31.05 MPG

427.1 mi, 13.757 gal @ $2.759 = 31.05 MPG

105,783 total miles. Shell on Third Ave in San Mateo.

31.70 MPG

330.8 mi, 10.434 gal @ $2.999 = 31.70 MPG

105,356 total miles. Chevron on Soquel Ave at Ocean.

32.17 MPG

436.3 mi, 13.563 gal @ $3.059 = 32.17 MPG

105,026 total miles. Valero on Meridian.

32.68 MPG

450.0 mi, 13.768 gal @ $3.499 = 32.68 MPG

104,589 total miles. Shell on Highway 9 in Los Gatos.

Oil Change and Tire Rotation.

104,234 miles.

Capitol Expressway Ford in San Jose.

Went over to my usual Capitol Ford for an oil change, and this time got the "manager's special" pricing, out the door for only $27.68! Can't beat this!

Everything checked out green except for window washer fluid (they refilled), and the rear brake lining. The right side rear has been on the low side for a while, and last time they told me it was dragging slightly. Need to clean off the caliper/piston and lube it a bit. There's 3mm remaining on the right and 4mm on the left. These are likely the original pads, I've never changed them!

They also recommended changing the cabin air filter based on the maintenance schedule, but I declined for now.

Other notes were: "A/C compressor leaking freon, recommend further diag; master cylinder has residue, wiped down, reinspect next service". This is the first time either of these have been mentioned, so I'll keep an eye on them.

Recall: There are now TWO recall notices on this vehicle, one for the power steering torque sensor, and the second for the MECS pump (coolant pump for motor and electronics). I replaced the MECS pump earlier this year already, but it sounds like I'll need to have it replaced again (for free though!). For now I am holding off on these repairs and will likely have them done in mid Dec or January.

30.69 MPG

143.3 mi, 4.670 gal @ $3.499 = 30.69 MPG

104,139 total miles. Valero on A Street in Hayward.

33.32 MPG

410.5 mi, 12.319 gal @ $3.699 = 33.32 MPG

103,996 total miles. Shell on Meridian and Hamilton.

Took the boys through the carwash also, always a treat for them.

33.35 MPG

449.8 mi, 13.489 gal @ $3.759 = 33.35 MPG

103,585 total miles. Valero on Meridian.

This tank was spent driving up to Arnold and back; a lot of highway driving and hills at high altitude. Not the best MPG, but not too bad...

33.78 MPG

448.4 mi, 13.273 gal @ $3.939 = 33.78 MPG

103,135 total miles. Chevron on Bascom and Hamilton.

This fill up was just before heading up to Arnold; a lot of highway driving and hills at high altitude. Let's see how the next tank stacks up...

32.42 MPG

412.5 mi, 12.724 gal @ $3.939 = 32.42 MPG

102,687 total miles. Chevron on Bascom and Hamilton.

I've been running the A/C a lot lately which forces the gas engine to run more than it normally would. The Econ button allows the engine to turn off sometimes, while still loosely maintaining the desired cabin temperature. It's a handy feature, but there's still no way around it, A/C equals lower MPG. It's been really nice to have the cooling in this heat though!

36.08 MPG

104.7 mi, 2.902 gal @ $3.959 = 36.08 MPG

102,274 total miles. Shell on Meridian at Hamilton.

The boys wanted to go through the car wash so I had to top off the tank to get a ticket; I didn't really need gas.

32.82 MPG

431.7 mi, 13.154 gal @ $4.019 = 32.82 MPG

102,170 total miles. 76 on Los Gatos Blvd.

33.40 MPG

461.7 mi, 13.822 gal @ $4.279 = 33.40 MPG

101,738 total miles. Valero on Meridian by the post office.

32.47 MPG

448.4 mi, 13.808 gal @ $4.139 = 32.47 MPG

101,276 total miles. Shell on Winchester.

33.17 MPG

421.5 mi, 12.706 gal @ $4.159 = 33.17 MPG

100,828 total miles. Valero on Saratoga at 280.

This tank marks another monumental event. Last tank the Escape rolled over 100,000 miles; this tank I quit my job. I now have a much shorter commute, which you'll see in the fewer fill-ups ahead. I've been filling up about every two weeks as long as I've owned the vehicle (about 1000 mi/month), now it will probably go to once every two months or so. Really looking forward to that! We'll see if the MPG dips or stays on track.

34.37 MPG

470.6 mi, 13.693 gal @ $4.299 = 34.37 MPG

100,406 total miles. Shell on Stevens Creek at Stelling.

Woo hoo, 100000 miles! Still going strong; still loving this truck.

35.40 MPG

483.2 mi, 13.651 gal @ $4.199 = 35.40 MPG

99,936 total miles. Valero on Meridian by the post office.

32.62 MPG

444.9 mi, 14.069 gal @ $3.919 = 32.62 MPG

99,452 total miles. 76 on Los Gatos Blvd.

35.79 MPG

450.1 mi, 12.576 gal @ $4.059 = 35.79 MPG

99,007 total miles. Chevron on Bascom at Hamilton.

33.93 MPG

454.5 mi, 13.394 gal @ $3.819 = 33.93 MPG

98,557 total miles. 76 on Los Gatos Blvd at Lark.

34.63 MPG

476.7 mi, 13.765 gal @ $3.759 = 34.63 MPG

98,103 total miles. Chevron on California Circle.

34.12 MPG

458.6 mi, 13.439 gal @ $3.439 = 34.12 MPG

97,626 total miles. 76 on Los Gatos Blvd.

34.45 MPG

454.3 mi, 13.187 gal @ $3.559 = 34.45 MPG

97,167 total miles. Chevron on California Circle.

30.01 MPG

350.9 mi, 11.693 gal @ $3.659 = 30.01 MPG

96,713 total miles. Chevron on California Circle.

Wow, see there you go. The last fill-up in SoCal wasn't entirely full, so that tank looked great and this one looks terrible. In reality they were probably both around 33 MPG, which isn't to bad considering it was all freeway miles down to San Diego and back.

Replaced Engine Air Filter.

96,691 miles.

In this case actually the Ford dealership replaced it while they were servicing my MECS pump. They didn't charge labor (it's super easy to replace) and the cost of the filter was $23. Amazon had it for $16, but another $5 isn't too bad to just have it done and over with. Plus I kept my hands clean.

Part number: FA1772

New MECS Pump.

96,691 miles.

Lately I've been hearing an odd noise from the engine compartment when the truck is stopped and the engine is off (but with the key still on). Sometimes I could hear a small motor running smoothly, sometimes it sounded like it was really struggling and "revving". I figured it was some type of pump for the hybrid system, and it sounded like it was near it's end of life.

This morning I went by Capitol Expressway Ford, and though it took them all day to get to it (I didn't have an appointment) they finally did diagnose the problem as a worn electronic cooling pump, or MECS pump. After they told me that I did some quick web searching and came across this page: http://blog.yagelski.com/2011/02/ford-escape-hybrid-electric-motor.html

Part Number: 5M6Z-8C419-A

Apparently this is a fairly common failure, the consequences are pretty severe if/when it does fail (red triangle indicator light, overheated motor, car shuts down), and from the comments on that blog quite a number of people are being gouged by their Ford dealers for what is really a pretty simple repair ($800+ repair cost).

In my case they charged $130 for the diagnosis, in which the tech checked out the full hybrid system. This had not been done before to my knowledge, so I figured it was a worthwhile purchase. He didn't find anything wrong other than the motor and the engine air filter which I was planning to replace shortly anyway. The tech's name was Bruce, an Asian guy; when I talked with him prior he really knew his way around the hybrid system, and I'm glad to know there is a local expert should anything really go wrong in the future.

I ended up having them do the repair, though I could have done it myself. They initially came to me with an estimate of over $700 (which includes the $130 diagnosis; this is a good deal cheaper than the $800 some other people are claiming this pump costs to replace). Since I had the part number by now I went by their parts counter. The gentleman there said they had it in stock for $300+. I mentioned that I had found it online for under $200 and asked if he would be willing to come down a bit. He said "well what were you thinking" and I said "how about $220", he thought about it and said "sure, I could do that." With tax it was closer to $250 of course.

So there you go folks. If your MECS pump should fail it's $202.50 labor, and you can get the new pump for $220 at Capitol Ford, plus tax. Add $30 for an anti-freeze flush and you could be out the door under $500, if you're able to diagnose the problem yourself. Or if you are able to complete the repair yourself, could be only $250 + anti-freeze. Again, check out this great blog for details on diagnosis and completing the repair yourself if you're so inclined:
http://blog.yagelski.com/2011/02/ford-escape-hybrid-electric-motor.html

Unlike most of the commenters on that blog, I've actually had a very positive experience so far, both with the hybrid Escape and with my local Ford dealer.