late reply,,, i already sold the focus,, the problems are still coming back after so many alternative solutions. i got kia rio now.

[@Pringle15]

my wife just had a no crank issue yesterday and today it left her stranded at a stoplight, car was running but wouldn't move, she was able to put it into low gear and it sputtered to the curb and then started going fine again. I'm gonna check this out when she gets home thank you so much

[@tompewitt7148]

Thank you for the video, it fixed my problem. I appreciate you taking the time to help us non-mechanic types.

[@javid6680]

it was amazing .I was involved with this issues and spent $500 and then wanted to change whole transmission as mechanic said, but I was thinking it isnt because of transmission cause i felt its voltage ,this video saved my $3k .THANKS

[@TurboTurdBurglar]

What codes were you getting?

[@Locutus_lives]

Thanks for the video. I bought a 2011 Fiesta and saw that someone ran a second ground and now I know why.

[@radarreally2110]

I don't know if this video heloed or not. I was stuck at work this morning. I cot the engine to turn over, but only barely. Then, my 11 fiesta simply would not slip into gear. At all. It just acted like it was stuck in park. No mantenence lights, no squat. I cast around the internet for a couple minutes looking for a fix and happened upon your video, so I got into my tool box and found the right socket, and gave the grounding bolt about a quarter turn. No sooner had I fiddled with it, it began spitting medium heat sparks, (in the dark orange-bright orange range) At that point I figured I had either fried my batery, or incinerated the corosion, so I got back onto the car and everything worked just fine. This is a great video man. Cheers.

[@davidericricketts]

Thanks for the video, man. Mine didn’t mess up until 156,000 miles. My problem coincided with the battery dying. That gives me hope. Right now it’s still broken, but it only screws up between 1st and 2nd occasionally. When it does it goes into neutral. Lucky my 2012 is within Ford’s new recall thing and I have two more years to bring it in.

[@prestonmoore2209]

Dude thank you, wife and kids were stuck with me 60 miles from home. Was gonna have to go on a journey to get to the dealership (just bought the car) and then home. But I was able to jiggle it into reseting and it came out of limp mode. Will be doing the sanding tomorrow. Again thank you for this code.

[@warsquirt]

Did you buy it new or used? What year was it?

[@juanmanuelsaldanabautista4924]

I have a Ford Fiesta 2014, since was in the maintenance service for 15K i idvised about this problem, there was request by the dealer the replacement part for the power shift transmission, since 2 months ago, now the part have not arrived yet and i made the same fix showing on this video and i fell greatly appreciatted due the the problem in transmission dissapear on low spead, thayk you for this video and the advised.

[@jasonyoung1569]

Extremely helpful video! This helped our Fiesta run much more smoothly.

[@JohnfromAtlanta]

I did the battery terminal fix.. I am three weeks in and cannot believe the results! It is drives & shifts perfect and I have 58K on my 2011 SES. ( I did have the seals replaced under warranty at about 20K and probably 3 more flashes) I also did the clutch reset trick you showed in another video,, If you have not tried it, DO IT, the total battery re-grounding cost me $1.49 for the terminal grease and one of my wife's nail files. She was not about that.

[@FordTechMakuloco]

John Veltre Nice!

[@LastTrump7]

@@FordTechMakulocowill taking the negative cable loose and sanding the surface mess the computer up because the ground was disconnected?

[@keithnoneya]

Hey FordTech, Nice video. I've worked on Helicopters, Jets, Cars etc. I've also had extensive training in wire repair and corrosion control. I partially agree with your fix. Here's what my training has told me about what you should do: 1. DON'T remove the paint. Here's why. The reason is that over time the dielectric grease with begin to fail and attract dirt. The more exposed metal with dirt will cause moistue to set up in the joint on the bare metal and cause excelerated corrosion that will creep into the threads. Well you know the rest of the story there. So how do you fix it, here goes. 2. Clean the cable contact with a wire brush as before, and degrease with brake cleaner. 3. Clean the bolt mating surface and threads as before, and degrease with brake cleaner. 4. Clean the threads in the anchor nut, tap if particularly nasty, and degrease with break cleaner. 5. Now where the cable mates with the anchor nut use an internal serated heavy duty lock washer. 6. Apply your dielectric grease on the washer and mating surfaces, YES LEAVE the paint ON! 7. Install a second grounding strap to the block from the same position, on the BOLT side of the NEG cable. 8. Tourque the bolt down to specs. When the bolt is torqued the new lock washer will cut through the grease and into the paint all the way to the metal, but only where the lock washer teeth meet the paint. Remember before the paint prevented the cable mating surface from making any ADDTIONAL contact at all. It only allowed contact with the anchor nut on the bolt side, through the cable and onto the anchor nut threads. With the addition of the new lock washer you now have two surfaces contacting the body. Leaving the paint on leaves less of any area for corrosion to set up, "it's a matter of when not if". Even if you cleaned the paint off and didn't use the new lock washer, the grease would still limit contact to some degree. The teeth on the washer ensure GOOD solid contact in multiple areas. The added ground cable also ensures additional contact for electronics and the Starter. This is what I was taught in wireing and corrion control school. I also used to run a corrosion control repair shop for electronics as well. Been doing this stuff for years. So trust me you'll have less returns if you follow this. It takes more time to explain it than it does to do it. Also, although not a FORD story, here was a simple solution to an electrical problem with Dodge Caravan Headlights. Here's how I fixed it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ioGXpJ-uZ9V_h9k I've found on vehicles: airplanes, cars, boats etc. If it has intemitant electronics in it, the problem usually is a bad, dirty or intermitant wire/contact. You'ld be supprised how much stuff I fix just by cleaning, reseating electrical connectors/connections. Good grounds and contacts are a must in electronics. Cars are the worst because the electrical standards aren't as stringent as aircraft so they fail sooner. Best Wishes/Blessiings Keith.

[@Nuke21]

Keith Noneya If you think you shouldn't remove the paint to make a better connection for the ground than you clearly are full of shit about knowing anything about electrical.

[@keithnoneya]

Hey Nuke, I agree with you for the most part but go ahead and read the whole comment and it will make more sense when you read the explanation and why I said that. Here's part of my explanation from my post: Quote, "an internal serrated heavy duty lock washer", "the new lock washer will cut through the grease and into the paint all the way to the metal", making the extra ground without exposing more metal than is needed. By the way I have over 37 years experience doing just this kind of work. Best Wishes and Blessings. Keith

[@JB-ml6ir]

I'm no expert but wouldn't one have to be weary of using dissimilar metals for the lock washer? As far as I know there's potential for corrosion there. Oh, and not to be a dick Keith but it's accelerated x).

[@alexsbikesandmotors]

Who cares if it corrodes? That fiesta will be in the junk yard long before it has a chance to corrode and cause any problems.

[@danielnavarro669]

I WAS THINKING EXACTLY THAT Alex's Bikes and Motors

[@bradmanley194]

Worked for my wife's 2011 Fiesta. Thanks a ton!

[@chocolatemilk2076]

Did it really tho after all these years?

[@Wy-it]

I would also love to know how long this fix worked for you. I have a 2011 fiesta experiencing transmission problems right now and looking for any and every fix. If it worked please lmk

[@Jonnymg4]

@@Wy-itdid you try this fix yet? Doesn’t seem too bad to do

[@sleepingwolf4840]

Underneath the battery coming off of the transmission going to the body is another ground cable that needs to have the same thing done to it

[@moctezumaalava552]

I do own a Ford fiesta 2011 and definitely this is a valuable content for me thank you so much. God bless you!.

[@Wy-it]

did you try this and it worked for you? Having issues with my 2011 fiesta right now and absolutely in panic mode

[@moctezumaalava552]

No.. the problem in my case was the battery, I didn't have the correct one!.

[@Wy-it]

@@moctezumaalava552 so I just replaced my battery today and got it from O’Reilly. I wonder if i’m having the same issue. It fit like a glove so I didn’t think anything of it but at this point ill try anything. I appreciate the insanely quick response, thank you!

[@toddmodem]

I took one of these cars as a demo, back in 2011 and of course I had a transmission engagement issue while picking my daughter up from skating one day. I got it going while playing with the wires under the hood (like I knew what I was doing). I remember our Dealership mechanic saying there was too much paint on the ground! Very simple fix.

[@1hnevarezjr]

There is a class action suit being filed in California over the Fiestas transmission issues

[@planetina1145]

Hector Nevarez It’s not just fiestas, 80% of all ford cars share this stupid semi auto failing dual failure clutch that also fails

[@CrankDatPikachu93]

Yup and the settlement was a joke.

[@MR2trader]

Glad this fix is working for so many people BUT - Dilectric grease is Non-Conductive.

[@keirolson9378]

This solved my problem! Saved me big money! Many Thanks!

[@ErnestoOchoa912]

I had this exact problem this weekend on my fiesta 2011. Worked like a charm!! Thank you so much for the video and for the help!

[@FordTechMakuloco]

Ernesto Ochoa Good to hear!

[@johndelcano1174]

did you every get it fixed

[@ErnestoOchoa912]

So I did this trick and it worked great. But this weekend it happened again and could not get it to fix. It is still a problem with the ground from the battery which i had to get it towed. :-(

[@FordTechMakuloco]

Yeah I just had one that it seemed to be a ground issue but another dealer already performed it. It ended up with a TCM very expensive but covered by Ford.

[@ErnestoOchoa912]

any chance if you know if its covered by FORD even if its out of the warranty period? car only has 34K miles

[@alexakaeee]

Beautifully explained. I'm on my 2nd fried TCM in 3 years. Currently Ford has about 44,000 TCMs on back order so no fix anytime soon even under warranty... they really did a number with this one.

[@anthonybha4510]

Learn a lesson. Stop buying gasoline cars

[@endurofan9854]

it happens even on diesel cars 😄

[@migueldominguez2025]

I have a 2013 Ford Focus and it's doing the same thing with all these transmission codes I'm just going to clean the ground and hopefully it works out ,thank you so much for posting all your videos .

[@dianamoreno6232]

Did it work for you?

[@migueldominguez2025]

@@dianamoreno6232 yes it did

[@isaachipple1536]

Thanks!

[@sportac]

did it help ? i have ford focus 2011 with transmision issues

[@bigwillchill]

Can Ford just drop a manual transmission in my focus instead of trying to "fix" the auto-manual. if they did that, i would stop bugging them!

[@bernardualat2896]

bigwillchill uiçh

[@tarqsharq]

@Sam S I've got the 5 speed MTX-75 transmission on a 2014 Focus Titanium. It isn't the best thing in the world, but once you get used to its oddities, it works very reliably.

[@xshanghu]

Excellent question, let me know if you find out.

[@sycostang67]

Thanks for this video, got my friends focus back on the road.

[@johnbyrne2016]

What year focus

[@alternatetakes345]

This worked on my 2013 Focus . Life saver

[@TiffanyAHays]

wish I had never purchased this vehicle

[@taterlysaladman9377]

Buy a Honda if you want something dependable.

[@jakey20022]

Crash it

[@jaredshelton4718]

@@taterlysaladman9377 Kia....not Honda

[@chrisj197438]

Taterly Saladman I hear that all the time. I have a 1992 740 Volvo with 450K miles. It has been in my family since new. It has never left anyone stranded or needed a tow. It has always been maintained meticulously. It spent all of its life in Ohio until the last four years here in southwestern Florida. The transmission is original and the engine has never had any work done. The valve cover has never even been removed. The alternator and starter are original as well. The interior except for the edge of the driver seat is in excellent condition. The outside is excellent too with absolutely no rust despite spending most of its life in the salt belt. I daily drive it and regularly drive it on road trips of over 1500 miles. It has outlasted many Honda’s and Toyota’s in my family. Since it is rear wheel drive maintenance and repair is easy and I’m able to perform myself. I will be driving my car as long as it lasts. Which shirt of an accident should be many years to come.

[@AdamsTubing]

FORD= F ix O r R epair D aily

[@edjesuitas1]

My 2014 Ford Focus had a "transmission malfunction" error shown and would not even start. Changed the battery even before the 16month productive period was up. Was told by a Ford technician that the transmission uses up power before everything else in the system. I even observe a slight flickering of headlights and room lights. Electrical shop says my alternator charges fine at 13-14 v. So I am going to inspect the grounding as you recommend. Thanks a lot!!!

[@jesseeposey3]

Did this work? I'm having the same issue on my 2015 Fiesta SE, Trans malfunction light comes on when I start it after changing my battery but the car drives mostly fine. I'll be doing this fix anyways but wanted to see if it helped you!?

[@edjesuitas1]

@@jesseeposey3 after doing both- cleaning of terminal contact and change of battery, all is up and running.

[@christianradilla1524]

You are the best, u save my life to many times thank you

[@bmdouble]

just had one today,some of the glue from the heat shrink was under one of the ground eyelets. good video

[@FordTechMakuloco]

Was it a 2011 also?

[@goodcountryaustralia]

It fixed my problem. Thanks for the good video.

[@chocolatemilk2076]

Does it still work?

[@OlofTheBald]

Thanks for the video. I've had a 2012 Fiesta for a few years now and it has around 32k miles on it today. I've had shifting problems since day one and have already had the transmission seal replaced due to leakage. I'm going to check my ground-point sometime this weekend to see if paint needs to be scraped, but do you have any other suggestions? It's extremely hard to get any dealer at all to look at this vehicle, they all say "Oh that's normal, it's supposed to do that" when I tell them I have slipped shifting or jerking. They then tell me that "if you ever drive a manual someday you will see that the transmission in your car is operating normally"... joke is on them, this is the first automatic car I've ever owned! When I say this, the service techs are always just silent and change the subject. I suspect I need to check the ground points since I notice my headlights dim whenever there is a hard shift, so I appreciate your video very much and will do this soon. Just the other day my Fiesta did something completely new and frankly, a little scary. Pulling out of the driveway, it went full jackrabbit on me. With traffic coming at me and me sitting in the middle of the street, I had to sit there and wait for the car to come to almost a complete stop and for the RPMs to go to idle before I could get it to move. But no big deal, "it's supposed to do that". Honestly, this is the first and likely the last Ford I will ever own, and it's a shame because I honestly like this vehicle aside from the transmission.

[@FordTechMakuloco]

There are multiple reflashes and clutch updates, when was the last time you had it actually worked on where they actually fixed something. If you send me your vin I can do allot more research. They should do like I do replace the clutch the actuators center bearing unit and of course the seals. These units are hard to work on also and require a person to know the trans or else you will have new problems afterwards, or worse yet a misdiagnosis. Have they given you the customer info sheet say what is normal sound wise with this trans? This trans has been a nightmare for all of us dealers fiesta or focus and while new parts and reflashes are making the performance tolerable I truly believe they will abandon this trans soon like they did witrh the cvt and just make an 8 speed fwd trans. Let me know, also what is your exact concern most of the time?

[@OlofTheBald]

After I had the transmission seal replaced (they didn't replace the clutch plates, just cleaned them. I saw in the TSB this is normal) it seemed to get better for a month or two and then right back to the same issue as before. I moved states in this time and the new shop I'm going to checked the trans for leaks and said it's dry as a bone. I can send you my VIN in a private message, I will copy it down when I fix the ground point tomorrow (it is indeed painted, but has the correct bolts so I'm just going to do the fix myself). I have received the info sheet more than a few times, being handed that thing was pretty much the default response for a year every time I complained about any loss of power/shifting problems. My exact concern with this is as said above: no power when trying to accelerate (especially on toe-in while the vehicle is decelerating) and crappy shifting from a dead stop. Now, it seems like the clutch slips hard on acceleration from a stop (this is rare but has started recently). The best way I can describe it is the slipping you get in a manual when the clutch is going out. I really appreciate you getting back to me and I apologize if it seems like I'm complaining or angry; I'm really not mad I'm just frustrated that I've owned this vehicle for years and I can't get a dealer to agree to take a look or concede that there's anything wrong. That's not your fault or anything and, again, I really really appreciate you taking the time to make this video and provide some input on this issue.

[@FordTechMakuloco]

Oh yeah from your info I can tell you need a clutch and the latest reflash for sure now to find a dealer to do it. Thing is recently Ford is requiring us to record that the slippage is 250rpm or higher or they will not pay the claim so if you know when it slips the worst hot cold etc you need to relay that very specific information to the service advisor so they can record that over slippage. I feel all of these need the latest design clutch and is a shame many complain about this trans and have to live with it because of these dealers. When this trans works it is great. Have you called the Ford customer service line? We had one lady come in howling up and down about the other dealer pushing her off etc got Ford involved and they said please fix this for us and make this customer happy it wont count against our warranty numbers etc because they see on our customer satisfaction scores when we do the clutches the problem is resolved and customer satisfaction scores go up as a whole so it really does matter to Ford and there are fixes in place that seem to work now. FYI Dodge has the same trans setup in the Dart and is having similar issues.

[@tylernixon652]

The ground mod works. It also Improves performance somewhat.

[@elmecanico4943]

My solution for Ford Fiesta transmission problems: buy a Honda or Toyota.

[@geraldyocampo1193]

Thanks

[@tuneuptony3679]

Great information. Sand that paint off, maybe add secondary ground from that point to transmission case? Just a thought.

[@joelpinoymix5809]

Thank you it worked in my ford focus 2011 model. Cheers bro.

[@sportac]

REALLY ? you have a transmition problem , and this solve it ? (i have ford focus 2011 now)

[@dafordkidfilms2264]

Bought a 2013 Fiesta used and i still love it. So far it's done me good and it was the cheapest i could've gotten. I wasn't wasting my money on an older car

[@pauldrysdale7968]

Great vid!!. purchased a 2012 fiesta auto and noticed slight grind/rattle when clutch warmed up coming from passenger side when in low gear.Tried this and noise is gone for now. taken a few long trips and also driving around town. Will update if any probs come back.Thanks.

[@nofunybiz]

Thanks for video. My car has 141,000 on it and I just had problems this morning. It does not want to go into 2 gear and accelerates on it's own a bit when I'm on the brake. reverse seems fine and never had issue until now..

[@battery_solar_ev]

dude thanks for doing this video i just bought a 2012 ford focus yesterday and i experienced a delayed park the first day i took it out I drive up to 200 miles a day and there is times i can be 110 miles from home ill be taking a look at the grounding this weekend to put a stop to any future problems that may come up the last thing i need is to be away from home that far and be stuck. I was surprised to not see a ground wire not going to the engine on this thing the norm would be chassis to battery and also battery to engine 2 ground sources. Is ford really getting that cheap the ground and hot line have to feed the electronics i suppose the engineers forgot about this or maybe they are lacking an electronic engineering degree.

[@ninnysal6408]

Omg thank youuu! I have a ford ecosport 2015 premium and i have been struggling with turning on the car and sometimes the reverse wont work from time to time and this solution has helped now the car turns on everytime.... It seems like its a problem from ford itself

[@wilson2455]

My question is if the Ford Fiesta & Focus are pulling so many amps via the engine, transmission, etc. why don't they install extra heavy duty batteries in their cars with high CCA values ?

[@williamwiese9963]

Just did this to my 2016 and no luck,.I can reset the transmission but it won't stay reset. Thanks for the video

[@christywright8178]

I currently own a 2014 Ford Fiesta SE Hatchback with 45,700 miles. @ 38,000 miles i experienced shaking an shutter an had fix by dealer. An now at current miles the transmission is doing the shaking again. Not having stalling , an not cranking. Just shaking an lightly rough shift.

[@nilsonny]

I have the same problem!!

[@NSGLiv]

You guys should've known better fords with automatic transmissions are garbage cars, when it comes to ford you should either get a Manual transmission or no ford at all

[@brentpierce7585]

I'm an auto technician I too have seen these car have transmission problems that is caused by a bad or loose ground. That when repaired fixes every problem. But there is also a recall on alot of transmission control modules(TCM) but they are back ordered for months

[@danielrowe2174]

I had an no crank issue with a 2014 Hyundai Sonata. Lights on the dash was flickering. A friend of mine told me that slot of manufacturers are using cheaper metals which is causing these problems. My case was the ground bolt was corroded and I replaced it with a new one.

[@nerdchatt4237]

You pretty much listed all the problems my wifes car is experiencing, i tried everything you said even cleaning off the terminal, but still no reverse and it makes that choking sound wjen it tried to start.

[@ToxicityAssured]

I'm relatively new when it comes to car repair so I might be very wrong here. You removed the paint so the metal of the car body makes more contact with the negative battery cable. I think the goal was to increase the surface area and lower the resistance to increase current. You would have the thread to bold area plus the flat of the cable to body area. But, this is my observation. Di-electric means against electric, or another way, it's an insulator. The dielectric get stuck between the cable and bare body metal. This would prevent the flow of current. Also, the grease could get on the bolt and contaminate the threads really reducing the area for electrons to jump ship... please enlighten good sir. Keith Noneya really hits the nail on the head. I might get bored one day and just do that for fun. In his example the lock washer "bypasses" the grease and bridges the gap between cable and body.

[@LemonYourAid]

+ToxicityAssured "It can be applied to the actual contact as well, because the contact pressure is sufficient to penetrate the grease film. Doing so on such high pressure contact surfaces between different metals has the advantage of sealing the contact area against electrolytes that might cause rapid deterioration from galvanic corrosion." - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicone_grease#Dielectric_grease

[@toddmiller5322]

You are confusing insulators with dielectrics. Insulators are materials that do not conduct electricity in an electric field, since they do not have free electrons. Dielectrics are insulators that can be polarized, as in they DO conduct electricity(just not as well as direct metal to metal contact).

[@ToxicityAssured]

@@toddmiller5322 I googled "does dielectric grease conduct electricity" and this is what I got... "What is dielectric grease? Despite the fact it has "electric" right there in the name, it's a fairly common misconception that dielectric grease is capable of conducting electricity. In actual fact, dielectric grease is an insulator and doesn't conduct electricity." This fact worded in some way was what every link on the first page of results said. I don't know where you are coming from Todd.

[@toddmiller5322]

@@ToxicityAssured (sigh) let me try this a different way. Go to the link and read everything up to "How do dielectrics alter capacitors?" The operative sentence is "....if a large enough electric field is applied to a dielectric, the forces that want to push the electrons can actually overcome the force that tethers them to the atomic nucleus, resulting in the electrons being ripped off their leashes. Large electric fields ionize the atoms of a dielectric. This means large electric fields create free charges (electrons in this case) that are able to move freely through the material and carry current." www.khanacademy.org/science/in-in-class-12th-physics-india/in-in-electrostatic-potential-and-capacitance/x51bd77206da864f3:effect-of-dielectric-on-capacitance/a/dielectric-article Di-electrics are neither permanent insulators or permanent conductors because they change states, hence the "Di", They WILL CONDUCT electricity given sufficient electrical force. Whoever wrote that sentence, or agrees with it, is ignorant.

[@johnhartley8404]

Thanks Dude our fuel mileage even went from 34 mpg to 44 mpg

[@dannymckay3133]

I recently bought a 2012 ford focus off a small dealer ship and didn't do my homework till after the fact 😃 what good is that right ?so first two weeks car runs fine then one morning i go to start and car wont start then when it finally does start it wont shift into gear so i put it in neutral and rolled it back my self drive seemed ok but i did notice the gears where shifting slightly harsh and whenever car would come to a stop it would begin to shudder like it was about to bog out any way i was pretty bummed paid in cash and 2 weeks later im having these problems so i did some research and come to find there s a class action law suit on models 2011/2012/13/14/15/16 and just about everyone experiencing same technical issues so i saw your video on the ground connection and i did exactly as instructed in the video and what do you know all the problems i described went away check engine light went off no more harsh shifts and car fires right up so im keeping my fingers crossed it continues to run the way it is Now thanks for sharing you saved me a ton of money 🙏👍🙂

[@bengarver8914]

Has this fix withstood the test of time? How is the relative reliability of the car you fixed over time? Has this repair lasted for others?

[@mikesecondo2254]

No matter how many tricks,tcm,clutch replacements the problem always returns....burn the car!!

[@grumpyg9350]

Up until the dielectric grease, I was saying "here we go,another knucklehead that's going to say leave it bare" and then the magic words I love to hear....DIELECTRIC GREASE... good job!!!!

[@PB_French_Fries]

anyone know how Id go about getting the correct ground bolts?

[@cr3ativemind92]

Hello, thanks for sharing the video, i have a ford fiesta 2012 S, the dealership have ordered a new clutch but not sure when will arrive and if that would solve problems of jerking at slow speed or the delayed speed up when hiting the gas, they didn't suggested me the fix u show in ur video, also my car makes a noise when I turn off the engine like something metallic that hit idk if that's related to the clutch but gets me worried, have u heard something similar? thanks again

[@bonnielaporte7554]

I've had issues of a supposed 'dead battery' for two weeks...hit and miss. Battery was6 months old, and we brought it in and had it tested. It tested over 12V, so we know its not that. I've had to get a boost 6 times in the last 2 weeks. Tonight, coming out of work to once again needing a boost, it starts right up, as it has been...BUT tonight, after the car was running, it wouldn't go into gear. Just stayed in a neutral position. So we left it at work, and got a ride home. Hubby watched this video, thought "what the hack", and we drove back to my workplace and took off the ground wire, sanded it (didn't have any of that grease), just put it back on, and although I needed a boost to get it running again, it went into gear, so I drove it home. Shut it off, restarted it, and it started! Hopefully this solves our problem..we'll find out in the morning. Thanks so much!!

[@krystlebee867]

Can I please get an update??

[@ItchyKneeSon]

If you can can't get the right bolt, sanding the paint down to steel and adding a wide-but-thin copper washer between the contact and flange would likely do the trick.

[@timothytownsend7279]

I know this was a long time ago but i literally did this plus clean out the forks as other videos say with brake cleaner and dw40. It works. Ive had so many issues with dead batteries and throwin trans codes. Did all this in one day and the car is running like new. Ford will nvr get my money again!!

[@SleeeplyJoe]

Still working fine? your the most recent person I could find I put new actuators in seemed to fix it for a bit but now I’m stuck to low voltage again

[@jeffreyfaulkner6061]

Thank you for your video I bought a 2013 Fiesta new had problems from day 1 took it back to dealer 10 time to reboot the computer never fix the erratic shifting of trans today I had my first no start an when it started no reverse cleaned factory paint of body ground coating off ground wire an paint off of ground screw now is better than new "COME ON FORD DEALERSHIP WAKE UP "

[@vip01]

I was pretty interested in a Ford Focus, till a Transmission shop person told me about this problem transmission. I went to a local dealer and ask about it. The salesman said Oh that transmission problem was only in the 2013 Cars. Every person that I talked to with a Ford Focus having these shift problems, had a 2014 model, and they all had their transmissions repaired at least twice. So I am leery that the problems may not be fixed in 2016 and 2017. I am afraid to take a chance on one at this time...

[@KarmaVoyager]

Save yourself the trouble. Buy a corolla or civic. Stay away from american crap.

[@MARIELAPRODUCTIONS]

Hello, I am looking for somebody who had problems with the Ford Fiesta or Focus for a TV consumer segment. Where do you live. How can I reach you. Please email me at [e-mail]. Thank you!

[@STho205]

KarmaVoyager. Corollas and Hondas often are American "crap". The assembly plants are often here to avoid tariffs. However a Honda built in Bama with many local components, but has no problems is fine Japanese work. A Ford built outside the US with a problem is American crap. Toyotas have killed a few people dramatically in fly by wire and had their entire fleet recalled. Takata airbags killed my brother while sitting in a parking lot, engine off reading a paper in his Civic. There is really little difference in car engineering stupidity, negligence and even fraud (VW cough cough) worldwide.

[@vip01]

thanks for the info......pvp

[@glenngines5200]

Mine is a 2016 fiesta and having that same issue so I’m gonna try that fix 🤞🤞🤞 hopefully it will work

[@timgiles9413]

There are five grounds you need to clean. Two under the air cleaner air box and two under the battery box. All 4 on the frame. Plus the main one on the right side of the battery box.😊

[@LosttOG1]

Can you possibly tell me the name of the screw you need to make this worth and the length pls :)

[@JuanRamirez-bj6qe]

Just got a used 2017 focus on Saturday, 7/28 and today 8/2 my transmission light came on. Pretty disappointed.

[@JackJax44]

How is your Ford doing now? Do you still have your Focus?

[@taterlysaladman9377]

@@JackJax44 He drove it into the ocean

[@tryansavworld]

I have a 2011 Fusion 2.5, been starting out in like 4th gear, takes about 6 or 7 seconds to engage in the drive and it'll shift through two or three different years before it settles on a gear when I put it into drive. The original code was for range sensor I tore the car apart

[@timmead3970]

Should I disconnect battery? Tried to turn the first one above batter and it started to spark

[@Deckson25]

Thanks I used this method, only 3 days in so far so good. I've had multiple Air conditions repairs and it gets cool then warm, any chance this is another 2011 Fiesta amperage ground issue?

[@tonycruz0530]

Jeff Hogan i can help you with that

[@Pringle15]

Jeff Hogan had this issue on my wife's 2012. was the radiator fan starting to fail. you may have a different issue but i changed the fan and now it blows cold all the time

[@lonzotariq776]

How can I do this on my 2012 Ford Focus ?

[@garywatson4496]

Howd u fix the problem

[@tomugarte7871]

Hey Makuloco, I purchased a 2011 Ford Fiesta SE Hatchback today with 52,000 miles on it. I have 7 days to return the car for any reason. I'm planning on taking the car to a mechanic tomorrow to get an inspection. I haven't noticed any signs of transmission / any problems. What should I look for exactly? Is there any way to find out if my car is going to be a suspect of this transmission problem or any problems for that matter? Thanks!

[@danr1920]

I replaced my Fiesta transmission with a Honda manual transmission...attached to a Honda Accord! 135,000 miles of trouble free diving! That ground is only one issue. The first year or so have fuse box issues too. I pulled the cover off mine, full of crud and corrosion. Two weeks later I bought a Honda. My Fiesta had transmission, electrical and suspension i$$ue$. If the transmission had been perfect, it still was crap car. How does that fix the leaking seals that get oil on the clutches???????????

[@AnthonyKress239]

I used this fix and it worked for awhile. Now it seems to be doing it again. Check the bolt and its tight. Not sure where to go from here :(

[@pte-entertainment]

Any luck ? Same boat here

[@jjfan71]

Fordtechmakuloco, is there anyway I can email you a question? You seem like the only ford mechanic that's honest and knows what he's talking about. Just left chino hills ford, and I'm having a hard time believing his diagnosis. Thank you for your informative videos, and time.

[@keirolson9378]

A question for you, FordTech: You showed two other bolts/grounds further down in the engine compartment - What are they for? It looks like those points have too much paint as well!

[@jameskaeff9713]

My issue is I have a 2012 Ford fiesta it drives great about 70 miles in the driving the clusters start blinking all over the place and then it loses transmission power you shut it down let it cool off for about 3 hours and get back in the vehicle and it runs fine again

[@UTUBEJDB]

Thanks for the video. It fixed my car!

[@azdurbanpoison146]

Thank you! Your awesome!

[@larrylynch1063]

bought the manual 65k and going strong bought an engine ebay $180 w/7k even though it doesnt need it. Tires cost me more. Planning on 1/4 million Looks like plenty of cheap parts available. Thanks did hack the paint up

[@pito7728]

I have a 2013 Ford Focus SE. I bought it used at close to 34000 miles. Its been fine and got me everywhere I needed to be. Now I'm having problems. At first there was an engine lite which I got checked out and was told it was about the gas cap or lack thereof. Two months later at currently 48000 miles I have a check engine lite, and car won't start, won't even click. Five minutes later it starts up. Took it to Pep Boys and got multiple codes. P0805, P087A, P2831, P2836, P285E, P2872, P287A, and P287B. I am going to try this later today to see if it applies and works. Any other suggestions before I see the dealer and get savings taken away along with an arm and a leg? I figured it was acting up because of Florida heat and rain...

[@edufc270592]

Resolveu o problema?

[@jakemir]

I think you want to use conductive paste a carbon-based conductivity paste not dielectric grease. The dielectric grease prevents electricity from flowing or the carbon based conductive paste will allow electricity to flow. Dielectric grease is to rent moisture from going into an electrical source, but shouldn’t be used on the connection itself.

[@FordTechMakuloco]

I could use an entire tube of dielectric grease on it and it would still have zero problems.

[@johnnyturbo8460]

Can you please do a video on changing the transmission fluid in a 2014 Ford Fiesta 1.6l SE with a 5spd manual???

[@owenmclain3327]

You mean the gearbox oil. There is a video on the on utube , look it up.

[@johnnyturbo8460]

@@owenmclain3327 I mean what I said. Transmission. Transmission = to transfer power from the engine to the drive line. So it's both. It's a box of gears that TRANSMITS the power from the engine to the drive wheels or prop etc... if you want to correct someone know what you are talking about 1st. That is why you hear AUTOMATIC Transmission or MANUAL Transmission. Smdh. Stop trolling, you are not good at it.

[@syllinx1]

I wish we could all tip you. Was really pissed when all the dash lights would turn on and lights would dim while driving.

[@Schill_vill]

Great Video. I have a 2011 Fiesta, received the recall notice for TCM. Before I take it in I have a question. During a hard stop (especially when ac is on), the car will stall out. RPm's will stay around 1.5k then slam down prior. Do you think this is a ground connection issue or the TCM? Thanks

[@FordTechMakuloco]

Adam Schilling I think tcm personally, what you can do is the fix in the video and reevaluate

[@John-rs3fu]

FordTechMakuloco I have a 2011 model and it also stalls.. it did it last time while driving in 2nd gear.. ac was on and lights as well.. could it be a ground issue?

[@JDiology]

Adam Schilling I've had the car for a year still got 4 more years to pay for it. It had this problem 3x already. First time was the transmission Computer, (was stalking n not going I've 20mph) second was the assembly throttle body (still with the same symptoms) n third they said it was the transmission acutator shift forks (with the exact same symptoms.) I'm getting the run around here. Only first one was granted by warranty. 2nd I had to pay 900$. N third I was going to pay $2400. I'm like hell naw, I'm takin my car back. Wtf is warranty there for. So I contacted Ford co. Screw that crap man. Shitty ass car.

[@rogeliouzielleijacontreras5127]

im a owner of fiesta 2017, thats funny i just start to doing it so but now im aware that this job is already done, im so suprised, i didnt have any issue with the powertrain i just pretend to prevent the malfuction, maybe it came already revolved but im not sure, also thanks for share

[@BubbaDog001]

I just found the ground cable battery terminal cracked on my kids fiesta. It was also mildly corroded. Bought a new one as electrical shorts cause cause all kinds of weird things to happen. Then KZbin recommends this video.

[@Milosz_Ostrow]

Most likely, the dielectric grease - or ANY kind of grease, such as petroleum jelly, axle grease, Korode Kure, etc. - is the key. Cover the contact area with grease and re-torque the bolt, and the electrical connection should be reliable. I learned this from my dad in the 1950s. He would put a blob of grease on the base of tail light and turn signal bulbs before putting the bulbs into their sockets to prevent intermittent electrical problems, especially when driving in areas where roads are salted in the winter.

[@Tribader1]

If the car is still under warranty, will the Ford fix it, or do I get the BS from the service manager it is how it runs?

[@FordTechMakuloco]

+Davi-May Messinger No they should fix the issue if they are able to duplicate it.

[@marytaylor4558]

+Davi-May Messinger They told me this was normal for my car. A 2013 Ford Fiesta, Mine is an automatic, but I was told the same thing.

[@JDiology]

Davi-May Messinger I have the prob right now n even tho it's still under warranty. It did not get honored. So I went beyond. Ford f+_-#(# ! Knows the reputation of these cars n still sell it. That's dangerous