2009 Ford Fusion Sel Sedan 4-door 2.3l on 2040-cars

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Ford offering factory-spec EcoBoost reflashes that don't void warranty*

Buy a supercharger or cold-air kit from Ford Racing and a Performance Calibration handset comes with it to reset the ECU for the upgrade. Now Ford Racing is offering the ProCal handset a la carte for $595, allowing you to reflash the ECU on your EcoBoost-equipped ride to extract more of its inherent capabilities without any additional upgrades. It gives you control of variables such as throttle response, idle speed and turbo wastegate control, among others. As for that warranty asterisk, the press release says enthusiasts can up the power "while maintaining the Ford-backed limited warranty." However Ford Motor Co. and Ford Racing are separate entities, and, best we can tell, when you reflash the ECU, your Ford warranty gets supplanted by the Ford Racing warranty. Say you bought a 2014 Ford, that means your five-year, 60,000-mile warranty becomes Ford Racing's three-year, 36,000-mile warranty, if we're reading the fine print correctly. If you have an older car and have driven more than 36,000 miles, then your warranty options are kaput, at least as far as a Ford in-house option. If have warranty concerns, you might also want to consider having a dealer perform the reflash, or at least ask about it. Once you've got past the small print, what about the numbers? At the moment Ford Racing offers tunes for the 2.0-liter EcoBoost in the Focus ST and the 1.6-liter EcoBoost in the Fiesta ST, and we're told there's a 90-pound-foot boost in torque at the crank after you've pressed the right buttons. Anecdotal evidence from a commenter at Road & Track says he went from 252 horsepower at the flywheel to 254 hp at the wheels, and 272 lb-ft at the flywheel to 354 lb-ft at the wheels, but we can't be sure that his adjustments were within Ford Racing specs. Your mileage, naturally, may vary. What about custom numbers for the 2.3-liter EcoBoost in the 2015 Ford Mustang? They aren't ready yet, but we're told we'll get something by the end of next year. Featured Gallery 2015 Ford Focus ST News Source: Ford, Ford Racing via Car and Driver Aftermarket Ford Technology ecoboost ford focus st ford fiesta st ford racing

Detroit 3 and UAW set for showdown over tiered wages

This week, thousands of United Auto Workers will converge on Cobo Center in Detroit for the Special Convention on Collective Bargaining, an every-four-year event that lets members tell UAW leaders what the negotiating priorities should be during contract negotiations. This is where a lot of sand and a lot of lines start coming together in preparation for contract negotiations between the UAW and the Detroit 3 automakers, which will happen later this year. Number one on the UAW agenda is the end of the two-tier wage system created in 2007 to help the automakers get through bankruptcy; veteran workers are paid the Tier 1 rate of around $29.00 per hour, new hires are paid the Tier 2 rate of between $15 and $20 and get about half the benefits of Tier 1. Tier 2 hiring has been an undoubted success for the automakers, allowing them to keep factories in the US and hire more workers. By agreement, it is capped at a certain percentage of each automaker's workforce, and while the union's ultimate position is to get rid of the dual-scale system entirely; one leader said Ford could easily afford the $335 million it would take to convert all its workers to Tier 1 out of its $6.9 billion in 2014 North American profit, and General Motors could do the same out of the $5 billion it is handing to investors through the (admittedly forced) share buyback. Other delegates say that at the very least they'd be happy with enforcement of the current caps in the new contract. The automakers, conversely, would welcome expansion of the Tier 2 ranks. Including benefits, import automakers pay workers "in the high $40 range" per hour, according to an analyst, while Ford and GM pay about $59 in wages and benefits per hour. More Tier 2 workers on the rolls would let those two companies get labor cost parity with the competition. Fiat-Chrysler pays wages closer to the imports because of special exceptions in its UAW contract that allow unlimited Tier 2 hiring; those exceptions will end on September 14 and bring FCA into line with the other domestics, unless the new contract maintains them. FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne is opposed to the two-tier system, having called it "almost offensive." One analyst says the UAW might win a sizable pay raise for Tier 2 and a small increase for Tier 1, but the keystone issue will be how the hiring matrix can help the automakers keep overall wages in line with the imports.

2020 Ford Escape plug-in vs. Toyota RAV4 Prime, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV: How they compare on paper

This year is when the entry-level plug-in crossover market really starts to heat up. Both Ford and Toyota have new models in the 2020 Ford Escape and the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime. They join the segment veteran Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, which has been available in the U.S. since the 2018 model year. And of course that means it's time to look at how the numbers add up while we wait for our chance to drive the new competitors. You can find a chart with all the details immediately below, followed by more detailed analysis. Powertrain One of the key factors for any hybrid, particularly plug-in models, is how little fuel they use. Overall, the Ford Escape is the winner with 100 mpg-e, the fuel economy equivalency for the vehicle when assessing it with a full battery. The Toyota is close behind with 94 mpg-e. We're expecting the Escape to also be a bit more efficient when running only on gas, as it reportedly gets 41 mpg. The RAV4 will likely get 40 mpg, or possibly slightly less, since the non-plug-in RAV4 Hybrid achieves 40 mpg combined. Running solely on electric power, though, the RAV4 edges out the Escape with 42 miles of range versus 37. Behind both of them is the Mitsubishi with just 22 miles of range, 25 mpg on gasoline only, and 74 mpg-e with a full battery. One unique feature the Mitsubishi claims is DC fast charging capability, meaning 80% of its electric range can be restored in just 25 minutes, possibly allowing for more electric use depending on where you're driving it. While fuel economy is a priority for hybrids, customers won't want to compromise on other features. The Toyota is easily the least compromising, as it returns impressive range and efficiency while also providing a whopping 302 horsepower and all-wheel drive. The Mitsubishi also has all-wheel drive, but a comparatively paltry 190 horsepower. The Ford produces slightly more power at 200, but is front-wheel-drive only. While low in comparison to the RAV4 Prime, the Mitsubishi and Ford have very competitive output to many comparably-sized conventional crossovers with base engines, such as the Honda CR-V, Chevy Equinox and others. Size and space Naturally one of the reasons for buying a crossover is for its practical shape for comfortable hauling of people and stuff. In this regard, all three crossovers are very close. The Escape wins out with legroom, the Toyota with shoulder room. Headroom is split between the Toyota and Mitsubishi.