Ford Fusion Major Service Question

[Riley]

Hi guys,

I’ve got a 2012 Ford Fusion with a 2.5L, 6 speed transmission, and 71,000 miles on it (mostly highway miles). I met with the service department at the dealership a few weeks ago to inquire about the next major service on the car. After a discussion with the service manager, he recommended I do 3 things at 75,000 miles:

1. Coolant Flush
2. Transmission service (Ford does not recommend a transmission service until 150K. I’m not willing to wait that long to service an automatic transmission)
3. A fuel system cleaning (3 parts… Injector cleaning, throttle plate cleaning/decarbonization, and a fuel additive)

This service total was quoted to be about $550. My question is… in an effort to save money (about $120)… would it be safe to skip the fuel system cleaning/decarbonization service? I know independent shops and dealerships try to sell these things to you all the time… but I’ve never known them to make a significant difference. However, I’m not a technician. Do any of you techs have an opinion on this?

Topic

[Jim Davis]

I would definitly go with the first 2, and on the trans, ask if they are just doing a flush or the filter also. The fuel system cleaning, unless you are seeing some problems with drivability, forget it.
And before you go back, look in your owners manual for the type fluid your trans uses, I cant recall, but just inform your self and make sure they use the correct type.

[EricTheCarGuy]

I do not recommend coolant flushes unless there’s an issue with sediment in the system. A drain and refill is all that’s required.

I was just under a 2010 F150 earlier this week. It has a sealed transmission. I suspect yours is the same. These do not require service the same as older transmissions. You actually run the risk of causing issues by doing it sooner than the prescribed interval. I know it seems strange, but many vehicles are moving in this direction. They also often require special synthetic fluid that should not be substituted for regular ATF.

Fuel system cleaning is something else on the ECOTECH. Since it’s direct injection, it doesn’t spray fuel on the back of the intake valves. Because of this there have been reported issues with carbon buildup on the backs of the intake valves. In your case the fuel system would not need cleaning. You’d do better to have a top end cleaning of the intake rather than the fuel system.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Author]

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