sirtanon

Yeah, it's indeed up for sale, although I'm constantly having second thoughts about it. I REALLY want/wanted to get it to that 484,000 mile goal. As far as yours go - From your posts on here, I can tell you take good care of your Fusions, so I'm sure you'll get there... barring some unfortunate mishap.

No need to apologize about asking a question - it's just the scope of the question. Is it possible? Yes. The behavior you're speaking of is actually very reminiscent of what is experienced with the known Electronic Throttle Body fault.. feels like virtually no power, especially on the highway, but otherwise idles fine. The ETB fault will exhibit a "wrench light" on the dash, result in low power, etc.. just like if the engine was two cylinders down, and after the car is shut off and left off for some time, will clear on its own and run just fine. If I'm not mistaken, the same kind of behavior can occur with a "Transmission Output Speed Sensor" fault, which would be a P0720 code.. and can occur if the transmission fluid is low. If he ran the vehicle as low on oil as you say, is it possible it was also run low on transmission fluid? Also, I suspect if the battery was going, it may potentially even have induced a 'false positive' alert in the ECU, which could have put it into limp mode - basically the same thing that happens when a 'wrench light' pops. Any of these could have caused the poor running behavior you refer to, and all can potentially clear on their own, either after being corrected (fluid filled, battery replaced), or after some time passes (as with the ETB issue. So yeah, definitely possible. Hope that helps.

As TheFixer mentioned, this sounds like a failing/faulty CHT. Have a look at this video:

If you've ever done an engine oil change on just about any vehicle, then you can definitely do this alone. Just take your time, be thorough, and make sure you put in the same amount of fluid you drained out (roughly a gallon).

You don't really need a bleeder valve if you do as he instructs in the video. The process essentially cycles most/all of the air out by virtue of consistent high flow. The guy in the video knows what he's doing.

So you're saying that, while the engine is running, the temperature is right where it's supposed to be, but after some driving, after you've shut the engine off, with the engine no longer running, the temperatures go much higher? If this is the case, go back and read my previous post from October 29. What you're describing is called "heat soak" and it's normal. With the engine running, the coolant continues to circulate and remove heat from the block/head, but after you shut the engine off, the coolant stops circulating, and so it will soak up as much heat as it can until it comes to equilibrium with the metal. I've observed the exact phenomenon dozens of times in my Fusion. I'll be driving in summer, with the A/C on, temps between 201 and 206F, and pull off the highway, pull in to the gas station parking lot and shut off the car. After I've either filled up on gas or grabbed a drink, I'll start the car back up, and the gauge will read substantially higher - as high as 243F on multiple occasions. With the engine running, however, with the coolant circulating again, the temperatures quickly drop back down to the 195-205 range... within just a few seconds. ... does this describe what you're seeing?

What year Taurus are we talking about? Depending on the year, the bolt pattern, and even offset, may be different.

A P219A code means "Bank 1 Air/Fuel Ratio Imbalance" What is a P219A code? - OBDCodes.com "Causes for this can include: Engine vacuum leak (large) Defective oxygen sensor/s Burnt, chafed, broken, or disconnected wiring and/or connectors Engine exhaust leaks A faulty mass air flow or manifold air pressure sensor Bad fuel pump or clogged fuel filter" While the cause MAY be something minor, it can actually lead to much more serious problems if left unfixed. If your Fusion is still under warranty, I'd get it into the closest dealer ASAP to get it looked at. If it's not under warranty, I'd still get it looked at...

The Electronic Throttle Body (ETB) on these engines is a known problem child, with multiple notices, at least one TSB, and an extended warranty in place from Ford. It is known to cause the symptoms you've mentioned. It's also an easy fix. I did mine in about 30 minutes in my driveway. Bought the replacement ETB off of Amazon for less than $60. I have to wonder, when they replaced your engine, if they also replaced the ETB, or just moved it over from your old engine to the 'new' one, since it's not part of the block, AFAIK.

As far as I know, there's only one temp sensor in the 2.5L engine - the CHT or Cylinder Head Temp sensor, and that's at the top of the engine, in the center of the valve cover. I have no idea what that is that you're showing pictures of, but it appears to be something added aftermarket.

155k miles is really child's play for the average Fusion, IMHO. My 2010 has over 273,000 miles, and handles my daily commute of 110 miles round trip with ease. Granted, your '08 with the v6 is a different beast than my '10 with the 2.5 L4 engine, but still close enough for comparison, I think. The difference here is that you've got a much newer car that gets far better fuel economy than your Fusion, and your Fusion still has some issues. I would imagine the V6 in the Fusion does have more pep in it than the Civic, but personally, I would be straightening out those converter issues before I did anything else with it. Can you get that fixed without spending a ton of money on it? If so, then I'd say it's worth keeping. My Fusion has the occasional issue, but most of what I've had to do to it has been standard maintenance. I had to have an exhaust valve replaced a little over 2 years (and 60,000 miles) ago, to the tune of about $1600, but aside from that, my expenses related to the car have been only a few hundred dollars in maintenance parts - strut kits, brake rotors and pads, filters, plugs - and fluids. Now, I am starting to get an intermittent misfire on cylinder 2, but based on what is happening, and the fact that they're still the factory originals, I suspect I've got a failing injector on that cylinder. I intend to replace the set within the coming weeks. ...when you get to the kinds of miles that this car has on it, most of the remaining maintenance/serviceable parts start to show their age. I was shocked when I replaced my plugs back in early 2017, at 215,000 miles, that they were still the factory original plugs. The front suspension is still the factory original struts and springs, too, and it's definitely due for replacement, which is why I purchased the strut kit. If you do plan to keep the car, make sure you play close attention to the maintenance, and.. listen.. to it. I get regular analysis done on the used motor oil that I drain from my engine, to track wear metals, etc.. If I see a noticeable change in the results, that tells me something is amiss and needs attention. It another $25-30 per test, but IMHO worth it. Your mileage may vary. Bottom line, if you like the car, and the required service is something you're comfortable footing the bill for, then I'd say keep the car. To me, it also really depends on how much you expect to drive it vs. the extra space it will take in your garage/driveway, as well as the added insurance expense.

Agreed on the trans fluid. There is no reservoir outside of the transmission. Plus, even if there were, it would not be pink - it would be a deep red darkening to purple/brown as it aged. As far as antifreeze/coolant goes - I would normally agree on the color, but only IF it were the factory fill. If someone had decided to do a flush and filled with the wrong fluid, it could be all sorts of different colors, one of which could actually be pink if someone had put in the Mopar equivalent of Ford orange. Washer fluid is also definitely another possibility, but I don't know if I've ever seen pink washer fluid.. The diagram picture shown above is a good way to differentiate.

In the 2010-2012 Fusions, the front wheel bearings are press-in.. Are you saying you removed and pressed-in a new bearing? If you didn't, then I'd say you likely replaced something besides the bearing.. Just making sure we're on the same page.

The most important thing you can do is make sure that whatever oil you pick has the API SN+ rating, and matches the viscosity specified in your owner's manual, which I believe is 5w-20. SN+ is the new designation specified for modern turbo engines, like the EcoBoost 2.0 in your car. Also, as Bangster mentioned, full synthetic is not necessary, although it sure won't hurt anything. I'd start by looking at Motorcraft, and barring that, Pennzoil. Honestly though, ANY SN+ rated oil you can find at WalMart will do, even SuperTech, which is fine oil.

Totally unnecessary, and could potentially introduce a new point of failure. Just do a standard drain-and-fill using the drain plug in the transmission every 30,000 miles and don't overthink it.

With the recent inclement weather we've been getting in Phoenix over the past month, plus my work schedule and weekend family schedule, I've been putting off giving Scarlett a wash.. but this past weekend, I finally got to it. Treated her to a light wax job as well, and even shined up the tires a bit (although I did the tires after I took this pic). The cats helped too.

Any shop that tries to tell you something is wrong with the trans, tells you it will be expensive, but can't or won't give you anything specific is, at the very least, sketchy in my book. I'd go elsewhere. Regarding the codes, and the fact that they have not returned in the 2 weeks since, I'd say that they could have been false positives, or just one-offs. Keep in mind, if the shop did suspension work, depending on what they messed with, they could have unplugged a connector or even jostled something loose while moving parts around, which could have caused these to trigger the one time.

Well good luck getting it done quickly. I've been waiting nearly a year since I got my initial notice.

Thanks for that info, bangster. I am not 100% familiar with the engine/trans options for the Titanium. I figured it was probably the 6F35, but it's good to get confirmation. Definitely means go with a 30k fluid drain&fill schedule.

It's excellent peace-of-mind, as well as just good practice, to do a basic drain & fill on these transmissions every 30k miles, give or take. What engine/trans combo do you have in your Fusion? I do mine every 30k, and depending on my overall schedule, sometimes as often as 25k. Costs less than $40 and keeps the trans from getting gunked up. My Fusion still has the original trans at 270,000 miles, and it still shifts super cleanly with no issues.

If you're just bringing the car to the dealer for recall work, then odds are good that most of those negative reviews will have absolutely no bearing on your experience. Yes, you might get a salesman or two who come up to ask if you are interested in buying, or selling, but if you just tell them that you're strictly here for service work and that you just bought the car and have no interest in buying or selling, they'll leave you alone. Keep in mind, also, that virtually EVERY dealership has some kind of arrangement with corporate requiring customer feedback/reviews. I used to be a salesman at a Ford dealer many years ago, and EVERY customer got sent a review letter or packet. The feedback has a potentially major impact on the dealership's bottom line and relationship with corporate, so it's a definitely must on their part. Without it, corporate will shaft them. Learning to deal with pushy dealership salespeople is a skill I think everyone should learn, so I'd say pick one that's close to you and go set some boundaries with them. Since you're dealing with recall work, you'll want a dealership that is close so you can go back to them easily if there's an issue.

Less than 30k miles on a 2012? That's unreal! Seems you've found yourself a nice car there. Got any good pics? As far as repairs, etc.. I have found that the Fusions are, overall, pretty reliable and inexpensive to keep running. The key, as with most cars, is regular maintenance. You mentioned 200,000 miles - It's my overall impression that the 2010-2012 Fusions, overall, are absolutely good for 200,000 miles, and well beyond. My own 2010 is over 270,000 miles now, and still going great. Your plan sounds like a good one - Saving up your own cash reserve is overall the way to go.

Here's a pic of the ceramic part of the same plug. I can't find one showing the very top at the moment, but it has the dot of teal paint that the factory ones get.

No, it was not an excuse for the 'lame performance' - The 2.5 is not a powerhouse, and was never designed to be... and wow, man. What a thing to say. As I mentioned, I was not suggesting that you do this - I was simply sharing an observation, which in my case, was based off of personal experience. Granted, my experience was with my 2.5, and I was not aware that the 3.5's did not come with the same plugs.. I believe I've mentioned this on here before, but I will share it again in this thread since I brought it up. The original factory-installed plugs in my Fusion were in the engine for 215,000 miles. I replaced them myself in May of 2016. I even brought them into the local Ford dealer to verify they were the factory-installed plugs, since they still looked incredible for that many miles. They verified they were the original plugs. Here's a pic of the electrode end of one of them: The gap was a bit bigger than spec, but didn't seem to be causing issues. In fact, after I replaced the plugs, fuel economy barely changed, and the change I measured could just as easily have been statistical 'noise'. In my experience, these plugs could have actually gone longer and still been fine. Not saying I should have, and since they're not expensive, new plugs were the way to go in the long run. The power output did not seem to change any appreciable amount either. Again, just my experience with these plugs. Not saying everyone should do this, and in all honesty, 215,000 miles on a set of plugs is enough, but it just goes to show how robust a set of iridium plugs can be. .. in the case of your plugs, Bangster, I'd definitely agree that they were in need of replacement. Both the center electrode and the ground strap on all of those appear to be shot. I'm surprised they don't use Iridium plugs in the 3.5.

Those look really nice, and they seem to fit very well. Personally, I'm happy with the stock mats in my Fusion, but then again, I live in Phoenix, where rain is extremely rare, and snow is virtually non-existent, so stock mats work fine. I just take them out and give them a thorough scrub and hose-down rinse once a year, and then leave them to dry in the sun for 30 minutes.