First car that fixes itself. I'm sure it's not over. Have the coolant to do. Have to check if the RH seal is leaking transfer case fluid, etc. Then onto addons because why not. LED bulbs all around. Tow hitch and if possible a pushbar. Maybe a stereo swap. I don't like it's audio when playing MP3s... seems too bassy and dead. Plus I have to get someone to update the software on the PCM. There is 1 new revision and maybe for other modules too. That's harder than one would think. Like mechanics are allergic to money when it's just a software update.

My fuel trim hypothesis was correct. It's now +3.91 after a single 60 mile drive. Maybe the DIY smoke machine will come in handy to find any other vacuum leak. Under 5% on long term is within spec tho.

 

Sounds like a plan, I'm all ears. I have a few things coming up soon, I intended to do them today but it's going to rain...and rain...and rain... But hopefully this weekend, including what I'm sure will be a hilarious amateur hour attempt to remove oxidation and peeling clearcoat from my wheels without dismounting them from the car...If I can get the worst one to look better I can do the rest, at least that's my harebrained scheme. I don't want to dismount the wheels or mess with the new Pirellis so I have to put some thought into it, but since I took my initial photos of the car last year, the wheels have not magically improved and are now the biggest eyesore by leaps and bounds. Not horrible but they bug me. Al-U-Minium, as the British say.


I would have had A/C temp. readings today but it's chilly here, I want a real scorcher of a day to get the cabin hot and do a proper writeup on how my A/C behaves....

Have a happy Memorial Day weekend!

 

Happy memorial day to you too. FYI, if you don't know already. Aluminum corrodes. I can see it all over my engine which looks to be made of it. My previous rims, it started happening too, where the coating came off. The most likely fix is to sand and clear coat or paint it. So you have to mask your tires. On the car you are more likely to get runs if spraying.


Today's news: Coolant is swapped. No need for scan tools just turn the key to on and the pump runs. Got that weird pink stuff out and flushed with some water. Only disconnected the line coming from the mecs radiator. Refill was easy too.

My transfer case is dry on the outside after 150 miles. So that seal appears to seal well enough. Will keep checking it just in case. Evap leak has stayed gone ever after refueling and most importantly the cap comes out.

29MPG from primarily highway/45mph driving. Calculated MPG was 30.5

Wish there was a way to adjust the assist on the power steering. I think it's too loose. Needs more resistance. Also would be nice if I could see what that PCM update does and if there are any for the TCM/Battery module.

 

Yes I've seen some ideas about putting index cards around the rim wedged into the gap between tire and rim making it into a kind of "flower" to block overspray. I think that will work and I can figure something else out if necessary. I just don't want to get anything evil near the bead, tire rubber, or the rest of the paint. I'll take it sloooow. Slow and steady never lost the race, as Def Leppard used to sing.

The MPG is reading right, the PTU seems tight, the coolant's nice and bright, the EVAP isn't causing fright, the HV battery has might, and with apologies (but also tribute) to Jimmy Walker I say: "DY-NO-MITE!" < Obligatory Chicago Reference

I know Ford has a calibration routine to adjust the EPAS after a new torque sensor installation but as I said elsewhere do not know if you can get in there and modify the overall behavior. It would be nice....

 

Evap is back to causing fright. I checked both the valves at the canister with a vacuum pump. Commanded them closed and applied vacuum from the gas tank side. I should perhaps do the reverse tomorrow, since I just realized this. Both held pressure. The fuel tank builds pressure too but very very slowly. And then when I press on the metal piece inside the filler neck lightly it releases it. So I will have to smoke it most likely to confirm after doing 1 more vac test in the proper direction. Then off to the wrecker to get another necker and/or blocking valve.

Have to add that the fuel trim is back up to +5.6 as well.

 

From what I've seen doing some armchair investigation in the past few days, perforations and leaks due to rust on the filler necks can be subtle and tough to pin down. The smoke test should help. Smoke it!

For some additional Chicagoland humor (the Onion began in Chicagoland.)

https://www.theonion.com/ill-smoke-anything-1819583468

 

Also, one other thing relating to power steering assist: I'd like to have a little less assist on the highway because it would make the steering perhaps a bit more positive and less susceptible to deflection and wandering. I notice that the Escape chassis seems to get blown around by wind gusts a little more than some other cars I've driven. It's not terrible, and it's not as bad as some, but it's there. It was much worse with the old Michelin tires, which were original - hard, dry-rotted, etc. The Pirellis improved the on-center highway tracking by a lot, but there is nothing that can help the big slab sides of this car being susceptible to crosswinds.

I know the rest of my suspension is in good shape, my mechanic verified that, and I have NO steering play that I can discern. I'm wondering:

My car has the roof rack with two transverse rails that are shaped curiously like inverted airfoils. I'm wondering if removing the cross pieces and storing them in the cargo area would improve the airflow across the top of the car, keep it smoother until it "cuts off" at the hatch, and thereby reduce turbulence at the roof?

I'm no aerodynamicist

I'm no aerodynamicist like Doug McLean, but those rails are definitely shaped like an upside-down wing cross-sectionally, and there are two of them, one right after the other. I think I'm going to try to remove mine and do a back to back test. Forces applied at the roof of the car would be expected to have more influence on tracking than lower down, because it's high above the center of mass.

Anyway, my armchair physics professor is urging me to try this, so I'll give it a shot. I cannot imagine it's good for overall drag when you have airfoils you don't need, and other pieces generating turbulence. At 70-75 MPH they might be having a significant effect, and if I can just detach them and put them in the trunk...

 

Mine does it too. It's a matter of the car being a giant square box. You can try the slats but not sure it will overcome that.

Fixed the key. Hardest part is getting that silver ring off because they crimped it. No longer have push in and turn to start. Going to test the smoke machine today. Epoxy has dried.

 

Car is smoked, both intake and evap. No leaks visible. I took that blocking valve off and looked at it. Although it held vacuum, a picture says 1000 words. Probably why the problem is intermittent. My junkyard part was completely clean. I also found this gunk in the valve up front when I replaced that.





Maybe it's cleanable with something if you don't have another.

 

Great pictures. They're so helpful to people who may not know if what they have is "normal." It's like the best of how the Internet has helped medicine. Doctor can just send pics! "Look at THIS!"

Very nice, clear part number also.