P090C code on my 2013 Focus... anyone dealt with this?

So I got a P090C code on my 2013 Ford Focus a few days ago. It’s been acting weird—won’t go into reverse sometimes and shifts really hard in 2nd, 4th, and 6th gear. If I turn it off and let it sit, reverse works again, but IDK what’s really going on. Any ideas?

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Yeah, that code has to do with the clutch actuator circuit. It’s usually about low voltage, which messes with the shifting. I’d check the wiring and connectors first. Maybe the actuator or TCM needs a look too.

Jonathan said:
Yeah, that code has to do with the clutch actuator circuit. It’s usually about low voltage, which messes with the shifting. I’d check the wiring and connectors first. Maybe the actuator or TCM needs a look too.

That makes sense. I’ve been having those exact shifting issues. Thanks, I’ll start with the wiring check!

Could it be a bad ground wire though? Sometimes grounding issues cause random voltage problems.

Jesse said:
Could it be a bad ground wire though? Sometimes grounding issues cause random voltage problems.

Yeah, totally possible! Dirty ground wires can mess with voltage and trigger all kinds of codes like this one.

Jesse said:
Could it be a bad ground wire though? Sometimes grounding issues cause random voltage problems.

Appreciate it! I’ll check that out too. Never thought a ground wire could be the issue.

What’s TCM mean? I keep seeing that mentioned but IDK what it is.

BrianCopland said:
What’s TCM mean? I keep seeing that mentioned but IDK what it is.

Oh, TCM = Transmission Control Module. It controls the shifting. If it’s faulty, it can cause issues like the ones you’re having.

BrianCopland said:
What’s TCM mean? I keep seeing that mentioned but IDK what it is.

Got it, thanks! Makes sense now.

Had a similar issue. For me, cleaning the connectors actually did the trick. Might save you some money if it’s just a loose or corroded connection.

FordingTon said:
Had a similar issue. For me, cleaning the connectors actually did the trick. Might save you some money if it’s just a loose or corroded connection.

Thanks for the tip! I’ll give the connectors a good cleaning before spending on new parts.

If you’re doing the wiring check, might as well test the battery voltage too. Low battery can sometimes cause random codes to pop up.

JosephDavis said:
If you’re doing the wiring check, might as well test the battery voltage too. Low battery can sometimes cause random codes to pop up.

Good call. I haven’t checked the battery yet, but I will now!

JosephDavis said:
If you’re doing the wiring check, might as well test the battery voltage too. Low battery can sometimes cause random codes to pop up.

Yeah, batteries can be sneaky like that. I’ve seen weird stuff happen just because of a weak battery.