Grampy

the 2009 Ford Fusion gauge cluster is ugly

The kind of repair that makes me proud to know there are other people out there that know how things work and /or how to troubleshoot,  and don't  just take it to a dealer and pay $1000 for what could have been an easy repair.

Example, my wife took her '02 Explorer in because 4WD wasn't engaging.. they told her it needed an $800 module + labor..  I had her bring it home so I could look at it after work...

I looked at the wiring diagram, crawled underneath  \found the ground wire that was broke off of the transfer case. Installed a NEW  more robust grounding strap.. worked great for years afterwards, even after we gave it to her brother..  eventually he abused it enough to trash the transmission.

LKQ has a bunch of undamaged 2010 Fusion hoods available..
maybe already the color you need
To find one go to:

WWW.car-part.com
 
 

Good luck,

the good news it isn't the speedometer (eliminating things that are NOT the problem is good troubleshooting)

the bad news it isn't the speedometer (speedometer is an easy fix)

Maybe you should be asking why they're ruining the lug nuts.   The only time I've seen lug nuts have to be replaced is if they use a socket that doesn't fit correctly.

$1200 for a pair of tires? Nope.

The "flat, black, stiff, wire lookin gizmo"  is not a wire, it is called the "Tether", why is it there?   I have NO idea..

The other end (of this tether) is under the dash behind the steering wheel, toward the passenger side.  It is hard to find, but once you see it, you will realize it can't be anything else.   It is a bright nut holding the other end of the tether.. the service manual makes it sound like if you remove the nut the tether will come right off.. (my experience on my 2010 Milan, is it is a total PITA to get it off the bolt).

I wish you luck.

Ford should have kept making the Fusion 

Perfect! These diagrams are great. Where did you get them?
 
I will give this a shot and let you know how it goes. 
 
By the way, Thank you! And great job!

I have 2010 wiring diagrams.  I too have things I don't want draining the battery.  the way I power them is use the cigar lighter as "power", but put a relay in that comes "on" when key is in run.  If you are still interested I
can post the drawing.

wanted to share my experience (and replacement part numbers) for anyone googling or searching the forums about VSS issues.
 
vehicle : 2010 Fusion 2.5L 6MT
 
symptoms : P0720 code. speedometer intermittently not working. speedo eventually stopped working completely. CEL started coming on. car would go into limp mode (reduced acceleration) and occasionally even stall at idle.
 
i noticed that the VSS connector cable was almost completely gone (note corrosion in the photo).  there was not enough wire to properly solder/repair it so i ordered a new connector pigtail from the dealer.  this did NOT solve the problem.
 
next, i ordered a new VSS from Rock Auto. a bit of PB blaster to get the old sensor out and i was able to remove and replace the sensor (remember to put some gear oil on the o-ring before installation). problem solved! the old sensor was cracked (see photo)
 
my only theory is that the sensor and the connector were damaged when the clutch was replaced a while back (?) even though the car was fine when i got it back.
 
anyway - hope this helps someone.
 
VSS OEM Part Number :
17271 (from service manual)  
VSS Connector Pigtail OEM Part Number :
3U2Z-14S411-DLAB / WPT-1021
(the parts counter had a really tough time finding this)  
VSS Aftermarket Replacement :
Brand : WVE Part Number : 5S16505  
Damaged VSS Connector Wiring (the wire fell apart when I removed the connector, but note the corrosion and damaged insulation) :
 

 
 
Replacement VSS Connector Pigtail :
 

 
 
Broken Original VSS (note the dents and crack at the base - guessing this happened when the shop replaced the clutch a while back) :