Dave-S Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 (edited) I have only had my new Fusion for a week but I am a DIY guy so I intend to change my own oil. Imagine my surprise when I found out the whole cover under the engine has to come off just to get at the drain plug and filter. My last car had a hole for the filter and a little trap door for the drain plug. I was wondering if anyone has modified their engine pan cover to provide access to the filter and drain without removing the cover each time? It's probably pretty easy to use a hole saw to put in a few access holes but I guess I won't know that until I pull it off the first time. It just seems to me that after about 20 oil changes and having to remove that cover each time those holes for the bolts are going to strip out since they are essentially sheet metal bolts. Dave Edited September 29, 2014 by Dave-S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 They're more machine screws than sheet metal screws. I've taken my daughters' off her focus several times with no problem. Using a screw gun makes it pretty quick and painless. The problem with cutting a hole is that you must leave enough room for the oil to spray when it first comes out. Otherwise I did think about making an access door like you said but decided it wasn't that big of a deal. And you'd need a big one to cover both the pan and filter or 2 separate ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-S Posted September 29, 2014 Author Share Posted September 29, 2014 I am just thinking long term to make that cover and the screw holes survive over the year. I will have a long hard look at it the first time I take it off to see if anything can be done with it. Periodically I would remove it anyway just to check for oil leaks or any other issues that the cover may hide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 They seem really sturdy to me - don't expect any problems over the life of the vehicle. It's just a PITA to have to remove and put back on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-S Posted September 29, 2014 Author Share Posted September 29, 2014 Good to know that.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordever Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 I wasn't worried about the screws, but there are also two plastic tabs that you have to pop, and I figured those would break quickly. I had my car four months before it was totaled, and did two oil changes, the first at 3k and the second at 10k. I average around 30k miles a year, and wasn't looking forward to futzing with those plastic tabs in winter when the plastic would be brittle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Where are the plastic tabs? I don't remember those on mine (only did one oil change on the Fusion so far but 3 or 4 on the Focus). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-S Posted September 30, 2014 Author Share Posted September 30, 2014 The tabs (there are two) are on either side of the cover at the edge about half way back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 On mine those tabs are molded into the cover and just hook onto the frame and help hold the cover in place while you're attaching or removing it. Maybe they changed it for the 2014s (or I'm getting confused with the Focus)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-S Posted September 30, 2014 Author Share Posted September 30, 2014 (edited) Check out this video at the 5:23 mark. You will see those tabs. Since I haven't taken off my cover yet it could be they are the "hooks" you describe. Edited September 30, 2014 by Dave-S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted September 30, 2014 Share Posted September 30, 2014 Aha. I think I remember those on my Fusion. It's been several months since I did the first oil change. On the Focus you don't have those. You just have 2 hooks molded into the panel that hook onto the frame and hold it up while you do the screws. As long as you're careful I think they'll be ok and I'm sure replacements can be ordered pretty cheaply. I prefer the hook design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MountainLion Posted October 7, 2014 Share Posted October 7, 2014 I second the screw gun. I have a cordless drill that zips the screws out and in painlessly. I've changed the oil 3x so far (once in the winter at 20F) and the plastic tabs are pretty sturdy. Time will tell of course. I do 30k a year as well so I'm under there often. Its a pain in the butt but I guess its a compromise between cost and the extra MPG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-S Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 I picked up this little bit of information on the engine pan cover on another Ford Fusion forum. This guy was talking about the fact he had engine damage since he had a severe oil leak that he never noticed. That is another one of my gripes about these pans in that oil leaks don't become apparent right away because of the pans..But I am a bit suspicous about waht he said about the material the pan cover is made of. Can anyone verify it is porous and capable of soaking up oil? Here is what the OP said about the pan cover: "I never noticed any stains. The guard under the engine was actually able to soak up all of the oil that leaked out of the engine (must be some sort of fabric material) - a poor design in my opinion." You can read the whole thread at http://www.fusionforum.org/forum/threads/702-2014-1-5l-EcoBoost-SE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Feels porous to me. It feels more like a heavy felt material over cardboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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