Why are the gear changes in our Fiesta automatic clunky?

While my daughter has been on holiday I have been using her 2012 Ford Fiesta. I’ve not driven it for a while but have noticed this time that the gear change on occasion is rough, particularly on the downshift when the car is under braking. When the car is fully warmed up (20+ miles) it sometimes holds onto the lower gear when accelerating and I’ve had to use the semi auto gear to shift it up. On the downshift the box occasionally goes from fourth to second and the engine is then running at higher revs than necessary. The local garage has had a look at it but could not identify the issue. Could this be an electronic engine management issue and is this likely to be expensive to repair?

Asked on 24 July 2019 by Lewis Wynne

Answered by Honest John
Does it have a transmission dipstick? If it does, check the colour of the fluid. Anything other than transparent pink the fluid needs to be changed. If not it will affect the operation of the servo valves that control the gearshifts. Take it to a member of www.fedautoco.uk
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