[Rehaan]

Burning smell from Figo Automatic when at >3,500 RPM

Originally Posted by methecupid

Now witnessed that if I keep my foot down and let the engine spool at more than 3500 RPM for atleast 10-15 seconds, a burning stench would engulf me. It wasn’t absolutely bad, but when I mentioned this to my wife; she could smell it too.

In one sentence: This is a problem with the car, and no justification should make this okay.

Originally Posted by methecupid

However, I had written a detailed email to Ford Customer Care; and the car was brought in diagnosis at Bhavna Ford, Kalina. I also took a long highway drive; but as luck would have it, could not replicate the situation.

You've paid several lakhs for this car. Have the technician meet you at a place where you can correctly demonstrate the problem, or go for a long drive to that place (ie. kidnap ).

the service guy (who was trained on this transmission type) told me that during training it was mentioned that this transmission should be kept between 2000-3000 RPM only.

That might be ideal, but that's not what it's limited to.

Originally Posted by methecupid

I had mentioned this on both my 2500km and 10,000km services, but was told its normal behavior.

Very easy for service centers to say "this is normal" and absolve themselves of the responsibility of having to investigate and fix the problem. It's not normal.

Originally Posted by methecupid

I was also informed that the program is such that there’s a electronic limiter at 4000 RPM. This was further again confirmed by the Ford Call Center (apparently after inputs from the technical team).

Absolutely unlikely. I think they aren't sure what they are saying (technically) and you are not sure enough (technically) to call their bluff.

Test: If you put your car in S mode and use the buttons to select 1st or 2nd gear and keep accelerating, will it show >4,000 RPM on the tacho?

If the engine is at 5,000 RPM, the transmission will be at the same RPM too.

In S mode, the car should only automatically upshift when you hit 6,000+ RPM.



Q: Is it a burning smell, or does it kind of smell like rotten eggs (sulfur).


Another easy test is to drive another Figo DCT and see if the same thing happens. Most probably it wont, and then you'll know this is not normal.


I'd say keep following this up with Ford. If the smell is coming from the transmission, have them replace it under warranty.

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by methecupid

But I also see a lot of merit to what the service guys said, if one keeps the transmission on Neutral and try to rev, it gets limited to 4000.

Originally Posted by rsm97

Restriction on RPM while revving in neutral is both common and understandable.

As rsm97 said, restricting the RPM in neutral is not surprising. The reason is simple - there is no external load on the engine in neutral, which means its can change its RPM very quickly, potentially leading to long term harm. This is independent of the type of transmission (MT or AT), once the PCM (powertrain control module) detects the transmission is in neutral, it will do this.

As Rehaan and I've said, S mode will take you to 6000 rpm.

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Another easy test is to drive another Figo DCT and see if the same thing happens. Most probably it wont, and then you'll know this is not normal.

^ Seconded. First, check with the dealership if they have a DCT test drive car available. Then ask the service adviser to join you and you repeat your test in that car.

[tharian]

This reminds of my petrol Figo in the first year when there used to be a burning smell inside the cabin most of the times I used to let the engine rev high(3500 and above).
It was very evident that it occurred only when rev'd hard. I never bothered much back then about what would be the cause.
Surprisingly it stopped occurring once I changed the exhaust system to a full free flow and removing the catalytic converter.

My guess was the the cat con being next to firewall heated up more when rev'd creating a burning smell in the cabin. It can be a cause I am guessing in this case.

[methecupid]

Thanks Rehaan, Arun, Tharian.

Really this is what makes being part of this of so much help. I did a small road-test early this morning, and was blessed with a wide empty road This was much better than what we could find earlier on Eastern Express the last time I visited the Ford A.S.S.

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Burning smell from Figo Automatic when at >3,500 RPM

Test: If you put your car in S mode and use the buttons to select 1st or 2nd gear and keep accelerating, will it show >4,000 RPM on the tacho?

If the engine is at 5,000 RPM, the transmission will be at the same RPM too.

Q: Is it a burning smell, or does it kind of smell like rotten eggs (sulfur).

Good thing to report to you and the entire forum here. There's no electronic limiter at 4000! Such hogwash we get blessed with some times. I wish I could upload the video I took of the drive this morning. But summarizing the chain of events below;

• Started rolling after I shifted to S-mode, the car quickly made way to 4500 on 1st gear, to 38kmph in about 6 seconds. This is when the transmission shifted to 2nd gear automatically.
  
• It took another 8 seconds to move to about 64kmph on the 2nd gear, when the next gear was selected. This was after hitting 5400RPM.
  
• It was a smooth advance till 80kmph for the car, without any jerks. It was 4500RPM on the ODO.

The best part about all the above? No burning smell even after 46! seconds I continued the test till the ton, and for 1 min 54 seconds. The trials and tribulations of an owner, worried about the trivialization of a major issue nor a semblance of sanctity of knowledge; the fact that the car administered the test without so much as a whimper cannot be explained. I slowed down to a halt when the road winded to meet the first signal; and as note of appreciation, turned up the volume to Rhapsody and switched on the ACC.

Am sure the sweat on my eyebrows would have come from dealing with the unknown; and not from the cool zephyr outside of a Mumbai morning. Oh well, laid to rest Shakespeare.

Originally Posted by arunphilip

This is independent of the type of transmission (MT or AT), once the PCM (powertrain control module) detects the transmission is in neutral, it will do this.

Originally Posted by tharian

My guess was the the cat con being next to firewall heated up more when rev'd creating a burning smell in the cabin. It can be a cause I am guessing in this case.

This could be a reason too. I had suspected the exhaust right at the beginning; one of things we tried (under observation with the technical advisor from Ford A.S.S.) though was to put it on neutral and rev it to 4000, when it gets limited automatically. We kept at it for a while, but did not replicate the smell I was witnessing then.

Now that the car has bedded in rather well at 15,300; I can only think it to be antics of a new born baby. Or maybe? One can never know. I will keep a keen eye on any antics for the future. For the present, i will gift it a nice little wash over this weekend.

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by tharian

Surprisingly it stopped occurring once I changed the exhaust system to a full free flow and removing the catalytic converter.

Good find!!

Originally Posted by methecupid

one of things we tried (under observation with the technical advisor from Ford A.S.S.) though was to put it on neutral and rev it to 4000, when it gets limited automatically. We kept at it for a while, but did not replicate the smell I was witnessing then.

Do note that revving the car at idle will not put as much load on the engine as when you're actually driving it. This could also lead to differences in EGT (Exhaust Gas Temperature) which would probably affect the burning smell, if it was indeed coming from the exhaust.

[mail2sekh]

Been using my Dad's Figo auto(Feb-2016 ) for the last 5 months.

Apart from the daily crawl , did a Bangalore-Pune, Bangalore-Chennai, Bangalore-Thrissur and back ofcourse ! 8K on the ODO and here are some feelers :

FE :
Stark difference in the fuel efficiency between city/highways :
Bangalore's daily (Silkboard to be precise) runs give 8.5 kmpl at best.
All the highway rides I mentioned above gave 17.5 on an average.

Ride Quality and drive
Lovely in one word ! However there is a flap up front which will scrape the bottom all the time.
Steering feels planted and light(Though the new nano is much easier to manoeuver - only for the city)
Gear shifts are quick and feels powerful.Quite a neat little mile cruncher too which I realized during the Pune drive.
Extremely good and trustworthy brakes. (The Nano's brakes are a joke in comparison)
Air conditioning is superb. Rarely had to move Fan speed above 1 and below 23 degs. Switching this on does not take a hit on the engine performance for all practical purposes.

In house entertainment
Ticks all the boxes except the bluetooth telephony which sucks or is it just for me ?
For one I rarely hear the phone ring over the BT audio , suddenly out of the blue the other party starts talking and I realize that it connected.
Very exasperating especially if the other number is busy - you never get to know ! I switch to the phone's speaker for identifiying this.
Also I get 'COM ERROR' on the display many a time and BT is not connected.
There is a significant delay in audio while playing from the phone. More noticeable if I am playing a video.

Other stuff
Headlight ON warnings, radio ON till you open the door ,Not in P warnings, plenty of bottle holders and crevices of various shapes and sizes all over, the windshield water spray push button - all are nice well-thought touches.
Sports mode with the +/- knob looks cool - thought I never ended up using it much.

Overall you feel safe and cosy as you plonk yourself inside and the automatic does justice to the job. Especially so for my dad for whom I sort of forced to buy an automatic.The Zest was too big , the Baleno felt like sheet metal , Polo was too costly and we had a Chevrolet spark earlier. The silence inside its cabin (even after 5 years of use we've cranked the engine twice thinking it is not switched on) and comfort inside that was hard to beat. So then with front airbags and the 1.5L DCT - there was(is?) not much of a choice anyway.

Mod Note: Only 2 Smilies/Post Please

[jetti]

Originally Posted by methecupid

The best part about all the above? No burning smell even after 46! seconds I continued the test till the ton, and for 1 min 54 seconds. The trials and tribulations of an owner, worried about the trivialization of a major issue nor a semblance of sanctity of knowledge; the fact that the car administered the test without so much as a whimper cannot be explained.

This is great news I had been following your thread for some time and was worried about this.

one of things we tried (under observation with the technical advisor from Ford A.S.S.) though was to put it on neutral and rev it to 4000, when it gets limited automatically. We kept at it for a while, but did not replicate the smell I was witnessing then.

Now that the car has bedded in rather well at 15,300; I can only think it to be antics of a new born baby. Or maybe? One can never know. I will keep a keen eye on any antics for the future. For the present, i will gift it a nice little wash over this weekend.

Yes, many cars have rev limiter when being revved on Neutral. Initially I could not comprehend limiting a petrol engine to 4000 rpm, while on the run. Even most diesels do more than that. Now that it is clear that this is the Neutral rev limit, my anxiety is gone.

[LionX]

Originally Posted by methecupid

The best part about all the above? No burning smell even after 46! seconds

I have noticed the similar clutch burning smell in my Figo too and it does disappear in S mode. I have done some googling on the subject and it does appear to be a common issue with Ford DCT and reported worldwide.

Do you also experiencing shuddering while accelerating in stop-go traffic, may be in 1-2 gears?

I am planning to take mine to service center for further diagnosis.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by LionX

Do you also experiencing shuddering while accelerating in stop-go traffic, may be in 1-2 gears?

Different vehicle but same problem. I was driving a Ecosport AT with the same DCT box and noticed this shuddering at low speeds. Apparently it is a known issue with the DCT box.

[LionX]

Apparently Ford has replaced Gearbox control module in some cases.

[methecupid]

Originally Posted by LionX

I have done some googling on the subject and it does appear to be a common issue with Ford DCT and reported worldwide.

I am planning to take mine to service center for further diagnosis.

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Different vehicle but same problem. I was driving a Ecosport AT with the same DCT box and noticed this shuddering at low speeds. Apparently it is a known issue with the DCT box.

The shuddering isn't very pronounced if the car is taken off regularly, it's only when you suddenly floor it, will be start searching for the right gear to be put. But nothing disconcerting though. I am surprised to hear that occur on the EcoSport though, any known incidences reported over here?

Another thing that occurred to me was that the AC was off on my little trial run last week. All other times I encountered that burning smell was with the ACC on. Maybe I will do another test run this weekend. However, do keep us updated on what your service center opines.

[LionX]

Update 21/03/2017

I have given my car for service to diagnose 2 issues, car has done only 2300km.

1. The clutch burnt smell.
Ford acknowledge that there is a definite clutch slipping and shuddering and taken the car for further investigation. Apparently its a very common issue with Ecosport AT and the SA said Ford is working on a permanent solution. They have ordered the parts and will have to leave the car there for 5 days.

2. Foul smell from AC
The AC was emitting very bad smell for initial 2-3 minutes, asked the SA to check cabin filter and cooling coil for any defects.

[Content Reactor]

Hi methecupid,
I recently came across your superb write-up and it sparked my interest in the Figo. I've been in the market for an automatic and I did a TD of the Figo quite a few months ago. Three things held me back:
Lack of arm rest
A dead pedal
An effective reverse camera
These probably can be taken care of with aftermarket products. Wondering if you have addressed these in some way (DIY) or if you could live without them. Ive booked a Honda City and a Baleno. The revised pricing of the City will likely result in cancellation booking while the Baleno is expected to arrive only in June.

[methecupid]

Originally Posted by LionX

Update 21/03/2017

I have given my car for service to diagnose 2 issues, car has done only 2300km.

Hi, any updates on the transmission work?

Originally Posted by Content Reactor

Lack of arm rest
A dead pedal
An effective reverse camera
These probably can be taken care of with aftermarket products. Wondering if you have addressed these in some way (DIY) or if you could live without them. Ive booked a Honda City and a Baleno. The revised pricing of the City will likely result in cancellation booking while the Baleno is expected to arrive only in June.

Hi CR, glad to heat that you still have kept an open mind for this sleeper car. Especially when most of our friends here get a big 'O' listening to the words Honda and Maruti. Notwithstanding, I would have settled for the New Honda City - if money permitted; purely because it is from a segment above. For all other perks, the Baleno and Figo hold their ends of the deal pretty well.

Answering your questions, I haven't explored the arm rest at all. I have one in my other car, that I use extensively. But that car is a lot wider, and I drive in a position that allows me to rest my left elbow. In the Figo, I generally don't feel the need of an arm rest. I would have my hands 02:40; and just place them on my hips. Its not a bother. But if you strongly feel the need, I thought @CrazyToDrive did a good job with his DIY;
Link

Samarth (@samaspire)was also working on something - Link

As for the deal pedal, I feel there's enough space next to the brakes, and with my height, I end up placing my feet on the floor. Not that I say it is not required, its just something that my mind hasn't wandered to.

I have had an aftermarket rear camera from the 3rd day of purchase. I find it exceedingly useful, and have a combination of sonar and rear camera on my other car. I find a camera a lot more useful than the rear sensors; and can be had easily off the market. The ones sold by Ford is expensive, but the clarity is very good. Having said that, I would have thought of it as acceptable only if the mirrors they provide retained the auto-dimming functionality.

[pradkumar]

Hi,

My car is a Swift Dzire AT. I also have the AC bad smell for the initial 2-3 minutes. I had changed the evaporator coil under warranty. The smell went away for 3-4 months, but it is back again. Let me know your findings about the AC bad smell.

Thank you,

Pradeep

Originally Posted by LionX

Update 21/03/2017

I have given my car for service to diagnose 2 issues, car has done only 2300km.

2. Foul smell from AC
The AC was emitting very bad smell for initial 2-3 minutes, asked the SA to check cabin filter and cooling coil for any defects.