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Comments
The cover around the stereo is easily removed by opening the storage bin above the two center vent ducts and gently (but firmly) tugging at the top edge of the trim and working your way down. You'll also need to disconnect the plug for the passenger airbag indicator, but that snaps out pretty easily.
If you order from Crutchfield, you'll get a nice adapter that will hold a DIN-mount stereo and give you a small storage bin underneath. They'll also give you a Ford-specific wiring harness which you can connect to the wiring plug on the stereo with crimp connectors, or you can go to Circuit City and get a pre-built adapter for your stereo and the Ford wiring harness that just snaps together. If all you want is a stereo with a CD player, that's the easiest way to go.
If you wire it yourself the whole job will take about an hour and a half. If you buy the snap-together wiring adapters it can be done in under an hour.
The higher the mirror is mounted the better it will do it's job.
As the mirror is lowered, the line of site out of the back window is going to shift up. Think of the bottom sill of the back window as a pivot point. As the mirror is lowered, the point of horizon out the back window will swivel up relative to the mirror.
The reverse sensing system will help in this situation, but I wouldn't rely on it.
Granted people with impaired views (DVD players, sunglass cases) will NEED to move the mirror down, but in all other instances, the higher the better.
Do you have the Safety Package option on your window sticker? If you have that option, then you have the perimeter alarm. Then if you click the lock button on your remote TWICE (within 3 secs), you should here ONE beep. if no beep or two beeps or whatever, you need to tell exact this situation to the dealer. Or, if you do NOT have the perimeter alarm, you should still hear the SAME thing. Let me know what you got?
:P
I alternate between driving my 2000 Camry and Freestyle and I am noticing the jerks and lurches on the Camry more and more each day. I was concerned about the CVT at first but now loves the smooth ride. I am glad I got the Freebie over the Highlander.
- After you removed the cover did you need a special tool to remove the factory stereo or did you just have to unscrew it?
- How did you wire / mount the XM antenna?
- Where did you get the adapter that let you control the XM from the steering wheel controls? Is that something specific to the Pioneer or will that work with other aftermarket stereos?
My plan is to buy an Alpine unit that will allow me both to get satellite radio and control my iPod - if anyone is interested I'll post the results here of how well that goes!
Hope you get the Freebie you want and I hope I didn't deter you from a potential purchase. I really love this vehicle, feel good in it, am proud to own it and wonder why I don't see more of them. I think they will soon fill the landscape like my previous trusty Explorer has around here.
I wondered about reliability of the CVT but I can't imagine Ford taking any chances on it and have gotten used to the smooth ride it delivers.
My Freebie is just great !
Ford accessories sells one for the Freebie (www.fordaccessoriesstore.com, Part no. YL2Z-19B507-AA), but no one could tell me if I needed crossbars or not. :shades: Good Luck!
Considering the Freestyle is basically the same vehicle and share kinship, I think it's safe to say by now it shouldn't pose an issue. In case your wondering, no there wasn't a "Crossover" category...therefore the Freestyle or Pacific for that matter, were probably pushed into another segments tally.
* Performance/handling
* Volvo chassis/Haldex AWD
* Flexible passenger/cargo space & volume
* Safety ratings/features
* Seating height
* Mileage
* Price :shades:
1) Had nice experiences at Ford dealers and poor ones at Chrysler.
2) CVT transmission over 4 speed slush box.
3) Full economy
4) Appears to have less initial quality issues in its first year over the Pacifica which was a nightmare (do not buy one built before oct(?) of 2004).
But the most important ones were:
4) Overall usability - seating configuration space.
5) It is sooo much easier to get in the back of the Freestyle and has a lot more space than the Pacifica.
6) With the 3rd row up there is more useable storage in the Freestyle
7) Doing our STROLLER test, there was considerably more room than the Pacifica.
8) I liked the ability to fold flat all the seats including the passenger so you can carry 2x4x10s in it (will be framing out our basement this year). The Pacifica's flow slopes upwards and the passenger seat does not fold flat.
Things we prefer about the Pacifica:
9) My wife found the seats to be more comfortable.
10) We preferred the look of the fit and finish of the dash. Seemed more luxurious.
11) The exterior gave a more upscale appearance.
12) Better audio system.
13) Electric opening rear hatch (though one more thing to go wrong..?)
In the end it was a close call and it all came down to useable space in the rear.
I had exactly the same reaction at first. I called Crutchfield just to be safe, and they filled me in on the details.
After you removed the cover did you need a special tool to remove the factory stereo or did you just have to unscrew it?
The factory stereo has four flanges that just screw on to the center console. You'll need to save the screws for the adapter for the head unit.
How did you wire / mount the XM antenna?
The XM Direct package has a magnetic mount antenna. I put that on the roof just ahead of the roof rack, and ran the wire behind the weatherstripping around the trunk entrance. I then filed a small channel into the body so the wire could get inside the car, and then ran it under the inside panels up to the passenger seat. This is not as drastic as it sounds -- you cannot see it as it gets covered back up by the seal around the rear opening.
Where did you get the adapter that let you control the XM from the steering wheel controls? Is that something specific to the Pioneer or will that work with other aftermarket stereos?
Crutchfield sells it, and it's actually quite the clever box. You tap into the lead from the steering wheel unit, the switched 12V line and ground, and then program the box to emit the equivalent signal from the remote control when you press the matching button on the steering wheel. The unit comes with excellent instructions on how to do this -- it looks daunting but it's really not that hard. Another wire comes out of the converter box to a small IR transmitter, which sends signals to the head unit. It requires that you have a head unit that comes with a wireless remote. The recommended installation involves drilling a small hole in the center console, which I didn't want to do since I'm leasing. :-) But, I ran the transmitter wire under the left side of the center console, and taped it in place so that it hangs out but points at the stereo and works beautifully.
My plan is to buy an Alpine unit that will allow me both to get satellite radio and control my iPod - if anyone is interested I'll post the results here of how well that goes!
Alpine sells a unit that has an XM receiver built in. It's more expensive than the Pioneer, and I didn't care for the display, but after you add the XM Direct pieces the price is about the same, and you don't have extra hardware that needs to be powered and located somewhere in the car. All you have to do is run the antenna wire all the way to head unit. The Freestyle is big enough that you might have to stretch to do it, but I'm pretty sure the XM antenna lead is long enough.
Good luck! It's a pretty satisfying project once you get it all done.
.
I had been waiting patiently for the Limited FWD for quite some time since at first it was stated as late availability.Due to overwhelming demand for AWDs, Ford decided not to market the Ltd FWD in Canada only about a month ago.
So to make a long story short WE TOOK THE PLUNGE ! made TWO deals yesterday. Sold my wife's Merc.Villager and put in a deposit for a Limited AWD which my dealer located in Canmore,Alberta, just outside of world famous Banff townsite.
Although this is to be wifey's car and she doesn't drive in the snow ( reason why we first wanted FWD) , now I have good excuse to drive it even more so than my trusty Ford Explorer Sport Trac.Hell it was a blast every time I got to test drive the Freebie.
Meantime the wife is going nuts waiting for its arrival.Has all the bells and whistles except for family ent. DVD and the split 2nd row as she preferred bucket seats and the extra console.The other dealer had it undercoated, don't know why unless they do it in snow country, and also added locking wheel nuts.A small extra cost to us but our dealer absorbs the transportation cost.
Since the '05 orders are now closed the key is to find a sales rep. from a good dealership who will work with you to find the exact car or close enough that you specify.
Now is a very good time to hit the dealerships as there are some pretty good purchase incentives offered.We bought on X-Plan which included all that and quite possibly there might even be better deals in the U.S. as dealers could be a lot hungrier due to more competition.
Our dealer has also offered us a loaner Freebie Ltd for 48 hrs . Will do it early next week as it should take about a week before ours arrive.. Did not take it immediately as we have to attend a wedding tomorrow and did not want to rain on the blushing bride's parade and have this hot looking Freestyle Limited stealing her show.
deal wasn't that good, considering they had a $5000 rebate to work with.
Radio: AM reception is very poor. Even local stations have significant static. Compared to other cars I have owned and rental cars I have driven, this is the worst radio reception I have heard. When I mentioned this to the mechanics at my Ford dealership, they concurred that the Freestyles have poor AM reception.
CD player: CDs tend to skip on a regular basis. Homemade MP3s and CD-Rs are often not recognized by the unit.
Cassette player: Not available as a factory-installed option.
XM and Sirius satellite radio: Not available as a factory-installed option.
Overall grade: F. I don't understand why Ford would use such a cheap and inferior unit as the premium sound system on its flagship vehicle. As a result, I could not recommend this vehicle and would suggest either the Pilot. Magnum, or Tribeca unless you are willing to budget for an aftermarket stereo. :lemon:
I was just driving my SEL today with all windows and sunroof open and thought ... I'm lovin' it.
You'll enjoy the Limited. One advantage over my SEL is the radio. You get the title of the cd in each slot. I removed three before I found the the one I wanted to remove (lol). Of course you've got the 18" wheels, monotone paint so we know what your drivin' without reading the hatch.
Let me know your opinion of the reverse sensing system and ... hope you had a nice time at the wedding.
Try a test drive of both. Or just SIT in both. The decision is that easy. Really.
The Pacifica just doesn't have any room in it.
Seems to work quite well. Though it's still a bit hard to COMPLETELY trust something like that. Call me over-cautious.
It starts beeping about 6 or 7 feet away from an object. As you get closer, the beeps get closer together in time. By the time you get about an inche or two away, the beep has become continous.
I have seen four more Freebies in the last week or two, so someone here must be dealing on the 2005s. :shades:
tidester, host
I might go for something like that in a future vehicle.
1) Is the 2007 Freestyle going to make an early appearance, like Spring 2006 instead of Fall 2006, i.e. is it less than 1 year away?
2) Which comes first the "Mercury Freestyle" or the 2007 Ford Freestyle.
I was all ready to buy a Freestyle but decided against it because I want Electronic Stability Control and will not settle on a car without it. I prefer to save 10% gas milage rather then get AWD, and I do live where there is snow.
I was disappointed that Freebie does not offer ESC even as a 2006. I do not really care about the 3.5L in 2007, but was thinking that maybe by then they will offer Advance TRAC.
Is that a wrong assumption?
Last question: It looks like the 2006 only differs from the 2005 in terms of 1 more color and Nav System. Are there any hidden changes, that do not show up in the ordering guides, for example more sound insulation?, 2nd row privacy glass?, a different tuning of the CVT?
Any insights or hints would be appreciated.
(1) Re early 2007 appearance, there is info saying that the Ford Five Hundred will go thru some re-facing in 2007 so Freestyle could follow suite. Evidently, the new Ford Fusion (see Ford.com ... new and future) introduces the new 'Face of Ford' to be seen on all future Ford cars - a three bar grill and stretched headlights.So, Freestyle could get this look too by changing the egg-crate grill and changing the headlight design. I suppose it's whether Ford wants Freestyle to show car heritage or SUV heritage. Not sure.
(2) Don't know. Mercury is not offered in Canada.
(3) Re Advance TRAC, I thought that was part of Ford's 4X4 setup. Freestyle is not a 4x4. It's AWD with a highly respected Haldex system also equipped on big ticket vehicles (Volvo XC series).
I know nothing about ESC so can't comment on it.
Hope this helps.
Thanks
Steve, Host
Also, by registering on the site, they will typically email you a coupon to reduce the price further.
Seems to me that the cladding at the bottom of the doors is not going to prevent any door/shopping cart dings since the sheetmetal projects farther out than the cladding.
Thanx for any in put
I don't have the manual in front of me, but I'd guess the CD in question was burned on a PC, with all of the track information provided by CDDB or similar service, and then written out with each of the tracks. I don't know of any CDs you buy at the store that have this feature -- the standard music CD format doesn't support it, if I recall correctly.
We had it towed to the dealer, though when we got it there it seemed cured -- even the dash light was no longer on. The diagnostics had stored some codes however, and the mechanic informed us that the vehicle had been serviced for this exact problem 1 week before we bought it, which was obviously disappointing to hear.
Despite the dealer's general ethical shortcomings, the mechanic gave me what I believe was an honest explanation of the problem. Apparently Ford has been seeing a number of CVTs (in both Five Hundreds and Freestyles) with what at first appears to be a loose-wire sort of transmission problem -- dash light comes on, forward motion is impaired or nonexistent, but when the vehicle is restarted, it behaves fine, the dash light does not reappear, and diagnostics show no problem (beyond the stored codes).
Ford believes the problem is a sticky solenoid in the CVT mechatronics unit and recommends replacing the unit to address this problem. The mechanic said this is new service advice that is only available via Ford's technical hotline and does not appear in their regular service system (neither the printed manual nor the online program). (These are all communications methods between Ford and Ford mechanics, I don't think owners have access to any of them.)
After 8 days off the road, we got our Freestyle back a few days ago and have not seen any repeat of this problem. I must say the whole issue, particularly the fact that the vehicle had been serviced for this problem a week before we bought it, had me reading up on my state's lemon law. However, I do trust that the mechanic repaired the problem to the best of his abilities, and his honesty went a long way toward making me hopeful that the problem is now solved.
You'll see that the radio preset button #6 says 'Text' . Press it when a CD is playing and you are supposed to see song title, artist name and album title.
If you do not see this info then maybe the CD does not have this data stored on it ... but your newest CD should.
Any advice from someone who's upgraded?
Thanks!
Sounds like you're a perfect candidate for a minivan...if you could only get past the stigma of it being a minivan.
They make minivans with AWD....and high towing capacity. (BTW, have you noticed the new Durango looks more and more like a minivan every year?)
My question is, would it have enough power to transport me, my kids, my boat, and all out stuff for a trip out to the lake, without having to floor the gas pedal the whole time. Sometime early next year, I plan on making the purchase. So Im not in that big of a hurry. But if it would be a little underpowered for my needs, can someone recomend and performance mods, or somthing that could help with that issue.
How big is your boat? Towing capacity for the Freestyle is 2000 lbs
The Freestyle is too new to have any performance mods
No, I left them alone. I have an SEL -- can't recall if the Limited's speakers are different. I've been extremely happy with the sound they produce. The factory stereo wasn't that bad, IMO, but I think the stereo itself made a huge difference.