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Comments
The driver side door speaker now rattles a bit when I crank up the stereo volume slightly (note: I rarely use my 3 in 1 stereo).
I plan to put power lock in the ECHO...has anyone put in his/her? How much? and where? Thanx.
My broken climate control temperature lever and worn-out clutch are certainly repairable on an otherwise fine old car. But a new car would be fun.
Is the Echo sporty/snappy enough to drive to keep me happy after being spoiled by zooming around in my GTS?
Will a dealer let me order one, or must you pick from existing dealer lots' inventory?
(After reading hundress of messages on this board, I am still not clear on this. I know dealers are annoyed by factory orders, so they won't volunteer. Should I insist? And why are they annoyed by this? Seems like a sale is a sale one way or the other.)
I am considering using the Costco Auto Sales program. Any experience or tips? It promises to be low-cost and hassle-free.
Is the Echo cheap or inexpensive? Is it a good-value alternative to the Corolla (which is so deadly dull in every aspect lately), or is the Echo a cheaper knock-off with low entry costs but mounting long-term costs?
Does the Echo have an air (pollen, dust, etc.) filter for the climate control system?
Lastly, should I get air-conditioning? I hate they way all a/c units seem to grow mold & mildew eventually. Breathing output from a mold-making machine cannot be healthy! Do modern a/c units still suffer from this? Is there any way to clean out nasty a/c units? (My mechanic says 'No'.)
--Basil
And thanks for contributing all the informative discussion on this board.
--Basil
Regarding factory orders. The cars are built in Japan and sent here. I believe that for the 2000 model they sent 50,000 here and that was it. I don't know how many 2001 models are allocated for the US. It seems that if a customer wanted something special, their dealer would check with other dealers around the country to find what their customer asked for.
Can't really answer any of your other questions.
Basil: as far as a/c unit having filter...no. At this price range it is not something that is common. I also don't know if I want to pay for filter replacements for the life of the car. Mold will still grow in units with a filter if you don't follow some simple rules to prevent it.
*if you live in a damp area make sure you run the vent without the a/c on to help dry out the system.
*run the a/c yearround to ensure proper function. Yes, even in the winter to keep the unit properly lubed and running.
*if you have been using your unit a lot when it's hot out make sure to follow the first tip to ensure the condensation dries up.
No one can tell you what would be best as far as repair or buy. I traded a very balanced and sporty ride for my Echo; ZX-2 w/5-speed. It's a matter of what's important to you. My Echo doesn't corner as well nor does it have the same power over tall mountain passes as my ZX-2 but it doesn't get 20mpg in the city (sometimes 18 w/ac on) The Echo is a very fun ride and has a lot of power for its intended role.
I wasn't expecting much when I bought mine and am still happy I did 4 months and 6k miles later!
Make sure to ask your dealer what the build schedule is, though (they should have one for each month), so you'll know what options are readily available. If you're looking for something not on there (like side air bags on a 5-speed, for example), you'll be looking at a much longer wait.
To get the sound you need to be going about 40mph and it seems to get more frequent and
louder if the fan speed is set up.
It will sometimes make the chirping sound with the fan off.
Nothing else seems to affect it.
It may be a malfunctioning chime module etc.
Have any of you experenced this and if so what did you do to fix it.
Thanks for any helpful information,
Paul
2) This exposes the "computer" which controls the engine. Disconnect the three connectors and the two screws and remove the ECU. (hint:it might be possible to leave the connectors in place and just unbolt the ECU)
3) The fan is behind the ECU. Remove the three screws and the connector and pull the fan out then you can check for debris.
4) There is something called a two way flow heater. This squirrel fan similiar to the one way, but it has two fans one atop the other. It doesn't have three screws holding it in place. to remove:
a) disconnect the control link
b)disconnect the connectors
c)disconnect connectors clamps
d)disconnect wire harness clamps
e)remove screw (1)
f)release the claw (yes, the CLAW) and remove the air duct.
I suspect that most ECHO models have the one way blower. Good luck and let us know what you find.
our small town and assumed it was me.
She saw a man and woman but could not tell
who they were. Her interigation ended
only when our son said he saw it too and
it was not me. Now I want to know who has
the second Echo, same color, 4 door, etc,
so I can tell others honestly that it wasn't me.
but no suspension damage at all. And a small kid scratched the door with his bicycle while I was parked. But here's a very minor drawback that I bet others can duplicate. If I drive at about
60mph and have only 1 window open (full or mostly open), I get a heavy drumbeat throbbing.
It's enough to make you change your window setup. I think it is strong with a rear window, and not so strong with a front one. Try see. (We now have 6 Echos in our town of 5000 people.)
Thought you might like to hear how my ex-Echo held up in a recent crash. Not to send bad vibes out, but after all, these things do happen...
While driving on a small, slow back-country road (i.e., I wasn't even up to 25 mph yet) I had to brake suddenly to avoid a pair of foxes that ran out in front of me from an adjancent field. The initial braking and swerve were just dandy, but then I had to avoid a car coming at me from the other direction like a bat out of hell, and had to swerve again. Somewhere along there, I hit a mud puddle, which didn't help, and much as I tried, I couldn't stop the car from fishtailing. (And there was someone behind me, so I just couldn't throw on the brakes.) I held on as long as I could because I had to do everything possible to keep the car from going off the rough road into a canal, but after several seconds I realized that I really had no say in the matter.
The car flipped and rolled to the left; it landed on its roof. I'm one of those drivers who sits ALL the way back in the seat, and since I had my seat belt on, I was exactly where I should've been--except upside-down. I was able to reach up and unfasten my seatbelt easily, and as my window was completely broken out, I simply crawled out of it.
I didn't realize what sort of shape the car was in until the next day when I saw it at the body shop to get my personal things. Here's the lowdown: the entire roof was crushed, except for that part of it directly over my head--otherwise it had gone down into the headrest of the passenger seat. Three of the four pillars supporting the roof remained almost completely intact. All of the windows were broken out, but for the windshield, which crumbled into bits but somehow hung together in place. The right side of the car looked as though it had been hit by something. The trunk and hood both popped hopelessly open; the battery exploded, and the passenger door was jammed shut.
Maybe this doesn't sound good--but I'd buy this car again in a heartbeat. One of my main reasons for getting it in the first place was the interior room and the really phenomenal headroom. Had it not been for such a roomy interior, all that headroom, and the fact that the interior of the car remained completely intact (but for part of the roof...) I wouldn't be here today. Honestly, to look at pictures of the car, seeing the external damage to the front end and sides, you'd expect the worst. The man who witnessed the accident told me he didn't expect to see anyone get out of the car, and yet I was taken to the hospital with nothing but minor cuts on my hands (since at the last moment I held them up over my head). After the fact, I realized I'd actually hit my head and had a concussion--and had some minor bruising--but this car did a darned fine job of absorbing the shock in a freakish situation.
raeby: sorry to hear you are having so many frights driving your Echo!
While I only have about 6k miles on mine, I've never had the car hydroplane. Are your tires set at or below 32psi? You may benefit with a tire upgrade; I had Michelin MXV4 Energy Plus tires on my last car and they had great wet traction. A wider profile tire may help witht the directional stability issue as well. I have driven through some pretty bad winds (35+mph) and find that as long as my speed is not above 60mph the weaving is not bad. Any light car/high-profile will do that.
I bought the same car you have and I also live in Aldergrove and commute to Vancouver daily (128 Kms). Had the car undercoated by Ziebart. Where had you done yours? You don't live on 26th Ave, do you?
If you live in Aldergrove why does your profile say you live in Santiago Chl.
Changed my id to be shorter. Used to be pulgomaus.
I made a mistake and didn't review my profile.
Santiago, Chl is where I was born and I thought the flag doesn't look bad either.
So, do you live on 26th? I've seen a silver ECHO almost at the end of the road. (Rottweiler neighbour). HE HE
Today she asked for my Echo for another trip to a wedding this weekend. I told her okay but to try to give those remaining bugs a chance to live. I must not forgot to tell her to avoid any more bargains.
My Echo during the week. Her Echo on weekends. I was glad bugs washed off okay.
I was taught not to swerve around animals in the road. You go to the right and end up in the ditch. You go left and you hit someone head on. And the poor animal may go either direction and you hit him anyway. One night only two yards in front of us was a deer running in place since it could not get traction on the hard road. Luckily we were able to come to a dead stop so no vehicle or deer/dear damage. And wear those seat belts!
Yes its the one on 26th. Where are you.
Animals v. cars... I think it's a natural reaction to brake or swerve when something walks or runs in front of moving vehicles. From some of the stories I've heard about deer collisions, I would rather end up in a ditch than hit one. I've heard of the deer coming through the windshield and killing the driver. Had an acquaintance who had a Dodge Omni and hit an owl that flew at him. Had to have the front grille and radiator replaced.
I'm new to this site. I'm interested in getting an Echo...it will be my first car. The positive comments I read about it were encouraging. After I calculated the cost of the 2000 model(including dest.fee and options) using invoice prices it came to $11731. Would it be okay to say I won't pay more than $12300 for the car? It's probably a stupid question, but you know how we college students are.
As I was driving along the road in the parking lot, I saw a light blue four door Echo. I parked near it and found some more paper. As I was writing the note, the owner came back to her car. She was a sweet lady and spent about fifteen minutes with me talking about our cars. I gave her a suggestion to check out Edmunds.com and this comment section. Hope Edmunds gets the remodeling done so people who do not know their way around can find us.
I let the lady go finally and started my drive home. As I was passing under an overpass, I saw a silver four door Echo driving on the overpass.
Three Echo sightings in one day. Looks like more people are getting smarter around here.
Off to work.
It's really funny, but one day I saw four ECHOs in the same area within a 5 minute time period (two reds, a white and a gold). Then for weeks no sightings at all. Then out of the blue I'll see one here or there. They're almost always driving in the opposite direction I'm going. I almost never see one parked. I guess the owners like driving them too much.
About a week after I got mine, I was passed by a young lady in an ECHO. We both caught the light up ahead. She was stopped in the turn lane and I passed her. I looked back, we both grinned at each other and waved. Most other ECHO drivers I've passed don't seem as friendly.
As far as I know, my ECHO is the only one residing in my neighborhood.
I keep reading in different car pricing books (like Consumer Guide and stuff like that) that the Echo is not selling too well. I find that hard to believe. It seems like every other day, there is another new owner on this forum alone.
Keep up the good work Ford.
Pat
Host
Sedans and Women's Auto Center Message Boards
My ECHO has 29,400 and going strong!!
It seems that 3rd is geared for lower speeds - it really 'screams' (relatively, of course) at 40, and 4th is much better sounding from 35 up. I usually end up taking 1st to 20, like I said, but the car really lets me know it when I do. I reserve 5th for anything on a 45 Speed Limit (50-55 actual speed
Where do you guys normally put the shifts in? Is there anything going on under the hood that I haven't figured out quite yet that I may need to learn?
Thanks for your time,
Peter
Just got my Silver Echo with pkg #1 A/C, CD/Tape w/6 spkrs etc. For $12,888 plus tax and license.
Included is free oil and filter for life plus free smog tests for life($60 here in CA).
Thought I got a great deal.
Had the windows tinted and what a great look.
Love my Echo.
HANED (have a nice Echo day)
TOM
In the first few thousand miles, don't rev it up high, it's not broken in enough yet. Once you
are well broken in, then here is a pretty close rev counter. 1K revs is 5mph in first, 10mph in second, 15mph in 3rd. The Echo is made to go just above 6000 rpm, so your very max revs
would correspond to 30mph in 1st, 60mph in 2nd, and 90mph in 3rd. In 4th you can go to the 105mph max without hitting top revs.
....When I want to make a fast highway pass, say from 55-75 mph I don't hesitate to put the Echo in 3rd and it'll do that in a hurry. Anyway, don't rev up your Echo unnecessarily and often, or I suppose it will just wear out sooner. But I flex it from time to time, you sure can. Use your own good judgement. Also, don't rev it highly when it's not well warmed up. Finally, giving it gas when the revs are too low is definitely not good for it. Don't give it a lot of gas unless you have at least 2000rpm going, that's my rule of thumb. (You can figure those numbers for the individual gears.)
...I'm up to 27,500 miles now, it sure runs strongly and smoothly.