ford-boy
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Posts posted by ford-boy
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Tires are Firestone Destination and always at correct pressure, sometimes low enough for "low pressure" warning. Tasca parts lists 2 different springs for this vehicle and I'm guessing that mine has the firmest. Thanks for opinions and help.
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Mine was ordered with the tow package. I asked if there were ANY other changes to the car other than the receiver and related elec hookup. Apparently, there are other changes...... springs?
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I understand all that you say, but it's very difficult to get any deflection of spring while at rest. The parts guy told me there are 5 DIFFERENT part #'s that apply to my 2014 Flex and if a spring were needed I'd have to supply a VIN to get the correct one. My tires are 235/60x18. I was curious to know what the differences are for my vehicle and if there are softer/harder springs that were fitted to 2014 Flexes. Specifically, what are the spring rates?
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Is there any way of finding out what the spring rates are for my 2014 Flex? Some mags used to provide that info in their road test article in the 60's. I'm specifically wondering why my Flex feels so FIRM. F-150's feel like a limo by comparison.
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If the old Ranger had many years near the 300,000 mark, why would the new Ranger estimates be so low. ?
This table didn't copy well.
Ford Ranger sales (1985-2012)[48]Calendar yearUS sales1985 247,042
1986 269,490
1987 305,295
1988 298,579
1989 184,125
1990 280,610
1991 233,503
1992 247,777
1993 340,184
1994 344,744
1995 309,085
1996 288,393
1997 [49]298,796
1998 [50]328,136
1999 [51]348,358
2000 330,125
2001 [52]272,460
2002 [53]226,094
2003 209,117
2004 [54]156,322
2005 120,958
2006 [55]92,420
2007 72,711
2008 [56]65,872
2009 [57]55,600
2010 [ 58]55,364
2011 [59]70,832
2012 19,366
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Tacoma then, is by far the sales leader. Maybe 200,000 per year. I'm hoping the Ranger steals some of the Tacoma thunder and challenges for sales leadership.
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My experience is that the 1997 Merc I have was/is the BEST car I've ever owned. It required almost nothing from me and STILL runs like new. It never bothered me that lateral acceleration was a tad behind other cars because I never used it as slalom racer. It was a daily driver and tow vehicle that dragged a 5500 lb trailer and '62 Galaxie for many years. I absolutely LOVE this car.......but it looks like crap now. Paint faded, dirty interior. I just think it belongs in the CAR HALL of FAME for service above and beyond the call of duty! LOL
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At 74, I have NEVER owned a pick up. I've always been a car guy. I'm so anti-pickup that I've towed my Maverick bracket car with a Merc Grand Marquis (185K, no engine or trans trouble ever) . I constantly get flak for towing with a car. That Merc has been all over the east coast, up mountains in 1st gear, etc and it is, IMHO, the BEST car ever made. However, it is getting old and I considered getting a newer Merc until I saw the new Ranger. Now I am probably going to get one this spring. Would anybody care to estimate how many Rangers Ford is expecting to sell monthly and would it be more prudent to wait for a time while all the bugs of a new vehicle launch are ironed out?
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the same on the Flex when ordering new........... WITH or WITHOUT the tow package? Also, would anyone know when the Ranger will start to arrive at dealers? Thank you.
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Looking for some help in understanding the shifting process of a 4 cyl. 6-speed automatic Fusion. The engine flares between gears, mostly on the 2-3 shift. This happens at around town modest acceleration. At WOT, the shift is much more crisp and the engine has no time to flare. My question is, are there any computer controls that cut back engine power during the shift? My wife's 2014 Flex feels as though power is moderated during all shifts but not so with my Fusion. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
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Like to buy a new Fusion but very unsure of which engine to go with. I'm sure the base 175 HP engine would last forever but not sure how long the 2.0 Ecoboost turbo would last. I don't want to be spending money to replace the turbo in 7-8 years. Does the turbo shorten engine life? Is torque steer a problem with the ecoboost? This will be my first new car since 1991 so I'm choosing carefully, as I'll probably keep this car for at least 10 years.
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I think this writer pretty much summed up what most of America is feeling now.
I didn't know about the Winston Churchill bust. That IS shocking. Bizarre. I fervently hope Obama is a one term president.
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And then fell off a cliff--and not just because of the economy. The Tundra is a terrible truck. TERRIBLE. It has exactly the market share it deserves.
If you think the Tundra is going to bounce back because the economy is showing signs of life, then you must not have logged enough seat time in a Tundra to appreciate just how bad it is---at everything, except unladen straightline acceleration down a dragstrip.
I hope you are right because NOTHING makes me happier than to see Ford SPANK Toyota every month. There are lots of stupid people out there and we all know ya' can't cure stupid.
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25,000 an month? They wanted to sell 200,000 a YEAR and they haven't been close. Economy may not have helped but that doesn't explain it's freefall down.
April sales were 8949 for the mighty Tundra. You know, the truck that was going to take Ford and GM to school on full size trucks.
I believe after a modest start and a heavy TV ad campaign, they actually reached 199,000 their first year. WAAAYYY more successful than Titan. Then the economy ran aground and everything slowed down. But they were on their way to being VERY competitive with F150's, much to my dismay. If the economy starts pulling some higher rpm's, I fear the Tundra will again start selling in MUCH greater numbers, more like HALF of F-series and not like the one fourth or one fifth that the Tundra is doing NOW.
Just would like to add that how many Tundras are sold in the future will, in part, be tied to what the 9 (on loan) NASA scientists say about Toyotas unintended acceleration this summer. If the report is negative and it's shown that the Toyota drive by wire is a problem, then that will impact Toyota's reputation and cause a bashlash.
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I'm not sure the Tundra failed, I think it was more the fault of the economy that kept their numbers down. If I remember right, the Tundra was selling at 25,000 a month for a time. If the economy didn't fall into the crapper, I think the Tundra would have been a much bigger headache for the F-150.
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I wonder how this will play in the 100's of court cases. I think lawyers will have a field day with this, especially if Toyota sent alerts to many OTHER countries but somehow, didn't think to include the USA.
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Tension from a neighbor is never good, but this guy sounds like a real jerk. Him not talking to you is his loss. Next time you see him, tell him you saw an ad for a Corolla rear bumper mounted PARACHUTE. In case of unintended acceleration, just pop the chute. Guaranteed to keep a Corolla below 50 mph at wide open throttle while the driver figures out how to shut the damn thing down. Be polite and tell him you're just looking out for his safety. LOL
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Since I was the one to suggest the contest, I based MY guess on the TOTAL number of vehicles under TOYOTA MOTOR Company and that includes Lexus, etc. I thought everyone would have understood that way also. So... the winning guess was 100,000 and the descision is final..... Deanh is the winner.
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Thanks, Nick. Would Toyota's general operating procedure more closely align with the co. that "erred on the side of caution" and issued a recall or more closely align with using any other method except a genuine recall?
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Very, very simple. Recalls are only done for safety issues. They can be voluntary or mandated by the NHTSA. Everything else is 100% voluntary.
Warranty enhancements are issued by the mfr for specific circumstances where they extend the warranty period for certain components like coils or heater cores.
Secret warranties are the same thing but not announced by the mfr. The dealers fix things when the vehicle is in for other service. Toyota and Honda used to do this a lot.
TSBs have nothing to do with warranties or recalls. A TSB is just a note to the technicians that tells them how to fix a specific problem. It's a troubleshooting guide.
How the mfr wants to handle warranty work is up to them. There is no obligation on their part to provide anything other than what they advertise with the new vehicle purchase. Some people think they should be responsible for known defects ad infinitum but I don't agree. If you don't like the way a mfr handles their warranties then you are free to go somewhere else.
So....if 2 car companies use the same FAULTY electric power steering unit, can one company handle replacements as cars come in for service OR advise dealers to send out notices to each of their customers with the offending PS unit for an update OR some other way (other than an outright recall) while the other company decides to handle the problem with a recall??? OR will both companies be REQUIRED to issue a safety recall egged on by NHTSA?.
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Manufacturers have a variety of ways to deal with problems. Why are some handled as "recalls" and some as TSBs? Others use something they call a "warantee enhancement". How are these calls made and who gets to decide what path the automaker takes in handling a problem? Does the NHTSA get to force recalls? Does this whole "recall, TSB, warantee enhancement" system need to have more rules in place to treat each automaker the same?
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Feb. 25, Newsday, Suffolk edition. A Long Island woman has knee injury and knee surgery. She wants a car that has a knee AIRBAG for obvious reasons and finds a 2010 Toyota Matrix that lists a knee airbag as standard equipment on the Monrony window sticker. After using the car for 9 months, she makes the startling discovery that the car is not equipped with the knee airbag and notifies Toyota. Toyota sends her a letter, along with 3700 other people telling them that the window sticker contained a misprint. With the letter was a $50 gift card as a token of compensation. Toyota cannot retro fit a bag because the car doesn't have the needed sensors and wiring. Ouch! What to do now? Some speculate that this is more than a recall problem but rather an outright fraud and deceptive sales practice problem that could rise to the level of a crime in NYState. If that was me, I'd want a full refund of my purchase price. Both the husband's Camry and the wifes Matrix have been recalled for SUA. Holy cow. This has been quite a year for Toyota and it's only Feb.
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I can't believe that Toyota is STILL using their sales slogan of "Moving Forward". My wife says they should add a prefix of "Can't STOP"........Moving Forward. Maybe they should go back to an oldie form the sixties, seventies.... "Once you get your hands on a Toyota, you will NEVER let go" uhhhmmmmm ....on second thought , maybe not. Someone will then add "until you crash and burn". Maybe Toyota will hold a public contest. What should Toyota's NEW slogan be?????
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Toyota....... floor mats, sticky accelerator pedal, faulty fly by wire software, rusty frame, power steering, Prius deceleration interruptus, cover ups, NHTSA, Tinto, Santucci, congressional hearings, Mr. Toyoda summoned to testify.......................... OMG. This could ONLY have been thought to be in the domain of fiction once upon a time. It almost sounds like a conspiracy!! Sheesh. Let the fun and games begin. I'm stocking up on pop corn now.
Spring rates
in Ford Motor Company Discussion Forum
Posted
Yes. Don't know if it's the tow package that, IMHO, makes the ride much too firm and traversing bumps transfers a much too abrupt motion to us passengers inside. Toyota has a much softer suspension across ALL vehicle lines than Ford. I wish Ford relaxed the spring rates slightly. I would say most people do not want to feel abrupt motions from relatively minor bumps. I drove a crew cab F-150 and it was much, much more comfortable than our Flex.