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Ford Focus Gearbox problem - not worth replacing?

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zico
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Ford Focus Gearbox problem - not worth replacing?

#419088

Postby zico » June 12th, 2021, 6:37 pm

My elderly father has an automatic Ford Focus (2013) and the transmission is faulty - basically keeping the engine in too low a gear. His local garage has said that they've asked around but no company wants to touch it, apparently because it's a big job, and also because it's a Ford.

Should I be suspicious about the garage saying it's worthless?
If not, what's the best way to dispose of a worthless car - in terms of money received, time, convenience?

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Re: Ford Focus Gearbox problem - not worth replacing?

#419097

Postby wanderer » June 12th, 2021, 6:59 pm

The best way of getting rid of it will depend upon which of time, money or convenience you value most. Id suggest getting rid of it via webuyanycar or similar. They will just flog it off at an auction, but you get to offload the car without any hassle. Never expect to get the valuation they come up with online, however- expect to lose about 20% once you show up for the faultfinding/nitpicking inspection.

If you want to achieve a higher value then a private sale on autotrader might be an option. - but whoever buys it might come back to you if they feel they've been sold a dud - or a part ex on a car with a dealer is a bit like the webuyanycar scenario, but you may be able to get a slightly better deal if you're taking another car off their hands.

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Re: Ford Focus Gearbox problem - not worth replacing?

#419101

Postby scottnsilky » June 12th, 2021, 7:23 pm

My advice, for what it's worth, is to look yourself for a gearbox specialist company, preferably an automatic specialist. I was in the motor trade for twenty odd years and had a mental list of specialist firms, they usually came up with the goods.

I don't know how advanced the Focus box is, from an electronic point of view, maybe it can be diagnosed with a computer? Maybe it's a standard box from an outside supplier, Borg Warner(?) and used in other applications. This was the sort of research I enjoyed back in the day!

Good luck,

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Re: Ford Focus Gearbox problem - not worth replacing?

#419108

Postby Howard » June 12th, 2021, 8:42 pm

Webuyanycar.com are better than other posts might imply. As professionals they are pretty good at catching out unscrupulous sellers who are trying to palm off faulty cars.

It would be inadvisable and probably embarrassing to try and sell a car to them by not honestly describing its condition. Their business as a subsidiary of British Car Auctions is to buy cars in good condition which will please their customers who tend to be in the motor trade and can spot a dud.

From my experience they offer a very fair price for a car in good condition and don't nitpick on little details given that its condition has previously been honestly described by the seller on their internet quotation site.

regards

Howard

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Re: Ford Focus Gearbox problem - not worth replacing?

#419119

Postby staffordian » June 12th, 2021, 9:39 pm

This may be total ball hooks, but I'm sure I read that some faults in automatic gearboxes can be caused by old transmission fluid.

Might it be worth simply changing it to see if it makes a difference?

Little lost apart from the (probably extortionate!) cost of the fluid, assuming it's a possible DiY job.

I'm sure someone with some auto box knowledge will be along at some point to either rubbish or second the idea :)

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Re: Ford Focus Gearbox problem - not worth replacing?

#419121

Postby Mike4 » June 12th, 2021, 9:52 pm

scottnsilky wrote:My advice, for what it's worth, is to look yourself for a gearbox specialist company, preferably an automatic specialist. I was in the motor trade for twenty odd years and had a mental list of specialist firms, they usually came up with the goods.

I don't know how advanced the Focus box is, from an electronic point of view, maybe it can be diagnosed with a computer? Maybe it's a standard box from an outside supplier, Borg Warner(?) and used in other applications. This was the sort of research I enjoyed back in the day!

Good luck,


This is my view too, although I've never been in the motor trade.

The thing is, GB is teeming with tiny businesses specialising in astonishingly narrow niche markets and being very good at what they do within their niche. (Mine is one of them, I like to think!) I would not be the slightest surprised if there is a handful of companies out there who do nothing but repair Ford Fiesta automatic gearboxes, particularly given their apparent reputation for being difficult. This is how the real specialists earn their crust.

I'm vaguely surprised there is no www.ford-fiesta-automatic-gearbox-repairs.com, but having checked, you're out of luck. The best I found in a brief goggle was https://www.autogearboxservices.co.uk/a ... on-repairs

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Re: Ford Focus Gearbox problem - not worth replacing?

#419136

Postby wanderer » June 12th, 2021, 10:58 pm

Howard wrote:Webuyanycar.com are better than other posts might imply. As professionals they are pretty good at catching out unscrupulous sellers who are trying to palm off faulty cars.

It would be inadvisable and probably embarrassing to try and sell a car to them by not honestly describing its condition. Their business as a subsidiary of British Car Auctions is to buy cars in good condition which will please their customers who tend to be in the motor trade and can spot a dud.

From my experience they offer a very fair price for a car in good condition and don't nitpick on little details given that its condition has previously been honestly described by the seller on their internet quotation site.


From my experience (3x) they have never driven one of my vehicles before buying it off me. There's practically no mechanical checks at all - they just started the engine - so wouldn't have a clue about any gearbox problems (or DPF issues or handbrake issues.... ;) )They have, however, done a thorough review of paintwork etc and always found a few things to nitpick with on the bodywork or alloys, no matter the context of the car being in good condition for its considerable age. Also, they are meticulous about service history - so I always take care with that before foisting my bangers on them.

I would be surprised if many people get the price they are originally quoted- certainly the Internet is full of people who don't - but your mileage may vary. I quite like the sport, but just think its best to go into it with your eyes open.

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Re: Ford Focus Gearbox problem - not worth replacing?

#419149

Postby scottnsilky » June 13th, 2021, 12:53 am

staffordian wrote:This may be total ball hooks, but I'm sure I read that some faults in automatic gearboxes can be caused by old transmission fluid.

Might it be worth simply changing it to see if it makes a difference?

Little lost apart from the (probably extortionate!) cost of the fluid, assuming it's a possible DiY job.

I'm sure someone with some auto box knowledge will be along at some point to either rubbish or second the idea :)


That's quite a reasonable observation, and there may well be a filter in there too. However, not being a gearbox expert myself, I would go for a specialist company. There will be a national association of automatic gearbox refurbishers, whatever it may be called. I would look for a local company on their website.

Incidentally, have you checked the fluid level and it's colour? Should be crimson.

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Re: Ford Focus Gearbox problem - not worth replacing?

#419169

Postby redsturgeon » June 13th, 2021, 8:18 am

wanderer wrote:
Howard wrote:Webuyanycar.com are better than other posts might imply. As professionals they are pretty good at catching out unscrupulous sellers who are trying to palm off faulty cars.

It would be inadvisable and probably embarrassing to try and sell a car to them by not honestly describing its condition. Their business as a subsidiary of British Car Auctions is to buy cars in good condition which will please their customers who tend to be in the motor trade and can spot a dud.

From my experience they offer a very fair price for a car in good condition and don't nitpick on little details given that its condition has previously been honestly described by the seller on their internet quotation site.


From my experience (3x) they have never driven one of my vehicles before buying it off me. There's practically no mechanical checks at all - they just started the engine - so wouldn't have a clue about any gearbox problems (or DPF issues or handbrake issues.... ;) )They have, however, done a thorough review of paintwork etc and always found a few things to nitpick with on the bodywork or alloys, no matter the context of the car being in good condition for its considerable age. Also, they are meticulous about service history - so I always take care with that before foisting my bangers on them.

I would be surprised if many people get the price they are originally quoted- certainly the Internet is full of people who don't - but your mileage may vary. I quite like the sport, but just think its best to go into it with your eyes open.


This is my experience too. They have never driven any car I have sold to them. They are very nitpicky about marks though. They wanted to take £50 off for a black mark two inches long on my white Range Rover door. I said it was a simple scuff that would polish off they said if I brought it back without the mark they would give me the full price originally offered. I took it home and after two minutes with a cloth and T-cut it was fixed. The car could have had any number of mechanical or electrical faults and they would not have known though.

It would be interesting to understand what the legal situation was if you sold them a car with a duff gearbox. I assume you are selling "as seen".

John

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Re: Ford Focus Gearbox problem - not worth replacing?

#419191

Postby wanderer » June 13th, 2021, 10:38 am

Yes, you're selling to a "professional" buyer so it's very much their lookout and you can have a clear conscience. They pay based on a well calibrated formula about what they can achieve for the car at auction, so frankly aren't bothered about condition beyond what can be seen. Having a clear conscience and the no hassle process is why I've used it, multiple times, rather than go through the hassle of a sale.

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Re: Ford Focus Gearbox problem - not worth replacing?

#419195

Postby bungeejumper » June 13th, 2021, 10:54 am

If the OP's box is changing gears, but not at the right moments, then it doesn't sound much like an electronics failure. (Unless some sensor's gone duff, I suppose?) Completely agree that a change of gearbox oil would be an obvious place to start. (Preceded, of course, by a flushing agent.) My 2002 Focus wasn't an auto, but its gear changes could be sticky unless I changed the oil every couple of years. And to hell with what the Ford manual said. Just saying.
redsturgeon wrote:It would be interesting to understand what the legal situation was if you sold them a car with a duff gearbox. I assume you are selling "as seen".

I'd be surprised if there isn't some sort of clause in the small print whereby you certify that you've declared any significant faults that you're aware of? And, given that it would be hard not to be aware of a faulty gearbox, you'd be bang to rights.

Which reminds me. A long, long time ago, a near-neighbour bought a tidy Volvo estate at an auction and drove it away. By the time he got home, it was blowing exhaust gas from somewhere and firing on three. Figuring that he'd just have to accept the limitations of bought-as-seen, he got his torque wrench out and started a stripdown.

Piston number three had a hole in it, and somebody had welded the lid from a baked bean can onto the crown. Then reassembled it and sent it off to the auction. My neighbour got his money back. I've often wondered what happened to the perpetrator?

BJ

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Re: Ford Focus Gearbox problem - not worth replacing?

#419220

Postby Howard » June 13th, 2021, 11:53 am

redsturgeon wrote:
wanderer wrote:
Howard wrote:Webuyanycar.com are better than other posts might imply. As professionals they are pretty good at catching out unscrupulous sellers who are trying to palm off faulty cars.

It would be inadvisable and probably embarrassing to try and sell a car to them by not honestly describing its condition. Their business as a subsidiary of British Car Auctions is to buy cars in good condition which will please their customers who tend to be in the motor trade and can spot a dud.

From my experience they offer a very fair price for a car in good condition and don't nitpick on little details given that its condition has previously been honestly described by the seller on their internet quotation site.


From my experience (3x) they have never driven one of my vehicles before buying it off me. There's practically no mechanical checks at all - they just started the engine - so wouldn't have a clue about any gearbox problems (or DPF issues or handbrake issues.... ;) )They have, however, done a thorough review of paintwork etc and always found a few things to nitpick with on the bodywork or alloys, no matter the context of the car being in good condition for its considerable age. Also, they are meticulous about service history - so I always take care with that before foisting my bangers on them.

I would be surprised if many people get the price they are originally quoted- certainly the Internet is full of people who don't - but your mileage may vary. I quite like the sport, but just think its best to go into it with your eyes open.


This is my experience too. They have never driven any car I have sold to them. They are very nitpicky about marks though. They wanted to take £50 off for a black mark two inches long on my white Range Rover door. I said it was a simple scuff that would polish off they said if I brought it back without the mark they would give me the full price originally offered. I took it home and after two minutes with a cloth and T-cut it was fixed. The car could have had any number of mechanical or electrical faults and they would not have known though.

It would be interesting to understand what the legal situation was if you sold them a car with a duff gearbox. I assume you are selling "as seen".

John


With respect John, with your specific example, you are reinforcing the professional approach of Webuyanycar.com. They made you take the risk of removing the mark from your Range Rover and providing the labour to do it then, given a good result, rewarded you for your effort. I guess if we were investors in BCA we'd be pleased that they ensure that their purchases are of reasonable quality.

I don't know the process which they adopt after they have taken delivery of a car from a retail customer, however I am pretty sure from memory that they insist on a signed legal contract which refers to the car and the terms of payment. They then immediately drive it to an inspection centre. Unless you pay extra for a next day BACS payment there is a delay of around four days before payment is made.

BCA used to be run by an individual rather like Terry Smith who applied a well-thought through car buying and selling process, so his investors were pleased with his organisation and the results achieved. They appear to have a good reputation amongst trade buyers who trust their processes.

You may be aware that, in a similar situation, many leasing companies use BCA to inspect cars at the end of leases. I know for certain, as a lessee, that this is a two stage process. The guy who comes to collect/inspect the car does an initial check, led by an iPad algorithym. He/she then takes the car immediately to an inspection centre where experts check the car again. Only then is the car condition approved or the customer charged for damage etc.

regards

Howard

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Re: Ford Focus Gearbox problem - not worth replacing?

#419223

Postby Mike4 » June 13th, 2021, 11:57 am

wanderer wrote:Yes, you're selling to a "professional" buyer so it's very much their lookout and you can have a clear conscience. They pay based on a well calibrated formula about what they can achieve for the car at auction, so frankly aren't bothered about condition beyond what can be seen. Having a clear conscience and the no hassle process is why I've used it, multiple times, rather than go through the hassle of a sale.


I do wonder if they are so bothered about the bodywork and so unfussed about mechanical condition because they just bung it straight through the auction and pass on any mechanical flaws to the buyer.

Back in the day a mate of mine worked for a while as a car salesman for a large Ford franchise. He also said when taking a vehicle in part exchange, they were not bothered about mechanical flaws, they just looked up a price in their charts and paid it. Once they owned the car, any mechanical faults were passed to the maintenance dept for fixing, which seemed to be treated as an overhead to be carried due to the business they were in.

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Re: Ford Focus Gearbox problem - not worth replacing?

#419225

Postby redsturgeon » June 13th, 2021, 12:01 pm

Howard wrote:
redsturgeon wrote:
wanderer wrote:
From my experience (3x) they have never driven one of my vehicles before buying it off me. There's practically no mechanical checks at all - they just started the engine - so wouldn't have a clue about any gearbox problems (or DPF issues or handbrake issues.... ;) )They have, however, done a thorough review of paintwork etc and always found a few things to nitpick with on the bodywork or alloys, no matter the context of the car being in good condition for its considerable age. Also, they are meticulous about service history - so I always take care with that before foisting my bangers on them.

I would be surprised if many people get the price they are originally quoted- certainly the Internet is full of people who don't - but your mileage may vary. I quite like the sport, but just think its best to go into it with your eyes open.


This is my experience too. They have never driven any car I have sold to them. They are very nitpicky about marks though. They wanted to take £50 off for a black mark two inches long on my white Range Rover door. I said it was a simple scuff that would polish off they said if I brought it back without the mark they would give me the full price originally offered. I took it home and after two minutes with a cloth and T-cut it was fixed. The car could have had any number of mechanical or electrical faults and they would not have known though.

It would be interesting to understand what the legal situation was if you sold them a car with a duff gearbox. I assume you are selling "as seen".

John


With respect John, with your specific example, you are reinforcing the professional approach of Webuyanycar.com. They made you take the risk of removing the mark from your Range Rover and providing the labour to do it then, given a good result, rewarded you for your effort. I guess if we were investors in BCA we'd be pleased that they ensure that their purchases are of reasonable quality.

I don't know the process which they adopt after they have taken delivery of a car from a retail customer, however I am pretty sure from memory that they insist on a signed legal contract which refers to the car and the terms of payment. They then immediately drive it to an inspection centre. Unless you pay extra for a next day BACS payment there is a delay of around four days before payment is made.

BCA used to be run by an individual rather like Terry Smith who applied a well-thought through car buying and selling process, so his investors were pleased with his organisation and the results achieved. They appear to have a good reputation amongst trade buyers who trust their processes.

You may be aware that, in a similar situation, many leasing companies use BCA to inspect cars at the end of leases. I know for certain, as a lessee, that this is a two stage process. The guy who comes to collect/inspect the car does an initial check, led by an iPad algorithym. He/she then takes the car immediately to an inspection centre where experts check the car again. Only then is the car condition approved or the customer charged for damage etc.

regards

Howard


Hi Howard,

I was not trying to give the impression that I think ill of WBAC.com I think they are a good and fair company who do what they promise. I like them.

John


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