urnews Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Is there a way to tell when AWD is activated? Is there an indicator of any sort? Could my AWD be in the "activated" mode all of the time and therefore causing me to get 13 mpg in city driving after 1,000 miles? Is that possible? According to FoMoCo literature this is supposed to be a seamless operation, activated only when a front wheel slips. Anybody know how to check if the AWD is engaged all of the time? Is it even possible? Help. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 30, 2007 Share Posted January 30, 2007 Is there a way to tell when AWD is activated? Is there an indicator of any sort? Could my AWD be in the "activated" mode all of the time and therefore causing me to get 13 mpg in city driving after 1,000 miles? Is that possible? According to FoMoCo literature this is supposed to be a seamless operation, activated only when a front wheel slips. Anybody know how to check if the AWD is engaged all of the time? Is it even possible? Help. Only way to tell would be with a computer. The dealer can hook it up and take a test drive. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dyoct Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 I'll admit, even though I'm suppossed to be the product expert, I don't get that the AWD system isn't always on? I'm under the impression that AWD means all four wheels are being engaged all the time, but can transfer power based on conditions. However, as for the feel of the drive, just go ripping through some corners or curves or in water and you should get the feel of the rear end of the car doing some of the driving as well as the front wheels. The suspension setup is for a comfy ride, so the tuners in us could probably install aftermarket springs and struts for a firmer (yet harsher) and sportier ride. As for the mileage, again I'm not too clear as to what the AWD is doing that provides for a lower EPA estimate than the FWD version. The wheels have to be engaging numerous times because there are many normal driving conditions where slippage can occur. And the system is able to sense slippage in like 1/12 of a wheel rotation and transfer power accordingly. Also, I think I asked somewhere else, what type of city driving are you doing? City driving is murder on any car, especially if they're short trips. The whole exhaust gas catalyst system and engine emissions controls need a good 10 to 15 minutes to fully warm up and go into "open loop" mode. You're at 1,000 miles? I know you got your AWD some time before me. I've had mine two weeks and passed 1,800 today. If you're doing a four minute, two mile trip to the neighborhood store and back, you're going to be running rich all the way and burning up gas as the engine controls work to heat up the engine and exhaust system. I have been keeping notes on my gas receipts with the hourmeter, miles, MPG, and avg speed. I think if you track those, we may be able to determine what type of city commuting you're doing. Edit: Forgot to mention, the fuel economy does get better with age. Best so far is 25.2mpg, but I do alot of highway driving. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 Part of the mpg penalty is the extra weight, although the Fusion system seems to be lighter than others. Beyond that it's the extra drag on the engine from the transfer case (or whatever it's called). The Fusion AWD system is always on but normally it sends 100% of the power to the front wheels. If it detects slippage OR it senses you need more traction (romp on the gas) it will transfer power to the rear. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urnews Posted January 31, 2007 Author Share Posted January 31, 2007 Dyoct and Allen, Thank you gentlemen for taking the time to respond and for your valuable input. I am learning more about the AWD system with each passing day. It's not an option that I would have ordered; the car just came that way off the lot. In retrospect, it is a waste of money, near-term and for the foreseeable future. Our only solace might be the safety feature, better stability in an emergency situation. That is a marginal factor, however, given our moderate climate, flat terrain and gentle driving habits. Yes, Dyoct, our in-city driving is 95 percent short hops, groceries, prescriptions, Wal-Mart, that sort of thing. As you so accurately pointed out, something that is murder on mileage. It is my wife's daily driver to work, about five miles and maybe 15 minutes worth of driving, tops. She is obviously cutting off the engine just about the time it is reaching its maximum operating efficiency. Two weeks and 1,800 miles? Wow. That is a lot of driving time, Dyoct. Is that occupation-oriented? We're at two months and now about 1,200 miles. Quite a huge difference. It was reassuring to read that the mileage will improve some with break-in but apparently we will never reach the EPA's estimated 19 mpg city just because of the type of driving we normally do. This situation may well become one of those inconvenient facts of life that we will have to endure. Hindsight is always 20-20. Purchasing this particular Fusion was obviously a mistake on our part even if there is nothing technically "wrong" with the car. Life's a bitch, then you die. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy G Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 This link for some info: http://www.haldex-traction.com/awdclub/news/050604.htm http://www.haldex-traction.com/default.htm 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urnews Posted February 1, 2007 Author Share Posted February 1, 2007 This link for some info: http://www.haldex-traction.com/awdclub/news/050604.htm http://www.haldex-traction.com/default.htm Those two sites, especially the first one, provided for some interesting reading. However, even though certain FoMoCo vehicles do use the Haldex AWD system, the AWD for the 2007 Fusion, Milan and MKZ is Ford's very own system, according to what I have read on the Internet. Operationally, it works the same way, just manufactured by Ford instead of Haldex. Boz 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy G Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Those two sites, especially the first one, provided for some interesting reading. However, even though certain FoMoCo vehicles do use the Haldex AWD system, the AWD for the 2007 Fusion, Milan and MKZ is Ford's very own system, according to what I have read on the Internet. Operationally, it works the same way, just manufactured by Ford instead of Haldex. Boz Ford owns Volvo and, I believe, Volvo brought the Haldex unit with them in the purchase. Oops, my bad.............. http://wardsauto.com/ar/ford_awd_in-house/ 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urnews Posted February 1, 2007 Author Share Posted February 1, 2007 Ford owns Volvo and, I believe, Volvo brought the Haldex unit with them in the purchase. Oops, my bad.............. http://wardsauto.com/ar/ford_awd_in-house/ Yup, that's where I read it, what I was referring to. Apparently Ford is using the Haldex system in some of its products but its own AWD system in others, namely the Fusion, Milan and MKZ (I still liked the Zephyr name better). Boz 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvford1 Posted February 6, 2007 Share Posted February 6, 2007 I just took delivery of my 07 MKZ AWD and I have 200 miles on it with an average of 13.8 MPG so far. When I took delivery (with 10 miles on it) the average MPG was 8. :D 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urnews Posted February 6, 2007 Author Share Posted February 6, 2007 I just took delivery of my 07 MKZ AWD and I have 200 miles on it with an average of 13.8 MPG so far. When I took delivery (with 10 miles on it) the average MPG was 8. :D Our 2007 SEL AWD V6 Fusion is likewise averaging 13 mpg in stop-and-go city driving for the first 1,596 miles. The EPA estimate for this vehicle is 19 mpg city. Be sure to reset your on-board computer at each fill-up. The only truly accurate way to figure mileage is to divide the number of gallons used into the number of miles driven when you fill up. However, the on-board computer is pretty close, from .5 to 1 mpg, usually on the optimistic side of the ledger. Boz 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvford1 Posted February 11, 2007 Share Posted February 11, 2007 I now have 300 miles on the car and it the average is now 18.9....which is above what the sticker said already. Here she is.... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urnews Posted February 11, 2007 Author Share Posted February 11, 2007 I now have 300 miles on the car and it the average is now 18.9....which is above what the sticker said already. Here she is.... Very nice ride; good photos, too. That's great news on the mileage and you have the 3.5-liter V6. Wish I could report the same positive results for in-city mileage but I can't yet, still at 13 mpg, which is a definite bummer. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvford1 Posted February 16, 2007 Share Posted February 16, 2007 I now have 500 miles on the car and I am getting 19.4 MPG. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urnews Posted February 16, 2007 Author Share Posted February 16, 2007 I now have 500 miles on the car and I am getting 19.4 MPG. Your MKZ was already delivering good mileage and it seems to be getting even better. Our SEL AWD Fusion is holding steady at 13 mpg in city driving, which is 95 percent of our driving. We now have about 1,800 miles on it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iluvford1 Posted February 19, 2007 Share Posted February 19, 2007 I drove to Phoenix this weekend about (1200 miles round trip)...I now have 1,900 miles on the car and am averaging 23.5 MPG 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urnews Posted February 19, 2007 Author Share Posted February 19, 2007 I drove to Phoenix this weekend about (1200 miles round trip)...I now have 1,900 miles on the car and am averaging 23.5 MPG That sounds pretty good for an overall average. Have you tried re-setting the mpg on-board computer to zero when you fill the tank? I would be curious as to your in-city mileage following your trip. You should have gotten something like 26 mpg for the highway travel. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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