29.75 MPG

403.1mi, 13.551 gal @ $3.499 = 29.75 MPG

143,701 total miles. 76 on Leigh at Southwest Expressway.

Passed smog check.

143,362 total miles.

As expected, the vehicle passed the bi-annual smog check for CA registration.

Added brake fluid.

143,361 total miles.

Well, here we are again. Just 5k miles after I last added brake fluid the warning light and chime are again complaining. This time I put in the full 12oz can of Prestone Dot 3 (which was all of $6.00 at O'Reilly Auto). We'll see how long it is until the next brake fluid warning.

30.71 MPG

375.4mi, 12.225 gal @ $3.319 = 30.71 MPG

143,298 total miles. Mobil on Union at Foxworthy.

New Headlight Bulbs.

143,284 miles.

Over the Thanksgiving long weekend I noticed that the driver side headlight had gone out. I have never changed these bulbs, so I assume these were the original headlights. They lasted 10 years and over 140k miles.

In searching for a replacement I wanted something slightly brighter than stock, but still with a decent lifespan. I considered moving to LED headlights, but the good ones all looked a bit too complicated and more expensive than I wanted to mess with. By way of the excellent website bulbfacts.com, I selected the Philips Vision Plus 9008/H13 halogen bulbs (with "up to +60% more vision"!), and ordered a set for $30.50 from Amazon.com.

Installation was relatively quick but far more difficult than the online videos make it seem. The original bulbs were very tough to remove! They were really stuck in there and I could not rotate them by hand. I had to use a set of vise-grips to break them loose. Once that was done, the swap was straightforward. The passenger side bulb is easier to get your hands on, but I was able to replace the driver side without removing or disconnecting the battery.

Here's a photo showing the old Sylvania bulb next to the Philips replacement:

32.74 MPG

434.4mi, 13.269 gal @ $3.799 = 32.74 MPG

142,922 total miles. Shell on Bascom and Campbell Ave.

30.23 MPG

401.1mi, 13.268 gal @ $3.899 = 30.23 MPG

142,488 total miles. 76 on Mount Hermon Road in Scotts Valley.

31.10 MPG

437.0mi, 14.050 gal @ $3.559 = 31.10 MPG

142,087 total miles. 76 on Hillsdale at Ross.

31.77 MPG

336.5mi, 12.164 gal @ $3.399 = 27.66 MPG

141,650 total miles. Mobil on Kooser at Blossom Hill.

Low MPG on this tank due to incomplete fill-up last time at Chevron. Averaging the two gives more reasonable results, so I've decided to record both tanks as 31.77 MPG:

336.5 + 402.3 = 738.8mi
12.164 + 11.091 = 23.255

738.8mi, 23.255 gal = 31.77 MPG

31.77 MPG

402.3mi, 11.091 gal @ $3.759 = 36.27 MPG

141,313 total miles. Chevron on N First Street in Dixon.

This tank was spent driving up to South Lake Tahoe and back down. I suspect the pump clicked off too early and this was not a complete fill-up. It probably should have taken 13 gallons instead of only 11.

Averaged this with the following fill-up gives much more reasonable results, so I have chosen to record 31.77 MPG for both tanks:

336.5 + 402.3 = 738.8mi
12.164 + 11.091 = 23.255

738.8mi, 23.255 gal = 31.77 MPG

31.07 MPG

184.9mi, 5.951 gal @ $3.799 = 31.07 MPG

140,911 total miles. Shell on San Ramon Road in Dublin.

28.14 MPG

357.0mi, 12.686 gal @ $3.479 = 28.14 MPG

140,726 total miles. Mobil on Kooser at Blossom Hill.

Changed spark plugs.

140,389 total miles.

Ok so the manual says to change the spark plugs at 100k miles. Well, better late than never, right? I am very eager to see if this makes any difference in MPG or performance. Installation was very easy and took only 45 minutes including prep and clean up, thanks to this informative video which I followed closely: https://youtu.be/1gcbt1KfcRs

I installed a set of Bosch double iridium plugs from AutoZone. Total cost was $30.55 and includes a $10 AutoZone gift card rebate.

The Bosch iridium plugs have the gap pre-set to 0.044". This is slightly smaller than the spark gap recommended on page 292 of the owners manual of 0.049–0.053 inch (1.25–1.35mm), however there is a note on the Bosch box: "Do not gap, Do not use anti-seize". Tightening torque is also listed on the box as 20Nm or 15 ft/lb.

Here are some photos of the original spark plugs (after 140k miles):

29.76 MPG

400.9mi, 13.470 gal @ $3.459 = 29.76 MPG

140,369 total miles. Mobil on Los Gatos Blvd.

31.60 MPG

404.6mi, 12.803 gal @ $3.759 = 31.60 MPG

139,968 total miles. Valero on Meridian.

Oil change and tire rotation, new 12V battery, new cabin air filter.

139,897 miles. Capitol Expressway Ford in San Jose.

Another great service from Rick Fuentes and team at Capitol Ford Quick Lane. Following their recommendations from last June, I replaced the 12V battery (Motorcraft BXT-96R-590, last replaced April 2011 at 59kmi with a Sears Die-Hard) and had them change the cabin air filter (Motorcraft FP-66). The other two air filters are dead simple to replace and I always do them myself, but the under-hood cabin air filter is a complete mess to access so I don't mind paying for them to handle that one.

Lately I've been hearing a single click or knock sound on accelerating from a stop and again when coming to a stop. I did a quick test drive with Mikey at Capitol Ford and he identified the noise as coming from the driver side front axel. They tightened the left front axel nut and the noise is now gone. Thanks, Mikey!

Total cost for the service was $241.81, including the battery around $135.

31.47 MPG

419.2mi, 13.320 gal @ $3.699 = 31.47 MPG

139,563 total miles. 76 on Leigh and Southwest Expressway.

31.68 MPG

408.7mi, 12.901 gal @ $3.359 = 31.68 MPG

139,144 total miles. Mobil on Los Gatos Blvd.

Added brake fluid.

138,945 total miles.

Added about 9oz O'Reilly DOT-3 brake fluid from a fresh can. It seems to be taking around 1oz brake fluid every 1k miles. This seems excessive (though not expensive, 12oz of brake fluid is only $3-$4). I've been in denial that there is a leak in the brake system but I don't think it would be needing fluid this often if there weren't.

The master cylinder looks pretty dirty so I cleaned it off and tightened the two 13mm lines going in/out of it. We will see if anything changes in the next 10k miles.

132,389 - https://hybridescape.blogspot.com/2017/07/added-brake-fluid.html
123,761 - http://hybridescape.blogspot.com/2016/09/3275-mpg.html
111,396 - http://hybridescape.blogspot.com/2015/05/added-brake-fluid.html
  94,747 - http://hybridescape.blogspot.com/2013/12/added-brake-fluid.html
  87,040 - http://hybridescape.blogspot.com/2013/04/added-brake-fluid.html
  63,995 - http://hybridescape.blogspot.com/2011/07/added-brake-fluid.html

30.51 MPG

370.2mi, 12.133 gal @ $3.299 = 30.51 MPG

138,735 total miles. 76 on Union.

30.33 MPG

379.6mi, 12.514 gal @ $3.199 = 30.33 MPG

138,365 total miles. Mobil on Los Gatos Blvd.

32.91 MPG

453.4mi, 13.779 gal @ $3.099 = 32.91 MPG

137,985 total miles. Mobil on Los Gatos Blvd.

34.20 MPG

394.3mi, 11.535 gal @ $3.159 = 34.20 MPG

137,531 total miles. Mobil on Frazier Mountain Road.

29.70 MPG

270.7mi, 9.114 gal @ $3.159 = 29.70 MPG

137,137 total miles. Mobil on Frazier Mountain Road just south of the grapevine.

29.78 MPG + B12 Chemtool

138.1mi, 4.638 gal @ $3.059 = 29.78 MPG

136,866 total miles. Mobil on Los Gatos Blvd.

I also added a 15oz can of B12 Chemtool, my favorite fuel system cleaner, prepping for a drive down to LA.

29.89 MPG

370.1mi, 12.380 gal @ $3.119 = 29.89 MPG

136,728 total miles. Valero on Meridian by the post office.

Tire Plug.

136,709 miles.

I finally got over to America's Tire to have the nail removed from the left rear. These guys are great and highly recommended. Not only did they remove the nail and plug the hole, it was absolutely free. 

These Michelin Latitude Tour tires (P235/70R16) were new in March 2013 and rated for 65k miles. Currently all four tires are at 5/32" tread depth with about 5 years / 50k miles on them.