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wmsimpson

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  1. I recently bought a 2007 Mountaineer and want to have the factory service manual on hand to help me maintain it. I found the 2007-2008 Ford Service Information DVD on eBay and bought a copy, but when I tried to install it, it returned the message "This Volume has expired - Please discard this disc". Before I return the disc to the seller, is there any way this DVD can be successfully used on a Windows 10 machine? The service literature on DVD seems like the perfect solution; all the information I need, no bulky (and expensive) paper manuals to store, and I can search and print the sections I'm working on at the time and not have to worry about getting the pages all greasy from being out in the shop while I work. Any advice out there for me?
  2. I'm thinking about adding fog lamps to my 2015 Focus sedan. I see some "factory look" fog lamp and grille sets from China on eBay, and I'm wondering if the car is already wired for lights even if it came from the factory without them. I see factory switches for fogs at about $50. So is there anything else I would need to install these other than the grilles, a switch, and the lights themselves? Thanks,
  3. I read somewhere that manual transmissions accounted for only 10% of production. EcoBoost cars were all manual, so the 2 liter manual cars were a pretty small percentage of the total. I guess it doesn't concern the majority that the autobox is a $1000 option! No problem, I get all the fun, intellectual stimulation and body involvement of the manual (sort of like pinball vs video games) for $1K less. Win-win! In any case, the new car came home yesterday. It was a 135 mile drive home, so I got to know it a bit better, and I really like it. Quiet without being isolated, there was enough engine and exhaust noise to let me know what the engine was doing. Chassis felt very taught. Seats firm and supportive. The whole car felt very European to me. German actually, which is a good thing. Thanks to all for their thought on this.
  4. If they had offered the 1.5L ecoboost in the Focus, I would have snatched it up in a minute. A done deal. Pay more, get more. The 1 liter is a very curious option on the Focus, and evidently it's not all that popular. Not dissing it or you people who've bought one. I did like it but it didn't suit the way I drive nor meet my expectations as well as the 2 liter. I also had similar reservations about the engine's longevity and maintenance costs. I think I see a timing belt in there, and they need to get changed on a regular basis; typically an expensive operation.
  5. Okay, I see what I did. This information isn't readily available on the web, but based on the gear ratios, final drive and tire size (from Ford) I calculate a speed of 24.35 MPH per 1000 RPM in 5th gear for the 2.0 and 26.85 per 1000 RPM for the EcoBoost. That gives 2875 RPM @ 70 MPH for the 2 liter and 2607 @ 70 for the Eco. Does that sound about right? If I go through this exercise for 4th gear, I get 17.95 MPH/1000 RPM and 3342 RPM @ 60, close enough to what I was seeing. I must have been in 4th gear, I know the lever was down. In my defense, I was on a busy highway in an unfamiliar car, and concentrating more on not getting in an accident than what the tach was reading. This does not change the fact that when I drove a 2 liter 5 speed car yesterday I found it had more power and delivered that power over a wider RPM range than the peaky Eco. It was just a more pleasing driving experience for me, so I bought it. I had to go 135 miles from home to find a 5 speed car, but I'm happy with the choice I made.
  6. Thank you, thank you, thank you! That is exactly the information I was looking for. Those numbers are consistent with every 2 liter car I've owned from my 1980 Triumph TR7 to my 92 and 02 Saturns. I'll go read those links, but I think the 2 liter will be the right car for us. It also makes me wonder if I screwed up somehow when I read the tach on the EcoBoost, but the dash said "6" and that's sure what i thought I was in. As to people not wanting manuals, there doesn't seem to be much of an advantage anymore as the autoboxes get the same or better mileage and you don't ever need to replace a clutch. Still, a stick is more fun to drive and that's important, too. It is to us, anyway. Really helpful post, thanks again.
  7. Thank you for the replies. Okay, so what are the RPMs in top gear at 60, 65 or 70 MPH? Can anyone point me to a road test article of this car?
  8. I'm looking to buy a new Focus and I want a sedan with manual transmission. I've pretty much settled on the SE because it has cruise control but lacks many of the bells and whistles I don't want to pay for in the higher trim levels. Yeah, I'm old school. I drove a 1 liter EcoBoost today and while I was impressed with the car's positive ride, smooth shifting and comfortable seating, I felt the engine lacked power, especially in the low and middle RPM ranges. It seems to be asleep at anything below 3000 RPM and really only woke up above 4000. At 60 MPH in top (6th) gear, it was chugging along at 3500 RPM, which seemed like a lot. I'd like to drive a 2 liter 5 speed, but there are none to be found locally on dealer lots. They all seem to have the 6 speed automatic. Can any of you kind folks tell me what the driving experience is like in a 2 liter manual 2015/2016 Focus? I've read elsewhere that reviewers have said the 2 liter needs to be revved high and the EB did not. Did they really drive the same car I did? I've also read that the clutch on the 2 liter feels different than the EB. Different how? Was it heavier or does it engage less smoothly? What else feels different between these two powerplants? On paper, the EcoBoost 1 Liter doesn't seem to offer much. You pay more for it, but it has 25% less power, less torque and not that much better fuel economy. I would also think maintenance costs might be higher owing to the turbo. Can anyone fill me in while I try and find a car to test drive? Thanks in advance.
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