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Ford Freestyle Care and Maintenance
Discuss Freestyle routine care and maintenance here.
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If that's the case I would say better to change it at 2000 miles instead of 5000, but even 5000 is not that bad.
my .02
Most of this should be picked up in the oil filter.I just don't like the idea of these little bits and pieces recirculating in the engine during a prolonged oil change interval.On my 2nd o/c I'll probably go 2-3000 miles again for a good cleanout.
After that follow Ford's recommended procedure for a long engine life.Oil is cheap and good insurance.
Being that you're going on a long trip, your engine will be operating at a sustained high temperature and, as willie said, there will be extra particulation in the oil due the new engine break-in. Those two variables can make for an early engine failure.....safe bet is to put some fresh oil in for the trip.
Looks like I'll be getting the first oil change this weekend.
I've now got almost 4000 miles on it and I'm still loving my Freestyle!
Also, what does is say about servicing the Transmission? Any mention of periodically changing the Transmission Fluid? Do you see anything else mentioned regarding servicing the CVT?
As one who drives approx 30,000 miles a year, I'm trying to plan ahead to see what to expect.
I know it doesn't need a tune-up till 100,000 miles.
We're close to ordering a 2006 Limited AWD...Thank You!
https://www.fleet.ford.com/maintenance/owners_manuals/default.asp
However, it appears to be a generic service manual so if anyone has some specific info regarding the CVT Transmission that would be most appreciated!
Then again, I've been known to change the first oil at 500 miles (not always, but I've done it).
I try to change mine every 2500 miles. But occasionally I've gone 5000 miles.
The standard use interval is 5000 miles and 6 months.
The heavy use interval is 3000 miles and 3 months.
I've never paid my attention to the months thing, but won't go longer than a year.
That being said, synthetics are designed for higher miles so changing it too frequently would be a waste of money, but I would say 5,000 miles is reasonable. As long as it doesn't strain your budget and the oil doesn't get dumped down the drain.
That's what I would do when I get to that stage. I'm only around 800 miles so I have a ways to go.
Thanks!
The only time you might need to switch to a higher octane level is if your car engine knocks when you use the recommended fuel. This happens to a small percentage of cars.
Unless your engine is knocking, buying higher octane gasoline is a waste of money.
Using synthetic oil is personal preference. If you are going to keep you car for many years generally synthetic oil will help an engine last longer. Also the oil tends to start lubricating faster on startup, especially in cold weather. Plus synthetic oil will also increase your fuel mileage a little.
I have used Mobil 1 for many years and am a true believer. They even have an extended mileage version up to 15000 miles, but not in 5W20 yet.
Came across one tidbit which seemed unusual to me, thought I would pass it along. The extended warranties cover rental cars when you are in for warranty work. The basic/included warranty does not. That struck me as strange, as I think of extended as just prolonging the time, not adding extra stuff. Service guy confirmed this and said that the rental would be active during the regular warranty period as well. Since my commute makes either the closest dealer to home or the closest dealer to work not the most convenient for service, and the fact that there are no service loaners, we'll get the ext warranty in the near future.
Only one defect noticed when we picked up the car, which they didn't have time to fix then, which led me down this investigation. One of the 2nd row seats is in a locked state and doesn't move forward and back on its track. Service guy did take a look and confirmed problem. We're going to look for other defects before appt on Monday, if this is the only problem I'll be happy.
Jackie
I had an extended warranty on my 97 Exploder which included a loaner or rental car whenever it was in for service.
When the engine exploded, they gave me an "allowance" of $30 per day for a rental car. That got me into a Chevy Calalier for 32 days while the engine was being ordered and replaced. Gee, what happened to the "comparable vehicle"?....a compact? gee thanks Ford
Come to find out that the rental, even though it was under $30 per day ($29 I believe), also had daily taxes and other fees that put it up over $30 per day.
At the end of the rental term I ended up paying close to $200 in fees for my "free rental"
GRRRRRR :mad:
I guess I could have rented a SUB-compact for $19.99 per day....hind sight is always 20/20.
So you might want to verify how much allowance is available for a rental car.
Funny, when I drop my RSX off for service and I can't hang around and wait, they give me a loaner TL to drive until my lowly RSX is ready. (What's wrong with this picture?)
So we did factor this in. We are taking a step down from the luxury brands, but hope in the end we spend less overall and still get a decent driving experience and few troubles.
The extended warranty covers $28/day rental. Our schedules are such that we can work around the lack of a rental, its good to have the option. If we had to have it, we'd add it to our insurance coverage. I think the insurance (Allstate) reimbursement amount is in the same range.
We're planning on getting an ext warranty anyway, so this is something we'll have available if we need it before the reg warranty expires.
the whole warranty booklet is online here which makes it handy for searches.
As long as you know up front what the rental fee covers. I'm going to be doing the same thing with my Freestyle that you are at some point also.
barnstormer64:
Too bad we can't get the U.S. product above which is made by Conoco Philips.Does yours show it meets Ford spec WSS-M2C930-A rated API SM with the ILSAC GF-4 designation? Our Motorcraft 5W-20 sold at Ford dealers still show the API SL rating to meet Ford spec M2C153H for 2001 model year 2001 and newer Ford vehicles.
Ford specification requires better test limits than what ILSAC allows for in their published standards. I've also learned that the GF-4 standard replaced the Sequence IIIF test with the Sequence IIIG test, and the IIIG test has even better viscosity thresholds than Ford originally allowed for in the 153-H spec. As I understand it, GF-4 was intended to improve emmisions by reducing the amount of the zinc additive in oils, among other things. So it looks to me like Ford simply updated their 930A spec for 5W20 oil to reflect the revised, and tougher, tests in the new GF-4 standard, which net, probably results in a better quality oil for us consumers.
The strange part of this to me is that our Motorcraft oils are made by Imperial Oil of Canada (not stated as a semi synthetic) and their own Esso Extra 5W-20 already shows a API SM rating and GL-4 on their website but not sold in WalMart or our Canadian Tire stores.I believe they're available in Esso's bulk oil facitities.Not sure whether Esso formulates this differently.
Another thing that hit me was I took our Freestyle to the dealer for an oil/filter change as it just went over the 1st 1000 mile mark. The dealer adamantly refused to do this as they claimed it was too wasteful and best to follow Ford's schedule at 3000 miles.Did not make a big issue of that since it was going to be a complimentary oil change and they said to bring it back at 3000 to get the free service. That's ok with me as it gives us some extra time to find out anything else that needs fixing .
As it turned out I changed the oil anyway when I got home with the Motorcraft 5W-20 I bought from the parts dept and while doing that I noticed some slight oil seepage from the edge of the CVT oil pan. Numerous 8mm bolts to check and a few were tightened a wee bit. No further leakage and that's the only "defect" I found so far.
Love the Freestyle.
I often wonder if this TOP TIER qualification is not some kind of advertising gimmick and that these members have to pay some form of royalties to use the name.I also read somewhere that Mobil and many other big names are NOT on the list.
Most gasoline suppliers sold here appear to get their gas from a common source and that each supplier blends in their own additives. I buy my gas wherever I can get it cheaper as prices of late can fluctuate by up to 20 cents/litre and this happens almost every other day.
Mostly I get mine from the independents eg Costco, supermarkets,etc, but my criteria is that they have to be clean looking and well maintained. Never had any bad gas problems. The only time I had bad gas was in a top name station in California (run by some unsavory looking characters) which was undercutting everyone else and not very well maintained. Took a chance and should have known better.
I'm sorry for sounding biased but I believe generally speaking our Canadian gas is better quality than U.S. gas. That's just my experience and some like Arco's which is oxygenated , may burn cleaner, but it sure produces lousy mpg.I think folks here are more cost sensitive over gas prices and if a certain station sells bad gas they're toast as far as getting any further business.
BTW what kind of mpg are you getting now with the Limited FWD which as you know was what we wanted in the first place.The wife's Ltd AWD just went past the 1000 mile mark and the computer records about 19 mpg U.S. gal overall.I try to use different excuses to add some extra miles for the mpg's to improve but this will take some time.She won't trade with me for my 2001 Explorer Sport Trac.
http://www.komotv.com/stories/36995.htm
After reading your post I checked the tire pressure and they were exactly 35 PSI all around compared to the recommended 32 PSI on the door sticker.However this was taken during the heat of the day right after my wife drove home.The Pirellis ride smoothly and soaks up the bumps very well so we are very satisfied with the present inflation reading.
That's even better because I love driving thru Oregon on I 5, beautiful road and great scenery with the rolling hills and pastoral setting.The only problem is that the Oregon Hwy Patrol seem to be all over the place as well as using overhead spotting planes.
Love to shop in Oregon. Great prices and no State sales tax. Wow you must have saved a bundle on the FS Ltd FWD, what a deal !! Not only do we pay a higher price for our FS ltd AWD we are overtaxed with GST and Prov. sales tax. :sick:
Fill'er Up: Feed Your Ford Quality Gas
All gasoline is not created equal. "Poorly made gasoline can leave harmful deposits in your engine, which can cause mechanical problems, adversely affect performance and increase environmentally harmful emissions," says Jim Simnick, associate research engineer for BP.
That's why Ford Motor Company recommends engine-cleaning gasoline, such as Amoco or Arco gasoline from BP, that's formulated to bring out the best performance. BP offers fuels with cleaning additives that keep your engine clean and deposit-free.
So there's the word from Ford, though it sounds like a marketing partnership to me. :confuse:
I tried to post a link to the article, but you have to register with myford.com first.
On another site someone made the following observation in regards to where a cabin filter might go:
"On the FS, open the glovebox all the way, then squeeze the sides together to let it flop open completely. You'll see the HVAC fan right there, look at the top of it and you'll see a rectangle molded in the plastic, I'm thinking that is where the filter would go. Canadian literature I've found seems to indicate there is a filter on those cars. maybe they have an access panel there instead of the blanking panel."
I know the Cabin Air Filter has been discussed previously. Has anyone determined if indeed it is possible to add a cabin air filter and if the filter mentioned above is the correct one?
Thanks!
The engine uses 5W-20 - that's new for me!
Did you know that the same engine is used in the Jaguar S type?
Where? I don't see one, nor do I see one for the Five Hundred.
I do see one for the FreeSTAR, though.
Here's a link to the Freestar cabin air filter:
http://www.fordaccessories.com/product/FordAccessories/Cars/Freestar/Freestar-Cabin-Air-Fi- lter/FreestarCabinAirFilter.aspx