Oh mine does the same thing actually. I never had it checked out. I will on my next service. It's clunky from F to R and sometimes hard shifts in low gears.

I figure Ford won't do anything. Let me know what they say please

 

maybe low fluid level.
also at that milage, wouldnt hurt to do a tranny flush or a drain/fill. use motorcraft LV fluid, i dont think these transmission like any other brand. (mine had a slight decrease in shift quality using Maxlife LV)

 

Sitting at the dealership now. I asked about any costs and I mentioned that it's still in warranty and I get, "we'll just have to see what's wrong with it."

It better not cost me a dime! First new vehicle I ever brought back for service.

 

Well, I'm already out. They did nothing. Didn't even check the fluid level. Technician had me drive him around the block. Was then told there is a TSB from Ford that it's normal activity for my transmission. Handed this paper and shooed out the door. Glad we have the extended warranty. Got that just because Ford doesn't have a good record with transmissions. Anyway, here's the note...

 

I had a clunking from P to R and P to D. Also sometimes from 1 to 2. It ended up being a loose bolt on the engine mount. One full turn and the noise was gone. I also ended up replacing it with the e-focus mount shortly after.

 

I had the same issue with my old Fusion, which used the same 6F35 transmission. While annoying the way they're treating you, it is common for the transmission. Despite what the printout says, the condition goes back to 2010. The condition usually got better after the first couple cold shifts; however, 1>2 and 2>3 were always a little firmer than the rest, even after warm-up. I had no durability issues with that transmission for 100k+ miles (granted, I did change the fluid around 40k).

It is sad/concerning that they didn't verify the fluid level, as the TSB even instructs to do. The incompetence/laziness/rudeness of the techs and service writers have me really reconsidering giving Ford anymore business. But from what I've heard, the grass isn't necessarily greener elsewhere.

 

Oh but the tech told me how to check the fluid. It wouldn't have taken them that long to check it. I am mechanically inclined and do a lot of work on my other vehicles, but brought this in because it's under warranty. And like I said, had they simply put an dipstick on the transmission, it wouldn't be such a problem checking it. After all, they remove things like dipsticks so you have to bring it back to the dealer. That's what I did and they blew me off. At least check it is all I'm saying. I know every manufacturer has issues somewhere and I guess Ford has a problem with customer service.

 

Agreed...that's one of the things I am saying is concerning...since it's stated in the TSB, the TECH should have verified the level before turning things over to you. That's piss-poor service even by Ford's pathetic standards. If they send you a survey from your appointment, nail them hard.

 

ssm/tsb is OEM speak for, we know a problem exists but it's not a big enough deal for us to fix it under warranty. Instead, we'll issue an updated TSB with an actual fix AFTER the vehicles affected warranty expires so that it is no longer our problem but yours and will cost you out of pocket. {/sarcasm}

I've found that many auto transmission issues are resolved with regular fluid flushes/exchanges. In other words, 100K-150K transmission fluid is malarkey. What you are experiencing could very well be normal fluid degradation that is resolved by, changing the fluid every 30-50K for the life of the tranny. This would not be covered under warranty since fluid changes like oil and brake fluid are considered normal wear and tear. They won't say fluid exchange/flush because the manual only mentions 100 or 150K except for severe duty where the recommendation is much shorter. No one thinks they have severe driving conditions.

That is my opinion so if you decide to have the fluid exchange/flushed and it doesn't resolve your issue, I am not liable but, in the event it all works out, you're welcome

 

ssm/tsb is OEM speak for, we know a problem exists but it's not a big enough deal for us to fix it under warranty. Instead, we'll issue an updated TSB with an actual fix AFTER the vehicles affected warranty expires so that it is no longer our problem but yours and will cost you out of pocket. {/sarcasm}

Sarcasm aside, there are TSBs that fix issues, anything from squeaks and rattles to porous engine blocks. Not every issue warrants a full-out recall effort. How much effort dealer service departments put into satisfying related customer concerns is another story.

+1 for the fluid flush, but short of a catastrophic failure, I would never expect them to cover any fluid exchange under warranty.

 

I don't mind changing the fluid myself, but how? Do I need a vacuum pump? And doing so, will it void the warranty if something does go wrong? Remember, I'm covered until 100k miles, which is 45k miles away.

 

The only thing an owner can do in a situation like this is to change the transmission fluid. I'm with the others. Doing this may not change a thing, but if it hasn't been done before and if you are going to keep the vehicle, I'd highly recommend you do it. It could help. Check YouTube or call around for estimates on service. Use only Motorcraft transmission fluid.

With the Escape 6F35 transmission, it's a 30K fluid exchange the entire time I own this vehicle as this transmission isn't exactly over-engineered! The 150K fluid change interval in the owners manual is completely insane and a slap in the face to all that own this vehicle. NO fluid will last 150K. Period.

The 6F35 is not the total dog that the dual clutch DPS6 tranny crap show and legal circus that Ford has going on with earlier Focus and Fiestas, but it is the weak link mechanically in my humble opinion. For longevity.

And as for that tech not even checking fluid level BUT telling you how to do it? That would prompt me to pay a little visit to the Service Manager to discuss why this wasn't done! Terrible treatment to not even follow through on the recommendations of the Ford TSB! Consider trying another dealership next time.

 

I just watched a video on how to do it. It seems easy enough in one sense because there's no pan to take off. A ***** in the other sense because you can't change the filter and to check the fluid, you have to take a wheel off. Will definitely be doing the fluid change with my upcoming oil change that I was about to do anyway.

About the tech. We bought the vehicle from a small town dealership. They only have two sales guys. They do have a full service area and no reason why they couldn't have checked it. We picked that dealer just because it's smaller, friendlier and expected better service after the sale. I was wrong.

 

I've noticed a hard shift from 1st to 2nd when cold as well, but I have had my transmission rebuilt. I thought it was due to the quality of the rebuild. Maybe it is more of a Ford transmission thing. I wonder why the bulletin states from 2nd to 3rd when many are having the fussy gear shift between 1st and 2nd? For me, if I power through the shifts after start up, it feels like there is a lag for a second where the RPM goes up before the 2nd gear engages. It almost makes me a little afraid to do that as things might be grinding or doing damage...but there is no sound or awkward feeling...just the shifting delay for about one second. Interesting thread on the topic.

 

You do bring up a good point. The OP stated 1-2 but the dealer showed him TSB for a 2-3 issue. Competence of the dealer comes into question as DaBigE first pointed out.

Cold fluid has a higher viscosity than warm fluid so, it wont flow as easily. Depending on ambient conditions and when the last time the vehicle was ran, I'd suspect in your case, IF it's only when cold during the first start up of the day, it's related to just that, cold fluid. IF the problem persists beyond the initial cold start after the vehicle has warmed up, then I might suspect something else like worn fluid or a mechanical issue.

When you say "Power" through the gears, what do you mean? Drive it hard at first or, do you mean you remain stationary and manually shift through the gears? The first option may (as in I speculate) cause some wear from lack of lubrication. If you sit stationary and shift through the gears that is a better option as it still circulates the fluid but without the stress of moving the car.

Manual transmission cars can also be the same way where it's harder to shift gears while the fluid is cold.

 

@14theroad, what I meant by "power through the gears" basically meant turn the car on, put it in drive and basically get to speed as quick as I can to get to work in the morning LOL! I know, I know, driving a car hard cold isn't good...but we all are guilty of it! If I feather the gas more on the initial acceleration,. I feel that pause of shift from 1st to 2nd much less...but it is still there. Nothing grinds or makes and noise or feeling if I hit the gas hard from a cold start...it's just I feel that second-long (approx) halt before 2nd gear engages.

When the dealer fixed my transmission, they had to install some spacer or something before putting it back together for a second time. I wonder if that spacer was between 1st and 2nd. Unfortunately I cannot remember if it did that prior to the transmission issues. It seems like no rebuilt transmission ever feels the same or give the owner the same fuel economy as the original did. It's like putting pieces of a puzzle back together after taking it apart. The only thing is some puzzle pieces are well used and frayed around the edges and others are entirely replaced!

I've dealt with the transmission since the Winter and it is working fine otherwise. It is just that cold first acceleration run that causes the fuss. It is probably less viscous fluid not up to temperature yet. After that I have no problems. I will consider your suggestion for shifting through the gears first. I'm not a morning person though and the AM commute is always a rush! Besides, I want all that 2.0 liter turbo power to rush me up to speed ASAP!!!

 

Ah, that kind of power through the gears, yeahhhhh, that may cause some excess wear there. That and the fact after it's warmed up a bit it goes away, I'm sticking to the viscosity and slow initial lubrication theory.

Hmm, I just realized the newer Escapes don't do D, 1, 2, 3, etc. They do D and S so, shifting through the gears manually while stationary isn't an option. Unless you can put it in S and it will shift through each gear using the paddles while stationary? The 2017 in the family belongs to my daughter so observations like that tend to...Escape....me at times If not, just go easy on it for the first set of shifts when you get on the road in the AM so all the hard bits in the trans get lubed before you hammer on it.

A spacer? . Most cars will have a 3/16 or 1/4 metal plate that goes between the trans and engine. That's just a guess though on what it could've been since I don't know the if the newer Escapes have one or the context of your situation. Its serves a few purposes from dust shielding to vibration dampening to simply helping alignment of the trans/engine when being assembled.. Just depends on what the OEM had in mind and how its designed.

Transmission rebuilding is one automotive repair art I have never delved into for fear of just that, putting back together a puzzle where even one piece slightly out of place jacks the whole project up. Plus I don't have the space. I've done plenty of valve body rebuilds/upgrades and solenoid packs and that is enough for me!

 

My 15 2.5l se, 55k went into limp mode with a roll back malfunction error ? took to dealer eng light on, they did all the diagnostics came back with a throttle body failure, covered under the CPO 100 det the day I picked it up, rolled to a light a very hard down shift, kept doing it, stopped and when i shifted from P to D very hard shift, took back to dealer and forund my Torque converter was shredded and put all kinds of trash in the transmission, plus broken engine mount, it ran fine before the TB replacement, makes me wonder if the computer gave a false reading TQ and TB communication

 

Mine downshifted hard, and hd a 'flare'. This TSB is what they did, and I've been perfect ever since. I could definitely reproduce the problem, and it was not cold-related. I never noticed the shift to reverse with the problem, probably because my drive isn't flat, but downshifting on the highway would often (almost always) result in a clunk that felt severe, and could not be good for the transmission. I provided this info, the tech drove and reproduced the problem, and they fixed it under the powertrain warranty.


102300 POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:SHIFT PATTERN INDICATOR


TSB #SSM 46355
— Posted 2017-03-17
102300 POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:SHIFT PATTERN INDICATOR bulletin for the 2015 ESCAPE

MULTIPLE 2014-2016 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 6F35 TRANSMISSION AND BUILT ON 1-JAN-2014 AND THROUGH 31-DEC-2015 MAY EXHIBIT HARSH REVERSE ENGAGEMENT AND HARSH/DELAYED 3RD AND 5TH GEAR UP/DOWN SHIFTS WITH NO DTCS PRESENT. THIS MAY BE DUE TO A ME

NHTSA has assigned ID #10095624 to this bulletin. You can get more detailed information on how to fix the problem.

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Posted 13 June 2017 - 05:41 PM
February 2, 2017 MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION NUMBER: SSM 46355

Summary

MULTIPLE 2014-2016 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 6F35 TRANSMISSION AND BUILT ON 1-JAN-2014 AND THROUGH 31-DEC-2015 MAY EXHIBIT HARSH REVERSE ENGAGEMENT AND HARSH/DELAYED 3RD AND 5TH GEAR UP/DOWN SHIFTS WITH NO DTCS PRESENT. THIS MAY BE DUE TO A MECHANICALLY BINDING SHIFT SOLENOID B (SSB). VERIFY HARSH REVERSE AND 3RD AND 5TH GEAR SHIFT EVENTS ARE PRESENT. USING IDS, IDENTIFY THE BAND NUMBER OF SSB FOR USE WHEN ORDERING PARTS. REMOVE THE MAIN CONTROL. DISASSEMBLE AND THOROUGHLY CLEAN THE VALVE BODY AND SOLENOID BODY TO REMOVE ANY CONTAMINANTS. REPLACE SSB, REFER TO WORKSHOP MANUAL (WSM) SECTION 307-01. USING IDS, CLEAR TRANSMISSION ADAPTIVE TABLES. FOR CLAIMING, USE CAUSAL PART 7G383 AND APPLICABLE LABOR OPERATIONS IN SECTION 7 OF THE SERVICE LABOR TIME STANDARDS (SLTS) MANUAL.

MAKE MODEL YEAR

FORD C-MAX 2015-2016
FORD EDGE 2014-2016
FORD ESCAPE 2014-2016
FORD EXPLORER 2014-2016
FORD FIESTA 2014-2015
FORD FOCUS 2014-2016
FORD FUSION 2014-2016
FORD TAURUS 2014-2016
FORD TRANSIT CONNECT 2014-2016
LINCOLN MKC 2015-2016
LINCOLN MKT 2014-2016
LINCOLN MKX 2014-2016
LINCOLN MKZ 2014-2016