Sunset 14

Kenny, thanks for your input. As I mentioned in a post a few months ago, I replaced the tires on this car, and it completely transformed the car. It now rides and handles the way it ought to, and I'm very pleased with it. I've read that wide tires can cause a car to "hunt" over irregularities in the road, but resisted the thought that Ford had "baked in" this fault on such a mainstream car as the Fusion by putting wide tires on it. I never would have guessed that tires could cause such a pronounced effect (especially since they were all Michelins, evenly worn, and still had at least 1/3 of the tread left), but I guess I learned something. On a related note, since I solved this mystery, I am really quite happy with this car. It has the 1.5 Ecoboost, which makes plenty of power (especially in Sport mode!), and I like the way the transmission shifts, everything still works perfectly (after 6 years and 82k miles), and it looks good. This past weekend, on a trip home to Ann Arbor from Fort Wayne, IN, I reset the trip meter after I got on the highway, and it showed 40.8 mpg when I got home after 150 miles - and that was driving between 72 and 75 mph with the cruise control set and the A/C running. I was impressed!

He set it within spec, and gave me a printout of the final settings, that shows the upper and lower limits of the acceptable range. I haven't studied the printout closely enough to see how close he got to the middle of the range, but all of the "final" numbers were green - which means they were within the range. I won't experiment with anything outside the range unless I'm pretty sure there is a reason to. As for Ford messing up, if there is a problem with the steering rack, I don't blame them. The car has enough miles on it (all of them in Michigan) that things start to go wrong with any car. As far as I can tell, Ford got this car right.

Webhito (and everyone else who's been wondering.....), I think I've finally resolved the issue. I finally was able to get the alignment checked yesterday, and the only setting that was out was the toe on the rear end (which they corrected). Then today, I had new tires put on (YokohamaYK740 GTXs), and together, those two things seem to have fixed the problem. There is still an annoying "squonk" sound when I change from backing up to moving forward again after having turned the steering wheel (as in when backing out of a parking spot), and someone on another forum suggested it could be a loose steering rack (seems unlikely, but not impossible). We'll see..... Scott

Sorry Webhito...... I took it in yesterday (Thursday) morning, and they couldn't do the alignment because the roads were covered with snow. Turns out that snowy roads aren't very good for judging the effectiveness of an alignment. Who knew!? I actually thought about that possibility as I was walking through the front door of the place that was supposed to do it, and the guy behind the counter confirmed my suspicions. So anyway........ I'm going to try again tomorrow if it doesn't snow again overnight.

Webhito: I have Michelin Primacy MXM4's. Don't buy any new tires and wheels yet; I have an appointment this Thursday at a local shop that is going to do a little tweaking for me. I did a little research this morning about the effects of toe settings on handling, and found this on the Tirerack.com website: "Excessive toe settings often bring with them drivability problems, especially during heavy rain. This is because the daily pounding of tractor trailers on many highways leave ruts that fill with water. Since excessive toe means that each tire is pointed in a direction other than straight ahead, when the vehicle encounters a puddle that causes only one tire to lose some of its grip, the other tire's toe setting will push (excessive toe-in) or pull (excessive toe-out) the vehicle to the side. This may make the vehicle feel unsettled and very "nervous." That exactly describes what my car does. But it also seems overly sensitive to the "crown" in the middle of the lane that you find sometimes. Whenever my car encounters any irregularity (including potholes) in the road, the reaction isn't straight up and down; there is always a lateral element - kind of a "pitching" or "waddling" effect. Anyway, I'll report back here what I learn this Thursday. If you want to read the entire article, here's a link to it: https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=4

Webhito..... does your car have the 18" wheels and tires? Before I bought this car, I drove a few SE's with the 17" tires and slightly taller sidewalls, and I don't recall them handling this way. It's been a year and a half since I started this thread, and my car still does it. And the tires are still quite evenly worn - but with less tread now. Argh!

Hi Jake977. Yes, please do let us know what you find out, and if possible, post actual alignment numbers. The thing that keeps going through my head is that if this really IS normal, some engineer thought it was good and signed off on it, and every gen2 Fusion with 18" wheels handles this way - which I find hard to believe. My car at times feels downright unsafe! Referring to the "aggressive toe settings" statement, I think that is entirely possible. My car - even on dry pavement, but especially on wet pavement - literally "lurches" sideways and rocks the car side-to-side a little bit whenever I have the wheel turned sharply in low-speed maneuvers. And as I'm turning the steering wheel, as I get close to full lock, I can feel the resistance "give way" - as though something has gone over-center or something. This is all especially frustrating because the 2010 Fusion SEL that I traded in on this car was superb in the ride and handling department (the sucky 3.0 V6 engine and transmission is why I traded it in).

Jake977...... I don't know how you'd come up with a custom alignment spec for your car; that would be very time-consuming (and therefore very expensive), IF you could find a tech that was qualified to do so. But what I've wondered is whether there might be different, factory alignment specs for cars with 16 or 17" wheels, vs. cars with 18" wheels (like mine). Has anyone heard of different alignment specs for different sized wheels?

Webhito: "I picked up my kids as well, and as soon as the rear end was loaded, most of the wiggling was gone, still stiff and hard, but much less wiggly"; you don't say which car was much less wiggly: was the Accord less wiggly, or your Fusion?

bbf2530: I just checked the door sill placard on my car, and the recommended tire pressure is 34 PSI. I then checked the tire pressure with a good gauge, and I got 33-34 PSI on all four tires, so I don't think underinflated tires is contributing to this effect. And by the way..... are you sure your recommended pressure is 38? I've been messing with cars for a few decades, and I've never heard of factory tire pressure recommendations being that high.

Hi Webhito. I haven't had the chance to take it into the dealer yet. I had an appointment to take it in about a month ago, but I moved the day before and taking my car to the dealer was pretty low on the list of priorities. So to answer your question, no I haven't gotten the problem fixed yet, but the more I drive the car, the more convinced I am that there really is something amiss. If I get it fixed, I'll post it on this forum. I'm really surprised that you're having the problem on such a new car. I sure hope that doesn't mean it's "normal".

Hello. I've had experience with both Monroe Quick Struts and Monroe OESpectrum replacement struts (they are NOT the same thing, and are aimed at different markets), so I can make a valid suggestion for you. I had an Oldsmobile years ago that I installed Quick Struts on all four corners - hoping to restore the factory ride - and was really disappointed to find out that the ride was noticeably stiffer. Then more recently, I installed OESpectrum struts on all four corners of a Lexus and was quite pleased with the ride. So for you, you might really like the ride of the Quick Struts - and you can't beat the value and ease of installation of the entire strut assembly. Hope this helps!

Did you get the "Quick Struts" or the "OESpectrum" strut? They are not the same thing. I have experienced what you described regarding the stiff ride on a Oldsmobile I had years ago when I installed new Quick Struts on all four corners - very disappointing. But more recently, I installed the "OESpectrum" struts on all four corners of a Lexus and was very happy with the results. According to the Monroe website, the OESpectrum struts are "Engineered to match your vehicle’s OE-specified ride and handling profile". The Quick Struts probably will allow you to go around corners more quickly, but unless you're a hot-rod, I doubt that would outweigh the noticeably worse ride.

Hi all, I have installed an equalizer as part of an upgrade to my factory radio on my 2014 Fusion. In addition to the constant 12V source (hard wired to the battery), it needs a switched 12V source (turns on and off with the key). I'm sure I could hook into something on the backside of either fuse block, but getting TO the backside of both fuse blocks is really difficult. Does anyone know where I might find a switched 12V connection near the dashboard or console? Scott

Hi eGuru. I have had the Steeda gas struts on both my Gen 1 Fusion and now my Gen 2 Fusion, and I highly recommend them. Living in Michigan where rust is always a concern, using existing mountings holes (so you don't have to break the paint by drilling new holes) sealed the deal for me. They work quite well. Just make sure you have someone helping you when you install them to hold the hood in place while you have the bolts removed (do ONE side at a time, and make sure you place a blanket or something between the back corner of the hood and the windshield - just in case!). With two people, it's a ten minute job.

Hi Waldo. Thanks for your input. It's nice to see another informed response. I have an appointment this Friday to drop my car off at a local mechanic who is going to check it out. He seems like he's interested in finding the solution (as opposed to two local Ford dealers who don't).

eGuru..... thanks for the tip. I'll look into that. I bought Ford's most comprehensive warranty with this car which covers all non-"standard wear" items - which would seem to include those you mentioned. In my experience, it's difficult to find a technician who really knows his suspension parts, so if an item is worn (even a little bit), the most certain way to fix the squeaky one is to replace everything. If it were up to me, I'd have the dealer replace any component that utilizes a rubber bushing - front and rear. So the question is: who determines what work "needs" to be done? Is it the not-very-skilled technician, or me? I'll post another reply after I've visited my Ford dealer to let y'all know how it turns out.

Hi bbf2530. Thanks for that long, informative response. The tires that are on the car are exactly the same kind as you have on your new Lincoln, and though I haven't measured the tread depth, they have more than half of their tread left; I'd estimate about 7/32" to 8/32". I'm pretty sure they are NOT the original tires. The only thing I can see that may be a clue to my problem is that they seem to be worn ever-so-slightly on the edges - despite being inflated to about 33PSI. I think this is the first car I've ever owned with Michelins, but based on their reputation, I assume they are superior to nearly ever other brand. But based on personal experience, I am quite pleased with Yokohamas; I've bought three sets and have been very happy with all of them. So a further description of the motion I'm feeling: whenever I run over a man hole cover that isn't quite flush with the pavement, I notice (especially on the rear) that the car feels like it's being yanked backward, and pitching to one side or the other. And the shock transferred into the passenger compartment is more harsh than I would expect. There is also a mild "clunk" occasionally from the rear on bumps that sounds like a suspension component that is wearing. Oh...... and one more thing: whenever I go over driveways at an angle, I can hear the door seals rubbing in the door jambs - as though the structural rigidity of the car wasn't very good. My 2010 was way better in all these regards than my 2014 is. Given the high crash test ratings of the current generation of Fusions, I'd expect them to be much more vault-like. So does all of this give you any more hints? I really want to feel good about this car. Other than this issue, it really is a great car (the 1.5 Ecoboost is a real gem - especially with the transmission is "S" mode!). Scott

Hi all. Well, I've had my 2014 Fusion SE for three months now, and I still absolutely love the car - except for the ride and handling. These are the details: It's a one-owner with 60,000 miles on it. It has the 1.5 Ecoboost with a six-speed automatic. It has Ford OEM 18" wheels that are nice and straight, with 45-series Michelin tires that aren't new, but are very evenly worn. The Ford dealer that I bought it from put it up on his lift a few days ago to inspect the suspension, and he also checked the alignment. All got a clean bill of health. He even gave me a printout of the alignment results, and they are all within factory spec. It drives and stops straight - as long as the road is smooth. So here's the problem: whenever I hit any irregularity in the road surface (pot holes, uneven lane heights, driveway entrances, etc), it seems to over react and really squirms around on its suspension. My comparison vehicle is the 2010 Fusion SEL that I traded in on this car; it had 17" factory wheels with 55-series tires and rode and handled much better. I read a lot of car magazines, and have read comments from the vehicle testers that low-profile tires not only ride rough, but are squirmy. I had never given that complaint much weight - figuring it couldn't be that bad, but maybe it really is. So my question for you guys is: have any of you with 18" wheels and 45-series tires experienced this same trait? Did it bother you enough to try to do something about it, and if so, were you successful? What fixed it? Sorry about the long-winded post; these things take a while to explain sometimes! Thanks in advance for your help. Scott

The issue of the car not recognizing my SD card seems to have fixed itself. I've noticed a couple of times that when you first insert a card into the slot, the car doesn't always recognize it right away, so I left it in the slot overnight. After another start or two, the car recognized the card just fine. I have not idea why. And from what I can tell, there is no size limitation; I did a complete format on that same 128GB micro SD card, then re-wrote all 40+ albums on it and after initially not recognizing it (as described above), it works. Go figure.....

Hi all, I have a 2014 Fusion SE 1.5 Ecoboost with the 8" MFT. I'm upgrading the existing Ford radio by upgrading the four door speakers (plus tweeters in the front doors), adding an equalizer, an amp and a subwoofer. I'm doing the install myself, and I have a pretty clear idea how I want to do it, but the one thing I'm stumped on is where to cut into the factory speaker wires to route them to the input of the equalizer. I've found all kinds of wiring diagrams, but those don't tell you where the wires are physically. I want to minimize the amount of new wire that I have to install, and I want to re-use the existing wiring in the doors (with different connectors, of course). So does anybody know if there is a good place to cut the existing wires? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Scott in Ann Arbor, MI

Here's my ride after swapping out the wheels for the sportier Ford wheels, adding a spoiler from Spoiler and Wing King and pinstriping the car. For anyone thinking about getting a spoiler from Spoiler and Wing King, these are my thoughts: 1) the quality is absolutely first rate. The color match for my Sunset Metallic was spot-on, and the gloss was a match for the factory paint. It even smelled like new paint when I took it out of the box! 2) the instructions that come with the spoiler are generic, and don't mention the fact that getting to the backside of two of the holes is pretty difficult. Another member of this Forum mentioned that you have to remove the trunk-mounted tail lights - and he's right (fortunately, they're held on by three easily accessible nuts, so it's about a 30 second job. TIP - the studs that the nuts screw onto are anchored in plastic, so when you reinstall the nuts, remember that and go lightly on the torque!) 3) The plastic locating tabs have a nub that fits in the bolt holes on the spoiler. Once you have the tabs taped down on your trunk lid, remove the spoiler from the nubs then put it back on a few times; if you have the tabs in the right spot, the spoiler will go on and come off easily. If the spoiler doesn't go on and come off easily, the tabs are not in the right spot. Make sure you correct this before you drill the holes! 4) to get at the two difficult-to-reach bolts, it's best to use a socket with a universal joint and a fairly long (about 12") extension. Also..... use some kind of sticky goop in the socket to hold the bolt; it WILL fall out if you don't. Anyway, here's a few pics of my car with the new additions .....

Hi. Yes, yesterday after posting my questions, I did go on the Crutchfield website and had a very long, informative discussion with one of their reps. He was very knowledgeable and we chose what sounds like a really good system for my car. It consisted of upgraded speakers, an amplifier, an equalizer and a boxed subwoofer. I feel really bad that I can find all of the items he recommended on Ebay for roughly $200 less than if I were to buy them from the Crutchfield website - but that's a savings that's pretty hard to ignore. As for the muffled sound from the SD card, I mentioned that to him. After telling him that the songs were all Mp3 files from my iTunes folder, he said that he wasn't a fan of iTunes because they compress the hell out of the music - so I suspect that's the problem. To improve on that and still use an SD card(s), I'd have to rip all 400+ of my CDs with a high quality ripper, then copy them to however many SD cards would be required by the much larger files. Or........ I could just carry around all of my CDs in my car, which is what I'm thinking I'll do. He "confided" that that's what he does, for the same reason. You can buy storage boxes that have individual hanging sleeves and won't take up that much room in your car. It's distinctly low-tech, but it accomplishes what I want to accomplish. So yes...... I do have a CD player in my car. At the moment, I'm still trying to talk myself into spending $1200-1500 on the upgrade. I'll keep y'all posted. Scott

Hi all, I find that I am really disappointed with the sound quality of my base sound system. I love the rest of the car, but the stereo really sucks (the 2010 Fusion that I traded in on this car had the upgrade Sony system, and I was always surprised at how good it sounded. The new one by comparison is terrible.) I also just discovered that there are no speakers in the rear deck - though I think I did spot cutouts for a pair of them today (in 45 years of driving, and many cars, this is the first car I've ever seen that didn't have speakers in the rear deck - at least cheap ones!). This is what I'd like to do/am willing to do: 1) keep the factory MFT2 screen and radio 2) add speakers to the rear deck (but I'd really rather not cut the covering if I can help it) 3) upgrade the existing six speakers 4) add an amplifier Has anyone done this yet? Have any suggestions for specific components? And on a related question: has anyone noticed a pronounced sound degradation when listening to MP3 files from an SD card, compared to the radio? I loaded all 3079 songs from the iTunes folder on my computer onto as SD card, and they ALL sound terrible! It's as though somebody threw a pillow over the speakers. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Scott in Ann Arbor, MI

Well, the OEM spoiler that I bought on Ebay arrived today, and it's the wrong color. Rats! So I read some more reviews of the spoiler from Spoiler and Wing King item, and convinced myself to try it out. If it's as good as the reviews say it is, I'll be a happy camper. Will post a few pictures if all goes as planned.