CD3 Design Defect?

[BORG]

...Apparently, owners of these vehicles in Metro Detroit are experiencing the same problems as a result of the recent wintry conditions...severe vibration at high speeds. Snow or Ice build up is the cause of the vibration and the dealerships have been getting a flood of calls specific to these vehicles. Has anybody else had this trouble? What specifically is causing the problem? I took the MKZ to get a good under-carriage wash and that seems to have cured the problem. I wonder what about the CD3 cars causes this problem.

[J-150]

sounds like snow build up in the rims... its like altering the balancing weight.

[RichardJensen]

Yeah. You might've noticed that on your 1988 Sable, 1930 Model A, or your 48 Hudson.

[J-150]

Yeah. You might've noticed that on your 1988 Sable, 1930 Model A, or your 48 Hudson.

 

 

 

I can also say that rear discs on an F150 don't like snow build-up.

[BORG]

Yeah. You might've noticed that on your 1988 Sable, 1930 Model A, or your 48 Hudson.

 

Didn't notice it on my 2005 Lincoln LS :P, although the dead battery on Tuesday was a problem

Edited February 16, 2007 by BORG

[RichardJensen]

Didn't notice it on my 2005 Lincoln LS :P, although the dead battery on Tuesday was a problem

My suspicion is wheel design has something to do with it. It was not a problem with my Tempo, but was with my Contour, and has not been with my Sable.

[TomServo92]

I've never noticed on any of my cars. Of course I live in Southeast Texas and snow isn't that much of a problem....

[BORG]

My suspicion is wheel design has something to do with it. It was not a problem with my Tempo, but was with my Contour, and has not been with my Sable.

 

Perhaps low profile tires and wide spoke spacing is causing the problem. So far, the MKZ is more reliable than my LS, but I'm only going on my 3rd month. I'm liking AWD in this weather, the one reason I didn't buy a CTS over the MKZ. Still, the lack of ESC is a big drawback compared to the LS which NEVER lets you swerve too far.

[RichardJensen]

'Never lets you swerve too far'

 

How fast are you driving in this stuff, Borg?

 

Also, your LS's lot-rot is probably why the battery went flat.

 

Nothing like the random electrical faults of a vehicle that spent 8 months on the lot.

 

Oh, and Tom Servo, you can just cram it :P You and your "I'm from Southeast Texas, snow's not a problem, It's nice all the time, nyah nyah nyah, until the Hurricane comes!"

 

j/k

 

It was 12 below this morning when I left on a 100 mile road trip---I was 20 minutes out of town before I turned down the heat.

 

So just spare me your tales of S.E Texas!

Edited February 16, 2007 by RichardJensen

[SilverStangO1]

Yeah. You might've noticed that on your 1988 Sable, 1930 Model A, or your 48 Hudson.

 

 

I've been browsing this board for years......this is one of the best replies I have ever seen :shades:

[Noah Harbinger]

'Never lets you swerve too far'

 

How fast are you driving in this stuff, Borg?

 

Also, your LS's lot-rot is probably why the battery went flat.

 

Nothing like the random electrical faults of a vehicle that spent 8 months on the lot.

 

Oh, and Tom Servo, you can just cram it :P You and your "I'm from Southeast Texas, snow's not a problem, It's nice all the time, nyah nyah nyah, until the Hurricane comes!"

 

j/k

 

It was 12 below this morning when I left on a 100 mile road trip---I was 20 minutes out of town before I turned down the heat.

 

So just spare me your tales of S.E Texas!

 

Glad I didn't say the same thing about So. Cal...

 

Earthquakes, Fires, Mudslides, Droughts....

[TomServo92]

'Never lets you swerve too far'

 

How fast are you driving in this stuff, Borg?

 

Also, your LS's lot-rot is probably why the battery went flat.

 

Nothing like the random electrical faults of a vehicle that spent 8 months on the lot.

 

Oh, and Tom Servo, you can just cram it :P You and your "I'm from Southeast Texas, snow's not a problem, It's nice all the time, nyah nyah nyah, until the Hurricane comes!"

 

j/k

 

It was 12 below this morning when I left on a 100 mile road trip---I was 20 minutes out of town before I turned down the heat.

 

So just spare me your tales of S.E Texas!

 

Yeah, I had damage to my home from Hurricane Rita. Luckily it was only minor. We do have winter here. It was a frigid 26 this morning! :shades:

[Sizzler]

Yeah, I had damage to my home from Hurricane Rita. Luckily it was only minor. We do have winter here. It was a frigid 26 this morning! :shades:

 

I LIKE winter.

I LIKE snow.

 

In the morning, there are bare footprints leading from the house down to near the street where the paper lands. Ditto around the wife's car. I go out, warm it up, brush off any accumulated snow, bare feet. There's currently a nice casting of my bare foot in ice where the footprint was exposed to some midday sun and changed from compacted snow to ice. WINTER is the BEST time of the year.

 

Southeast texas? Isn't that jungle-humid year-round? Isn't that where you need gloves in the SUMMER in order to grab the door handle and steering wheel without suffering 2nd degree burns?

 

You can keep it. There aren't any number of pieces of clothing you can take OFF down there to get comfortable...at least here we can ADD clothing until we're comfortable. Even 26 is a little warm if you're actually doing something like shoveling snow (by choice, I'll get a snowblower IF I need to, some day).

 

I like to actually get out of the car once in a while and walk, do things outside, without having to wring out my clothes afterward.

 

Keep your year round heat, give me a cool breeze any day.

[630land]

Umm... ICE?? I had 'severe vibrations' in this fun weather [in my non Ford car], and low and behold snow and ice in the wheels!

[TomServo92]

I LIKE winter.

I LIKE snow.

 

In the morning, there are bare footprints leading from the house down to near the street where the paper lands. Ditto around the wife's car. I go out, warm it up, brush off any accumulated snow, bare feet. There's currently a nice casting of my bare foot in ice where the footprint was exposed to some midday sun and changed from compacted snow to ice. WINTER is the BEST time of the year.

 

Southeast texas? Isn't that jungle-humid year-round? Isn't that where you need gloves in the SUMMER in order to grab the door handle and steering wheel without suffering 2nd degree burns?

 

You can keep it. There aren't any number of pieces of clothing you can take OFF down there to get comfortable...at least here we can ADD clothing until we're comfortable. Even 26 is a little warm if you're actually doing something like shoveling snow (by choice, I'll get a snowblower IF I need to, some day).

 

I like to actually get out of the car once in a while and walk, do things outside, without having to wring out my clothes afterward.

 

Keep your year round heat, give me a cool breeze any day.

 

It gets hot in the summers but you get used to it, just like you're used to frigid cold in the winter. There are pros and cons wherever you call home. Personally, I like being able to take my kid trick or treating at Halloween without bundling them up like they're about to scale Everest, but hey, that's just me!

[Roadrunner]

Glad I didn't say the same thing about So. Cal...

 

Earthquakes, Fires, Mudslides, Droughts....

 

Yeah, or Arizona.

 

(pause)

 

Yeah, I've got nothing.

[matthewq4b]

Our Mazda 6 is very prone to snow and ice build up in the rim as well. It is just the rim design.

 

As for Winter, after comming out of 2 weeks solid of -30 and near -30 weather with Yesterday being at -30c at 8 am -20 at 8pm, and today being +3c at 8am and it continued to rise all day topping out at +10C about 2PM.

Right now the only commnets I have on winter would get me in the dog house with Richard.

 

 

 

Matthew

[jpd80]

"What's snow?" says the Aussie boy sittin' at the keyboard eatin' watermelon.

[Sizzler]

"What's snow?" says the Aussie boy sittin' at the keyboard eatin' watermelon.

 

 

soon it'll be "what's water?"

 

"what's WATERmelon?"

 

I hear Australia has just had a federal takeover of the provincial water systems due to waste, and want. Little water now, NO water soon?

 

Say what you want about snow, but remember that snow is just clear, clean, fresh water. Want some?

[RichardJensen]

Right now the only commnets I have on winter would get me in the dog house with Richard.

Matthew

Seeing that it's warmer there than it is here? You bet.

[Hugh]

So: is it a wheel design flaw or it sounds more to me like life driving in snow and ice. Pretty standard stuff around here. I laugh when people complain that there ride is harsher and I have to remind them they have snow tires on and driving on dry pavement. Think before you speak please.

 

I am waiting for the automotive tabloids to jump all over this.

[matthewq4b]

So: is it a wheel design flaw or it sounds more to me like life driving in snow and ice. Pretty standard stuff around here. I laugh when people complain that there ride is harsher and I have to remind them they have snow tires on and driving on dry pavement. Think before you speak please.

 

I am waiting for the automotive tabloids to jump all over this.

 

 

I do not know if I would call it a design flaw. As there is really no practical way to avoid it.

 

I have not looked closely at the Fusion rims But on the Mazda it is a fairly open spoked 17" rim. And the inside perimeter is almost completely flat. Add the low profile tires to the mix and the rim is in the snow in any thing more than a few inches of the white stuff.

So it makes it pretty easy for the rim to pick up snow.

 

The only practical way to avoid it is to have a higher profile tire and get the rim out of the snow. You could slope the inside of the rim but that is going to add a whole host of other issues such as adding unsprung weight.

 

As the industry goes to lower profile and wider tires this is going to be an on going issue this is not limited to just the Fusion or Mazda but any car with low profile wider tires .

 

You can not have wide tires with a low profile height and expect them not to pick up snow.

 

Matthew

[silvrsvt]

I am waiting for the automotive tabloids to jump all over this.

 

 

Thats what annoys me about the title of this posting...its inflammatory and draws undo attention to a non-issue.

[Hugh]

Thats what annoys me about the title of this posting...its inflammatory and draws undo attention to a non-issue.

Agreed, hence my post. It is easy to jump up and scream the Fusion is a POS when the reality is it is as competent as the competition. To each there own I guess and it is always easier to blame.

[Hugh]

I do not know if I would call it a design flaw. As there is really no practical way to avoid it.

 

I have not looked closely at the Fusion rims But on the Mazda it is a fairly open spoked 17" rim. And the inside perimeter is almost completely flat. Add the low profile tires to the mix and the rim is in the snow in any thing more than a few inches of the white stuff.

So it makes it pretty easy for the rim to pick up snow.

 

The only practical way to avoid it is to have a higher profile tire and get the rim out of the snow. You could slope the inside of the rim but that is going to add a whole host of other issues such as adding unsprung weight.

 

As the industry goes to lower profile and wider tires this is going to be an on going issue this is not limited to just the Fusion or Mazda but any car with low profile wider tires .

 

You can not have wide tires with a low profile height and expect them not to pick up snow.

 

Matthew

 

EXACTLY! Well, said! My roomate drives a Mazda 3 GT with the 17" and he can get either the 16" with steel wheels or Winter 17" tires. They are about the same price after some shopping and I don't think it will solve the problem. Snow will still get into the wheels. Slippery stuff that frozen water.