First Time FFH Owner- Several newbie questions.

[rpdalton]

I bought a 2013 FFH SE model and absolutely love it. It it the quietest and most comfortable riding car since my 1977 Buick Electra.

 

1) There is a foam insert in the trunk where a spare tire would normally go. . There is the pneumatic pump/sealant unit and a whole bunch of other empty compartments. What are th other compartments for? They seem to be form filled for something...

 

2) Is Sync dead? No more updates or anything else sort of getting a Sync 3 update kit (for $1400 mind you...)

 

Thanks,

 

-RPD

 

 

[ethermion]

Love our 13 too. Welcome to the club.

 

Dunno what else would go in the trunk. I know I was torqued after the dealer told me there was a spare under there. But, so far, no need for a spare. Be mindful that if you use the can of sealant, you won't get all that far, and you will have to replace the tire pressure sensor and the valve stem, making a nail in the tread much more expensive than normal. We carry a cheap puncture repair kit - maybe $5 at the auto parts store.

 

Sync2 is pretty much in a coma. It ain't dead, as it still works. There may be an update for you, if the previous owner didn't keep it up. Register here to see:

https://owner.ford.com/tools/account/sync-my-ride.html

 

They are still making map updates. There is a small SD card inside the arm rest, close to the USB ports. Pop it out, and have a look see. The current card is A7, and can be purchased on Ebay for about $50. The '13 came with an A3. A free software update came with an A4 card, so if you have an A3, there is probably an update out there for you. Not sure it makes any difference.

[rpdalton]

Thank you for the reply. I did get the map update from Amazon. The spare tire space storage looks very intentional like the may have been a tool kit, or other ancillary items that went in there. First aid kit, emergency kit etc... the compartments are designed to hold "something" specific.

[Waldo]

That spare tire storage thing is used across a large number of vehicles all across the world. There probably is a tool kit for a Chinese market Focus or something that fits in there.

[rpdalton]

Thanks.

[Timewellspent]

I bought a 2013 FFH SE model and absolutely love it. It it the quietest and most comfortable riding car since my 1977 Buick Electra.

 

1) There is a foam insert in the trunk where a spare tire would normally go. . There is the pneumatic pump/sealant unit and a whole bunch of other empty compartments. What are th other compartments for? They seem to be form filled for something...

 

Thanks,

 

-RPD

 

 

 

 

On the Fusion Energi, the left side has the air compressor/sealant and on the right is a spot for the fuel Funnel and the Level 1 EVSE

[murphy]

 

 

On the Fusion Energi, the left side has the air compressor/sealant and on the right is a spot for the fuel Funnel and the Level 1 EVSE

And underneath the center is the blower for cooling the HVB.

[Cobra348]

I bought a 2013 FFH SE model and absolutely love it. It it the quietest and most comfortable riding car since my 1977 Buick Electra.

 

1) There is a foam insert in the trunk where a spare tire would normally go. . There is the pneumatic pump/sealant unit and a whole bunch of other empty compartments. What are th other compartments for? They seem to be form filled for something...

 

2) Is Sync dead? No more updates or anything else sort of getting a Sync 3 update kit (for $1400 mind you...)

 

Thanks,

 

-RPD

 

 

Where you would think a spare should be is what Ford calls "a mobility kit" - essentially fix-a-flat and a compressor. What I and some others did was to get a compact spare and tools and put them in the well instead. This thread is for NEW parts to do the trick. "Invoice Part #" is the Ford part number ... tread shoulld be gotten via TireRack or something. Cost is around $500 or so. BUT ... if you want, go to a salvage/you-pik lot and get the spare, foam tower, jack and wrench from a 2013+ gas model Fusion and save tons of cash.

 

To mount the donut spare, undo the hold-down bolt for the kit and remove that and the kit. I would recommend putting the kit aside for reverting the car to OEM if you sell/trade it. I put it in a corner of the garage ... with the OEM sway bar and mats. <chuckle> Place the donut mounting plastic, jack and wrench in the well and then the spare should fit over it. You will have to fiddle with the floor panel over the battery but not by much.

 

Advantage: With the donut, you are assured of mobility even with a sidewall blowout. Not so with the kit. Also, using the kit requires you to get a new TPMS and valve assembly because you'll gunk it up with the spray foam. That's $75-100 additional over any tire repairs or replacement.

 

Disadvantage: Adds about 32-35 pounds of weight and will affect MPG. Also, if you are rear-ended there is a possibility that the donut will be stuffed into the HVB and complicate things a lot.

 

Your choice! Oh, one last thing ... just about every hybrid is without a spare and even some non-hybrids ship with tire kits. It's a way to get closer to EPA mileage demands. This setup is for a 16" compact spare. Anything larger will not fit the well.

 

Using the donut: Steering and suspension can be impacted when using the compact/donut spare. If you have 17" rims it's not too bad, however for 18" rims, the donut should be mounted on a REAR wheel position. It messes up the steering badly if on the front.

Edited March 21, 2018 by Cobra348

[stlouisgeorge]

No discussion of the spare tire compartment on a FFH is complete without a Cheech and Chong reference..

 

Ford Fusions were recently used as "mules" to smuggle marijuana in the spare tire compartment from their final assembly in Hermasillo..

https://jalopnik.com/1-million-worth-of-marijuana-found-inside-new-ford-fus-1796979822

[mwr]

Disadvantage: Adds about 32-35 pounds of weight and will affect MPG.

35 pounds of extra weight would (noticeably) affect MPG???

[ElectricFan69]

35 pounds of extra weight would (noticeably) affect MPG???

Depends on how many digits to the right of the MPG decimal you consider meaningful.

 

For most that round to 2 or less, not in a meaningful way.

[Waldo]

35 pounds of extra weight would (noticeably) affect MPG???

 

That's almost 1% of the weight of the vehicle. If that translates to a .25% reduction in MPG, that adds up to about a gallon every 10,000 miles.

[Cobra348]

35 pounds of extra weight would (noticeably) affect MPG???

It will over the long run, as Waldo points out. The reason no spare exists in the FFH is that rear-end safety concern and the EPA requirements. IMO any MPG loss could be offset by using rims that are lighter than the OEM units. In theory you could offset the weight gain by 20-24 pounds total (5-6 pounds per corner).

 

I am not all that concerned one way or the other. I'm more frosted that changes to how/when ICE kicks in makes it damn hard for me to consistently hit 40+ on a tank like I did with my '15.

[ethermion]

Really? 44.5 on our 2013. If less than 40 on the newer ones, I would be frosted too.

 

Spare tires seem to be a passing fad. It isn't just the FFH that is losing them. They add weight, which does affect MPG in a time where every % counts trying to meet CAFE. And, they cost money. And, I can't recall anyone ever needing one these days.

[rpdalton]

I would agree. I like the storage compartments in the spare tire insert. I have had two flat tires in 40 years of driving.

[Waldo]

Really? 44.5 on our 2013. If less than 40 on the newer ones, I would be frosted too.

 

Spare tires seem to be a passing fad. It isn't just the FFH that is losing them. They add weight, which does affect MPG in a time where every % counts trying to meet CAFE. And, they cost money. And, I can't recall anyone ever needing one these days.

 

You guys have nice roads in Virginia. I had 200 miles on my 2014 when I ran over something that blew a hole in the tire and bent the rim. I also know a couple guys around here that have had 2 or 3 blowouts on their FFHs.

[mwr]

I can't recall anyone ever needing one these days.

I needed my donut spare a few months after I got it, from a large cut in the sidewall of a tire. No way the "fixit kit" would have made that tire driveable.

[Cobra348]

Really? 44.5 on our 2013. If less than 40 on the newer ones, I would be frosted too.

 

Spare tires seem to be a passing fad. It isn't just the FFH that is losing them. They add weight, which does affect MPG in a time where every % counts trying to meet CAFE. And, they cost money. And, I can't recall anyone ever needing one these days.

My '15 HyTi had a lifetime average of 41.25 MPG over 38,605 miles when I traded it in on the current car. I don't follow all the hybriding techniques for starting out, etc. Driving was pretty much the same - around town, runs to Rochester, NY (82 miles one way), some runs to PA. Lowest MPG (by receipt) was 26.22 in the middle of Winter (Feb '16); best was 52.02 in May of 2016.

 

Current auto is approaching 30K miles, average 37.6 MPG as of todays fillup. Lowest MPG 27.19 on Jan 10, 2017; best MPG to date is 47.79 on May 22, 2017. Same driving patterns as the '15 except not a run to PA as yet. A trip to FL is planned for late May/early June.

 

And .... I do not rely on the car computer for accuracy. I do MPG calcs off the receipts and have noted variances as much a >3 MPG between calcs and the car. I distrust it mightily. I worked computers for 40+ years ... I learned to distrust the damn things. And before anyone challenges the variance ... today I filled up and Trip 1 read 304.3 miles, 39.7 MPG. Total purchase was $24.30 @ 2.739/gal. You do the math - variance of over 5 MPG. Trip meters are reset every fillup. Overall displayed MPG was closer ... 37.7.

===

Spares can cost, but I have suffered sidewall blowouts in the past and would like to have something I can use and depend on. There are times here where you are driving through construction zones and you don't know what your tires will pick up. Go to a junkyard and get a gas '13+ Fusion donut for cheap. Ford/Tirerack prices are about $500 or so for new parts.

 

And when you do need to use the goop, you will need to purchase a TPMS sensor and valve stem assembly along with any costs for tire repair or replacement. Why? Because they get made inop by the very junk you used in the tire. These cost in the range of $70-100 depending on where you get them. For a simple nail that can be plugged/patched that's expensive. Then again, if you used the goop, the tire may need replacement as well. <shrug>

Edited April 13, 2018 by Cobra348