awilson

Thanks acdii and kuzzi. It sounds like the typical replacement for a spark plug where the coil sits right on top of the plug. I went ahead and ordered OEM plugs from Team Ford Parts and will change them out this weekend. Will post a report to guide others. - awilson

I have reached the 100K mile maintenance interval on my 2010 FFH. I do all my own maintenance, which at this point has been confined to oil/filter changes and tire rotations on this vehicle. Now I need to change the spark plugs. Looking through the owners manual it does not provide a part number for the spark plugs and has a note to "see your authorized dealer" for spark plug replacement. Is there anything special about replacing spark plugs on the Atkins engine? Does anyone have the appropriate p/n for the spark plug? BTW, I am an infrequent poster on this forum. The FFH has been the best vehicle that I have ever owned. Continues to get outstanding fuel economy and the only service issue was a broken retainer spring on the fuel filler door. Thanks in advance, awilson

We have had our FFH since May 2009 and have logged 57,000 miles (we drive a lot!!!). The only problem to report is with the fuel filler door - which is not related to the Hybrid system as it is identical to the fuel filler door on the standard Fusions. This is the first Ford that I have ever owned, with recent cars being manufactured by Honda, Toyota and Mercedes Benz. I second the sentiment that has been echoed by many here that the FFH is the finest car that I have ever owned. I am so sold on the vehicle that I have sold the Honda Pilot that I drive and have picked out a new 2010 FFH that I will purchase later this week so that I do not have to keep asking to borrow my wife's FFH. Ford is offering a $2K rebate on 2010 FFH which is why I decided to get a 2010 rather than a 2011. I live in West Texas and found several 2010's to select from.

Here are the actual fuel mileage figures for our first 2 fillups: Fillup #1, 525 miles, 13.847 gallons, 37.91 MPG Fillup #2, 515 miles, 14.420 gallons, 35.71 MPG My wife is the primary driver of the car and makes no special effort to drive in such a way to enhance fuel economy. Most of her driving is on the highway - 75MPH. We live in West Texas where it has been in the high 90's the past few weeks, so A/C load has been very high. So in summary, we are probably the worst case example of the family that would get the most out of a hybrid. I knew this before purchasing our FFH and did not expect that we would get anywhere close to the advertised fuel economy so I am amazed that we are getting a bit better fuel economy than the advertised 36MPG Highway value. For comparison, my wife used to drive a 2004 Honda Accord with a 2.4 liter 4-cyl engine. With the Honda she averaged 27-28 MPG in identical driving conditions as the FFH. The fact that we can get a 35% improvement in fuel economy in what certainly feels like a larger car is impressive. Fuel economy aside, my wife and I love the FFH. It is our first Ford (our last 2 cars have both been Honda's). I would definately buy a FFH if I needed a new car today.

Hello Quincy, Looking at the Aisin PSD and the excellent simulation of the Prius PSD on the eahart.com I spotted a difference in methodology. According to these documents the Ford and Toyota PSD's have the following arrangements: FFH - Traction Motor (MG1): Ring Gear - Gasoline Engine (ICE): Planetary Gear - Generator Motor (MG2): Sun Gear Prius - Traction Motor (MG1): Sun Gear - Gasoline Engine (ICE): Planetary Gear - Generator Motor (MG2): Ring Gear Both arrangements would work. Do you know if indeed there is this difference between the FFH (Aisin) and Prius PSD's? Could this contribute to the smoother transition on the FFH when the ICE kicks in?

This exact same text can be found on pages 9/10 of the Warranty Guide.

Hello BearCat, I purchased a FFH about 3 weeks ago and love it. I am a Mechanical Engineer by training and, like you, tend to do most of my own maintenance. Being an engineer, I am impressed by the simplistic effeciency of the eCVT drivetrain. When you compare it to the complexity of modern 5 - 6 - 7 speed transmissions, it's really a thing of beauty. I believe that the eCVT/PSD drivetrain has the inherent potential to be much more reliable than an automatic transmission. However automatic transmissions are a very mature technology that has had the advantage of time to work out all the bugs. One of the concerns that you specifically stated was the rumor that you heard that the FFH used special parts. Specifically you mentioned lights. My understanding is that the majority of the chassis parts are the same as with a non-hybrid Fusion. The Hybrid has a 12V battery. Since this is not used to drive a starter, my opinion is that it is there so that standard chassis electrical components can be used (lights, blower motor, stereo, etc.). Looking through the manual, the part number for components seem to be pretty standard Headlamp high beam - H7LL Headlamp Low beam - H11LL Oil Filter - FL2017B The manual does make the notation that the following bulbs should be replaced by the dealer: Headlamps, park/turn signal lamp, rear sidemarker lamp, high mount brake lamp. I don't think this is because these items use special bulbs, but it is due to the difficulty of access to these lamps. The manual states that "the vehicle is equipped with a long life air filter. The filter is designed to last the life of the vehicle." Now I live in dusty West Texas and I have a hard time understanding how an air filter can operate effectively for more than 2 years, but my guess is that Ford had to come up with a new approach for the air filter due to space contraints in trying to fit the hybrid power train into a standard chassis. The air intake snakes under the battery, which is where the filter must be located. The manual also states that the spark plugs should be changed by the dealer. I'm not sure why this requirement, as they look very accessible. Finally, the standard warranty is for 8year/100K miles for Hybrid Unique Components. This helps cover some of the unknowns about new hybrid technology. So in conclusion, I would agree with Quincy that the maintenance requirements for the first 100K miles should be less than what you would spend with a traditional Fusion. I am also a "buy and hold" car owner. My last car (1982 Mercedes 300TD) had 270K miles on it. I'm not sure anyone can predict the reliability of the FFH at 200K+ miles. However that is part of the risk of being an early adopter of a new technology. That being said, I am so impressed with this car that I have no regrets about my purchase.