sirtanon

Just a comment regarding plugs, for what it's worth. Depending on driving habits, driving conditions, fuel, etc.. a good set of factory-installed iridium plugs can easily go FAR beyond 100,000 miles. The gap might have been bigger than spec, but odds are very good the spark was still plenty strong. I have seen a set go twice as many miles, and still provide good spark.. for what it's worth. Not making any suggestion.. just making the observation.

bbf is right on. You got caught once already. If you do what you're talking about, odds are good you'll get caught again if you end up needing work done under warranty. If I recall, adding an aftermarket tune is grounds for the warranty being voided. The fastest I've ever brought my Fusion up to, on the highway or otherwise, is about 85, but this was in an area where the posted speed limit is 75. ..and while bbf avoided saying it, I won't. Racing another vehicle on the highway, especially at the speeds you're talking about, is a great way to kill someone. Don't do it. Even if you don't kill yourself, you might end up killing someone else. What was it you were hoping to prove by racing that RSX anyways?

How is your coolant? With 105k miles on the car, I would think that if it still has the factory fill coolant, it would be due for a refresh.

I agree with eGuru - You need a more in-depth diagnostic from someone with proper Ford diagnostic equipment and training. Kat - the mechanic you took it to, who told you it was the turbo - Was this an independent shop, or was it a mechanic at a Ford dealership? Also - When you notice this sudden lack of power, is this a regularly repeatable behavior, or does it only happen sporadically? It sounds like this is something that only happens when you try to floor it after sitting for a few seconds. If you take the car somewhere out of the way, and try to recreate the issue, can you do this regularly, or does it happen sometimes but not others? One other question - Have you had any other issues recently, such as sudden drop in fuel economy, other repairs, different source of gasoline, etc..?

Well, the Ranger was out of production in NA for roughly 8 years.. so you never know. They could bring the Ute to NA

I've just been hoping they'd bring the Ford Falcon Ute over here to the states. Heck, call it Ranchero here. It will sell.

Keep in mind, esox07, that Ford actually specs TWO different Oil Change Intervals for this car, and 7,500 miles is one of them. For Ford vehicles 2008 and newer: "Standard duty" - 7,500 miles / OCI - Technically, they state "7,500 to 10,000 miles" "Severe duty" - 5,000 miles / OCI - Technically, they state "5,000 to 7,500" miles" For what it's worth, Ford even considers the typical driving I do in my Fusion to be "Severe duty", so take these terms with a grain of salt. My driving is about 90% highway driving, cruising between 70 and 75MPH for 40-50 miles at a time. Yes, some of it is during Phoenix summer (110+ degrees mid-date), but we're talking a max temp of maybe 120F, with lots of air going over the radiator.. much cooler than engine operating temp... and also, there is ZERO sub-freezing driving, which is harder on the engine and oil. Definitely not severe duty. Now, your profile says "Great Lakes", so I'm going to assume you see quite a bit of cold-weather driving, which definitely puts you more in the "severe duty" realm.. but realistically, with a full synthetic oil, you should be able to go past 5,000 miles, easy.

The spec'd filter for that engine is indeed the FL910s, and it is definitely a good filter with good filtration efficiency. I have used many of them, and even cut some open afterwards to examine the innards to see how they held up, and they've always been good. I have also run the 'oversized' version of that filter on my Fusion as well - the FL400s - many times, and again, it has performed admirably. The only potential downside I can see to using the FL400s is that it is an inch or so longer, and thus the tip sits just a bit lower than the FL910s does. I have not found it to be an issue, as it does not stick out past the sub-frame. There is, however, always the potential of something coming underneath the car and hitting the slightly longer filter... although I would say the odds of that are miniscule, since there are much lower parts underneath the car. Having said that, there are many other excellent oil filters out there which will work in place of the Motorcraft - Wix is one, although I have not used one myself. Besides Motorcraft, I have, so far, used Bosch, Federated, Supertech, and Fram Ultra filters. All have done well. The Fram Ultras are actually rated to 20,000 miles, so technically you could keep one of those on for two or three oil changes, if you really wanted, although I have never done so.

I see you have the 2.5 engine in yours, and while technically, it's a 'newer' revision of the 2.5, it's basically the same engine that I have in my 2010. I routinely change my oil at 7,500 mile intervals, and have, at times gone longer on synthetic. I know I did an 8,900 mile run on Pennzoil Platinum at least once. Using a standard Motorcraft FL910s or FL400s, and any decent synthetic blend, 7,500 miles should be a breeze... as long as you get the car out on the highway from time to time. FWIW - I've run 7,500 miles on straight up 'conventional' motor oil many times, with absolutely no issues. Then again, I put roughly 30,000 miles per year on the car, and about 90% of that is highway driving, which tends to be very easy on the engine and oil. How many miles would you say you drive per year, and what percentage of it is highway mileage? If you're changing at 5,000 miles, odds are good you're under-utilizing that oil in a big way, unless all your driving is short-trips.

many, if not most, have some kind of sticker on them showing the month and year they were manufactured. Might be worth a look. If it's older than 3 or 4 years, then it's probably on its way out, especially in a very cold climate, like the one you're in.

I can't say for certain, but I don't think the airbag dash light is related to the wrench light, unless it's some kind of wiring/circuit/computer fault. As far as the wrench light goes - for gen 1 Fusions (as well as the Gen 1.5 Fusions) the most commonly cited cause is the Electronic Throttle Body (ETB). There have been numerous TSBs related to them, and even a "Consumer Action" case involving them, which resulted in Ford extending coverage on them out to something like 150,000 miles. The ETB ages, and the circuitry inside starts to wear out and results in improper signal to the ECM, leading to the wrench light and limp mode. There are other things that can cause the wrench light, however. I, myself, actually experienced this a while back. A couple years back, I retrofitted some HID lights into my Fusion's low beam projectors, and went with an inexpensive HID setup which came with bulbs, ballasts, wiring, etc.. in one set. I even went with a 35w setup instead of 55w, since stock bulbs are 60w and I wanted to 'under-load' the circuit rather than over-load. They worked fine, but as the ballasts and bulbs aged (roughly 18 months later), the initial current draw went up (power spike required to feed the ballasts when first turning them on). So I would be driving on the highway, everything was fine, but if I turned on the headlights when it started getting dark, the car would almost immediately throw a wrench light and start running ridiculously poorly. At first, I didn't put 2-and-2 together - I thought it was the ETB, and even replaced mine - until about the third time it happened. Shortly thereafter, I pulled all the HID equipment and switched to LEDs, and the issue disappeared. Have you, by any chance, added any aftermarket items to the car or altered anything?

Call me crazy, but if it is just randomly stalling, and literally simply cutting out / shutting off in an instant, my gut say that the issue is electrical or computer related rather than mechanical, spark, or fuel related. Best have the dealership run a proper diagnostic.

Bangster - not sure if you're saying you use the outlet(s) to power/charge your devices or what, but something you might consider if USB power is the concern is something I bought a while back and totally love. It's one of these: You can't see it, but the cable is much longer, and actually coils inside the unit. Fits beautifully inside a center-console cup holder, too. LINK to purchase

Exactly. I actually like the fact that they put them in the center console.. This way, any potential thieves won't be able to see the USB stick while it's connected (which at this point is ALL THE TIME), and if I plug a phone or other device in to charge, I can stash it in the center console if I leave it plugged in when I get out of the car. Out of sight, out of mind. I have noticed that there are two.. notches.. in the center console, just under the cover, which appear to be there to allow cables to pass through. It would appear that whoever made the decision to put the USB connection and charge port in there, did so expecting people to connect with cables like you have. I call that thoughtful. I do agree though - the USB option is awesome. I was using CDs for the whole time I had the car, not knowing about the USB connection, until someone on here mentioned that it will work for USB sticks and told me how.. when I found out, I didn't think I'd use it that much, but it's what I use about 99% of the time now. I still keep an MP3 CD in the player, as a way to mix things up now and then, but I almost never use that. Sandisk Cruzer Fit. Get one and you'll thank me. Amazon has the 16GB model for only $6.49 with prime shipping. No more USB drive sticking out means no more damage.

Yeah, I put roughly 25,000 to 30,000 miles a year on this car, due to my daily work commute mostly, so they add up. I do, however, work very hard to keep it properly maintained, and I repair issues when they occur so they don't become major issues. Regarding your wheels - I believe there was a wheel package option that upgraded to the 18" wheels, so that may explain why you have 18's.. Are they Ford wheels, or some kind of aftermarket brand? I always liked the look of the black metal flake they used on these - it really pops nicely in the sun. Mine had a series of door dings, etc.. when I got it in 2014, but I found a really good PDR guy, and he was able to get them out pretty much perfectly. My paint is also in great condition overall, but considering the miles I drive and how things are in Phoenix, it's got quite a few little chips missing, mostly on the front/hood, and the front bumper has a fair bit of 'sandblasting'. I've been pretty lucky as far as the sound system goes, and so far, everything still works, including the CD and USB connection, but when it does start to go, I'll be replacing it with a 6-7" touchscreen system and doing some speaker upgrades, including an amp/sub combo. If your CD has failed, and if you generally use a lot of CD's, you might consider doing something similar. I've been looking at a few like this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XWJL4FP

Okay, cold is good. If you try to do it with the engine hot, you risk stripping the threads, but cold is fine. "warm" is relative, but I did mine about an hour or two after it was driven, which technically was still 'warm' so as long as it isn't "too warm" then you should be fine. When you say "Scotty" I assume you mean Scotty Kilmer. IMHO, nothing that man says should be applied to any modern vehicle. I use him strictly as entertainment, and I even use that term loosely. If you want a youtube channel that you can trust regarding your Ford vehicle, go with the one I linked above - FordTechMakuloco - He is actually a Ford certified mechanic, and was for some time a mechanic FOR Ford, until he left to start his own shop. The guy knows what he's doing. As far as I know, there is no 'torque spec' for REMOVING plugs.. so I am honestly not sure what to say. However, as you mention, this car is essential, and you're not ready to tackle the gasket, so I'd take it to a shop. It is almost a certainty that they will remove the plugs as part of the process of doing the gasket anyways, so just let them do the whole thing. Just bring them the plugs so they use the Motorcraft ones, and not some other brand. SP530 plugs are what you want - they're very good, and the right ones for that engine. As for the gasket, and the fact that they're only leaking 'on the inside' - that makes perfect sense, since the 'valve cover gasket' is actually a collection of gaskets that all come together as one stock #. See the image below. There's a large gasket that goes around the outer perimeter, and then 3 more that isolate the plug wells. They are the same ones that went on my car, but since they will all almost certainly be the same age, and the inner ones are failing, the outside gasket is likely also close to failure, so they all need to be replaced together. Luckily, the gaskets themselves are not expensive (around $15 for the set).

That is definitely unusually low mileage. What kind of traffic/driving do you do? Mostly highway? City? Rush-hour? Also, since you bought the car, have you checked the air filter? How is the gas quality where you live? Your profile says you live in "North Africa" - is that correct? BTW, for reference, the US Government fuel economy statistics for a 2011 Fusion Sport lists:

Mine has a similar vibration at a stop, when left in Drive, and I frequently put it into neutral when I'm stopped to smooth it out. It is definitely the motor mounts, as they do wear out, and the Fusion is not the only car that has this kind of issue. There are three mounts in there - one is the 'motor mount', one is actually a 'trans mount', and the third is called a 'torque-strut mount' AKA the 'dogbone' mount - and it is my understanding that the one that typically is to blame for this vibration is the trans mount and/or dogbone. Realistically, if one is starting to go, then odds are good they're all wearing out, and should, at the very least, be inspected. FWIW - the dogbone mount is SUPER easy to get to and replace. See this video:

COP stands for 'Coil on Plug' - these are the devices attached to the rubber boots on the plugs.. Whereas older cars used a single coil pack which just had wires leading to the plugs, more modern cars - the Fusion included - use individual coils attached directly to the boots/plugs - one for each cylinder. The oil will likely not 'ruin' the boots, but it certainly won't be good for them, and you don't want it pooling in there because it will gradually burn/smoke. The oil is there because your valve cover gasket(s) are aging and starting to leak. I had the same issue on my 2010 Fusion, and replacing the valve cover gaskets is the solution. It's pretty easy, overall, if you're comfortable doing it. Because you're not entirely sure what to do with the plugs, I'm going to say that perhaps doing the valve cover gaskets, at least at this point, might not be something you'll want to do yourself, although frankly, it's not hard... just .. involved. As to the plugs... Were you trying to remove them with the engine hot or cold? They should never get "hard" to remove, but some slight increase in resistance is normal, since you'll potentially have some contamination in the lowest threads on the plug. You should never have to "force" them. Also, what plugs have you purchased to put in as replacements? Finally, watch this video. Brian really knows his stuff and provides some excellent info and tips.

I've heard this.. but for me at least, doing this is too much work, and definitely WAY too much waste product. Having done UOA's on my previous two trans drains, and seeing the numbers improve as they did, I'm happy with a single D&F @ 30,000 miles. That's me, though.

My 2010 Fusion specs 225/50r17 tires for my 17" rims. I have had a set of 215/55r17 tires on it for nearly 3 years, installed new in April of 2016. No issues to speak of. Bangster mentioned that the overall width is going to be different, as well as the height, but the numbers are actually negligible, and the tire size is considered a valid replacement on the gen 1.5 fusions, so I would expect it would work on even the 2006-2009's as well. Keep in mind, 225 / 215 are the width in millimeters, so 225 is 8.86 inches, and 215 is 8.46 inches.. less than 1/2 an inch difference. Height wise, the slight decrease in width is compensated with a slightly higher ratio, so the overall radius is actually less than 1/4 inch greater, and the rolling circumference is only 1.75% greater FWIW - Both Tire Rack and Discount Tire list 215/55r17 as an approved alternate size tire.

As drolds1 mentioned, it does definitely darken over even a 30,000 mile period. However, as you mentioned, even after the change, it still looks dark. I would chalk that up to the old stuff being EXTREMELY bad - It was, after all, left in for the entire ~100,000 miles - and the new stuff only being able to lighten it by so much.. not enough to really look 'normal'. Subsequent changes at 30,000 mile intervals will absolutely look better. Think of it this way, even with the change, the "average age" of the fluid in the trans is still at approximately 50,000 miles (1/2 is 100,000 miles old, and 1/2 is 0 miles).. but if the next change is done in exactly 30,000 miles, then before the change, the "average age" will be 80,000 miles, and afterwards, only 40,000 miles. I have noticed this trend on my Fusion. I bought it used, and the fluid had a lot of miles on it.. the first drain and fill, the fluid came out DARK, the next one (~25,000 miles later) was dark, but not as dark, and then the next one after that (~21,000 miles - pulled the trigger a bit early to add some Lubegard Red) had darkened, but was still substantially lighter than previous drains. Used Oil Analysis for those drains also reflected better numbers in terms of contaminants. Let's run the numbers.. 100,000 drain - average age = 100,000 miles before draining, 50,000 miles after refill 130,000 drain - average age = 80,000 miles before draining, 40,000 miles after refill 160,000 drain - average age = 70,000 miles before, 35,000 miles after 190,000 drain - average age = 65,000 miles before, 32,500 miles after 220,000 drain - average age = 62,500 miles before, 31,250 miles after ... eventually, the average age will work out to 60,000 miles before, and 30,000 miles after. The same would hold true if the first drain was done at 150,000 miles.. it would just take a little longer to reach the 60/30 numbers... but not as long as you might think. The big thing is, getting a large portion of that 100,000 mile fluid out and refreshing it with new stuff.

I could be wrong, but I think the 8" screen unit uses a different connection, and could even require a different control module than the ones with the 4" screen. Others can correct me.

One other question I did not consider, and drolds did not ask above... - Have you done, or had done, any work/modifications to the car's suspension or braking systems, or are you running any kind of wheels spacers, etc..? ... As Drolds mentions, 4 full sets of tires in 72,000 miles is incredibly excessive. A good set of tires should easily last 40,000 with normal road conditions and driving behavior. Heck, the Cooper RS3-A tires on my Fusion are now up to 55,000 miles on the same set, and still have between 4/32 and 5/32" of tread left on all of them.

Mr. Fusion, the 3.0 Duratec engine from the '01 era is a very different beast compared to the 3.0 installed in the 2006 - 2012 Fusions. For example, the 3.0 used in the Fusions utilizes VVT, whereas the 3.0 available in 2001 did not. Realistically, the 3.0 available in the Fusion does not have much, if anything, available aftermarket to up the power output, and what is available does not add a ton more. Additionally, upping the power by any appreciable amount is going to start stressing the 6F35 beyond what it should be handling, and will definitely shorten its life. There's a reason the sport has the 3.5 with the Aisin, and not a beefed-up version of the 3.0..