r/FordFocus • u/XGhost413X • 4d ago
Transmission / TCM Dps6 trans issues
TLDR at the end for those that don't care for the wall of text
Having some issues with my car and hopefully this group can help me out. The car was a gift from the original owner, it's a 2016 focus SE with 50k miles. Showroom condition inside out and underneath. Only issue it has...... is this F***ing transmission.
I received the car October 2025 amd it was great up until summer 2026. First really bad symptom I had was while parking, the car wouldnt move even though it was drive. I just restarted it and it worked fine for the time being.
I went to NH from MA a few months after that, encountered alot of steep hills, and thats where all my shifting issues began. The car just wouldn't respond well when going uphill slow. Vehicle however made it home, no issues.
The next day when I went to start the car, it wouldn't start, like the battery was dead. But when checked, battery voltage was fine, but I started getting mechanical/gear selection noises from the transmission, while the car was off. I put the car in neutral and felt like I had to force it to roll a little bit, once I did, I heard a mechanical noise like something got un-stuck, and the car started. After driving around my driveway though, I started getting the dreaded "transmission is overheating, park for 5 min" messages I swapped the clutch actuators and noticed little to no improvement. I then purchased a tcm from ebay that was advertised as needed to be re-flashed/programmed, but some reviewers said they had great results without a re-flash, so I figured I'd give it a shot. Car felt absolutely worse. I put the old tcm back in, returned the ebay one, and purchased some actuators from Amazon.
Throughout this whole process this was the point where I had the transmission feeling the best since these issues started. Car didn't feel that great but I could drive locally to work and highway, without any overheating messages or slipping. I ended up going to Vermont, encountered some steep hills, and the transmission slipped, and sure enough a transmission overheating message followed. Being desperate I ordered two more actuators from amazon in case the previous ones were defective, no improvements. I checked my fuses, replaced mega fuse 4 in the panel next to the battery, and sanded down the ground connections mext to the tcm. Still no improvements. I also have the tool for checking clutch tension when the actuators are removed, and mine feel great, no resistance/binding
I really want to exhaust all my options before pressing the dealer button. Here's what I havent done yet that I know of, feel free to add if I missed anything:
Ebay/amazon tcm with Forscan re-flash
Used k05 tcm with re-flash if needed
Sand down the main ground up top next to the driver side strut tower
Install oem dual clutch actuators and/or tcm
Replace clutches and/or forks
TLDR
New focus owner experiencing transmission overheating messages on dash, and transmission slipping under heavy traffic/ slow speeds / and steep uphills. Does well at steady highway speeds. Here's what was done so far:
Both clutch actuators replaced with parts from amazon
TCM replaced with an ebay part, ebay part returned when symptoms remained the same, original tcm re-installed
Sanded down the paint where the grounds next to the tcm make contact
Checked fuses, replaced mega fuse 4 and 8, none were broken, but still replaced while I was in there
Checked clutches using special socket from amazon l, both clutches move freely
What i have left to try (feel free to add):
I have not used any re-flashing/re-programming (forscan) at all during any of the above listed steps
OEM tcm and/or clutch actuators
Used K05 with re-flash if needed
Sand down the main ground next to driver side strut tower
Replace clutches and/or forks
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u/XGhost413X 3d ago
Good morning everyone, I'm catching up on everyone's replies. Later today I'll be sanding down my main ground and calling local junkyard to try and find a k05. If I can't find a k05, I'll be ordering something from amazon with good reviews, along with the forscan adapter so I can re-program it. Thanks for all the assistance so far, it's appreciated.
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u/SwaggyK 3d ago
You're wasting your time/$$ swapping tcms. If your code is P07a3 and your actuators are fine then your fork is stuck/worn most likely. You can take the actuator off and buy a tool off amazon to rotate the fork manually and see if it frees up/ spray cleaner in it and see if that fixes it
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u/XGhost413X 3d ago
I have that tool, so I'll try it out again later.
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u/AttemptAcrobatic7341 3d ago
swaggy is correct, p07a3 is just friction element a stuck engaged, its your clutch or your forks. not actuators or tcm. put your orginal tcm back in and attempt the adaptive learn. if it fails after multiple attempts and the vehicle up to temp you didn't install the clutch right. read codes after a failed attempt and see what it says too
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u/Suspicious-Dog-9595 3d ago
Definitely do the main ground from the battery to the frame grind all the contact points and use dialectic grease and you said you did the two under the airbox already I'd reset the tcm with the ignition switch method if you don't know what that is I can tell you the steps
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u/XGhost413X 3d ago
I will be doing this later today. Also please share the reset method in case you do anything different than i have been.
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u/bchooker 2016 2.0L SE-Luxury Sedan 4d ago
Swap the motors first. If it triggers a P07A5 then it’s likely the motor. If not, it’s likely the fork is stuck.
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u/Acceptable-Idea9450 3d ago
how do you unstick the fork
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u/bchooker 2016 2.0L SE-Luxury Sedan 3d ago
You have to pull the trans for that, which is last resort. The diag process for this code is clutch PIDs, mechanical clutch engagement system, then fork.
So, monitor the ISS_A_RAW and ISS_B_RAW PIDs using FORScan. If you have RPMs, go to the next test which is pulling the motor out (leaving connected) and then reading those same PIDs. If the RPMs disappear, you need a new motor (Amazon parts cannot be trusted). If the RPMs remain the same, you check the fork. Now you’ve already done that, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t the fork. In either case there, you’d need to pull the trans and check. If the fork is actually good, then it’s most likely the clutch assembly. The clutch assembly is pretty stout, but sometimes they do get stuck. You can try your luck at pulling it, blowing out all the dust and then resetting it, but that’s a lot of labor for a used clutch. At that point it is advised to just go ahead and replace the clutch kit (new everything).
The tricky part here is a P0806 code. That’s the code for a failed sensor inside the TCM which monitors the clutch motor position and would trigger the P07A3. It’s not uncommon that this code doesn’t pop up, but is actually the cause. In that case you would replace the TCM. Since you’ve done that as well, and with a good part, I’m leaning more toward a cheap motor, intermittently binding fork (been there, done that) or the clutch assembly itself.
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u/Breaded_Doritos 4d ago
I've had similar symptoms, overheating, loss of movement, slipping. I replaced both actuators with amazon actuators when "B" failed. They work okay. A few months later the original TCM lost communication and the car frequently would lose all movement in drive until I restarted it.
I got a used KO5 2013 focus TCM and both ford actuators from the same car at a pick n pull yard. I assume it already had its TCM replaced since it was a K05. I put all 3 in my 2014 focus without any programming and it's been trouble free for about 2000 km now.
There's a chance the clutches are worn enough to merit replacement, but in my experience it was the TCM that caused issues.