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Ford Escape Mazda Tribute Maintenance and Repair

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  • drah8504drah8504 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2001 Ford Escape, 129,000 miles. Everyday when I start the car is has to be warmed up for at least 5 minutes or it will stall when I am not applying gas to it. I took it to the mechanic and he says everything is fine.. the alternator light is on but the fluids are fine. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks!
  • slenverslenver Member Posts: 4
    I apologize for the long reply but I think it is important information.
    I bought a 2001 Escape for my daughter. Although it had 150K miles it was in excellent condition. It really wasn't the vehicle that I wanted to buy for her though but it was what she wanted so what can a father do, lol. The next day after buying it the engine light came on. Then it started having issues, mainly at cold idle. By the end of the first year I had replaced every sensor, coils, etc. At times it would seems to be fixed but it never lasted more than a few days or weeks. Because of the problems with the Escape I now own many electronic tools for diagnosing vehicle problems including being able to connect the car computer to a laptop and read everything that is going on. But the one thing I finally found that was most likely the main problem all along was the gaskets in the intake manifold. Actually, I took it to a local garage and they found that those gaskets were leaking. They were rubber o-ring gaskets and were baked hard. They leaked more when cold so once the engine got hot it ran pretty good. So I was really excited when they fixed it, but!, a couple days later and the problem was back! I decided to pull the manifold to see just what they had done. I found the new o-rings were installed but looking at the manifold I realized it was like a hi-rise spacer so there was going to be another set of gaskets under it. I pulled it off and there was an identical set of o-rings gaskets and they hadn't replaced them! I should have taken the Escape back, they charged $127 to put a $3 set of gaskets on top and didn't bother with the bottom ones which turns out were probably worse than the top ones had been. I replaced those and finally, the Escape was running great.
    I also want to point out that I had taken this vehicle to a Ford dealership and they couldn't find anything wrong with it.
    And I also want to mention one more thing I found wrong with the Escape. Quite some time after fixing the gasket leaks, maybe 2 years, my daughter started complaining about how it was acting up at times. It would randomly quit running but then start right up. Once again I could not find nothing wrong. I had all kinds of false engine codes which led to me swapping some of the old sensors with new sensors and what not trying to track the problem down. I was really getting concerned that it was going to cause her to be in a bad accident. One morning I went out to take another look, I was out of ideas and really frustrated. While it was idling I started lightly hitting things around the engine compartment and pulling on wire harnesses. I pulled on the main harness going to the computer and the engine stalled. A few more times and it quit running. Started back up, pulled on it and it did it again. It turns out that one of the wires, right at the plug to the computer was broken inside the insulation. With so many wires I don't know how I was lucky enough to find it as easy as I did. But it seemed to have a little kink in it. It was a 12 volt red wire. I repaired the break and really have not worked on the Escape now for a year or more, maybe 2 years except for normal oil changes and such. One thing, what was happening with the broke wire is that the engine will move back and forth slightly when breaking or accelerating and it was pulling on that wire just enough to make it quit running, or sometimes just misfire, etc. And it was sending out all kinds of false engine codes. Hope this helps. I have been through it this vehicle and can't believe how many Escapes are out there with so many problems. And with all I have been through I can't help but believe that many of the problems people are having is being caused by the baked o-ring gasket. Check them out if you haven't. Get a Chilton manual which will explain in detail how to remove the manifold. It really is an easy job to perform and it the gaskets are baked, it is less than $10 to replace them. :shades:
  • manymins14manymins14 Member Posts: 3
    Most likely the idle air control (IAC) valve which is right smack on the top of the engine in the center right under the hood. My 2003 Escape suffered from periodically being unable to idle for 4 years with Ford charging me hundreds of dollars each time I took it in and telling me they couldn't find anything wrong. This problem does not "throw a code". Finally after reading this forum, I took it to a recommended independent mechanic and told him to change the IAC. Problem solved!
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    It's your exhaust pipe hitting something under the car. It probably got bent a tad when the mounts were broken, and now needs to be adjusted a bit. Not a big deal.
  • jostu001jostu001 Member Posts: 6
    Many thanks for the response, I've a very limited knowledge when it comes to car however, the noise appears to be coming from underneath the drivers seats, on looking under the car I've notice the exhaust is the other side of the car so I don't think its that. It sounds like metal on metal, is a quick rattle and is more prominent when the car is first started, at slower speeds and at about 1800-2000RPM. It will do it when stationary at lights, and if I take it out of gear it will stop. Most frustrating!
    Thanks again.
    Stuart
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Trust me - from the description, it is 99% likely that I'm right. It may sound like it's coming from a different location - but if you're sitting in the passenger seat, it probably sounds like it's coming from under there. Have the exhaust pipe checked - bet I'm right.
  • jostu001jostu001 Member Posts: 6
    Again thanks for the reply, I'll do just that... I really do hope you're right as I guess it quite a cheap fix?

    Thanks again
    Stuart
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    An honest mechanic should do it for free, or almost free. It's nothing.
  • heidibaileyheidibailey Member Posts: 1
    This is my first use of this forum. My car (Ford Escape 2005, 3L) ran 5 miles per hour, and took to autoshop. The shop told me that the car needs to replace all three catalytic converters (two front ones and one rear one). My car has 110,000 miles. It cost $4200 (parts (3100) and labor(1100) ). Seems like an obscene price. They told me that they will not use after-market catalytic converters which are about ($1400 for 3 cat coverters) coz the engine light will come out again. my understanding from them is that after market cat converters doesn't meet the requirements of FORD manufacturers. p.s. the autoshop took cat converters out, the car is running fine.

    My questions are: 1) Has anyone tried to install after market cat converters and having problems again? 2)Was the check engine light still on after installing after market catalytic converters?

    Any suggestions, past experiences you can share would be greatly appreciated.
  • fgatefgate Member Posts: 1
    edited April 2012
    2005 escape stalls when shifted into gear when on a run for an hour or more i sometimes pull in and stop my erscape engine stops , i can restart it but when shifting it into gear it stalls i have had it to several garages including the ford dealer and they can,t solve the problem solution sugestions i have got was a new battery, ot torque converter in tranny (dealer said it sounded like that was the answer ) but that,s a 1000 dollar suggestion and it may not be the problem .
    after sitting for awhile it will work just fine .but then the next time i drive it for an hr or more it will do it again ,this has happened 3 times now in the last 4 days any HELP will be appreciated may i add that when a code reader is used it displays no error codes
  • wkaywkay Member Posts: 1
    I am having the same issues with my Ford Escape. Did you get the low RPM's resolved? Hope it is not the transmission...
  • retired18retired18 Member Posts: 2
    I had the same problem on hot days,they changed the Idle control valve mounted on top of the engine . The problem has gone away.
  • skk13skk13 Member Posts: 1
    I am having the same issue with mine. Been looking into it for quite some time and now they say the torque converter.
  • coopchangcoopchang Member Posts: 7
    Finally after 3 stalls in the past week which coincided with temperature nearing 90, the check engine light came on. I took it to the Ford Dealership and said please check the Idle Air Control Valve as recommended by many members here as well as a mechanic at my job. Ford called us back and said that was the problem! Got the Escape back and hoping for a stall-less future!!!!
  • amy0676amy0676 Member Posts: 1
    Wondering if you ever found the problem. This is hapening to me right now and your the first person that I have found with like issues. I know from your post this was a while ago. Any insight would be nice.
  • coopchangcoopchang Member Posts: 7
    After the iac control valve was replaced I still had the problem. I had the fuel pump replaced, expensive, that seems to have resolved the problem. Car is running good now. Good luck!
  • lautakellautakel Member Posts: 1
    I have the same issue with my Mazda 2005...only the glass mirror is missing, the rest of the assembly is intact. Did you find a solution to this that you can share?
  • walstonewalstone Member Posts: 4
    I had the exact same fix for my 03 ES/V6 with 70k. The Uniroyal Cross Country tires are terrific. The noise level is near 0 relative to the Contis.
  • beentherbeforebeentherbefore Member Posts: 1
    Hi, I'm going to look at a 2003 Escape with 3.0L engine and 165K miles that reportedly has a bad alternator. Most alternator change-outs for me on other vehicles have been relatively easy repair jobs. Why is this one so difficult?
    Thanks for your help--Dennis
  • undertakeressundertakeress Member Posts: 3
    Because it's underneath the engine and you have to remove the wheel and strut to get to it...
  • marquise189marquise189 Member Posts: 2
    My 2001 3.0L V6 Ford Escape Shake while in idle and while accelerating at about 45 - 55 mph. Sometimes I can speed up or slow down and it would stop. I only have this car to drive to college can you please help me ?
  • bigw4bigw4 Member Posts: 1
    Can you email me a pic or give me a detailed description of where this bolt is in the escape please. Thanks
  • tomchitomchi Member Posts: 9
    Frequently fails to start. Engine cranks but acts overchoked or vapor locked. IAC valve replaced twice, once because new part defective. Changed to different gas. No luck. Fuel pump OK. Only consistent fix is to remove gas cap, poke the vapor shutter to let in air, then start car.
  • mswils411mswils411 Member Posts: 1
    I was driving and the radio shut off , It felt like the ac kicked in harder so i shut the ac off and radio came back on , Turned ac on radio shut off. So I parked , Before I shut off the vehicle the ac was barely blowing radio would not turn on. So I shut it off, When I try to start at all I get is a constant clicking, as if the battery was dead. But I have only had this escape 3 days, I have had no problems at all, this just all the sudden happened.
  • tomchitomchi Member Posts: 9
    edited August 2012
    Mechanic disconnected evaporative emissions canister. Apparently valve is stuck. Car starts and runs just fine now, but CHECK ENGINE light is always on. This is to be expected. The canister will have to be repaired/replaced
  • tomchitomchi Member Posts: 9
    Car stalls after canister disconnected. Back to the same old same old. Remove gas cap, car starts. Drive with gas cap dangling in the breeze. What next?
  • lorim2lorim2 Member Posts: 1
    Hi could anyone provide me with instructions to change the switch for the moonroof on my 2002 Ford Escape?
  • tomchitomchi Member Posts: 9
    Ford dealer did thorough analysis of problem and concluded fuel pump ng. Replacement pump extremely expensive but for the moment the car starts immediately. What next?
  • coopchangcoopchang Member Posts: 7
    That seemed to fix my Escape problems. Unfortunatley it was expensive but it's still cheaper than a new car payment.
  • blueeyed182blueeyed182 Member Posts: 1
    My 2007 Ford Escape dies while in Drive when I come to a complete stop, starts up fine but have to give it gas while putting car into drive so it wont die again. Ive been putting the car in neutral while at lights and stop signs to avoid the car from dying. help please!~!
  • rits2rits2 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2003 Ford Escape Limited 4 cylinder. I only have 43,272 miles. The car has been very good to me, until this summer. I would start my, car drive to my destination (could be a long drive or just to the supermarket), park and then return to restart my car and it would not start. I would have to wait about 1/2 hour give or take and then it would start. It began happening all the time. I brought it to Ford and they had the vehicle there for 4 days, they finally said it was the Fuel Relay Switch that needed to be replaced. Got the car back and all seemed fine until I went on a road trip (2 1/2 hour drive). Going to my destination, I did not encounter any problems, it was on my return to home that I encountered problems, stopped at a rest stop and went in to get a bite to eat came out to start my car and it just would not start. This time it took 2 hours before the car would start, got home and pulled into driveway turned off engine and tried to start and it did the same thing. Next morning the car started.

    Went back to Ford, they have had my car now for 4 days, and finally after I called for an update, the Service Manager is now telling me it is the Fuel Pump and it needs to be replaced. Expensive and considering that I only have 43,000 miles (most of it highway miles) I cannot believe it is the fuel pump. Any other suggestions would be helpful. :confuse:
  • coopchangcoopchang Member Posts: 7
    Most likely is the fuel pump. Had mine replaced in May and haven't had any trouble since. Good luck.
  • tomchitomchi Member Posts: 9
    Yep. Fuel pump. Consider the $900 well spent if it gets you going again. It was the most expensive fuel pump I have ever purchased
  • msfitsmsfits Member Posts: 5
    We had something similar to this happening with our 2011. Ended up having the throttle body replaced last week and it is ok now. It was going to now power, like an idle, while driving, but all functions, i.e. radio, a/c, etc. still working. Husband would coast over to side of road and restart car and it would be fine.
  • putty27putty27 Member Posts: 2
    Any suggestions. Just got into an accident, totaled the car. It was a stuck throttle :( I called Ford on recall, can anyone help with suggestions.
  • roller4roller4 Member Posts: 3
    edited October 2012
    ... as a maintenance item?

    New owner of a 2009 Escape Limited AWD 2.5 4 cyl. I've had this vehicle for the last 7 months and it now has 55,000 miles. Just love it, but replacing an intake gasket as a maintenance item is a new one on me. Dealer wants an hour's labor which in my area is $90. What's the deal with that?
  • bdymentbdyment Member Posts: 573
    Check your service schedule in the owner's manual. I doubt if it is listed. Maybe your dealer is saving up to buy a new boat.
  • tomchitomchi Member Posts: 9
    Did the accident occur after the throttle cable recall repairs?
  • putty27putty27 Member Posts: 2
    Never received the notice, verified with ford my car was under recall. Looking for expert advice on pursuing recovering of damages. I thought the insurance company would help out, covering cost of car, no other damages.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Was it the alternator?
  • mikeyt53mikeyt53 Member Posts: 1
    About 4 yrs ago I had the same issue with my 2002 Escape with the 3.0L and about 81,000 miles on it. Tried to start it & it wouldn't go immediately. Hit the key a 2nd time and a loud explosion & smoke erupted from under the hood. Scared the [non-permissible content removed] out of me when it happened. Blew apart the intake manifold & dented the hood from the inside. Cost me about $1100 in used parts to repair & the Ford dealer never did figure out what caused it. Dealer said initially i must have done something wrong to cause the thing to backfire but to this day i still have no idea what went wrong.
  • nopromech5nopromech5 Member Posts: 1
    After hundreds of dollars and replacing all of the mentioned in the original post, the hose did it, I found the bad hose, covered it with tape and it worked! The hose i replaced had a sleeve covering the hole. so it was hard to find.. I guess the sleeve was suppose to protect it. This also caused my gage cluster to go crazy when I accelerated over 55 mph. This was also corrected after replacing the hose. Hope this helps someone else. It was a great tip.
  • printerman1printerman1 Member Posts: 68
    our 2011 had similar problem..we found the lurching was the tranny gear hunting. This was corrected by software, and then a loud clunking sound (solenoid in the gear box)
    NOW we had the heating motor switch (circular knob on the left), no heat on #1,#2...easy repair for us...solenoid under the glove compartment.
  • printerman1printerman1 Member Posts: 68
    noted this sound in the last few month, conveniently after the 60K warranty expired. Accelerates & brakes fine (except for the grunt sound just as you stop). My daughter confirmed its not my medication.
    noting the sound occurs when Escape in motion.
  • hwmspechwmspec Member Posts: 10
    Most likely the universal joint. I replaced mine on a Mazada Tribute, thumping went away. Easy Fix.
  • daveg1952daveg1952 Member Posts: 1
    Blinking running lights are caused by a faulty "DRLM" Daytime Running Light Module" I've got the same problem. Seems Mazda wants $160.00 for a replacement and all of the part stores I've checked don't even list them. Might be best to go to a wreckers. It is located under the dash about where the drivers knees are. Good luck.
  • sikosiko Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2002 Ford Escape 6cyl bought for my son. As ran well till recently. Now when overdrive kicks in and I start up a small grade it cuts out badly. Once I give it gas and the rpms go up it is fine. If I turn off OD it is fine. Has something to do with the low Rpms. Any suggestions
  • brian2345brian2345 Member Posts: 1
    Hi, what hose(s) are you referring to please? Electrical? Which one(s)?

    I appreciate your reply and help with this.

    Thanks!

    Brian
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,293
    Check the sway bar end link. It's a vertical piece about 5 to 6 inches long.
    I had one replaced that was bent. It should be straight.
    You can go to fordparts.com to see what one looks like.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited February 2013
    "Federal safety regulators have opened a new safety investigation into 724,000 Ford Escape, Fusion and Mercury models over reports of sudden loss of most engine power.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday it has opened a preliminary investigation into the 2009-2011 Escape, Fusion, Mercury Mariner and Milan"

    U.S. investigates 724,000 Ford vehicles for engine problems (Detroit News)

    There's been some throttle body posts in here so if you have an Escape that fits the years, you may want to file your own complaint at the NHTSA (link).
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