So, Friday my wife goes to her Mom's house. Let's mom use the car to run a quick errand. Mom comes home. Wife prepares to go to work, hops in the 2006 Ford Fusion SE, and- it won't start.

Makes sure it's in "Park”, foot on the brake- it won't start.

So, she takes Mom's whip to work, calls me. I asked a few questions, the assumption was, maybe the park lights were left on, but the car had only sat for maybe an hour- the batter shouldn't have discharged.

I thought it might have, so after work, I went and bought some jumper cables, drive over to the house, and try to jump it. I pop the hood, and about 1/2 pound of blue corrosion was on the positive battery terminal. No exaggeration. It was caked up so thick; the connector could not be seen. SO, I got some baking power, and poured it on there. It ate away 80% of the corrosion. I dried it, put the jumpers on, and tried to jump it. All it did was click a bunch of times, just as it did before I tried to jump it.

Called Ford Roadside Assistance- they showed up, tried to jump it. No worky- so we had to tow it to the dealership. It's still there now, so we're awaiting the diagnosis.

Anyone else with a Fusion or a car 1-year old (14,000 miles) or less, that had a similar problem?

The power seat still works, the radio, the dome lights, power windows, etc... It just won't kick over. I know mechanical stuff can break, but, if it's anything other than a faulty battery, the Fusion will lose reliability points in my book.

 

The clicking is the relay or solenoid. it does this then it isn't getting enough amperage due to a low battery charger or a bad connection. normally corrosion at the battery cable ends. did you remove the clamps and clean them and the post real good? I'm betting thats what the problem is.

 

It's a Ford, they do that.

Sounds like the battery leaked, causing corrosion to build up on the terminal.

 

Nah, I didn't take the clamp off- just cleaned around it.

I was impressed at the amount of corossion on it. It looked like a big piles of flaky blue cup cake frosting.

 

I'd vote for the low battery from teh corrosion so couldn;t get a charge or maybe has charge but no connectin or starter solenoid...

Looks like this,



and is ussually monted on the inner fender or firewall. To check use a screwdriver or anything metal, turn the key on and jump between the 2 main post. If it turns and start then you have a bad solenoid. My wifes exploder throws one about every year to year and a half. $20 at auto store but has a lifetime warranty so havent had to buy any after the first one. Takes less than 5 mins to change.

It's been almost 2 years on this one and last time I put a push button starter on it so she could pop the hood and push the button to start it incase of emergency. She knows how to jump it though too. After the first one went bad and I showed here how.

 

This is new school stuff, Ford did away with those fender mounted solenoids in the late '90s/early 2000s. And the solenoid on the starter on a 2.3 isn't something you can reach unless you're ambidextrous and double jointed, at least not with the starter in the car.

 

Ohhh :o

Nwest thing I have is my 2000, didnt knwo they did away with them.

Crap, I use them on everything on my place. It's on the tractor, on the lawn mower, on the boat, on both DD vehicles and on the jet ski. I hope they keep making the solenoids cheap for another 30 years or more.