Rubbing Noise

[1944screen]

I have a 2012 focus auto.When I first use it there is a rubbing noise,from the front end.The more I drive the car it gets less and less,then goes until I use the car again.All the brake parts have been replaced.Any ideas?
Thanks Mick.

[Hymie]

Could be many things, get a garage that won’t charge you to diagnose the issue to look at the car.

Having owned a couple of automatics, it might be connected with the auto gearbox. When the gearbox fluid is cold, the gear changes occur at higher engine revs – after about 5 minutes (with warmer well-mixed fluid) things settle down.

It could be that the auto gear fluid needs changing (or is low), besides checking the level, the fluid should have a consistency similar to engine oil but with a slight red tinge. Normally the short fluid level check dip-stick is marked with engine hot and cold fill levels.

[bhg481]

Don't let Hymie worry you, 1944. Auto gearboxes are programmed to change gear differently when the engine is cold to help with both the warming-up process and the lack of power on a cold engine. Also few auto boxes require a fluid change unless the gearbox has been severely overheated and the fluid damaged.
If your gearbox has a dipstick (not all do), read the handbook on how to check the fluid level - usually the engine needs to be running, unlike when checking the engine oil.

[1944screen]

I have checked the gearbox issue with a Ford,and the gearbox on these models is sealed for life.

[donny48]

Power steering problem ?

[bhg481]

You say the noise goes until you use the car again. Do you mean for the return journey ie, when the car has been left for an hour or so, or after a few days? If you leave your car outdoors the brake discs get a thin film of rust after a day or so, particularly in damp weather, which is easily rubbed off when you first brake. Could this be the noise you are hearing?

[Hymie]

Because a component is sealed for life (and is a non-serviceable part) does not mean that it will not fail; the advantages for the manufacturer is should the part fail you need to buy a new unit from them.

A common failure on all wheel drive Mini’s is the transfer box, which is sealed for life. BMW does not even supply the component parts to allow the unit to be refurbished. A good money-spinner for BMW as a replacement part costs £1,800.

The symptoms you describe suggest that there is some warming/running effect, after which the noise disappears. Although bhg481 states that auto gear-boxes are programmed to change gear differently when cold – this does not apply to the Jeep or Mini that I have owned. I recently mentioned this to a colleague who drives an auto Jag and he confirmed that he sees this effect, and uses the paddle shifts to change up before the engine reaches operating temperature.

[bhg481]

Hymie - the gearbox info came from the handbook of a Vauxhall Omega I owned several years ago - they warned you that it would happen and was not a fault. I will agree that all auto may not operate in the same way.
Incidentally, does the Focus have the powershift box that some Fords have? That may be relevant as some people drop the "F" from "PowershiFt".

[mjwman]

Could be a simple as a dusting of rust on the brake disks. My car does this after a damp night. It rubs off in use.