I have a 2017 Ford Focus with 48k miles and the notorious dry 6 speed dual clutch transmission. I have owned the car since new and haven't had any real issues other than the occasional shudder, is there anything I can do to try and extent the life of it as much as possible? I drive a lot on the highway and it performs well there, but around town it's not always the happiest. Any recommendations would be appreciated! I really like the car overall and want to make it last!
All you can really do is maintain it properly and drive it conservatively. The easier you are on it, the longer it will last. In town driving is a lot more strain than freeway, so that's why you feel it acting up a bit.
Best of luck to you!
I am definitely a conservative driver, the lifetime MPG is at 39.1! Would you recommend changing the fluid soon? There doesn't really seem to be a defined time to change it, I was thinking around 60k?
I would. 5 years or 60k is the general rule of thumb. Just a drain and fill...no flush.
How does a dual clutch feel compared to an automatic or a manual?
When working properly I love it! The shifts are crisp and fast and I get great gas mileage being a dry system but it has it's drawbacks like reliability. Most manufacturers use wet dual clutch transmissions. They can both be a little clunky around town shifting 1 to second, but once in motion super smooth!
The easiest way is to use it as a lawn ornament. If protected from the elements, those things can last forever..
Unfortunately, it’s a matter of when, not if.
I've been curious on the longevity of these myself. My 2017 Mustang has 20k and is also a dual clutch transmission. It's always shifted like a dream. I wonder what the difference is.
I read something yesterday that said to maximize the life of a DCT, don't drive it like you would an ordinary automatic -don't creep forward at lights, don't let the torque of the engine hold the car in place when you're stopped on a hill, never put it in gear with the parking brake on, etc. Doing those things wears out the clutch disks prematurely because it creates a lot of unnecessary friction- the torque in the clutch is trying to move the car in those instances, but either can't, or barely does, so there's a lot of slippage. It said the functionality is somewhat similar to a standard transmission, only the computer controls the clutch and shifting, unless you have paddle shifters. Putting your brake on and stopping, the car interprets that as time to engage the clutch so the engine and transmission are separated. It doesn't sit there and spin the clutches like a normal automatic will spin the torque converter.
