34.79 MPG

438.9 MI, 12.615 GAL @ $3.479 = 34.79 MPG

83,267 total miles. 76 on Los Gatos Blvd.

Nice to see the price of gas coming down.

34.46 MPG

452.6 MI, 13.135 GAL @ $3.619 = 34.46 MPG

82,828 total miles. 76 on Lark at Los Gatos Blvd.

The recent drop in MPG roughly coincides with the end of daylight savings time and a commute home in the dark (headlights on).

34.05 MPG

351.4 MI, 10.320 GAL @ $3.719 = 34.05 MPG

82,375 total miles. Valero on Meridian.

37.00 MPG

281.0 MI, 7.594 GAL @ $3.879 = 37.00 MPG

82,024 total miles. 76 on Lark at Los Gatos Blvd.

36.05 MPG

249.0 MI, 6.907 GAL @ $3.979 = 36.05 MPG

81,743 total miles. 76 on Lark at Los Gatos Blvd.

36.00 MPG

488.4 MI, 13.568 GAL @ $4.599 = 36.00 MPG

81,494 total miles. Chevron on Montague at McCarthy.

36.09 MPG

491.6 MI, 13.620 GAL @ $4.669 = 36.09 MPG

81,005 total miles. Valero on Saratoga and Moorpark.

37.30 MPG

495.4 MI, 13.28 GAL @ $4.159 = 37.30 MPG

80,514 total miles. Chevron on California Circle in Milpitas.

34.85 MPG

443.0 MI, 12.710 GAL @ $4.159 = 34.85 MPG

80,018 total miles. Chevron on California Circle in Milpitas.

36.80 MPG

497.8 MI, 13.526 GAL @ $4.219 = 36.80 MPG

79,575 total miles. Chevron on Bascom at Hamilton.

35.04 MPG

472.8 MI, 13.492 GAL @ $4.159 = 35.04 MPG

79,077 total miles. Chevron on California Circle in Milpitas.

A bit lower than usual, but this tank did include a lot of freeway driving down from Placerville during which the electric assist system was shutdown due to high heat in the battery.

Also, this was Shell gas from Placerville, not the usual Chevron. Could that be why the MPG is slightly lower?

New Passenger Seatbelt.

At a stoplight few weeks ago my wife noticed that that her seatbelt was fairly tight and acting as if it were locked (not extended). She unbuckled and allowed it to retract fully, but was then not able to pull it back out! Something in the ratchet mechanism had locked up, rendering the front passenger seat belt useless.

Apparently these seatbelts have a small gas or explosive charge that "pre-tensions" the belt in the event of a crash. When it activates it pulls the belt tight, holding you firmly in the seat. I called the local dealer and they wanted around $320 for the complete seatbelt/pretensioner assembly. I then searched online and found it for $205 at Varsity Ford Parts. The color is "stone".

I ended up ordering it online, and here's what they don't tell you: Because of the gas or explosive pre-tentioner, the part must be shipped UPS ground as "hazardous materials", which seems to mean it will take way longer than you expect to arrive, and it also costs an extra $50 or so in shipping. I don't recall the final total; it was under $320 (so still worth it I guess), but we ending up doing several family outings with everyone in the back seat (chauffeur style) during the two weeks it took to arrive. No joke, it really was two weeks. They had to ship it direct from Ford to the dealer who runs the website, who then had to turn around and ship it up to me.

In hindsight I did still save a few bucks, but next time I'll likely just go with the local dealer for parts.

Here's the new assembly, and the box it arrived in:

Replacing the assembly was quite easy. I used a 1/4" allen/hex wrench on the three large bolts. To remove the small cover on the shoulder D-ring you squeeze in the height adjuster buttons and pull the bottom of the cover up.

36.04 MPG

449.7 MI, 12.477 GAL @ $4.099 = 36.04 MPG

78,605 total miles. Shell in Placerville.

This stop was on the way back down the hill from a weekend in Tahoe. This MPG is better than I expected, given all the freeway and mountain driving.

Actually, due to the high heat (100°F in Sacramento) the electric half of the hybrid system seemed to shut down during the trip. The regenerative brakes weren't on, and the motor was clearly not assisting when starting from a stop (it felt pretty weird). On the highway there was little difference, though I did notice it being a little more sluggish than usual. This happened both going to and returning from Tahoe, and in both cases the regular performance returned after the vehicle "rested". When we unpacked upon arrival the floor in the back was very warm (where the batteries are).

36.85 MPG

482.0MI, 13.079 GAL @ $3.879 = 36.85 MPG

78,155 total miles. Chevron on Hamilton at Bascom.

36.63 MPG

491.4MI, 13.417 GAL @ $3.799 = 36.36 MPG

77,673 total miles. Chevron on California Circle in Milpitas.

36.51 MPG

407.3MI, 11.157 GAL @ $3.749 = 36.51 MPG

77,181 total miles. Valero on Saratoga.

36.55 MPG

457.4MI, 12.516 GAL @ $3.899 = 36.55 MPG

76,774 total miles. Chevron on California Circle in Milpitas.

37.92 MPG

464.7MI, 12.254 GAL @ $4.159 = 37.92 MPG

76,316 total miles. Shell on Camden and Kooser.

MPG from this past tank is right in line with previous tanks, so I guess the Costco gas is ok!

Oil Change and Tire Rotation.

76,312 miles.

Capitol Expressway Ford in San Jose.

The "oil life indicator" starts pinging a reminder at 10% oil life remaining. I meant to go in sooner but just wasn't able to fit it into the schedule. I ended up going in with 9% remaining, and I'm pretty sure it just goes by 10k miles as 100% because I had just over 9k miles on that oil, which is definitely the longest I've ever gone in any car without changing the oil.

Capitol Ford does a reasonable job for a decent price, and I like that they also rotate the tires. I had them hold off on that this time though because the rear tires are now quite worn while the front tires are still good. I'm waiting to replace all four and then will rotate them regularly to maintain uniform tread wear.

Everything else checked out great! Total cost was $46.54.

It looks like they have set my tire pressure back down to 35 PSI, so I'll need to boost it back up to 40 PSI to maintain the great MPG I've been getting lately.

37.98 MPG

504.3MI, 13.278 GAL @ $4.199 = 37.98 MPG

75,852 total miles. Costco on Coleman.

Let's see how good the Costco gas is in the hybrid. I saw when pumping that it is "10% ethanol". I've never noticed a sign like that before, so I don't know if all gas is the same these days. But we'll see how it runs. MPG has been pretty good these days.

37.93 MPG

517.6MI, 13.645 GAL @ $4.099 = 37.93 MPG

75,347 total miles. Shell on Jacklin Road in Milpitas.

37.40 MPG

509.3mi, 13.619 gal @ $4.239 = 37.40MPG

74,830 total miles. 76 on Parkmoor Ave.

35.61 MPG

399.9MI, 11.231 GAL @ $4.499 = 35.61 MPG

74,320 total miles. Chevron on Skyline Blvd.

35.71 MPG

461.9MI, 12.936 GAL @ $4.439 = 35.71 MPG

73,920 total miles. Chevron on Hamilton and Bascom in Campbell.

34.87 MPG

485.5MI, 13.925 GAL @ $4.459 = 34.87 MPG

73,459 total miles. Chevron on Woodside Road off 280.

Wow, gas has really gotten expensive quickly!

35.49 MPG

480.1MI, 13.529 GAL @ $4.079 = 35.49 MPG

72,973 total miles. Shell on Saratoga Ave at 280.

36.31 MPG

475.7 mi, 13.100 gal @ $3.799 = 36.31 MPG

72,493 total miles. Chevron on Bascom at Hamilton.

35.10 MPG

435.1MI, 12.396 GAL @ $3.699 = 35.10 MPG

72,017 total miles. Chevron on California Circle in Milpitas.

First year in review.

By now I've had the Hybrid Escape for just over a year and am still enjoying it very much. The gas mileage has been fantastic, it's very comfortable, and I think it looks great. It does everything I need to do, has plenty of room in the back for all my gear, and I've used the roof rack several times for hauling boards and other long items. So far it has been very easy to maintain, and I really haven't had that many problems. It doesn't turn as sharp as my old Volvo 240, but in just about every other way it's a perfect combination of my two previous cars (1985 240 and 1984 Accord).

I started recording my fill-ups at 55,643 miles, and my most recent one was at 71,582 miles. This is 15,939 miles. In this period I used 439.44 gallons of fuel, if I've added correctly. This is around $1600 at recent gas prices ($3.66/gal.). My insurance for the Escape is about $650/year (USAA). My monthly car payment is $320, and last year $750 of those payments was for interest. I spent $375 on air filters, oil changes, replacement parts, and other service items.

Total cost of ownership for the first year = $3375 ($1775 + $1600 gas).

Average fuel economy over this period is 15,939/439.44 = 36.27 MPG. Not bad at all.

35.79 MPG

484.9 MI, 13.550 GAL @ $3.799 = 35.79 MPG

71,582 total miles. Chevron N.Mathilda Ave in Sunnyvale.

New Washer Pump Motor.

Recently I've noticed a small foamy puddle under the front right corner of the Escape. The washer fluid reservoir and motor are between the bumper and front tire, and my washer fluid is empty, so it must be leaking. I was pleased to find that it's fairly easy to remove a few bolts under the bumper and peek behind the front fender.

The motor pulls out of the tank (and the washer fluid then runs all over the ground). The little hoses also pull off easily after releasing the small plastic clips. Save these clips, as they DO NOT come with the replacement motor.





Sure enough, there is a drip coming out of the motor. Fortunately it's the motor and not the tank itself, as that would probably be more expensive and much more difficult to replace. The motor part number is 8L8Z-17664-AA. Looks like it's been leaking internally for a little while. Even with all the rust it was still functioning, just constantly leaking.

Amazon stocks the replacement washer motor for $24, WG-308, which I paired with another air filter for the rear battery AC for free shipping. One note, the generic picture for the washer motor is not correct, but rest assured it is the correct part. I've uploaded some pictures below.