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Steve, Host
Steve, Host
So bottgers, some of us are still around, but we're just not posting at this time.
And for anyone that's interested in a change of topic, our temp gauge is still displaying inaccurate temps. I thank my lucky stars right now that that's all that seems to be wrong with our MPV.
Hope your holidays were nice bottgers! Sharon in Minnesota
you probably mean or meant ABS. but ABS won't stop you any faster if there is no traction to be acquired between the surface your driving on and the tire. infact, if i'm not mistaken, it could actually increase your stopping distance if it is mis-used (driver pulses brakes).
stability control, now that's a different matter and technology, one I'm still trying to figure when it would come into play. it's not on my car, and i think the flavors are different among the manufacturers. not sure how that might have helped when it's really bad...i think it depends on the scenario when there is yawing of the vehicle, but these aren't offered on the MPV or the Honda, so they are non-factors per your experience.
maybe you had some bad road conditions that threw off your situational awareness - like maybe some hard-pack ice or black ice below the powder...or maybe the MPV just has a weight and/or a weight distribution different than your Camry. maybe the tires are inferior in performance in the snow to what is/was on the other car. maybe you're just mentally trained up for driving with the other car and just need to get more experience in the snow with the MPV.
who knows.
even with all these lovely technologies like ABS, Traction Control, Stability Control, 4Wh Drive or All Wheel Drive...you still have to be careful out there. These technologies can leave people with a misplaced sense of security.
if you got a bit worried, then maybe you are a good driver and you were actually getting a handle on the extremes to which the combination (you and the car) can perform in the given conditions.
regards
I don't have a copy of the owners manual handy with me here, but it is explained there.
-Brian
To maximize ABS performance on slippery roads, you must FULLY depress the brake. Second, the system is designed to give you steering control while braking so if you can't stop you can at least steer away from trouble.
Also, if conditions are really terrible, you might want to decrease tire pressure to increase the road contact area.
Finally, you might want to purchase winter/snow tires to increase grip even more.
I just got back from a ski trip to NH in my 2004 MPV, and while the tranny is still problematic I was satisfied with both the TCS and ABS performance given this is a FWD van and not a 4WD SUV.
Maybe the tranny is getting hot and causing both the hard shift and warmer air flowing through the vents. Sarcasm intended!
Steve, Host
It's thru Mazda, ZERO deductable and valid at ALL Mazda dealers. Cost was $1600 and I think now it will be worth the security down the road.
I have the hard shift thing (occasionally) plus this heat vent thing and those power doors which will probably poop out at 50K miles anyway....
I went with 6 years 100K miles. Did it on all my previous units and always came out ahead. Tranny's replaced on my old DC, AC replaced on my Toyota Cam, etc.
Someone mentioned that the FIX was out now...anyone heard if this is true (tranny fix)?
My heater is working OK and once the engine is warm I get plenty of BTUs...also careful to drive at least 5 miles before turining engine off to gibve it a chance to warm up a bit. These are extreme conditions.
Also topped off tire pressure. I see lots of cars on the road in this cold with woefully underinflated tires.
BTW: Al Gore is in New York warning about "Global Warming".. The cold is just your imagination.. That boy is one brick short....
Tj
And wait and see - Al's going to point out that global warming causes extremes :-)
Steve, Host
Steve.
Steve.
Shall we get back to the fun stuff now, like the latest 2-3 fix theory?
Steve, Host
I asked the dealer here in the Twin Cities and he reiterated that statement. I asked a trans. specialist at a local shop and he said you should change it every 24K miles!
What are we suppose to do on these MPV's??
I can't imagine NEVER changing the fluid; especially with all these problems this tranny has anyway....
Thanks, TC
ANT14 "Ford Explorer/Mercury Mountaineer" Jan 16, 2004 7:05pm
Steve, Host
Steve, Host
I tested the temp of the 2004 MPV tranny using an infrared thermometer under various conditions and it usually falls into the 170-180 range. However in stop and go traffic I got as high as 190.
This would suggest that changing the ATF at around 50K miles if you plan to keep the van into old age, otherwise forget about it.
Changing the ATF in the 2004 should not require dropping the pan to replace the filter as the 2004 transmission does not use a filter but a screen. So if the fluid is relatively clean you can just change the fluid at the connection points to the AT oil cooler, which is just in front of the radiator.
Because of the hard shift problem and my frustration with the Mazda dealer, I found a reputable transmission shop and had them chnage my fluid to Mobil1 ATF.
While the engine was running, they disconnected the input line at the cooler and drained the old ATF out while at the same time adding new fluid at the dipstick tube. The process used about 13 qts. Total cost for fluid and labor $150.
The hard shifting persisted after the change for about 200 miles, but started to diminish. For the past 2 weeks and about 500 miles, the van no longer exhibits the hard shifting.
The MPV is one of the best buys I have made, it has worked like a charm, no problems anywhere. I haven't even made it into the dealer yet for the fog light recall.
John
The only reason I changed the entire system over the Mobil1 was to try to deal with the hard shifting.
BTW, after two weeks I did get one hard shift yesterday. Will see if it was an anomoly or if the problem is back again.
Steve.
Steve.
Keeping my fingers crossed...
Steve.
My bump and jerk shifting still happens at first cold start...no matter if -10 or +30 in MN.!
Do the duratec engines really need the 3k interval pampering to last 100k? Are there any tell-tale signs to look for? Anyone with "iffy lube" issues out there or any insight at all on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
davec6: If you have all of the receipts and you spoke with the owner, I don't see a problem. Yes it's Jiffy lube but you are only talking about changing the oil. I know a number of people in Edmunds recommend getting an oil analysis.