36.89 MPG

427.1 mi, 11.579 gal @ $3.759 = 36.89 MPG

96,362 total miles. Chevron on Lyons in Santa Clarita.

This tank was entirely freeway miles. I'm very surprised with the MPG! Actually it feels a little too high, I bet the next tank will be low. Probably didn't get entirely a full fill-up.

33.77 MPG

373.1 mi, 11.048 gal @ $3.599 = 33.77 MPG

95,935 total miles. Flying J in Frazier Park. This was on the way down to San Diego, nearly all freeway miles.

32.29 MPG

436.3 mi, 13.511 gal @ $3.519 = 32.29 MPG

95,562 total miles. 76 on Los Gatos Blvd.

Oil Change and Tire Rotation.

95,424 miles.

Capitol Expressway Ford in San Jose.

Here's three reasons why getting your oil changed at Capitol Ford is a stupid great deal:

Free Starbucks coffee and wifi; nice couches and tables too (go in the main dealership waiting room, around back by the parts and service desk, not the tiny waiting room in the Quick Change building). I always bring my laptop and am surprised what I've been able to accomplish while my car gets serviced.
Tire rotation! This is another huge timesaver; you don't have to drive back across town to wait in another service shop. They also check most of the other vitals: battery, tires, brakes, coolant, etc, and let you know if there's any problems.
Can't beat the price! Only $47 for my 2008 Escape Hybrid. The oil and filter alone would probably cost me $35, and I'd end up all dirty and swearing lying on the ground. It'd take me an hour and I still wouldn't have the tires rotated. Pay an extra $10 to sit on nice couches and sip fresh coffee while I check emails or get other online work done? Yes please! And no dirt under the fingernails.

Everything else checked out great, as usual. Total cost was $46.68.

31.54 MPG

403.7 mi, 12.799 gal @ $3.599 = 31.54 MPG

95,125 total miles. Chevron on California Circle.

Replaced Rear Cabin Air Filter.

94,747 miles.

Decided to replace the rear AC/cabin filter (FP51) today. Any time I install a new filter I always write the mileage and date on it. No joke, I randomly happened to replace the filter EXACTLY 2 years after the last time I changed it, to the day. November 27th. Wow.

The old filter was fairly dirty, which I think is a good sign as it means the system is operating properly and pulling air from outside when it needs to. It went a little longer than recommended; 24,702 miles (10-20k replacement recommended).

As I have said before (Replaced Air Filters), replacing the rear air filter in the hybrid Escape is the easiest maintenance job you will ever do. It's even easier than putting gas in the car, I promise you. Amazon sells them for $15, so I always reach for one if I need to fill my cart to get the free shipping. It takes less than a minute to install, no tools required, and it's all interior so you won't even get your hands dirty.

Added Brake Fluid.

94,747 miles.

"Low Brake Fluid" again. Added another 8 oz or so from a fresh bottle purchased from A&M Motor in Los Gatos ($3.29).

34.34 MPG

463.8 mi, 13.505 gal @ $3.639 = 34.34 MPG

94,722 total miles. Shell on Camden at Kooser.

34.37 MPG

451.2 mi, 13.128 gal @ $3.599 = 34.37 MPG

94,258 total miles. Chevron on California Circle.

37.00 MPG

485.2 mi, 13.111 gal @ $3.699 = 37.00 MPG

93,806 total miles. Chevron on California Circle.

This was the last fill-up before daylight savings time ("fall back"). Now I'm driving home in the dark with the lights on, so I expect the MPG will drop for the next few months, probably under 35 MPG.

35.82 MPG

497.5 mi, 13.887 gal @ $3.859 = 35.82 MPG

93,321 total miles. Chevron on California Circle.

35.62 MPG

454.9 mi, 12.771 gal @ $3.959 = 35.62 MPG

92,824 total miles. Chevron on California Circle.

34.55 MPG

470.6 mi, 13.620 gal @ $4.019 = 34.55 MPG

92,369 total miles. 76 on Los Gatos Blvd.

34.69 MPG

469.6 mi, 13.538 gal @ $3.819 = 34.69 MPG

91,898 total miles. 76 on Los Gatos Blvd.

34.11 MPG

439.0 mi, 12.871 gal @ $3.599 = 34.11 MPG

91,428 total miles. Chevron on California Circle.

34.43 MPG

346.3 mi, 10.058 gal @ $3.939 = 34.43 MPG

90,989 total miles. Chevron on California Circle.

35.00 MPG

455.2 mi, 13.004 gal @ $3.899 = 35.00 MPG

90,643 total miles. Chevron on California Circle.

31.57 MPG

443.6 mi, 14.052 gal @ $4.019 = 31.57 MPG

90,188 total miles. 76 on LG Blvd. Ouch, this is low. Might be that the last fill-up in Tracy didn't go all the way to the top, as that MPG was somewhat higher than expected. But it's still NOT BAD for 90k miles on the ticker! The Escape is running great and has been a real joy. It doesn't look or feel like it has 90k miles on it.

37.20 MPG

311.9 mi, 8.384 gal @ $4.059 = 37.20 MPG

89,744 total miles. Chevron in Tracy. This fill-up was on our way back from Tahoe, and nearly all of this tank was spent driving up and back. I expected lower MPG from all the freeway and mountain driving, but this is surprisingly high.

34.30 MPG

422.5 mi, 12.318 gal @ $4.199 = 34.30 MPG

89,432 total miles. Chevron on Capitol Expressway.

34.79 MPG

452.1 mi, 12.995 gal @ $3.959 = 34.79 MPG

89,010 total miles. Chevron on California Circle in Milpitas.

35.29 MPG

468.6 mi, 13.278 gal @ $3.859 = 35.29 MPG

88,557 total miles. Chevron on McKee Road.

35.69 MPG

426.8 mi, 11.957 gal @ $3.999 = 35.69 MPG

88,089 total miles. Chevron on California Circle in Milpitas.

35.99 MPG

489.9 mi, 13.612 gal @ $3.799 = 35.99 MPG

87,662 total miles. Shell on Capitol at Hostetter.

With this fill-up I also added a can of B12 Chemtool, my personal favorite fuel system cleaner. I don't think I've used it before on this truck, so we'll have to wait and see what the mileage implications are. I didn't add it for any particular reason, I just thought I'd give it a go.

35.06 MPG

474.8 mi, 13.544 gal @ $3.839 = 35.06 MPG

87,172 total miles. Chevron on California Circle in Milpitas.

This tank corresponded with a change in my commute route to 680 from 880. In the mornings there is less traffic on 680, though the distance is slightly longer. I'm not sure that will affect the MPG, but we'll see what the trend is.

Added Brake Fluid.

87,040 miles.

Was getting the brake warning light for "Low Brake Fluid" again recently. I haven't changed the brake pads since buying the car, so I assume this is just normal wear for the system. Besides, brake fluid is cheap.

33.46 MPG

468.7 mi, 14.007 gal @ $4.059 = 33.46 MPG

86,697 total miles. Chevron on California Circle in Milpitas.

The Yellow Wrench Returns (and is vanquished!).

86,403 miles.

Back in December 2011 I posted about the yellow wrench light which started showing up on the dash. It disappeared for a while, but then started periodically returning. After replacing both actuators in the front dash with great success, and reading the TSB that accompanied that repair, I decided that the failures of these actuators are not due to wear, but to improper manufacturing of some kind. It's not like you can just clean them out and have it work again (as I attempted initially). You must replace the unit with a new one.

Fortunately it's not terribly hard to replace the actuator for the rear hybrid AC vent, and I was able to swap in a new one in about 10 minutes. What helped save significant time was that last time I took the rear AC system apart I only used two of the three screws to install the blend door actuator. That third screw is nearly impossible to remove without tearing apart the whole thing, so I left it out. With only two screws you can actually replace the rear motor actuator without opening up anything else.

I purchased the replacement actuator on ebay from am-autoparts for about $20.

See the directions I posted previously to gain access to the faulty blend door actuator.

Finally I am free of the yellow wrench!

34.73 MPG

465.8 MI, 13.414 GAL @ $3.979 = 34.73 MPG

86,228 total miles. Chevron on Bascom at Hamilton.

New Tires.

85,822 miles.

Capitol Expressway Ford in San Jose.

I have been putting this off for a while, probably a full year actually. So this time I decided to go for it and get new tires. They were bald in the back, and nearly so in the front. Seriously, I probably got an extra year out of those tires.

I went with the Michelin Latitude Tour tires, P235/70R16, rated for 65k miles. Price was $172 per tire, plus $40 for balancing/etc, minus a $70 rebate from Ford. In the past I've been very pleased with the service from America's Tire, and have bought tires there for several vehicles. I checked their price online for the Michelins and it was a little cheaper, but the $70 rebate from Ford made their total price better.

America's Tire said total "out the door" price for the four tires: $765.62. I paid $841.37, but also got an oil change ($40) and a promised $70 rebate from Ford. Subtracting off those I end up with $731.37, cheaper and more convenient, since I was already in the Ford dealership's comfy chairs and AC, and was surfing on their wifi. Not bad.

My initial thoughts on the new tires are positive; the ride is noticeably softer and I think they are quieter on the freeway. These could be because I was running the old tires at 40PSI though; I haven't checked the pressure in the new tires yet. When I get a chance I'll up them to 40PSI as well, and see how they run.

Oil Change.

85,822 miles.

Capitol Expressway Ford in San Jose.

As usual I went in to Capitol Ford Quick Lane for the oil change and tire rotation service. They do a nice job, and now that I know the main dealership reception area has much more comfortable chairs and wifi I usually hang out over there while waiting for the service, instead of sweating it out in their little shack in the middle of the parking lot.

It's about $40 for the oil change and usually takes an hour or so, but it's nice that they also rotate the tires.

Everything checked out "green" - brakes, battery, fluids, hoses and belts, suspension, etc. Except the tires. But that's another post...

34.11 MPG

459.1 MI, 13.459 GAL @ $4.199 = 34.11 MPG

85,762 total miles. Chevron on California Circle in Milpitas.

Blend Doors Done.

It's been almost exactly two years since I reviewed my "likes and gripes", and after two years they are still accurate. In general this has been a great little truck with excellent MPG and low cost of ownership, and I'm extremely happy with it.

I decided to try my hand at fixing the climate control blend door actuators after our recent road trip. When it's just me in the car I can crank the temp to the extremes and use the fan control to adjust to taste, but with other people in the car I get the idea of setting it to a "known temp", say 72°. Also, I agree it is convenient to just hit one button and it automatically does it all for you. It's nice, and I get it now. And after driving 500 miles with a loud squeaky cricket in the dash and my wife in the passenger seat I decided it was time.

The first tip-off to the need for a fix was a TSB that Ford put out (Technical Service Bulletin) saying that you should replace the blend door actuators if the date codes are prior to 30808. Sounds like they got a bad batch of parts and didn't figure it out until too late. Anyway, I picked up a pair of new actuators on ebay for about $20 each from am-autoparts.

I found some good instructions on another site, and am summarizing them below. I tried for 2 hours to replace the upper actuator without removing the airbag, but it's just not possible.

The lower actuator is easy to find and change out in under 10 minutes. It is located near the center console by the passenger's feet. It is attached by two 8mm bolts.

The upper actuator is directly above the lower actuator, but buried deep in the dash.

Remove the three 7mm screws below the glove box attaching it to the dash. Open the glove box and squeeze the top edge and you can pull it completely out.

Looking up from below there are two bolts holding the air bag in place. If you don’t feel comfortable removing the air bag then stop and take it to the dealer. Remove the two bolts and then pull the air bag out towards the passenger seat. Note that the airbag dash panel is attached to the air bag. The panel is held in place by a few clips around its circumference that easily release by being squeezed in gently. After removal, disconnect the two air bag leads, there are releases on the sides and they pull straight out. Set the air bag aside somewhere safe.

Now you should be able to see the actuator looking in through the air bag hole with a flashlight. Remember it is directly above the lower actuator. You don’t have enough room to get to it, so you need to loosen the air ducts so that they can be pushed slightly out of the way.

Remove the trim around the vents and display above the stereo. Next there are three screws to remove from the vent tubes, all are are 7mm. All bolts are accessible through the air bag opening. Start at the left upper passenger vent, the first bolt is head facing up right near the vent exit. The second is a few inches below the first with the head facing the front of the car. The third is almost center in the air box opening on the metal support tube. The head of it is facing up.

Now that the vent is free to wiggle and move a little, you will have just enough room to squeeze your hand over to the actuator. I was able to lift the vent up and pull it forward enough to get my hand and a ¼” socket wrench with a 8mm socket on to the two bolts holding the actuator in place. Once loosened you should be able to use the socket and your hand to unscrew the two bolts and remove them.

The actuator should be able to lift up and out and then pulled into the air bag opening to disconnect the wire lead.

Attach the wire connector to the new actuator and shimmy it into the opening. Press it gently into place. You may need to twist it side to side to get the splines to align with the current opening of the door. Bolt it down and reassemble.

I am pleased to say that not only did I feel like a total boss after completing this procedure, but it was successful and no more crickets in the dash!! Huge win. And now I don't have to mess with the temp control either, just leave it set at 72° and on auto. It's easy when it works right.

Here are Ford's instructions for this replacement, which are similar:
http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/molurch/2012-02-02_010106_bdl.pdf
http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/molurch/2012-02-02_010044_bdr.pdf

31.51 MPG

156.9 MI, 4.98 GAL @ $4.059 = 31.51 MPG

85,303 total miles. 76 on De La Torre in Salinas.

A new low on MPG! Ouch. These were all freeway miles, coming back up from southern California on 101N. Also this was only the top 1/4 of the tank, I was just topping off. Perhaps it would have been better if I'd finished it off before refilling.

36.47 MPG

476.9 MI, 13.08 GAL @ $4.159 = 36.47 MPG

85,146 total miles. Chevron on Betteravia Road.

I'm surprised this tank was so high, as most of this was freeway driving.

35.80 MPG

508.7 MI, 14.21 GAL @ $4.299 = 35.80 MPG

84,669 total miles. Chevron in San Miguel.

I think the computer was saying 0 miles to empty around 495 miles, so clearly there is a bit of wiggle room there. This is the first time I've put more than 14 gallons in the tank, but I think it holds over 15. There's probably a 50 mile buffer even after it says 0 MTE.

33.08 MPG

454.2 MI, 13.73 GAL @ $3.659 = 33.08 MPG

84,161 total miles. 76 on Los Gatos Blvd.

Still raining and cold, still low mileage. Better than last time though.

New Speakers.

I forgot to record the exact date, but at some point in January I swapped out all four door speakers in favor of Polk Mobile Monitor 5"x7" - MM571. Apparently they are now discontinued, which must be why I got such a great price from crutchfield.com!

I have the "audiophile" trim level, which is a stretch, though it was definitely better than the standard trim I'm sure. There is an 8" sub in the rear passenger wall (which I might upgrade as well at some point), and the front 5x7 stock speakers did have a real tweeter in them.

I also picked up some Peel-and-Seal at Lowe's, the budget dynamat alternative. It felt cool when I was putting it on, like I was really optimizing things, but in the end I'm not sure how much difference it really makes. Ford actually did a fairly decent job of padding the doors under the plastic door panels, and the door panels were very straightforward to remove. There's the obvious 3 screws, plus a larger torx head hidden behind the door lever. As usually, Crutchfield's install kit was spot on, and made everything a breeze to install.

The Polks sound much better though, as expected. The highs are clear and noticeably brighter than stock, and the bass is tighter and hits better. These Mobile Monitor dual drivers included an external crossover network, which I wired inside the doors. One nice thing about these Polks is that they handle water and moisture really well. You wouldn't think about water inside your car door, but enough of the water that hits your window ends up dripping inside for this to be a concern long term.

31.96 MPG

439.5 MI, 13.752 GAL @ $3.539 = 31.96 MPG

83,707 total miles. Chevron on California Circle in Milpitas.

Ouch! I think this is the worst mileage I've seen in this truck. It's been cold and wet lately, and I've had the headlights on both directions for my commute. Hopefully that explains the sudden dive in MPG...