HoneyDutch

UPDATE - The problem is gone. I replaced both the idler pulley and belt tensioner, along with a new belt. It drives much better and no grinding noise / burning smell.

I've been reading a lot of threads of people having that issue, so I am going to start there. Do you recommend purchasing a stronger bolt and should I tap new threads?

Hey all, I am getting this strange grinding noise and "burning" coming from the front right side of the vehicle. It only happens around 1000-1500 RPM's, with the A/C on, coming from a complete stop or driving really slow in that range. It will not happen when the car is parked or if the A/C is off. When I look under the hood, I can't replicate the sound or smell... and it looks like there may be a little crud on the ends of the pulleys, but I can't say for certain what it is. The A/C blows very cold and I don't hear any noises from the compressor. The transmission fluid is not low, but it is a little dark. It's never been flushed, but the Fusion shifts good. It's just the grinding noise and weird smell at acceleration while the A/C is on. I can't figure out what it is, has anyone else had this issue? If so, what was the problem? Thanks in advance. It is a 2007 Fusion 2.3l SE, automatic transmission, 62000 miles

I came across this thread while trying to troubleshoot a small grinding noise I hear. It ONLY happens in drive, around 1000-1500 RPM's with the A/C turned on, mainly accelerating from a stop. I feel like this is an issue with the idler pulley getting harder to spin, which will cause a lot of tension on the whole pulley system. Then, when a pulley snaps, you have threading issues putting a new one on... so the new pulley doesn't sit as tight and put as it should. I'm going to fix the idler pulley and see if that fixes the problem, but I suspect this simple $30 part can cause a mess of headaches like you all are experiencing

UPDATE - after some more looking around and driving, I've found the "grinding" sound I'm hearing is related to something with the pulley system. It only happens when I drive from a stop with the A/C on. Then there is a slight "burning" smell when I'm stopped or first start kick on the compressor. Theres no suspension issues and I wouldn't be surprised if it were related to the compressor, idler, or tensioner pulleys. I've read a lot about the idler bolt breaking, so I may go from there since I can do that work for cheap and prevent a costly breakdown. For now, I just use the A/C sparingly (in Florida, its a must) just in case. Anyone have or heard of this issue?

Oops, it sounds a lot worse than it seems. When I say scratch, I literally mean a scratch. The wobble is very very faint, almost nonexistent unless you're looking for something wrong. It's not even a wobble, more like a slight shake upon acceleration. The light grind is upon acceleration only. Other than the initial go, it's quiet and drives straight. It's a ten year old Ford.... I know it's gonna make noises. Honestly, I'm pretty surprised it drives as good as it does. I don't suspect any foul play from the dealer or some undercover shop work, but it definitely curb stomped something. The wheel well is partially missing; someone cut the front half off clean with a knife. I do have a Carfax. It was a one owner and traded for a new Volvo in the same city as me.

I just purchased an 07 Fusion SE, 2.3L with 60K miles. I've checked certain things like the coils, colors of fluids, pulleys... and everything checks out with no leaks or noises. However, I do see a tad bit of oil around the side of the valve cover, but not in the coils. Also, I do get a slight grinding noise sometimes upon acceleration and real light wobble around 20-25 MPH. I didn't notice this when I test drove the car for a bit and believe it may be a CV joint. I noticed the wheel well plastic missing and purchased a new cover for it (Theres some slight rim scratching), but didn't really think about it till now... Anyway, I am going to bring it into the transmission shop to flush my coolant and tranny, along with an oil change. I'm also thinking about changing the spark plugs and valve cover gaskets myself. I want to know if anyone has some suggestions as to what I should be doing/looking for with this vehicle during this time. It drives very well and seems like it was babied (besides the curb stomp incident), but what would you recommend at this time? Thanks in advance

I do have the slight grinding noise with right turns. How hard is that to change out? Actually, when I looked at the car I noticed the wheel well plastic was gone. Its a $20 piece (I already ordered) so I didn't worry about it then. I didn't hear the grinding during the test drives, but thinking about it now.... kind of makes sense. Perhaps it curb-crashed at some point, because these shouldn't be going out this early. I'm going to take it the Ford dealer for a transmission flush, so I'll see if they can check the cv joints for me. If the joints are bad, I'll replace them myself. Just kind of sucks because I bought this car to replace my dying truck.... hopefully this doesn't become one headache after another again.

I'm new to this forum also and recently purchased an 07 SE with 62K miles. I have a similar situation with mine as well... After some reading, it seems like these cars need frequent transmission flushes to help with overall longevity and the torque converter. The torque converter could do what we are experiencing, but I can't really say for sure. Has yours been flushed ever? I know mine never has and its the first thing I'm doing before its driven full time Hopefully someone with more experience can chime in.