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Ford Freestyle Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • tim156tim156 Member Posts: 308
    For those having problems with their single or 6 disk CD players there is info at www.blueovalnews.com under the Recalls & Advisories section.
  • cmunizcmuniz Member Posts: 604
    Thanks for the info, Tim.......I'm having some skipping problems with mine, but so far it has not gotten annoying. If it gets any worse I'll have them swap it.
  • lightslights Member Posts: 4
    in leu of an experiment (which I will do) I'm not talking about simply leaving the door (rear hatch) open. I'm talking about having the key in the position to allow the radio to still be on while the rear hatch is open and turning of the interior lights.
  • lightslights Member Posts: 4
    experiment with interior lights failed. over an hour and the interior lights are still on.

    It seems there is no way to turn off the interior lights while leaving the radio on and the rear hatch open. If anyone does find a way to do so please fill me in.
  • cdndriver2cdndriver2 Member Posts: 36
    Ok. I understand now. I just checked my FS and I get your point. Let us know if you find a way to do this. I did not.
  • dgulinodgulino Member Posts: 38
    I tried this today, and my interior lights DON'T GO ON when I open the rear hatch! It seems that I could leave the hatch open all day long without a problem. If I open a door, of course, they go on. If this is actually incorrect, I don't plan on getting it fixed! I LIKE that I can leave the hatch open!
  • cdndriver2cdndriver2 Member Posts: 36
    Just curious ... what model do you own? I tried that with my SEL and the interior lights came on. I pushed the key fob twice and opened the hatch.
  • bruneau1bruneau1 Member Posts: 468
    I have a pebble interior with lots of shine on the windshield in bright sun. in order to test the concept, i bought a cheap dark brown bath towel and folded it in half and placed it the length of the dash. What a difference! it doesn't look very chic, but it works until I find the proper dash mat. If there's no bright sun, I can throw it in the back with no problem.
  • charkoudiancharkoudian Member Posts: 3
    windshield shine is a big problem for me, light cream color dash puts lots on shine on windshield. I think Ford should come up with a solution for this problem since it is a safety factor. They certainly must has know this would happen with the slant of the windshield.

    Have you had any problem with engine or throttle sensor taking control, when not in cruise control. I have had a few times when taking my foot off gas , then car will continue several blocks at about the same speed, maybe dropping only 5 mph.
    I took it back to Ford , they checked it and said everything seems ok.
    I will send Ford a e-mail on both these Safety Issues, and I hope other people will.

    Please watch out for throttle sensor taking over!!! Thanks
  • charkoudiancharkoudian Member Posts: 3
    I experience the same problem, Only 400 miles on car now but vibration started with brakes right away. Brought it back and they turned down the Rotors in front, So far brakes seem to be working well, no vibrations now.

    Windshield shine is a big problem for me, light cream color dash puts lots on shine on windshield. I think Ford should come up with a solution for this problem since it is a safety factor. They certainly must has know this would happen with the slant of the windshield.

    Have you had any problem with engine or throttle sensor taking control, when not in cruise control. I have had a few times when taking my foot off gas , then car will continue several blocks at about the same speed, maybe dropping only 5 mph.
    I took it back to Ford , they checked it and said everything seems ok.
    I will send Ford a e-mail on both these Safety Issues, and I hope other people will.

    Please watch out for throttle sensor taking over!!! Thanks
  • charkoudiancharkoudian Member Posts: 3
    I might also have a electrical problem or computer malfunction...

    Have you had any problem with engine or throttle sensor taking control, when not in cruise control. I have had a few times when taking my foot off gas , then car will continue several blocks at about the same speed, maybe dropping only 5 mph.
    I took it back to Ford , they checked it and said everything seems ok.
    I will send Ford a e-mail on both these Safety Issues, and I hope other people will.

    Please watch out for throttle sensor taking over!!! Thanks
  • bruneau1bruneau1 Member Posts: 468
    No problems with vibrations or speed. The most common cause for warped rotors is improper torquing of the wheel lugs. Of course, the buyer has no way of knowing this. Try putting a non-reflective cloth on the top of the dash. It may not look cool, but it works. As soon as I find a dash mat that i like, I will report.
  • dgulinodgulino Member Posts: 38
    Well, this is a bit curious. I just now went down to the garage, where the FS had been sitting, unlocked, for several hours. When I opened the rear hatch, the interior lights DID NOT go on, which was the behavior I reported in my earlier post.

    However, I was unable to duplicate this after closing it and using the key fob. I found that, if I use the fob to unlock the vehicle, all the interior lights go on, and then if I immediately open the rear hatch, the lights stay on. I had thought that maybe if I unlocked the doors with the fob, but waited until the interior lights went out before actually opening any door, they would STAY off if I opened the hatch.

    But no such luck. No matter what I tried to do, I could not get the interior lights to not go on when I opened the hatch. It seems that I have to let the car sit unlocked for some undefined but extended period of time in order to be able to open the rear hatch without the interior lights going on.

    If I ever get this figured out, I'll let you know.
  • dzdncnfzddzdncnfzd Member Posts: 34
    Have you had any problem with engine or throttle sensor taking control, when not in cruise control. I have had a few times when taking my foot off gas , then car will continue several blocks at about the same speed, maybe dropping only 5 mph.

    I don't know for sure but this may be a characteristic of the CVT and completely normal. If you read the material from Ford they state that the CVT will automatically maintain vehicle speed when descending hills.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    I noticed the same thing that when you take your foot off the gas it continues at the same speed for a second, and then doesn't drop off in speed as quickly as an auto or manual transmission. I don't really consider this a "problem," but something to get used to. When you compare a manual to an auto transmission, depending on your speed the manual slows down faster. I think it's just part of the design of the CVT for hills when you don't necessarily want the speed to drop off as soon as you let off the gas. I guess you can't have it both ways unless there's a gyro in the car!
  • hank5658hank5658 Member Posts: 11
    Thanks Tim - I have this exact problem both homemade MP3's and audio disks will be rejected. Usually I can get the unit to take them in 3 or 4 tries. I'd be interested to see if anyone had the player replaced?
    Link to advisory
    http://www.blueovalnews.com/2005/advisory/cdplayer.18mar05.htm
  • cmunizcmuniz Member Posts: 604
    I took my Freestyle to the dealer with a copy of TSB 05-10-19 and they agreed to replace the unit. It has been ordered and will arrive later in the week. My vehicle was built in Jan 05 and the CD player was doing the following. Ramdom & occasional skipping, not changing at the end of CD and changing in the middle of a CD. They said they hooked it up to a computer and decided it needed changing.
  • barnstormer64barnstormer64 Member Posts: 1,106
    "I took my Freestyle to the dealer with a copy of TSB 05-10-19"

    Where did you find the copy of it?

    I'll have to take mine in one of these days. It's been quite nice in my Five Hundred, which does NOT have this issue.

    While the issue doesn't always raise its ugly head on the Freestyle, when it does, it's annoying.

    I hope I can also get them to fix/replace the drivers' side seat-belt latch. Sometimes it doesn't quite want to release with ease, and I have to re-press the button. Nothing earth-shattering, but a bit annoying.
  • brix11brix11 Member Posts: 2
    The day after we picked up our Freestyle, we noticed that one of the E's had disappeared from the emblem on the hatch. It was the evening before we left for vacation, but we called our salesman to report the problem. He said he would order a replacement and give us a call.

    Despite this cosmetic defect, we really enjoyed putting our vehicle through its paces during our week at the beach. We really like the flexibility of hauling all of our luggage (and we've got a lot of baby gear for our six-month old!) one day and being able to accomodate six passengers (or four passengers and the dog) the next.

    But I'm not done complaining. Two weeks after buying the car, the hydraulics on the hatch just quit working. Now these things happen and I'm sure it will get fixed in a timely matter, but you can imagine what a hassle it is to remove a stroller and hold open the hatch at the same time!

    To make matters worse, when my wife took the car to the dealer to have the hatch problem evaluated, she inquired about the missing E that our salesman "ordered". He told her it had been sitting in the back, but thought he would wait until our first oil change to have them replace it. Who wants to drive around their new car for 5000 miles with such an obvious defect? Never mind the fact that we made it clear that we would not be having our oil changed at the dealer when we made the deal.

    And this guy had the nerve to try to convince us to give him only the highest ratings on our customer satisfaction survey!
  • cmunizcmuniz Member Posts: 604
    It is listed in post #3705 by Spears2 in the general Freestyle forum. It was a great help in convincing the dealer to swap it.
  • bruneau1bruneau1 Member Posts: 468
    If you have a problem, go directly to the service dept. Once the deal is done, most salespeople are not interested.
  • haulthault Member Posts: 130
    For the service bulletin just take the number to the dealer and ask them to show it to you or explain it to you. I have gave them numbers and they let me look at them. I have the same issue with the drivers seat belt latch not wanting to release. I have not scheduled an appointment yet.
  • cdndriver2cdndriver2 Member Posts: 36
    My radio has the same problem. It even rejects CD's randomly and spits them out.

    I just booked an appointment for an oil change and checkup on the radio. The service department sounded like they knew about this problem. The service guy said he would remove the radio and check some codes on the back of the unit. It's probably the date :D . My FS was built right in that period when these notorious radios were installed.
  • hokietadhokietad Member Posts: 5
    Hello all - new owner here and so far mostly good. Problem just started happening - when I turn the Max A/C on and/or off, there is a banging behind the glove compartment. 6 bangs when I turn it off and the number varies when I turn it on. Anyone else have this problem?
  • hokietadhokietad Member Posts: 5
    Stopped by dealer and he believes I have a faulty "Blend Air Door Motor". This is a black box behind the glove compartment. Problem didn't start occurring until after I turned on the heat and went back to the cold. We tried this when we test drove the car, but the banging didn't result then.
  • dgulinodgulino Member Posts: 38
    Hello all - new owner here and so far mostly good. Problem just started happening - when I turn the Max A/C on and/or off, there is a banging behind the glove compartment. 6 bangs when I turn it off and the number varies when I turn it on. Anyone else have this problem?

    It's elves. When this happened to me, I just openend the vent and let them out. They told me that it got darn cold in there with the A/C on!
  • oakley1oakley1 Member Posts: 2
    The glare is bad on the Freestyle; I have Ford focus too and the glare is worse. I've tried several types of sun glasses and found the Maui Jim's to work the best. They completely eliminate the glare, but they cost a bundle, but I figure they are less than by insurance deductable. Had some close calls in the morning sun.
  • dairedaire Member Posts: 35
    "1. is there any way to program it to unlock the doors after you stop the engine? We have the limited, with the dealer-installed autostart, and the radio keeps playing after you remove the key, until you open a door...but is there a way to set it to unlock all the doors either when you remove the key or when you open one of the front doors? "
    This truely is a safety feature. As a woman, I certainly don't want the doors to all unlock the minute I turn the car off. If I am in a ramp or lot, I like to know who is around me before I get out of the car. Any nut case could hop in beside me if the doors all unlocked when I shut off the car. We have always enjoyed this Ford feature.
  • bodble2bodble2 Member Posts: 4,514
    I know what you're saying, and I'm not discounting what you're saying, but, playing devil's advocate, you could look around first before shutting off the car (and thus unlocking the doors). Afterall, whether or not the doors unlock automatically, eventually you will have to unlock them to get out, which means you'll have to be vigilant regardless.

    I think the safety function is for the doors to lock automatically when you drive off, so you don't get carjacked while sitting at the lights, etc. But, IMO, whether or not the doors stay locked when you park and the engine is shut off won't save you, if danger is lurking.
  • cmentcment Member Posts: 15
    I have had my 6cd changer replaced twice. Last week a supervisor at ford customer relations called me to tell me that the skipping, garbling and repeating are not fix able and are not replace mine for a third time. I do not want a forth unit installed unless the problem can be identified. Ford says they cannot Identify the problem. I found this to be a disappointment.
  • bigred13bigred13 Member Posts: 25
    It's elves. When this happened to me, I just openend the vent and let them out. They told me that it got darn cold in there with the A/C on!

    ROTFLMAO!
  • dairedaire Member Posts: 35
    That could be, but I like the fact that only my door unlocks when I want to get out. I have this feature on my Windstar and had it on our taurus as well, and I really like it. I'll bet if you try, there might be a way around that.
  • cmunizcmuniz Member Posts: 604
    That's bad news....I'll keep evryone posted on my experience. New radio still has not come in.
  • nitromaxnitromax Member Posts: 640
    I contacted Crutchfield about this and they gave me these possible soultions.

    The factory control buttons will no longer be able to be used but there is a a remote control that mounts to your steering wheel.
    http://www.crutchfield.com/S-nyU6YAWn6IR/cgi-bin/prodgroup.asp?g=237450&est=&search=steeri- - ng+remote

    The Pioneer works with these stereos (any Pioneer with a "P" in teh part number:
    http://www.crutchfield.com/S-ClzcMHlrToz/cgi-bin/prodgroup.asp?g=300&avf=Y&nvpair=FFBrand%- - 7CPioneer#see_all

    The Blaupunkt works with any of these that have remote capabilities:
    http://www.crutchfield.com/S-ClzcMHlrToz/cgi-bin/prodgroup.asp?g=300&avf=Y&nvpair=FFBrand%- - 7CBlaupunkt#see_all

    The above links are just a thought. I'm dissapointed with the sound of this factory unit. Add to that the inability to handle MP3s on a consistent basis.
    My two previous cars have/had no trouble playing MP3s with the factory head units. (one a Subaru and one an Acura)

    edit: well it look like those links only bring you to the car selector. I'm sure you guys can figure the rest out from there.
    :-)
  • brandy1909brandy1909 Member Posts: 4
    Last night, I purchased a Freestyle. Before doing so I did some research. The first of which was to read everyone's messages, which was a big help. I now know, what type of trouble to look for. My husband and I had gone to the dealer a few days prior to look at the Ford Hybrid SUV. Once we sat in it or I should say squeezed into it we decided it just wasn't for us! As we were walking to look at the SUV, we walked by the Freestyle. I asked the salesman about the car, I haven't even seen a commercial on it, knew nothing about it. Well, it was love at first sight. I told the salesman get me the key! I want a closer look inside. Well, after looking, test driving, we told the saleman, that we wanted to do some research on the car before deciding. Well, I dragged my poor husband down to re-look at the Forester again! He said the same thing he said the first time "it too small and no style". Of course you know what he than went to look at "The Tribeca". I piped up with no way... I refuse to climb back up into another car. We presently own a Chevy :lemon: Trailbrazer! Even after reading all of your messages, I couldn't get the car out of my mind. "Had to have it!" LOL! Why.. oh .. why hasn't Ford done more with advertising in. So, thank you everyone! I know the problems my new car might have but when you fall in love... you take the bad with the good..LOL! Thanks again, I will keep you all informed as to the outcome. Oh, my husband has a Ford F150 truck, has loved it from day 1 and has never had any problems, let's hope I have the same luck! ;)
  • passat_2002passat_2002 Member Posts: 468
    Why.. oh .. why hasn't Ford done more with advertising in.

    Why? Because Ford has realized that the Freestyle cuts into Explorer sales. The Explorer is a cash cow and the Freestyle is not. Around where I live, dealers keep their Freestyles hidden away. They just want to sell the "big" metal instead. In other words, they just don't get it! Can't wait until the Freestyle platform gets kicked up to Mercury. Maybe they'll appreciate and understand it there!
  • bodble2bodble2 Member Posts: 4,514
    Is there still a Mercury division? :confuse: What model is sold under the Mercury brand?
  • passat_2002passat_2002 Member Posts: 468
    Sorry Gordo.. Not in the Great White North.
  • vicenacvicenac Member Posts: 229
    I can not see the front of the car (black) due to the glare. I will buy a black dash cover. AutoZone website links to a manufacturer.
    I noticed that after placing a black book on the dash that the corresponding area of the windshield was very clear and easy to look through.
  • vicenacvicenac Member Posts: 229
    Yes. I have the car for 1400 and 5 days. Two times the engine did not start. I tuned the key, the engine sounded fine turning, but I released the too early so the engine did not start. When I turned the key again the engine turned, but this time it made terrible noise, like it was "dieseling" or turning in the opposite direction or like not all cylinders received gas or spark. It did not start. I tried it three times and I've got the same result. I took a 10 second pause and when I tried it again it still made the bad noise but it started. This episode happened two times.
    In my case the problem could be the aborted normal start which can load only parts of the fuel injection system.
  • vicenacvicenac Member Posts: 229
    Good point! It bothers us too!
    Help
  • carquerycarquery Member Posts: 35
    I read a comment someone made about Mercury getting a chance to sell their own version of the Freestyle. I've been eyeing the Freestyle for awhile to answer my child hauling needs, but wanted to wait to see how the new model did before buying. I'm also wary of the mileage considering the weight. But, I would be curious to see what Mercury might do in terms of styling. Was that an idle comment, or has anyone seem rumors that they're coming out with their own version?

    Thanks!
  • vicenacvicenac Member Posts: 229
    The manual says that "coasting" is normal for CVT. For engine break "L" should be used.
  • bobw3bobw3 Member Posts: 2,989
    Has anyone ever used the L low gear in their Freestyle? Do you shift to L for long downhills or is it just for low speed towing?
  • vicenacvicenac Member Posts: 229
    I used the L. I used it going uphill in Chinatown in San Francisco and driving on long down hills. I don't know if it provides a real benefit going uphill other then that it makes the CVT switch much quicker to low ratio. An example would be leaving from a stand still going up a steep hill. Using L would tell the CVT "I am not interested in any speed - stay low".
    I saw a more tangible benefit going downhill on long stretches. The benefit is not immediate like when downshifting on a regular transmission, but it slowly and surely decreases your speed without using the brakes, so switching is smooth.
    .
  • volfangaryvolfangary Member Posts: 105
    Is there a certain speed you should be at before shifting down into "L" going down a steep decline? :confuse:
  • globecanvasglobecanvas Member Posts: 45
    I'll guess that what happened is that a door or the hatch were not quite closed all the way. After a while, the car will turn off the interior lights to avoid draining the battery. When you went to open the hatch, the lights didn't come on because as far as the car knew, it had been open the whole time.

    Just a guess.
  • globecanvasglobecanvas Member Posts: 45
    I posted this over at the main Freestyle forum but I figured I'd put it here too in case anyone finds it helpful.
    ----------

    Some people have reported a transmission problem where the transmission either seems to slip (revs without moving the car) or act erratically, accompanied by a "check transmission" warning. The most common broken CVT problem is a faulty metatronics unit. It's basically a sticky solenoid. With high likelihood, replacing the metatronics unit will clear the problem.

    For what it's worth, from reading various accounts of this problem in this forum, I believe it has the following characteristics.

    - Intermittent. The transmission may rev, or slip, but letting the car sit (even if just for a minute) may clear the problem. This is very useful information because it means you may not be stranded.

    - If the problem clears, the warning light will soon clear as well, leaving no trace of the problem except a diagnostic record of having shown a fault (specifically, stored codes P0701, P0871, P0961).

    - A couple of people reported rain/puddles at the time of the problem, which may be correlated with the solenoid sticking.

    - If the problem clears, it will leave no symptoms for the dealer to diagnose (except the stored codes), which means the dealer will have no incentive to expend efforts to fix it. A bad dealer will just clear the codes and tell you they fixed the car.

    - One person here had the problem recur after the dealer claimed to have replaced the metatronics unit. Either they received a second bad metatronics unit (certainly possible), or the dealer lied about what they replaced (also possible).

    - Once you have a "check transmission" light shining in your face, it becomes impossible to tell the difference between normal CVT behavior (which may involve RPMs anywhere between 1200 and 3500 at any given speed) and "running wrong" (revving or slipping). Every sound the engine makes, you think "is that broken?"

    I had this problem (in the rain) and got the run-around from the dealer. I made a lot of stink and eventually got assigned a mechanic who was apparently the only honest guy in the whole place, who walked me step by step through the diagnosis and repair. 5000 miles later, no troubles.
  • vicenacvicenac Member Posts: 229
    The manual does not say, and I do not see why there should be any limitations. I am a control freak (if the car would have been available with a manual transmission I would have gotten one) so I use L quite often when I drive through the mountains, especially when I see that the speed is increasing going down hill.
    I switched into L at very low speeds (on a flat road) and I saw no effect.
    Descending hills I usually switched to L between 5 (sometimes from standing still) and 75 Mph.

    Like I said, driving at 80 Mph and shifting into L will not cause your engine to explode. The transmission will start changing the ratio gradually.
    The power train is controlled through the transmission and the electronic throttle control on the engine. Did anyone try to press the accelerator while sitting in P? I did. The engine revs only to 3500 RPM and no more.
  • vwcarcrazyvwcarcrazy Member Posts: 52
    I did note the date of your message, but will reply in case it was not resolved. It sounds like the "rectangular section of plastic that does not belong there" is actually a patch of clear vinyl self-adhesive film that is made by 3M and applied at the factory. This clear vinyl patch is removable and should be available through your dealer parts dept. This patch is for rock and chip protection of the paint in areas prone to chips, like the lower rocker panel. This is the same material you can have one of many aftermarket companies apply to your hood as a form of rock and chip protection. You can also usually find this film at your local auto parts store in roll or sheet form if the dealer does not have it. You should be able to carefully pull up a corner of the patch and slowly peel it off using even pressure to prevent distorting it. After removal, use the original patch as a template and trim a new piece using an exacto razor knife (do not do this on the vehicle) taking care to keep the new plastic piece clean. Clean the vehicle surface using soap and water and dry. Make sure all lint, dirt and adhesive from the original patch are removed or it will telescope thru the new clear plastic and leave a bump. Mix a few drops of soap with water in a squirt bottle. Spray lightly onto the area where the new patch will be applied. This water will prevent your new patch from sticking until you have it properly positioned. Apply your patch over the wet area, smooth out and use a small squeege to force all the water from below the plastic film. Finally, dry off the area and park the vehicle in the sun for a few hours - this will force and final remaining air bubbles out. I believe that the discoloration was caused by the a petroleum based oil or gas that reacted with the PVC in the vinyl film. Hope this helps.
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