SkippyThorson Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 First thing in the morning when I start the car, when it's really cold (maybe 20 degrees F. or below) some indicator light will appear. Most often, it's the Airbag, and when it's not, it's the ABS. The light will either stay on until the car warms up really well (it could take a while) or it will last the entire trip, and then be gone the next time I start it up in the same day. The heat almost never comes on when it's really cold out. Obviously, I leave it on at the desired setting when I leave the vehicle. It will not make a difference if I use the remote starter or if I start the vehicle when I get in. The heat almost never comes on when it's really cold outside - I'll have to fiddle with it, usually hitting the On button as if it was Off, when I in fact left it On to begin with. I have 2 major concerns. When the Airbag light is on, that usually means it will not deploy if there is an accident. Isn't that wonderful?! The other is that there may be some deep electrical problem that no one can figure out or no one wants to figure out. I know it can't be diagnosed by a scanner when it's not happening, but does anyone have any ideas or answers to this one? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goneracin Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 shoot it! sorry, i just hate trying to diagnose electrical problems. it does sound like something is bad, the air bag light usually means that there is a connection problem. and yes, it wont deploy when the light is on. as for the climate control..... i dont know, sounds like something the dealer might have to look at. either way, good luck. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fusionff Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 The airbag light is a known sign of 'time to change your battery' on the Fusion, as well as other Ford vehicles. If you haven't changed the original battery, it could the the answer to that issue. For the heat, it could be as simple as needing a new thermostat. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 (edited) Definitely change the battery. The auto climate control will not come on for heat until the engine has warmed up. You should be able to turn it on manually but until the engine warms up you won't get warm air. Edited January 16, 2012 by akirby 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkippyThorson Posted January 17, 2012 Author Share Posted January 17, 2012 (edited) shoot it! sorry, i just hate trying to diagnose electrical problems. it does sound like something is bad, the air bag light usually means that there is a connection problem. and yes, it wont deploy when the light is on. as for the climate control..... i dont know, sounds like something the dealer might have to look at. either way, good luck. I agree to shooting it, I HATE electrical issues. We went through every power option breaking in a Dodge Caravan way back when, and it was a nightmare. It ended when we traded it in with an always-wet-inside Cavalier for a Saturn, and never looked back. Anyhow, I was told it could be a connection before, but it's been to the dealer twice with no luck. An aftermarket car starter was put in, but this was a problem since we got it, and we had it for a year without a starter yet the problems existed even then. Lately, it seems it's happening a lot more often for a lot longer. The airbag light is a known sign of 'time to change your battery' on the Fusion, as well as other Ford vehicles. If you haven't changed the original battery, it could the the answer to that issue. For the heat, it could be as simple as needing a new thermostat. The thermostat was also a suggestion, but never the battery. Could a battery in a 2008 already need replacing? Seems a little strange to me, but I could believe it, as it is the factory battery. Also, the temperature for the interior of the car has always been right, but exterior is sometimes way off. That happens more in the Summer than the Winter, actually. * Yesterday, on the little display, there was CAL - which, I didn't know what it meant. Right when I was turning into the driveway, Calibrating (Something) quickly came up, and naturally I missed it as the wheel was in the way. It was gone by the time I stopped the car. Any ideas, and could it be related? Edited January 17, 2012 by SkippyThorson 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 The thermostat was also a suggestion, but never the battery. Could a battery in a 2008 already need replacing? ABSOLUTELY! Some batteries only last 2-3 years. I think there were some bad factory batteries that made the problem worse. It's a $100 fix and you'll know it's not the battery for the next 2-3 years at least. * Yesterday, on the little display, there was CAL - which, I didn't know what it meant. Right when I was turning into the driveway, Calibrating (Something) quickly came up, and naturally I missed it as the wheel was in the way. It was gone by the time I stopped the car. Any ideas, and could it be related? Sounds like the compass calibration. Could be related. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FusionDiffusion Posted January 18, 2012 Share Posted January 18, 2012 (edited) I also believe you have a low or bad battery like everyone else is saying. Fully charge it or replace it. Batteries last about 4-5 years in NY, so it might be time (you can have the parts store test yours). Airbag and check brake system indications that flash while the car is starting and first idling are classic signs. Seeing the CAL on the display is indicative of the car loosing sufficient battery voltage for a long period. Drive around very slowly in three full circles away from metal objects to calibrate the compass. Fully charged batteries should put out 12.6 volts or more at rest before you start your car. Since you also have an aftermarket remote start installed, I would also consider the possibility of a parasitic drain, so I would also test for it once the battery is charged by putting a current meter in series with the battery. If you do have a parasitic drain, it might cause your replacement battery to fail in a few months so you should definitely check it out. Here's a how-to video courtesy of EricTheCarGuy: If you have automatic climate control and leave it on auto, the heat will not start blowing until it senses the coolant temperature is warm enough. This is better than the alternative of blowing cold air at you before the engine is warmed up. If you car is parked outside and the temp gets below about 15ºF, then you should be plugging in your block heater if you have one. Your car will start and warm up much faster. Edited January 18, 2012 by FusionDiffusion 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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