lolder

My "clunk" over only the first bump of the day is in a FFH with 4600 miles on it and it hasn't changed from day 1. It doesn't creak or "clunk" in turns, only the first manhole cover down the street (May--be it's the manhole cover? Nah, sometimes I avoid it and the first pavement tar strip or something like that causes it.) You can't make it do it thereafter no matter how hard you try. What is the front wheel end play that the scheduled maintenance wants checked? Lee

Was this on a FFH and due to a cracked frame as mentioned elsewhere in this forum in regard to earlier model Fusions? Lee

Almost every time I back out of the garage the first trip of the day and drive down the street over a manhole cover, there is an unusual "clunk" from the vicinity of the left front suspension. It does not repeat over subsequent bumps; nor can I return to the garage including exiting and re-entering the car and duplicate the issue. The dealer wanted it left overnight which is reasonable and I have not done that yet. He had no messages about it. I thought I'd check here first. Lee

After 4500 miles, I'm pretty familiar with the operation. I thought vehicle movement in the EV mode was inhibited until the thermometer went to "green" signifying emissions warm up. Occasionally the green came and went off briefly with corresponding EV canceling which I attributed to non linear emissions warming. The last few days have brought cooler temperatures and for the first time I did some driving with the AC off. Several times, the vehicle went into EV mode without the "green" thermometer. Perhaps they are not directly linked. I managed some 75 to 85 mpg 1.5 mile local trips with only some brief ICE acceleration and of course low accessory load. Lee

Great explanation, Jon

I was just at my dealer and he spent about 10 minutes searching through the messages and bulletins for the problem/update and couldn't find anything. Lee

I just completed a 2900 mile trip from South Florida to Arkansas, Kentucky and back. AC was on auto at 72 degrees, 2 people, full trunk, 35 psi tire pressure, external temperatures between 70 and 95 degrees, cruise control on all the time, speed at the interstate limit (55-70mph) but 5 mph over the lower limits and the trip mpg was 38.9mpg. Average in South Florida for 1.5 mile trips in town is 36 mpg including emissions warm up and blasting AC. Mileage is now 4400. Mpg goes down in heavy rain (-10mpg!), up in high speed or low speed traffic, down (-2mpg) on some types of road surfaces. up for tailwinds, down for headwinds. Highest several hour interstate drive was 41.4 mpg from Western Kentucky to Atlanta (downhill?), lowest from Atlanta to Central Florida (37.0). There was no hypermiling as the cruise control was always on. Watching the computer and transmission control engine RPM is fascinating. Level cruise at 70 mph yields about 1900 rpm. Going up interstate hills pushed it to 3000 rpm, going down back to 1000 rpm. The engine starts to be noisy over 25% power but on level roads up to 80 mph it is almost silent. There is a barely perceptible vibration in the steering wheel that is probably due to the 4 cylinder engine running fairly high powers and low RPM. Six hours of driving would get you down to 1/4 tank which should be about 4.4 gal. remaining but actually was about 6 gal. You can drive this car at 70 mph for 8 hours with some reserve; too long for me. There was occasionally a very, very faint fluttering moaning sound from the vicinity of the left front wheel well after rain, I suspect some water vibrating in some airflow gap. It goes away after a few minutes. This will probably be impossible to find. Having a hybrid is somewhat of a political statement. Occasionally you are driving at the 70 mph limit and someone gets close enough to see the hybrid emblem, they get right up behind your bumper to intimidate you when they could easily pass. I will probably go back to driving about 5 mph over the limit now that I have a base point but it is frequently less stressful driving at the limit although sometimes more stressful when traffic is heavy and driving faster than the limit. Go with the flow especially around Atlanta where everybody is driving 70+ in the 55 zones. Lee

The vehicle will not start in neutral. This is normal

As Oman says, I think this is a software problem. My system occasionally seems uncertain in what to do when its cloudy, high humidity or the OAT is near cabin temperature selected. It has occurred immediately in the first drive of the day so its not "freezing coils". Sometimes its OK in these conditions. When its hot and sunny, it never has a problem. I wonder if this could be connected to the designed sluggish OAT indication?

I agree "Empower" is the most useful setting. I think all the engine gauges other than in "Enlighten" are in % power instead of RPM. CVTs and electric cars have been around a hundred years with all their individual pitfalls. The recent marriage of the two was made in heaven and solves all the problems. It allows the software people do do anything they want with the power train. I notice if I go into EV mode as soon as the temperature gauge goes green, it occasionally switches back to white for a while. I guess if I drove more aggressively it wouldn't switch back. I wonder why they prohibit motion under EV until the emissions are warm? I expect it's a regulation or a response to the way the EPA mileage tests are written. I would think, however that "not" running the engine except for normal acceleration and recharging needs would yield even lower emissions and better mileage. I have a frequent 1.2 mile trip downtown and the emissions only warm by the end of this short trip. On the way back, the car is hot and the AC runs hard. This is the worst combination. I am averaging 36 mpg with 1200 miles on the car.

"Enlighten" appears to be the only mode where engine RPM is shown. Watch this sometimes as you drive, the range is quite large but at 75mph, it is only turning about 2000rpm. My 3.0 liter Avalon 210 HP is turning 2600rpm at 75 mph. They really load up this engine at the lowest possible RPM when they are going for economy.

The jump starting procedures are straightforward like in any vehicle. I believe the HV battery starts the engine via MG1. Is there a DC to DC converter from 12VDC to HV to charge the HV battery if it is discharged so the engine may be started?

The jump starting procedures are straightforward like in any vehicle. I believe the HV battery starts the engine via MG1. Is there a DC to DC converter from 12VDC to HV to charge the HV battery if it is discharged so the engine may be started?