dabige

I wonder if the high-pitched sound is being caused by the shape of an air duct or some kind of small obstruction in the duct? Think of a wind instrument...pipe organ pipe, flute, clarinet, etc...the faster the air is moving, the louder the note will be. Depending on where the outlet, obstruction(s), or hole(s) are will "shape" the sound into a certain pitch/note. If my hypothesis is correct, this problem may not be solved with anything short of an HVAC redesign. FWIW, I've heard this same high-pitch on other vehicles I've driven...never really thought much about it because I attributed it to fast-moving air. And since I don't make a habit of driving with the fan on that high, I don't find the sound to be that troubling (coming from a guy who seems to be annoyed with any other minute creaks, clicks, or squeaks).

I have heard that same sound too, especially when the outside temp is 25 or lower. It seemed to temporarily go away if I pushed down on the front of the dash---where it meets the windshield. It seemed to go away for "good" once the car reached normal operating temperatures. I'd be interested to know if there's a solution (except for waiting for warmer weather) as well.

I'm not exactly sure what rod akirby is referring to, but from my understanding, the trunk release is meant to just unlock it. Maybe the pre-2010s had adjustable spring-loaded lid supports, (which would surprise me if it did). :headscratch: I thought the last Ford vehicle to have the non-fold-away hinges/lid support was the Crown Vic. The geometry of the 2010 lid support with gas struts is not designed to overtake the weight of the trunk lid until the lid is partially opened. That's the same way my old 2003 Focus worked, as well as my parent's old 2000 Focus. [if you live in a colder climate] You'll also notice that the gas struts aren't as quick to respond in the winter than they are in the spring/summer/fall.

I told them to save their frames for someone else when they swapped my plates when I picked my car up for the first time...the sales guy even re-used my stainless steel screws as well. I also got them to leave off the dealer sticker on the trunk lid (not going to give them free advertising, although they have been giving me excellent service for the few issues that have popped up).

EDIT: My original post was incorrect. Use the same color LED as is the lens it will be mounted behind. A white LED behind a red lens will result in more of an orange light. Source

I have too, and come to think about it, it's the first car I've ever noticed it in. I've been chalking this phenomenon up to an overly sensitive radio, in regards to fluctuations in radio signal strength.

Ok, so I had a little more time to check out the fascia seam. My neighbor's Fusion (also a 2010), has the same issue to the same extent as mine. I still stand behind my original theories, but I have some more to add to it now. Upon popping the hood, as far as I can see, there are two ways to access where this fascia panel attaches to the rest of the car: Remove the offending side(s)' headlight assembly. With the hood open, if you look between the side panel (metal) and the headlight assembly mounts, you can see a couple mounting struts that seem to be where the bumper fascia attaches.Remove the bottom engine cover, and go about the previously stated from underneath. Which method is a bigger PITA? Jury's still out on that one...I still think it could be cause by what I mentioned in my previous post, but here are a couple more potential variables. The mounting struts may be slightly deformed, which cause the said panel to bow outwards. And/or, as previously mentioned, what looks to be nuts attaching this panel somehow worked loose. As for the issue with the mirror plastic, I noticed a little play in the bottom corner on both of my mirrors as well as my neighbor's Fusion, although neither seemed to be enough play to be of much of any serious concern. My guesses are either, again, cheap/"blemished" (for lack of a better term) plastic or the bolts holding the mirrors to the door were tightened a little too tight (causing the plastic to bow slightly). The latter could also be demonstrated by tightening a switch plate or outlet cover on your wall too tight...too tight and the plastic begins to warp on the outside edges, causing a poor seal between the plate and the wall.

I noticed a similar situation on my Fusion as well. :banghead: Like a couple others, it's only on the driver's side. On the passenger side, where the bumper fascia meets the wheel well, it's actually bowed slightly inward. In any case, I don't think it's completely a fastener issue, it's a material issue, (aka cheaper plastic). Note that these variances are happening where the metal body panel meets plastic. It's also a spot where unsupported/unrestrained plastic comes to a point/sharp outside corner...a very easy place for plastic to deform unless it's substantially reinforced. Metal will hold its shape much better than most plastics and it will also expand and contract differently than plastic. Looking all over those seams in the front bumper fascia, there are many irregularities between the two materials. It could be anything from inferior plastic used for the panel, slight jarrings of the panel after the initial molding process (moving it before it cools completely), expansion and contraction of the materials from ambient temperature, or some combination of all of the above. Look at the seam between the rear bumper fascia and the metal rear panels; you'll find similar irregularities there as well...even between the taillights and the fascia seam. Either way, Ford has never been know for superb fit-and-finish.

Regardless of if the station broadcasts the info, I believe an RDS icon should be illuminated on the radio display if you've activated the feature and are listening to an FM station. If I would have had my morning caffeine, I would have remembered to check my radio when I went out for lunch a little bit ago...

You shouldn't have to hit the text button, but yes, there are a couple steps to turn RDS on. This is how it worked in my 2010 SE: hit the menu button a couple times until RDS ON/OFF appears on the screen, then use the arrow buttons (SEEK/TRACK) to toggle on or off. After doing that, it should function in whichever RDS mode you set every time you turn your radio/car on. If not, then there is something wrong with your radio, as I've never had to repeat this process. As a side note, every rental I've had for work, GM's and Dodges, I've had to do the same/similar procedure, as RDS was never turned on in any of those vehicles. Apparently the other rental customers were more into the satellite radio. As for your second question, that must be a feature available on the SEL and not the SE, unless I've never noticed it (entirely possible). I doubt either will have any significant impact on the life of your stereo components. If the bass level is a concern, you can always manually turn that level down independently.

Since I picked up my Fusion last year, I've noticed that the passenger side wiper does not park where the windshield registration mark indicates it should. Instead, it parks about 1/2 - 3/4" above the mark. I mentioned this to my SM when I went in for an oil change and he said that was the normal park position, (several other Fusions in their lot confirmed this). I also found the same to be true at other local dealers. However, I have noticed a select few where the blade parks in the "proper" position. The wipers work just fine; I'm just a detail guy so this kinda thing sticks out in my mind since I first noticed it. Anyone know how to adjust this? I can live with it if I have to, but if there's an easy way to correct this, I'm all ears...

I have a similar problem (not with soft brakes though)...6'2" and a size 14 shoe

My 6-month trial expiration came and went, and I chose not to renew. Satellite radio only seemed to come in handy when taking long trips by myself, and even then, I'd be listening to my MP3 player more often than anything else. All I can say otherwise regarding the renewals is that the deals kept getting sweeter the closer the date came (don't know about the fine print though--never read it since my mind was already made up). If you plan on keeping it, if you can, let it expire and wait. A day or two after it expires is when they come out with the best offers, but there will be only one, possibly two deals after D-day passes.

I feel your pain. Mine also happened in a parking lot, except mine was about 4 months in and happened while backing out of a parking spot. I was backing out extra carefully to avoid the person next to me. The gem of a lady next to me decided to leave her driver's door wide open while she loaded the back of her SUV. She knew full-well I was going to be backing out but lacked the consideration to shut her door. As I was just about to put the car back in drive, I heard a loud smack from the back end. :banghead: A guy backed into the left rear corner of my bumper. How can you not see a car that is fully backed-out of a parking spot?? :finger: I must admit it sounded much worse than it looked...just minor cosmetic damage, (if the car had been a couple years older, I wouldn't have cared as much). I took it to a couple body shops, (one of which even touched the scratch up with a little touch-up paint...the gouge looked 100x better just with that little bit); estimates ranged $500-600. All that for basically a repaint; thanks to the labor for having to remove and reinstall the rear assist sensors. Still can't help but think of the irony that I was trying to avoid damaging my car and ended up worse for it. If only I had been a split-second quicker shifting to drive. :waiting:

I'm not sure if you're including my post in your comment, (and I apologize if I am misinterpreting you), but I am far from upset with Ford, Microsoft, or SYNC...my frustration is with the phone manufacturer. One would think that in five years there would be some advancement in phone technology, not the opposite. Aside from the aforementioned Android OS, I only have myself to blame---for not reading the phone ratings closer off of the SYNC website before I switched phones.