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Ford Five Hundred/Mercury Montego
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Comments
A pro-SUV co-worker admitted to me that his honda minivan with 2WD and stability was better in winter than his 4WD SUV.
This is an extra bonus to the added safety of stability.
Also there are more sensors for a vehicle with Stability control such as a Yaw Sensor. A steering input sensor, a acceleration input sensor and probably helps if you have a car with drive by wire throttle.
Mark.
But if a buyer feels more safe in a vehicle with stability control, then he or she will buy that. In addition, the systems do actively prevent vehicles from going beyond limits the vehicle can sustain. No, they are not perfect, and some conditions can be too much for the system to overcome. But like airbags, they add a clearly measurable extra margin of safety.
If Ford's competitors offer the system (some as standard equipment), then Ford is going ot lose more and more customers who care about such things--unless Ford begins to offer the option.
Second, you can not use "nested" folders. The disc should have a main directory with folders and in each folder should be the actual MP3 Files. you can put the files in a folder that is inside a folder.
Mark
Ford removed the flat door molding from the middle of the door and replaced with a wedge shaped molding at the very bottom edge of the door. The car now looks completely different and very very European.
Mark.
Yes, I am back here because the too-short Sport Trac box and too-tall tailgate would be way less useful to me than the trunk of the Five Hundred or Montego.
In summary,
SE goes away.
SEL is decontented to 06 SE level but there is a SEL Comfort package and SEL Interor Power Package that brings the car back to 06 SEL level of equipment.
Ok that makes NO sense.
All FWD cars are now 6-speed..
Options that added are Family Entertainment Package and Sat. Radio oh and Heated Seats are available on SEL.
Mark.
I don't use folders at all. How would that make a difference?
Again, thanks.
My response from Mercury was this: "...we recommend that you contact Visteon Audio at: www.visteon.com or (800) 847-8366." Upon doing so, Visteon told me they have nothing to do with my vehicle (Mercury) and told me to contact Delphi.
When I did that, I got the message "Thank you for contacting delphi.com. Delphi does not work directly with consumers for this type of information. The reason for this is that the vehicle manufacturer controls the warranty and policy for products that Delphi sells to them. Please contact your vehicle dealer for the information you require regarding your audio system. If your dealer can't answer your questions, they can contact our technical support at 1-800-428-0501.
I just contaced Mercury again to find out what exactly this mp3 on the radio means. (I'm sure I know what it is (playing mp3 discs, but just want to hear it from them.)
Stay tuned....
• Your Family Entertainment System supports discs containing up to
255 files. Discs containing more than 255 files will not play.
• Always save MP3 files with the .mp3 extension. The player recognizes
an MP3 file by the .mp3 extension, so MP3 files saved with different
extensions will not be played. Never save a non-MP3 file with the
.mp3 extension as the file will not play properly.
• The player supports multi session discs. However, be sure to import
the previous session of the disc before you add new files. If you do not
import the previous session, only the last session will be played.
• When burning a disc, ensure that you close/finalize the disc
before playback, or the disc may not play properly or an error
message may appear.
• Some CD-RW discs may operate inconsistently and may cause an error
message to appear. We recommend burning MP3 files onto CD-R discs.
https://web.msslib.dealerconnection.com/RightSite/getcontent/myfile.pdf?DMW_OBJE- CTID=09000c588052f3e0
Mark
Also, I know this is stupid but make sure you are actually ripping into MP3 format.
Most computers out of the box do not have MP3 ripping software installed or if they do its only a trial version.
If you didn't pay something for MP3 ripping software, there is a good chance you are not using MP3 format.
Windows Media Player rippes in wma unless buy an add on.
These players are very finiky. It could just be the CD writer that you are using. It could be the brand of CD-Rs that you are using. It could be the allignment of Mars and Jupiter etc.
Mark.
I'm using some older Kodak Gold CD-R (rated at only 4x, though I'm burning them at 40x without issues).
I'm using NERO to burn the CD-R's. I burn them in a single session.
I'm using only a single level of folders (all tracks for an album area under a folder with the album name).
Mark.
I'm hesitating because I want to include vehicle stability control, a feature I understand will be available on the 2007 models. The one negative that probably won't change is the basic driving experience, which is less responsive than I'd prefer. Oh, the cars goes where you steer it, but it's clearly a large, American-style freeway cruiser.
But . . . in comfortable, safe, and reasonably reliable passenger cars, there aren't that many choices.
Based on the Five Hundred's recent sales record, large discounts off MSRP should be available.
Mark.
I say to get the AWD so that you can get the CVT instead of the 6-speed tranny.
But then I just love the CVT.
The only experience I have with Ford is my mother 1983 Ford Escort. Brrrr.
I would NOT forget the AWD. Had there been no AWD, I would likely have bought a Legacy or Outback Wagon.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060407/AUTO01/604070379/1148-
I agree that the Five Hundred needs a new engine, one that's smooth and quiet. As to acceleration, it comes with the price of reduced gas mileage. Once again, I wonder if Detroit isn't fighting the last war.
The NY Times recently had a good article on how today's family sedan will match (or better) the 0 to 60 mph times of many muscle cars of the 70s. Americans want speed, not fuel economy.
The side is just bland, taking a graceful Audi-like look and making it more anonymous. Yes, of course it is not high fashion. However, it will only look even less inspired as it gets more out of date.
Chrysler's approach, creating a "fashion victim" works quite well actually. By the time everyone is tired of it, they will have issued a complete redesign--something they frequently do. Like it or not, it encourages people to buy new. As an aside, when cars get old enough to become classics, it seems to be the odd and bold that garner attention, at least as much if not more than the understated designs do.
Ford is famous for putting new front clips on previous designs and calling it a redesign. In no case that I can recall, has that approach turned a lukewarm seller into a hot commodity. I do hope in this case that it does spur sales (especially too if they plan to fix that too-wide console that robs driver room). It's a decent ride, and Ford could use the sales. Thus, in this case I sincerely hope you are right and I am wrong.
It just strikes me as another example of too little too late. In the first place, why didn't they use an overall shape more like the widely acclaimed 427? (And why didn't didn't they do a quick reskin a Crown Vic in that fashion for another specialty model, rather than that half-a**ed effort Mercury called the Marauder?) Issuing a design that looks a lot like a 1998 German car is hardly an attempt to lead with something new.
I wonder at what gasoline price this attitude will change substantially?
Gene
Sounds like it could be the same engine/tranny to me. Certainly the transmission.
b. The 3.5L engine coming from Ford was NOT developed with General Motors.
So, nothing from the Impala experience will translate to the new Five Hundred.
And I used to own a 00 Impala LS and now have a 05 Five Hundred, which I intend to trade when the new 3.5L comes out...
GM and Ford will both use the new front wheel drive six speed automatic they jointly developed, but neither is yet selling a car in the US equipped with it. However, by one or two years from now, all GM and Ford front wheel drive or front wheel drive-based all wheel drive cars will probably be using that new transmission. The programming of the control electronics is different for each company.
Ford and GM both have completely unrelated six speed automatics for rear wheel drive, or rear wheel drive-based all wheel or four wheel drive vehicles. Ford is now using their old four speed automatic in the Crown Victoria, Town Car, F-150 and Grand Marquis, their newer five speed automatic in the Explorer and Mountaineer equipped with the V6, and their newest six speed automatic in the Navigator, and Explorer and Mountainer V8s, and will use it in the 2007 Expedition and Navigator. GM is now using their new six speed automatic in the Escalade and the Yukon Denali, but it will soon spread to the rest of their GMT-900 vehicles (Sierra, Tahoe, Silverado, Etc., replacing their old four speed. GM also has a five speed automatic for some vehicles (e.g. the CTS).
If that newspaper were any honest, it would also state the mileage figures of today's family sedan and 70's muscle cars.
As a matter of fact, Americans want speed and get fuel economy as bonus.
Since then, total U.S. vehicle mileage has remained virtually unchanged. During that time improvements in engine performance have gone to improved acceleration.
In post 3124 I said " ... since the 3.0 in the Fusion, Zephyr, and Milan now produces 221 horsepower on regular, if the 3.5 is only just as efficient, it will produce 257, not the 250 horsepower Ford estimates. However, it seems almost impossible that such a long delayed new engine will not be much more efficient than the unit it replaces, so 270 horespower on regular seems entirely possible, even likely." Ford - where is my 5 horsepower? Just kidding - Ford has done an outstanding job, especially in light of the simplicity (less to go wrong), and the fact that it only requires regular gasoline.
From what I have been reading, the new 6-speed automatic is equally outstanding.
You are mistaken.
" . . . . . passenger cars over in the 4,500 pound weight class and above made up 50% of the 1975 new car fleet but only 0.9% of the 2000 model new cars. The decline in full-size car weight is not due to introduction of SUV’s since the market share of 4,500 pound and heavier passenger cars had dropped below 1% by 1985. Since adoption of CAFE, small passenger cars got heavier while large passenger cars got lighter . . . . "
http://www.autosafety.org/article.php?scid=77&did=319
Bur your link also indicates the average vehicle has gotten heavier in a more recent time period:
Advances in fuel economy technology have lead to a gain in overall fleet from 1980-2000 from 22.5 to 24.0 even though the average weight of the fleet went up from 3,227 pounds to 3,868 pounds during that time frame.