isritter

So, the question of the day is do you buy ceramic, metallic or organic pads?

Interested in everyone's opinion on the best type of brake pads to install (Semi, Non, Ceramic, etc...) as well as which brand is best. '06 Fusion V6

Awesome, thanks!

I was under the impression that the early warning tab would screech when the brakes were pressed. My FL wheel chirps when the car is in motion and stops chirping when the brakes are pressed. I "think" it might be the wheel bearing but I'm wondering what others thing who are maybe a little more polished than I. I haven't checked the brake pads though and I'm sure they need replacing as well.

Hey all, 2006 SE V6 driver here. When my car is in motion, the front left (I think) wheel makes a chirping noise. When the brake is pressed, the noise goes away. This is contrary to what I've read about braking issues but I wonder if I might have a wheel bearing that's going out??? Any thoughts?

It took me a little while but I did a few additional things that weren't noted on here. There's two bundles of wires, one on the front that runs the plug wires to the front spark plugs and one on the rear, passenger side that holds the electrical connector mentioned above. Both are secured in place by plastic clips. I broke those clips which gave me much greater access to the plugs on the back side. In addition, I did not have to remove the air filter but I unbuckled the box where the filter goes in order to give me more room to pull. Once I did these two things, the complete manifold practically raised up to allow access to the rear plugs. Also, I found it easier to work from the passenger side. Different strokes I suppose. When I put them back together, I used black electrical tape to reattach the wire bundles to the plastic clips. The next time I do this, it will go much faster.

Dumb question, but is there a sequence that the plugs should be changed in? I would presume "no" since no one else has made mention of it.

So here's (hopefully) the final question. The hose I'm replacing is Part Number YF3219, the rubber hose that runs from the condenser to the compressor. The repair center filled the system up with R134 and when I picked it up, it blew some C-O-L-D air, it was nice to have it back. Since it's still leaking, I need to fix that hose. Is there anything that I need to do prior to removing the leaky hose and reinstalling the other one since they recharged the system. Should I wait for the AC to start blowing hot again (knowing that the refrigerant has leaked out) or can I remove / replace the hose okay? Once I replace the hose, I'm going to take it to an HVAC specialist for a vacuum and recharge. Does this sound correct?

Yes, they want $300 for P & L on the hose alone, he was "doing me a favor" by not charging me for the vacuum and recharge. In all honesty, the problem that I have with forking out another $300 with this guy is the fact that THIS was a) either the problem with my system in the first place and the issue was misdiagnosed or something that was done ex post facto by one of their technicians when putting the system back together. I tried to explain to him that it blew cold(er) after I took it home, just not very cold, and eventually it was just blowing hot again. I'm convinced it's because of that leak. If I was going to have to shell out another $150 for the hose, I was willing to do that as a compromise. I felt like they, at the very least, should have been willing to install and vacuum it at no cost since it had to be their mistake to begin with. I'm not even sure if my compressor was actually out the first time. The car is still doing the same thing now that it was doing when my old compressor was in it. If installing the hose isn't difficult, I can do that and then take the vehicle to an HVAC place for a vacuum and recharge. Any pointers on the hose install are much appreciated.

Just got a call back from the shop that did the initial repair and he told me I have a leak in the high port hose. Want $300 to repair the hose. We went back and forth as I told him that the A/C hasn't worked since I got it and if it was leaking, they should have detected it back then. Of course, I didn't take it back in "immediately" thus, the conversation fell on deaf ears. Any idea how difficult replacing the hose is and if it must be handled by an HVAC repair center? What to do?

Not a mechanic by any stretch but I'm pretty sure that if there's a low or zero amount of refrigerant in the system, the clutch will not engage and the compressor will not kick on as a means of protecting the compressor. Anyone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. The only reason I was asking that question is because a test on the low-side port tells me that I have a sufficient amount of refrigerant but the clutch still does not engage. I've also heard that if there's too much refrigerant (i.e. overcharge), the compressor will not fire up. I could be wrong though.

Thanks and thanks to the both of you for replies. I returned to the mechanic today and they're willing to "take a look at it tomorrow" so hopefully they're willing to make right on the deal. In the meantime, I fired it up this evening to see what was going on under the hood. When the car is on, with all settings turned off, the belt turns the pulley on the compressor. When I turn defrost on, there is no "click." When I turn the A/C on, there is no "click." I'll take it to the mechanic to see what they diagnose and possibly run the vent test afterwards to see what happens. Not sure if this is of note or if this is a symptom of a deeper problem, but the radiator fan does not kick on either. A few other questions. 1) Would an issue with the programmer or door actuator show up on an OBD scan or would the car give me an error on the instrument cluster? 2) What is the likelihood that, although the low port shows that there is sufficient R134 in the system, there isn't enough refrigerant in there? Thanks again for the replies. At this point, I'm pretty sure any repairs are beyond my expertise but I'd just like to know.

No takers?

Alright... so let me walk you guys through my troubles. My A/C stopped working a few years ago in my '06 Fusion SE. Determined to not have to go through a blistering summer, I paid someone almost $1,100 to fix the problem. He said it was the air compressor and that the dealership would not sell individual parts, that he had to purchase the clutch, coil and compressor all together - which ran around $500 - parts alone. When I got the car back, it cooled better but not to the point that it had before things went south. My wife swears that it never got any better. I called the mechanic and they said they'd "take a look at it" but I needed to bring in my paperwork. I cannot find my paperwork, only a bank statement that shows I paid them $1,100. So, I've checked a few other things. I did a pressure test on the low port and it has sufficient refrigerant. Because of this, I figured it might be the ambient temperature sensor as I know that this is a known issue in a lot of Fusion's so I spent the past two evenings as well as this morning disassembling the dash, replacing the sensor and putting the car back together. After replacing the sensor, it still does not blow cold air. When I look down at the compressor, the belt is moving but it doesn't seem like the compressor is spinning - shouldn't it be? What else to do? Any light you guys can shed is much appreciated. Signed, Confused, Frustrated and not looking forward to the summer!

Any ideas on how to disable the airbag? Is it just a matter of disconnecting the negative on the battery or is there more to it?