ScapeTom

I have to agree - if a Caravan was chasing me, I might consider evading!

I haven't had the code since the repair. I wonder if they performed what's described in TSB 13-7-5. Car has preformed flawlessly since they fixed it.

Download was nearly flawless, as was installation. Reporting the upgrade back to Ford has been unsuccessful so far. Not sure what the issue is there.

That's why I have a Garmin mounted on the window. That and I didn't get the navigation option.

I don't think it's necessarily too complicated, but there is a learning curve and a lot of functions remain hidden unless you know how to find them. It seems to me that learning the system while driving is potentially a problem, as it can be a distraction from the task at hand - piloting the vehicle. A very uniform, very simple interface for basic controls is desirable. For example, I make use of the radio controls on the steering wheel a great deal. That doesn't mean that there shouldn't be some depth in the system, but maybe some of the deeper functions should be unavailable when the vehicle is under way.

Ha! Sure doesn't look like the '63 Galaxy that my brother used to own. A long time ago, I might add! Had a 240 cubic inch inline 6 with "3 on the tree" manual transmission. I don't remember a lot about it, but I do remember him having to downshift every time someone mentioned the word "hill".

I'm thinking that that old-fashioned mechanical transfer case in my truck is pretty rugged, as was the one in the Explorer. My guess is that if you're a serious off-roader, you want the sturdiest stuff that you can get in the drive train because you WILL be in situations where one wheel is pushing/pulling the weight of the vehicle up and over a big rock while the other three have minimal traction and/or are grabbing air. I'm not really in the off-road frame of mind these days, and the little bit that I do around the yard isn't all that intense. The closest thing I've done to trail driving is carrying a truckload of mulch up the steep hill that is my yard.

This brings up the question - in practical terms, for driving on sand (or in snow for that matter), what difference would it make as to whether one has 4WD versus AWD? I suppose I probably need to read up on each system a bit more. My 99 Explorer and my 2004 Dodge truck were/are both true 4WD systems with the ability to solidly lock the front and rear drive trains together, whereas, I 'think' that the AWD system generally doesn't allow a full lock. Is that correct? I know that the 4WD systems on both my truck and my former Explorer were pretty rugged. The Dodge is a fully manual transfer case with the old-fashioned floor shifter for putting it into and out of 4WD. There are no manual locking hubs up front though, like the old days. The front drive train is always turning with the wheels whether it's engaged to the rest of the drive train or not (which partly explains the 13 mpg that thing gets).

Any trouble codes or warnings showing up at startup? Did you just fill up with gas in the last several miles? Don't think it's a transmission issue - the transmission is just reacting to the increased throttle position and "perceived" need for a gear change based on engine loading. If the engine isn't putting out what it should, the pedal gets closer to the metal (so to speak) and the logic calls for a downshift. Watch for trouble codes and warnings. Run this tank of gas down, and fill up with a good, known brand. Maybe use high-test gas this time (not necessary always, but might help in this case).

Finally took care of this today (you can tell that it really wasn't bothering me as much as it should have been). Anyway, the culprit - A bad splice "S182". Dealer replaced same, should resolve the issue.

Heh heh - Friends don't let friends borrow Foresters!

The moral of the story - don't hit unmovable objects head-on, and if you do, make sure that you get at least half of your front surface squarely on the object.

I really wish they'd get back to racing something that at least remotely resembles a factory-made product of the same brand. Yes, I understand the need for safety features, but at least they could use stock engines and drive trains as their base, along with suspension geometry and such. No, I don't expect them to be out there running 1.6L ecoboost engines (unless there's an engine size limit of 1.6L), but it would be nice to see the 5.4L or the new 5.0L block out there. Are any of the NASCAR engines actually based on present production engines? Racing used to be full of innovation, but now, it's become more of a show.

My highway mileage is similar, 26-ish, but I'm getting 23-25 around town, depending on driving conditions. I do enjoy some very light traffic when I head in for day shift though. Light enough that I may only have 4 or 5 stops in my 12 mile commute, and can hold a steady 45-48 mph most of the way. That nets some good numbers. Driving home in the afternoon isn't so nice, though. A great deal more traffic, some stop-and-go issues, and the traffic lights are downright cruel!

First video shows the virtue of the traction control system on the AWD. Pretty nice though for it to be a serious off-roader, it would need a few more inches of ground clearance, several more inches of suspension travel, skid plates, and some gnarly tires. Still, it'll get you up the trail to a camping or hunting spot. Not sure what they were doing in the snow there, but those were definitely the wrong tires.

Durable, well-made vehicles, those Crown Vics. Noticed that my city bought a handful of new Ford Police vehicles. Haven't had a chance to look at them close up. Neighbor, who works for Chattanooga PD, drives a Focus. That's right, Chattanooga has a few Focus cars - presumably for detectives and management, not patrol. Neighbor doesn't have a light bar or anything like that.

I just received my Husky Liner mats and cargo liner yesterday - they fit like a glove. Very nice stuff. I will add Husky Liner to WeatherTech as two brands that I like!

Thanks for the system details, GaryG. The problem has only occurred on a cold startup so far. I'll keep a record of any further incidents so that I can give as much detail as possible to the dealer when I do take it in. That might help lead them to the correct diagnosis more quickly.

I finally drew a trouble code and a check engine light after 3 or 4 instances of very rough running and an "engine fault" indication on the center screen. I started the Escape to drive to work this morning and it was running very rough. The "engine fault" indication was lit in the center screen, just as it had done a couple of times in the past. My remedy has always been to stop, put the car in park, shut the engine off, open and then close the door, then restart. Every other time, it's been fine. This time, it ran rough again on the restart. And, the "check engine" light came on. So I repeated the shut down/restart procedure and it ran fine. I was ready this time with my new Ultra-Gauge as well. It indicated that I had an engine trouble code stored, so after I got home from work, I pulled the code from the unit and cleared the check engine light. The code is: P0236, which is "Turbo Boost Sensor A Circuit Performance". It definitely runs poorly when the code is active, but runs fine and achieves normal mileage when it isn't in alarm, which is almost always. Since it's quite new (6200 miles), I will take it to the dealer for diagnosis. But I wouldn't mind any insights that anybody might have as to the cause. I like to be informed as to what's ailing the car before I even let the pros have at it. Thanks in advance...

OK, so the Ultra-Gauge arrived today and I immediately got busy setting it up. There are a boatload of features and measurements, that's for certain. Right now, I'm trying to get the most critical ones on the first page. It is interesting watching the instantaneous MPG change with varying conditions. It's intuitively correct, but the MPG change is rather huge when you go from coasting to climbing a hill. It's also interesting how quick it goes into boost. It will be an interesting tool/toy to work/play with. GaryG - I'm curious about the value of the spoiler. The Si had a pretty big spoiler/wing, but it was more designed to hold the rear down when you were flying down that curvy stretch of road. If the device like on the Explorer & Edge is really helpful, maybe an aftermarket company could manufacture a quality bolt-on.

I take it that using a windshield-mounted or handheld GPS is still legal?

Good post, Khyros. Just want to throw in a couple of points - my city/combined driving is netting me about 22-23 mpg so far on my 2.0 (FWD, not 4WD) and I'm seeing around 25-26 on the highway. Like yourself, average highway speeds for me are not 48.3, and it would be suicide to drive 60 on I-75 through TN and GA! I generally set the cruise for 5 over the limit, and occasionally speed up a bit to pass the occasional left-lane bandit or SMV. I do get about double the mileage in my Escape that I get with my truck, but the truck is a rather inefficient Dodge 4WD with the Hemi (plenty of HP, but thirsty as all get-out). On a good day, I've seen 13.8 mpg with that monster. Still, when you need a truck, it definitely fits the bill! Yeah, the EPA is kind of a WAG overall, and I'm not quite convinced that some of their "ratings" don't have a bit of a political tint to them (ever see real-world VW TDI mileage versus EPA estimates? Dot-Gov doesn't like diesel, but loves the hybrid, it seems). My Honda Civic Si routinely beat the EPA estimates by 1-3 mpg. And I calculated mileage with every fillup. The Escape - I'm struggling to meet city mileage ratings, and can't touch the highway ratings (now, to be fair, it's only now starting to act like spring/summer around here, and I just hit 6000 miles on the vehicle, so my numbers are not derived under ideal circumstances). All that said, I'm very satisfied with my purchase of the Escape. I knew it wasn't going to easily tool around on the highway at 32 mpg. I accepted that, because it offers me much more in other areas that the small Honda couldn't match. Like headroom and legroom, and cargo capacity and occasional towing capability. And a much smoother ride.

Certified bat-crazy! Just the ability to pull trouble codes is worth the price of admission. Plus, I am a gadget freak anyway so this will provide plenty of entertainment for me as I drive up and down I-75 every other month.

Well, call me crazy but I just ordered an ultragauge. With the windshield mount. I'll have to put it somewhere other than where transitman has it because my GPS is mounted there. Probably right above it or next to it.

The ultragauge might be worthy of its own thread!