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Greetings, esteemed acquaintances,

Yesterday, my Ford Fusion with a semi-automatic gearbox failed to start and the brake pedal was very rigid. The dashboard displayed a message indicating a "transmission malfunction." I used significant effort to depress the brake pedal and started the vehicle's operation. However, this morning the same issue occurred once more: the vehicle failed to start and the brake pedal exhibited significant resistance, with the dashboard displaying a "transmission malfunction" warning. I made many attempts to initiate the car's ignition by firmly applying pressure to the brake pedal, nevertheless the vehicle failed to start.

During lunchtime, I made another attempt by applying significant pressure to the brake pedal, which resulted in the successful start and normal functioning of the vehicle.

It seems that the same event will occur tomorrow once again... Do you have any comments or opinions on this matter? Is it necessary to replace the brake pedal? Is the gearbox system experiencing any issues? The Ford semi-automatic Durashift gearbox technology is well recognised for its many faults.

Thank you.

Does the brake pedal experience a decrease in height after the engine is turned on?

The pedal will exhibit increased resistance without any vacuum support from the servo. However, there ought to be residual servo assistance available even when the engine is turned off.

I hypothesise that the engine will fail to start due to insufficient pedal depression to activate the brake switch, rather than being caused by a malfunction in the gearbox.

Upon engine activation, the brake pedal functioned in a typical manner, exhibiting a soft, rather than rigid, response and requiring little effort to depress. After the automobile had been running for 5 minutes, I switched off the engine. After a 10-minute wait, I started the vehicle without any issues and the brake pedal is not rigid. I shall attempt this evening to see the outcome.

It seemed to me that there were some factors leading to a firm brake pedal, which subsequently prevented the vehicle from starting. However, I am uncertain about the underlying cause of the pedal becoming rigid after the automobile has been inactive for a period of time. Previously, the problem of a firm pedal did not exist.

Thank you once again for your insightful remarks.

If the stiffness recurs after a few hours of inactivity, it is likely due to an air leak in either the servo or the vacuum line connected to it.

Verify the voltage of the battery to diagnose the "transmission fault" notice.

As Tom suggests, inspect the servo for any leaks or potential failure of the one-way valve in the servo feed line.

Here is a current status report on the matter:

As anticipated, the vehicle failed to start this morning and the dashboard displayed a "transmission malfunction" message. Interestingly, the brake pedal did not feel rigid.

The scanning results from Forscan are shown below. Do you have any more remarks on this matter? Thank you.

Oh, my. It seems that there may be a problem with either the TCM (Transmission Control Module) or the wiring. However, the first two codes mentioned are outdated and are not the ones causing the issue of the vehicle not starting.

The existing code pertains to the PATS (immobiliser) system. Do you own an other key that you may try using only to exclude the possibility of a malfunctioning fob chip? If the situation remains unchanged even with a spare key, the problem might perhaps lie in the pickup mechanism around the key barrel, the dashboard cluster, the Powertrain Control Module (PCM), or the wiring.

Attempted to use the spare key, but, had the same issue: the vehicle could not start.

When the keys are in the 'Ignition on' position and there are no errors shown on the dashboard, proceed to push the keys further to start the engine. After receiving no answer, the dashboard promptly displays a "transmission malfunction" message, resembling a sudden loss of power.

The voltage of the automobile battery was determined to be 12.16 volts.

Additionally, there is a faint beeping sound emanating from the fuse board situated under the storage box on the passenger side. It is uncertain if this is indicative of a problem.

Thank you for pointing up the problem with the pickup near the key barrel, dash cluster, PCM, or wiring. I shall do a search to see whether I am able to inspect the stated things independently. whether I am unable to do so, I will call the garage to arrange for the automobile to be transported to the workshop.

Thank you.

This is for water infiltration damage.

Inspect the clutch arm position sensor located on the gearbox.