Ford Escape Mazda Tribute Maintenance and Repair

maltb · July 2002

There were never any reports of this occurring. However, the potential was there, thus the recall.

muckyduck · July 2002

"I think he really drives a late 80's Chevy pickup."

And I've got the beer cans flying out of the rear all over Texas highways to prove it!! And of course, the gun rack showing very clearly to all them Yankees that invade my soil.

"He is entitled to his opinion, no matter how little value it now holds with a lot of folks around these forums."

Now you've done it - you hurt my little 'ol feeeeeeeeeelings.

BTW, FYI, FWIW and OTOH I could care less about this Mazda Tribute/ Ford Escape problems thread. So, don't fret - I'm sure Ford will not go out of business because of me. You all keep on defending your favoRITE car.

IIRC - I own a 2002 Honda CR-V EX Automatic in silver and

LOVE IT

fear_hope · July 2002

Does anyone know if the stalling problem has been resolved for the 2003 model? Is the problem fixed on the Escape/Tributes being built now? Does anyone know where I can find this info?
Thanks in advance.

howards2 · July 2002

Im in the same boat. Drove a 2002, loved it, chose not to buy yet. There is too much evidence of potential difficulty. Put aside the message boards and visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration online. They dont post thier consumer complaints frequently - but last I saw there were 116 stalling complaints with 2001s and 68 with 2002s including those built relatively recently. Read each complaint. Not that many compared with total vehicles on the road, but when you consider that less than 1% of folks with problems actually post with NHTSA or even know about NHTSA it becomes far more significant. What is really scarey though is to look through the list of problems people have had with it besides stalling. Its a new vehicle and as others have said, it will be refined. Finally, you can send for and pay for the FULL RESEARCH that NHTSA has done on this problem. That will be the most telling I believe. I decided to spend the bucks and pay for it. Im waiting for it now. If there is interest let me know and when I get a new scanner, I'll try and scan in some relevant material.

scape2 · July 2002

well with all you Escape bashers.. you better read the latest Motor Trend...... The Escape beats up on the CRV and VUE.. UH OH!
The stalling issue is getting way blown out of porportion. Please do your research and see for yourself
Proud owner of a Black XLT V6 AWD 12,743 miles. Privacy glass all the way around, running boards, 6CD, rock gaurd, bike racks ontop, splash guards, Euro antenna, the works.. And I love it!

bri66 · August 2002

............i'm a proud owner of a 2001 XLT.........How many times are you going to tell us that one? How much do you charge to haunt a house? Please let me know what your next purchase will be so that I won't be on the same links.

bri66 · August 2002

I turned 30,000 miles on my 2001 XLT V6 tonight coming to work. Only one stall during this time with the same MO, decellerating 40+ mph going down a hill.....etc. I travel that same road every day and have never had another problem, although I remember each day what happened prior to be prepared. I too am a proud Escape owner. I have had no problems at all with mine and would not hesitate to buy another one. The only other vehicle I drive that I enjoy any better is my 66 Mustang. So it's OK I think to post both problems and enjoyment about the same vehicle.

fear_hope · August 2002

I am very interested in the NHTSA report. Please post relevant info when you obtain it. I too test drove the Tribute more than once and love it. It has all the features I was looking for, but I can't deal with an auto that is unreliable and develops numerous problems over time as a result of poor build quality. Waiting to see if reliability improves. If 20-25% of these cars are coming off the line with problems, chances are I would end up with one and be miserable.

snowcricket · August 2002

Thanks for the e-cable suggestion. Been there. I'm taking it back to the dealer (again) tomorrow. I came back from a long weekend and hopped into it to go home and had to rock it back and forth several times before the wheel released. I am not entertained by having to do that every time I want to go somewhere. If the dealer says he can't find a problem (... if he says it again--like one more time), I'm running up the road and trading it in for something "foreign".

howards2 · August 2002

I will try and post the relevant materials when I get them. I do believe that your stated level of concern at 20 - 25% is probably considerably higher than what has been reported. But at what percentile do we care to spend tens of thousands of dollars and have an experience similar to those reported? My concern, and I personally believe it is a justified concern, is that there is a design flaw present - that each vehicle has the relevant part that could cause the problem at any time - or never. As the vehicles age there is always the chance that the problem could then 'kick in' - initial stalls have occured anywhere from the test drive at the dealers (one magazine reporter had that happen when they were test driving the vehicle for review) to many thousands of miles. To be balanced, there is NO RECALL on this vehicle. I personally believe that is because there have been few reported actual accidents and no fatalities, at least that I have seen reported. Ford has issued at least two Tech Service Bulletins on this problem but it is not clear that the fix works. eg note that on the NHTSA site, several complaints are as recent as July 2002. Note: I am not an Escape basher. I am a future Escape owner. I LOVE the thing. Ford denies there is any problem whatsoever - my dealer called them when confronted with this information - that is NOT a good sign given all that really is out there and their clear knowledge of the problem given the TSBs. Escape is one of the few really profitable vehicles for Ford right now from what Ive heard - I believe that 1) They are sincerely trying to fix this problem and 2) They cant admit that it is a problem officially for monetary reasons. Not yet a satisfying conclusion.

baggs32 · August 2002

howards2,
Excellent post! I think that sums the whole thing up pretty well. However, I don't think a "part" is involved. I think they were a little too aggressive with the idle program, possibly to increase fuel mileage a little (lower idle = higher fuel mileage). Ford has several other vehicles that use the exact same engine with the exact same parts (hardware if you will), and they do not experience this problem.

I really do believe that the latest TSB does fix the problem along with some other minor things like fuel mileage, tranny performance, etc.. I would like to think that Ford is going to use the PCM routine from the TSB in the 2003's, but only they know that for sure.

howards2 · August 2002

And I sincerely hope that your are! We should actually know shortly. Once the 03's are out, if this problem is no longer routinely reported with those vehicles, it is likely that 1)Ford built the fix into Prodution instead of the aftermarket and 2) that the fix does in fact "work"! This would also demonstrate responsibility and foresight on Ford's part. And it would be time for me to visit my local Ford Dealer once again!!

monicaf1 · August 2002

Hello,

I'm glad I came across these postings about the stalling problem with the Escape.

We own a great 2002 escape. We've drove from Chicago to Atlanta without any problems, but in the past week our car started to stall when driving off from a parking space or after stopping at a red light.

We took it in to our ford dealer and since they couldn't reproduce the problem they didn't fix anything and now we would have to take it again since the stalls are increasing. I've had 2 stalls today, and the day before 3.

Extremely upset about this. We bought the car in march 2002 and had never had a problem until this week.

normkol · August 2002

I bought the Tribute, even after reading all the stalling messages posted here. I figured it was only a small percentage. Tonight, after 4 weeks and 1100 miles, I experienced a stall. Same as the others, coasting downhill at 35-40 mph. My car was built in May, 2002.

I'm not running to the dealer yet, but I will be very conscious of it in the future.

Monicaf1, if you're stalling at red lights and on takeoff, it sounds like a different problem that what most are having.

justdrifting · August 2002

Hello,

I bought a new 2002 Tribute ES a while back and bought the 'special' pollen air filter. It's called a "cabin air filter" (part number 0000-8M-G01).

Anyway, I finally got around to installing it. When I popped open the "filter box cover," I was expecting to have to have to remove the old one; however, there was nothing there, just an empty space!

My friend beleives that my Tribute was supposed to ship with a preinstalled cabin air filter, but my wife suspects that they all ship this way (without); then they sell you on the filter to pop in there.

So I'm asking you guys out there: Do the Mazda Tribute ES's ship with a cabin air filter preinstalled or not?

Thanks in advance!

normkol · August 2002

Since it is sold as an accessory, not a replacement part, I would imagine it does not come as standard equipment.

From what you're describing, it sounds easy to install. Is it? Might be worth getting. How long is it supposed to last?

justdrifting · August 2002

It's easy to install, but getting to it isn't so easy.

You get a set of instructions, which is nice. You gotta remove the cowling. Once you do that, there's a box cover that pulls out. You'll see a slot to put the filter in; it just drops in.

I'm just disgusted that the air drawn in from the outside was never filtered in the first place. Shame on me for thinking that it was being filtered...

justdrifting · August 2002

Well, I just called Mazda.

They DO NOT include any air filter in this spot. You have to buy the accessory and put it in; it's kinda like having a slot for a stereo, if you choose to add one.

I think that's pretty lame. Anyway, just so you others are informed.

Thanks.

jwbet · August 2002

My Tribute is 2002, new to us this summer. When we first took ownership of the vehicle, I noticed a slight mildew when initially starting the AC, which disappeared once it was running. It's been getting worse during the past few weeks, and it is particularly bad if just the vents are used rather than AC. Is there a repair for this? Dealer suggested spraying Lysol or Windex directly into vents on dash...I am not a fan of breathing either chemicals or mildew. I thank you for any help from other Tribute owners.
Jane

justdrifting · August 2002

You can take the car in and have them spray something called Frigi-Fresh in the blower motor.

It works wonders.

tributeph · August 2002

My Tribute (2k miles) has a vibration problem (side to side sort off) noticeable at low speeds of 35 to 45 mph. This condition started at high and low speeds and after the dealership balanced the tires (Continental), the condition continued at low speeds. They then changed the tires on it and balanced them again. The problem still exists although to a lesser degree. However the dealer service director is telling me that this is normal for all Tributes, and that there hadn't been any problem reported of the like. Has any one experienced something like this? And how was it resolved?

jwbet · August 2002

Thanks, Justdrifting. I will see what I can do. If they do not have this item, is it available to the public? Jane

stever · August 2002

There's at least one place selling it on the net for ~$12 and most dealer parts departments should have it (again, per a google.com search). It has an EPA number so I'm guessing it has "chemicals" in it :-) BG page

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

jwbet · August 2002

Hi Steve,
Thanks for the information. I am very frustrated with this problem. Is it common to all Mazda Tributes? I have allergies to mildew, and am sensitive to chemicals. This does not seem like a healthy solution to me. Is there an alternative that Mazda offers, such as re-configuring something in the system to prevent the pooling? We've owned many new vehicles in the past, and this is the first time I've ever encountered something as severe as this.
Jane

justdrifting · August 2002

Yes, this stuff is not something to leave around for a kid to get hold of. They should have it.

To do it yourself, you need to remove the cowling and a filter box to get to it. It's the same place that you can add a cabin air filter.

Also, you may wanna get a pollen filter (see my cabin air filter post) if you have allergy problems.

stever · August 2002

Jwbet, you sound like my wife - no allergies, but we don't shampoo rugs around here. When the few remaining ones around here get too dirty, we'll toss them and put in wood flooring. She won't shop IKEA or other "outgassing" stores either. All that chemical stuff bugs her.

I seem to remember some info by Wwest about A/C and mildew. I'll try to find it or ask him for help.

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

jwbet · August 2002

Hi Steve,
Thanks. I'll keep coming back to check for any more news from you about the AC problem. I also have a phone call in to Mazda. I hope to hear back from them later today. Apparantly, this is a problem that has been written up for service techs, but the person I spoke with could not access it that early in the morning (West coast vs. my East Coast). I will post whatever information I am given, if I can explain it.
Jwbet

wwest · August 2002

Mold, mildew, dirty gym sock odors, windshield fogging.

These have always been a problem ever since air conditioning started being used in cars.

At the heart of any A/C system is the evaporator, cooling heat exchanger. Liquid refrigerant is "injected" into the inside of this heat exchanger and as "warm" airflow is forced over the outside the refrigerant inside "boils" as it absorbs the outside airflow's warmth. The result is the outside airflow can be cooled as low as 33F. The liquid refrigerant "injection" rate is metered in various ways so the the evaporator's cooling surfaces do not decline below freezing.

Cold air cannot sustain, hold, as much moisture (gaseous water, water in the atmosphere as a gas) as warm air, so oftentimes as the A/C system cools the airflow its relative humidity level rises to saturation and that results in the gaseous water condensing out of the airflow and onto the evaporator cooling surfaces as dew.

This is why the evaporator's temperature cannot be allowed to decline below 33F, if it did the condensate would freeze and the evaporator would then be blocked to all airflow. The chamber, plenum, containing the evaporator is provided with a water drain near the bottom so as the moisture accumulates into larger and larger dropplets they can flow freely out the drain.

Note that as long as the A/C operates and the incoming outside airflow's relative humidity is high enough the building of condensate levels on the evaporator surfaces is a continuing, continuous, process.

So when you drive into your garage in the evening and shut the A/C system down there will always remain a thin film of condensate on those surfaces. And that thin film of condensate will remain in place until the A/C plenum temperature rises to a level, and for a long enough period, for the condensate to begin to evaporating.

Note that if there is no substantial airflow route, convection or otherwise, the atmosphere within the plenum will be super-saturated with moisture when you start the car up the next morning.

Bacterial (mold and mildew) growth. These bacteria thrive mightily, multiply at an tremendous rate, in a damp and dark environment that remains at 55 to 70F for relatively long periods, say Tucson or Phoenix at night in the summertime.

Then in the early ninties automotive manufacturers started converting their A/C system from freon to the LESS EFFICIENT r-134a, and the mold and mildew and windshield fogging problem has been like a snowball rolling downhill ever since, gathering speed and mass as it goes.

more...

wwest · August 2002

Speed and MASS.

Since R-134a is less efficient than the freon it replaced, the loss of efficiency had to be overcome somehow.

I'll use my 1992 LS400 as an example. My 1984 T-bird's A/C evaporator had approximatly 2500 square inches of heat exhanging, metal cooling surface area. The 1992 LS400's evaporator had over 10,000 square inches of metal cooling surface area (the LS was not converted to R-134a until later, but Lexus advised me that the A/C system had been designed even with the first LS model with the conversion to R-134a in mind)

At about the same time a passenger airbag was added and then an in-dash CD changer/player. So at about the same time the A/C evaporator had to become more complex to make up for the loss of refrigerant efficiency it was also growing more compact.

Begin to sound like a sponge, maybe? Well not yet.

By 92 Lexus had discovered that the "new" A/C, designed and manufactured by NipponDenso, Denso US here, was the source of the horrid mold and mildew odors that customers were complaining about. So they came up with a solution, embed an anti-bacterial chemical onto the evaporator's cooling surfaces, KILL them suckers before they multiply.

How did they do THAT?

They coated the entire evaporator surface area, all 10,000 square inches, with a PORUS nylon film, dipped it into the anti-bacterial chemical and until the chemical leached out of the pores no mold or mildew could survive, let alone thrive.

But just guess what the result was once the chemical leached out of the pores? Now you didn't just have 10,000 square inches of surface area, you had 10,000 square inches of SPONGE covered surface area.

From about early January and into the fall or 1992 the LS400 remained parked becuase it couldn't be trusted not to suddenly and spontaneously, without any warning or indication whatsoever, completely fog over the front windshield.

By the fall of 92 I had analyzed the system well enough to begin to understand what was happening and I began religiously opening the sunroof and windows slightly each and every night once it was in the garage.

There remains a flaw to this day with the entire Lexus product line, or any automatic climate control system designed by NipponDenso or Denso US. They simply don't seem to grasp the laws of physics as they pertain to the occassional need to quickly defog/demist the front windshield and keep it defogged/demisted. More about this later.

Another aspect of the operation of the 92 Lexus, and actually many other modern day vehicles, even my 01 C4, is the fact that the A/C compressor remains operational even with outside temperatures below freezing.

The only reasonable explanation for this was given to me recently by a Porsche factory representative. He said that it is Porsche's method of suppressing the horrid mold and mildew smell, if the A/C evaporator surfaces are kept coated, continuously, with a thin film of moisture, then that that covers and suppresses the mold and mildew bacteria and thus the smell of their chemical "out-gassing".

Help for Ford and Maxda owners.

On browsing the internet you will find that Ford, if you complain mightily, will "cure" the mold and mildew odor problem by installing a product like, or maybe this actual product"

http://www.airsept.com/eed.html

I understand that many Saturn models come from the factory equipped with an equivalent device.

Mazda, in australia, still makes use of the anti-bacterial chemical coating as I described earlier, so for you Mazda owner's maybe you should be prepared for episodes of sudden windshield fogging and heavy mold and mildew odors once the chemical leaches from the "sponge".

stever · August 2002

Thanks Willard!

Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

jwbet · August 2002

Thank you for that incredible explanation, Wwest. And thank you, Steve, for contacting Wwest for help. I will suggest some of what was said in that message (especially the AirSept system) if needed when I speak with the Mazda representative. I will post whatever information I can regarding this situation. Why don't all the Tribute systems suffer from this problem? I am not the only one to own a Tribute in high humidity areas that are conducive to the condensation/bacterial growth problem. Thanks again for your help. jwbet

wwest · August 2002

When the A/C system is first shut down the A/C evaporator will likely be at about 33F and covered with a thin film of condensed moisture.

Depending on the ambient temperature, it might take hours for the evaporator and its "surround" to rise in temperature to a level in which the condensate begins to evaporate into the "local" atmosphere. "Local" might mean, be restricted too, the atmosphere only within the A/C evaporator plenum alone.

Absent an airflow path, convection maybe, once the local atmosphere becomes so super-saturated with moisture the majority of the condensate is left on the evaporator surfaces.

That was the case with my Lexus.

Starting out on a cool or cold morning, the Lexus climate control will not activate the blower motor until the engine cooling water jacket rises to 130F, so as to not discomfort the passengers with a rush of cold airflow to their faces. Additionally, they "baffle" the natural airflow due to the car's forward motion by forcing a reversal of flow direction, until the blower starts up all system airflow is routed toward to interior windshield surface.

So if you own any Lexus, or quite possibly any vehicle with a Denso design, you can expect to oftentimes encounter, about 5 miles down the road on a cool or cold morning, a suddenly fogged over windshield at about the instant that blower motor starts up.

The final solution(s), which I'm quite confident the manufacturers will come around to within the next five to ten years, is to use a POWERED exhauster port. Passenger cabin atmospheric exhaust fan/blower that activates:

1. If any defog/demist mode, partial or full, is activated.

2. If the rear window defog is activated.

3. At any time the A/C has been shut down and the A/C evaporator temperature begins it rise to an evaporative level.

4. Any time the cabin atmosphere's RH or CO2 levels rise 10% above the outside levels.

Something I still don't comprehend..

In the clear majority of circumstances Lexus/Denso relies SOLELY on the dehumidification capabilities of the A/C system to remove condensation from the windshield in either defog/demist mode. And this doesn't pertain only to Lexus, it appears to be an industry wide oversight.

If your A/C system can be functional for dehumidification purposes then it is quite reasonable to use it as an aid, along with tons of HEATED airflow, to defog/demist the windshield and windows.

Operating the A/C with outside temperatures below 55F and with no substantial level of radiant heating is nothing more than a waste of gasoline. A HUGE waste at cruising speeds wherein the A/C compressor contributes a substantial portion of the engine loading.

With outside temperatures below 47F, and lower, the RH levels must be extreme (for most regions of the US) for the A/C system to contribute any level of helpfulness (airflow dehumidification) for defog/demist functionality.

Yet today that is exactly what many manufacturers recommend, still.

Lexus, at least, or at last, is partially acknowledging that they understand the problem. LS430's built for the Canadian market have electrically heated front windshields. It's as if Lexus thinks there is some magical climate control going on between the borders. Or of course it is entirely possible that Canada has some laws with teeth regarding the ability of a vehicle to quickly clear the windshield of condensation and. keep it that way. It was, after all, the Canadians who put resolve into the DRL issue.

deserttan · August 2002

Took my 2001 ES-V6 into the dealer to fix the stall problem (had copied the
service bulletin from this message board). They re-flashed the PCM. Definitely
affects the tach. No longer stalls going downhill at 40MPH. Noticed that the RPMs
are higher on the downhill coasting now. They asked no questions, just performed the service,
no charge.

wwest · August 2002

1992 LS400 DIY modifications.

May have application otherwise, elsewhere.

OAT (Outside Air Temperature)sensor. Lexus uses this sensor in the control loop for the cabin climate control but it is also used, at least in the earlier models, to determine when to shut down the A/C compressor circuit. If the outside temperature declined below about 34F then the A/C compressor clutch was automatically opened.

During actual use of the 92 LS it would not take very long after the A/C compressor circuit was opened for the A/C evaporator temperature to begin to rise and that would then result in a continuously rising RH within the passenger cabin due to condensate now released from the evaporator surfaces. If the windshield happened to be cool from cold outside airflow impinging on it at 60MPH you would very soon find yourself staring at an opaque (fogged over) windshield.

I discovered that there were numerous occassions when the predominant outside temperature was below freezing yet the windshield would spontaneously fog over as if the A/C compressor had stopped after having been operational for some period.

What was happening was the OAT sensor, mounted on the backside of the front bumper directly forward of the radiator, was being affected, heated, by the radiant heat coming from the radiator at low speeds, at long traffic lights, and in stop and go traffic.

I moved the sensor into the front of the passenger side fender well. I have subsequently noted that some manufacturers have moved this sensor to the drivers side outside rear view mirror to prevent this from happening. For their part Lexus now uses the evaporator's downstream airflow temperature to determine when to open the A/C compressor clutch circuit.

I also used this sensor circuit for yet another purpose. I found that if I added 2500 ohms in series with this sensor then a 47F actual OAT the system thought it was below freezing. I used the resister, switched into the circuit during the winter months to preven operation of the A/C compressor anytime the ambient was below 47F.

My 92 LS has four 12 volt "muffin" fans, two in each quarter panel, that I added. They are used as automatic cabin atmosphere extraction/exhaust fans when the front defog/demist mode or the rear window defog heating is activated. The LS's factory cabin airflow exhaust route is quite thoroughly baffled, I'm sure to restrict the airflow (close the refigerator door and keep the MPG rating up).

Additionally, the "final" outlet ports are located at the bottom of the rear quarter panels where I have little doubt that a reasonably high air pressure exists "at speed". Absent my extraction fans or an extremely high system blower speed to pressurize the cabin the RH would simply build and build, especially with a goodly number of adults in the car.

The third(?), last modification, involved the IAT (Interior Air Temperature) sensor. Once the Lexus cabin atmosphere temperature nears or reaches the setpoint, typically 72F for me, the climate control's (full) defog/demist mode will actually route airflow cooler than the setpoint by as much as 20F.

If I should activate the defog/demist mode, I just might be doing so because the windshield is completely misted over. IMMHO any system that does not instantly make the utmost effort to defog the swindshield is quite seriously FLAWED.

Until Denso established an american presense, and even today with most european vehicles, activating defog/demist would/will instantly get you MASS windshield airflow routing, a higher blower speed and the re-heat mixing vane moved to the Max heat position. The A/C system might or might not remain in operation, on come on-line with defog operation.

On the hottest day of the year my 01 C4 will quite thoroughly discomfort me by blowing LOTS of hot airflow to my face, reflected from the windshield, and I do not care, mind, in the least, not one iota.

On the numerous occassions when my LS windshield would suddenly fog over it was a difficult procedure to quickly "tune" the system to most quickly remove the fog. Activate the defog function, then raise the blower speed manualy since "it" didn't, then start "toggling" the setpoint rocker switch, each toggle raising the setpoint 1 degree F, 72 to 85 (max).

Nowadays I simply reach down by my right knee and flip a switch adding a resister in series with the IAT sensor, making the system "think" the cabin has suddenly gotten damn cold, then by the time I reach back up and activate the full defog function the system has raised the airflow heating level to max and the blower speed to HIGH.

With my 01 AWD RX300 a few things had changed.

The OAT sensor is no longer used to signal a shutdown of the A/C compressor. Additionally even if I manually turn off the A/C compressor the system will still activate it, without illuminating the indicator, in either defog/demist mode.

So I added a switch in series with the system's high/low refrigerant pressure "limit" switches which I open in the wintertime to completely prevent the A/C compressor from operating.

The Rx's temperature setpoint control is a "twist" knob, and thus all I need do to move it to Max heat when I need defog mode is a quick clockwise "flip"/spin.
Hope some of this helps.

jwbet · August 2002

Thanks again, Wwest! You have an amazing store of information about these systems. I am printing out the lot of it. Wish us luck as we try to combat the problem.
Best regards,
Jwbet

wwest · August 2002

Apparently the high end Toyota Highlander comes equipped with filter and filter tray but the low end HL does not. You can upgrade the low end models by buying the holder and filter.

So the Ford escape not coming with one doesn't surprise me.

And to my knowledge they are ONLY pollen filters, no odor (smog) combating capabilities nor any anti-microbe chemicals.

I neglected to mention FOOD for the growth of bacteria. The Pollen filter will prevent some of the airborne food the mold and mildew bacteria rely upon but not likely enough to prevent their growth, especially the flimsy Toyota/Lexus version.

Having many times in the past had to clean leaves, bugs, insects, mouse turds, and other miscellaneous debris that over time accumulates and will block much of the airflow through air conditioner evaporators I suspect that the primary reason pollen filters have become more commonplace is to prevent that level of debris from entering the system.

The filter in my 01 C4 is virtaully the equivalent to the 3M filtrete furnace filter, highly efficient and thus short-lived, while the one in teh RX is about as flimsy as one could get.

igot1forya · August 2002

yep...My front seal is leaking on my 2002 ES after only 1400 miles. I knew thats what it was but it took the dealer 2 days to tell me. Now they say they want to replace the entire tranny. Thats nuts! I'm guessing they want to send the tranny back to see what caused it. I almost had to really get nuts when they mentioned a re-man tranny.."You have got to be kidding me" No way !!! I want a crate tranny if you are gonna replace it. My question is this....what else do they have to pull in order to get that tranny out?!?! Does the engine have to be pulled? I have worked on many vehicles but nothing like this thats why I ask the question....thanks for any help..
Mike

maltb · August 2002

Now they say they want to replace the entire tranny. Thats nuts!

Not really. If the seal is gone it's probably because it had a bad bearing from the get go. Because the tranny would have to be opened to replace the bearing, Mazda requires that they replace the trans. This is to your advantage as the rebuilt trannys are repaired by experts in a controlled environment. Besides that, there is a good chance that the tranny in a rebuilt container is actually new as they are probably building their core bank.

Just a hunch.

igot1forya · August 2002

You have a good point....makes me feel a little better....ty

jim99000 · August 2002

I've had a 2001 Ford Escape XLT for the past year and a half. At 14,000 miles, the automatic transmission stopped upshifting properly. The dealership replaced the entire transmission assembly. Everything was fine until the 20,000 mile mark, when again the entire transmission assembly had to be replaced.

My dealer claims that he doesn't know what went wrong specifically because he simply replaced the whole assembly without taking it apart.

I'm curious whether such transmission problems have been experienced by others. Does anyone know what the problem is or have any suggestions as to how to prevent future problems?

My wife and I love the Escape otherwise, but this transmission issue will become very annoying if it keeps popping up as a problem every 10,000 miles or so.

bri66 · August 2002

I have 33,000 miles on my 2001 and have begun to notice a chatter coming from possibly the front end as it is automatically shifting. At first I thought it was the road surface, but now I'm not sure. It kind of feels like there are deep grooves kind of like the grooves they cut along interstates to warn nodding drivers. Has anyone else had or felt this happen?

scape2 · August 2002

I would highly recommend you get it in asap if you feel there is anything wrong with your vehicle. You are only 3K away from your warranty expiring!... I would take your Escape in and have it checked over from head to toe. It may cost you about 50-100 dollars but may save you some big bucks in the long run.... Let us know what you find...

bri66 · August 2002

My Escape came packaged from Ford with the 100,000 mile powertrain warranty included from my previous 2000 Explorer purchase. It may be nothing, but some bad roads. When it happens its quick, no loss of power, etc. It happens so quickly I don't have time to look at the tach. It seems to be shifting while it happens. I think if it were the transmission it would hesitate or slip, not sure. I will schedule a service appointment and will report any findings.

cariza29 · August 2002

I am trying to find out anyone who has had similar problems with the 2002 Escape. I have had a vibration in the steering wheel and on the driver's side since I bought the car 4/02). I have had it in 4 times. It is currently in the shop now for the past 5 days. They cannot find out what is wrong, thought is was realignment, no. Drive shaft? no, Now they are telling me its the distributor to the transmission. truthfully I do not even know what that means and if it is truly a big job that will effect the car. Can someone please let me know. I am at the end of my rope and am collecting information to use the lemon law. Thanks

scape2 · August 2002

vibration is usually from the suspension/tires. What is a distributor from the transmission?????
Get someone who knows cars to go with you and explain what they are doing to try to solve your vibration.

tributeph · August 2002

My 2002 Tribute had a similar problem with vibration and shimmy at high and low speeds. Although it looks different than your situation, what they did originally was balance the tires and the vibration was still there. Then they changed the tires on it and the condition got a lot better, however I still notice a little side to side vibration. They told me that it is normal for SUVs and that I just need to get used to it, since I drove a car before. Perhaps I am being too conscious about it, but I've done some research on it and it looks that it could be an alignment problem. "Too much positive caster" in the alignment could cause vibration as well as a hard steering wheel. This is usually factory set so I don't think it can be adjusted anyway. If it continues I'll bring it back to the dealer. Good luck with your situation.

chris201 · August 2002

Although it cost me financially, I got rid of the 2002 Escape I purchased last September. The vehicle kept stalling at various speeds and conditions (the last time was between 50-55 MPH on a straight stretch of road). Each time I took it to the dealer, they had a new fix from a Ford "service advisory." Although they were confident the fix they made this week would finally take care of the problem, I had lost confidence in the vehicle and the Ford service team. This is a very dangerous problem and I was extremely lucky I wasn't seriously hurt the times it occurred. I will no longer have the anxiety of driving a car that could die on you at any moment.

audia8q · August 2002

...". I will no longer have the anxiety of driving a car that could die on you at any moment...

unless you buy one of the other vehicles out there that have more documented stalling cases than the Escape.

suvshopper4 · August 2002

Which vehicles would those be?

igot1forya · August 2002

well....its going into the 3rd week and mine is still at the dealer. Most of the mechanics have been on vacation. So I guess maybe next week,,,its starting to Miff me off however.

Ford Escape Mazda Tribute Maintenance and Repair

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