dalesky

Lots of dogs and tourists but surprisingly no poops (can you say "way off topic?)

So I'm thinking, take off the hood, supercharge the engine, cut a big hole in the hood., put it back on. The hell with mileage!

Missing it already, but enjoying different modes of transport this week in the waterways of Venice.

That dealer should be reported, and I would talk to he owner. They are breaking the law by withholding fee to cancel. On the way into the Amsterdamairport a few minutes ago I noticed MANY wind powered towers. There is such a different ethos and commitment in Europe to responsible use of energy! On the way to Italy for 3 weeks, so will be posting very little.

Guess which car company is selling well, and which car is selling like hotcakes still? I'll give you a hint, if you are a member here you should be (are) driving one. Ford: Ford Motor Co. [NYSE:F] sold 185,146 vehicles in September, for the strongest gain of any domestic automaker, up 6 percent. The Fusion posted a 62-percent sales gain at 19,972 units, and the F-Series trucks blew away expectations at 60,456 units (up 10 percent). Focus sales were off 15.2 percent, and Lincoln dropped 5.1 percent to 6,543 units--though the MKZ sedan was up 12 percent. Even with a third recall (fuel leak) people are snapping up the best looking four door sedan out there! Now if Ford would only start selling that Euro spec wagon here in the states! Take a look at this link and see the Fusion pic featured for the article. What a great looking car! http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1087360_september-sales-dodgy-dui-tests-2015-mercedes-c-class-whats-new-the-car-connection Here's another link to another article about hybrid sedans, and again the Fusion is featured. Personally love the color on this one (same as mine)!! http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1087317_sweet-spot-for-hybrid-cars-in-u-s-market-mid-size-sedans

Ah, you didn't think the Prius was attractive? Some members here can't even say the name, or spell it online. Driving one is kind of a surprise as it's so awful. I tried the Camry hybrid a couple of times and just didn't find the hybrid integration to be as good as the Fusion. Not to mention the looks of the Fusion, and the tech! Today I got 48.3 mpg, on a rather long run back and forth to the library on a very busy road. Never got over 50 MPH. Yesterday I had a short run of 58 mpg. Welcome to the Forum, and continued luck with Alice.

For that very reason I keep a sharpened spade shovel in the trunk!

The cost comes from it being a Ford product, not the amount or quality of the item. Considering that when the trunk is closed it is invisible, It is a practical item if it helps prevent scratches caused by taking things out of or putting them into the trunk, like luggage. it seems unnecessary to spend that much on it. When I had my windows tinted the tint shop offered to put this type of film on a number of areas, so you could check with that type of shop. Should be cheaper than the Ford item being put on, especially if it isn't done perfectly.

Thanks brother, and sorry that I tend to ramble at times.

The link worked for me, and I don't think it is an awful spot, just too short and no real content. A lot better than those flying ones of earlier this year. Those make no sense. Typical unrealistic commercial showing things that can't/won't happen. There's a reason marketing folks are called weasels by the way!

Practically every time I see a car commercial (which thankfully I usually can DVR past at high speed- Praise The Lord- or Directv), the way the vehicle is being driven is either unrealistic or dangerous. High speed, lots of noise, empty streets, getting away, really winding roads, etc. Not at all how people drive 99.9% of the time Auto reviewers are pretty consistent also, with their constant pitch for more horsepower, crying about the little 2.0 liter engines, compared to the much better 2.5 liter, etc. Know what I mean? The major criteria given for a bad review is often that a car is not fun to drive. Really, do most people want a fun to drive car, vs one that handles safely and gets good mileage and is reliable? Sure, it would be nice to get everything, but if a car is not dangerous, how about toning down the 'fun to drive' requirement? I think most of the magazine and newspaper writers have lost sight of what a vehicle like a Ford Explorer or even the F150 really costs to drive. My neighbor sold his F150 (1 year old) because he couldn't stand getting 12-15 MPG and spending a hundred dollar bill to drive between Myrtle Beach SC and Ashville NC , One Way! 300 miles! Seriously! He now drives a Ford Focus Titanium hatch, and gets very good mileage. Oh, it is roomy, and fun to drive, and good looking. Bigger, faster, bigger, faster, and on and on. Wow, what a rat race! Most car magazines pay little to no attention to fuel efficient vehicles, and constantly push the faster vehicles, larger engines and improved handling. Rarely even a mention of the positive trade off with a smaller engine and better mileage. To get good info about hybrids or electric vehicles you have to turn to other sources such as Autoblog Green or Green Car Reports. It’s as if the ‘regular’ magazines don’t want to consider alternatives to any significant degree. It's as if there is no reason to even consider that much of America could benefit from the considerable savings in gas that are possible with hybrids. And really, isn’t there too much room in these giant vehicles for the usual one person who is in them? If they moved a lot of people and gear AND got decent mileage that would be different. Sure, car manufacturers make more profit with the larger vehicles, but do WE need them? Are we seeing enough information about what is really the more economical method of transporting ourselves? Note also how the cars often look and drive. The Prius, and the horrible Honda copy of the Prius. Not very attractive, or quiet or good handling vehicles. The Lexus hatch/wagon thingy that is too small to be practical and does not get good mileage. The Prius has become the standard for hybrids, but most people don’t want to drive a car with that many compromises just to gain good mileage. Toyota is finally acknowledging that and also should be commended for their commitment to hybrid/electric technology. The Camry and Avalon are both excellent hybrids. The half-hearted attempt to make a "mild hybrid" which is disappointing on its face. . The mild hybrids are often easily beaten by regular gas engine vehicles, so what's the point? Those types only end up giving real hybrids a bad name. U.S. News and World Report has a ranking of hybrids. Here is how they rank from best to not best: Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, Camry, Prius V, Prius, Prius C, Chevy Volt, Ford C-Max, and more.. The Volt is of course not the same as the rest, and in fact costs a lot more also. They seem to be getting the idea that normal sized sedans are the future, and that's a positive thing. There seems to be an emphasis on practicality, at least from this source. Honda makes a great Civic hybrid and now is making an Accord Hybrid. Good on em! Another sedan that is practical and good looking. The mileage figures given by the EPA are designed to be unrealistic, and thus they tell people that hybrids aren't what they appear to be. Naturally car manufacturers are going to try and tailor their cars to get the highest EPA figures, while knowingly being untruthful. Of course they then draw attention to their hybrids in a negative way, which seems counter intuitive. Here's a Quote from Autogreen about the Ford Focus Electric: In editor-speak, Ford may have buried the lead here. The US automaker, which sells the Fusion Energi and C-Max Energi Plug-in Hybrids as well as the Ford Focus Electric, was looking to get some press by letting the world know that drivers of its four production plug-in models put on 203,000 miles of electric-only miles a day, or the equivalent of eight trips around the earth. Which is all fine and good, but what we found more interesting is how quickly those plug-in drivers are learning to take advantage of their non-traditional drivetrain technology. Ford says that, while one in five trips by a new Ford plug-in hybrid driver is all-electric, that number rises to about one in three after six months of ownership. That's because the driver gets the hang of the car's all-electric range and begins to manipulate trips without having to dip into the gas tank. Collecting data through the MyFordMobile app, the company estimates that a plug-in vehicle driver takes an average of four trips between charges, and that the driver recharges the vehicle almost once a day. With the introduction of the two plug-in hybrid models this year, Ford has sold 7,352 plug-in vehicles through August. Through August of last year, Ford sold just 169 Focus Electrics. The figures for hybrids are even much more amazing. To end on a (hopefully) positive note- The world of hybrids is changing, as can be seen by the U.S. News list. Toyota, Ford, Honda, and Hyundai- all are doing great things with hybrids. Content, handling, technology attractiveness, and more, are drawing folks to look at hybrids. I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but just needed to get if off my pea-pickin’ mind. Thanks for reading.

My 2006 Mustang has height adjustment but no power recline, and power back support

Reportedly the lowest state in the union here in South Cackalacky. Prices do vary but many are right at or just under $3.00. By the Way, yesterday on the way home I set a new record of 73.8 MPG for a number of miles trip, not just rolling back and forth on the driveway!

I put a trickle charger on until I got a new proper Ford battery. Now it holds a charge for over 2 weeks just fine. Haven't tested it beyond that yet.

You should have that large useless foam life preserver in there of course, which I'm sure you have seen. Mine is now floating in the landfill! Can't even recycle these damn foam items yet. The very special can of goo/air pump of course, and the funnel mentioned above. Hope to never run out of gas, so I took the funnel out to use somewhere else perhaps. That's about it.

Even more reason for anyone on the fence about a real spare to get on it and get one in the trunk asap! I have that thing Ford put in my trunk (goo and air pump) on my work bench. Thinking about how to take it apart and not get the goo all over. I don't even want it in my car anymore. Get a spare folks, for the peace of mind.

Wow, looks like space debris from a Russian satellite! Let's hope that's if for a while. I have a friend who picked up 3 nails in about 3 months, but that was in a new home construction zone.

Inflating significantly over the manufacturer's recommendation will make the car less safe. Also, if in an accident the pressure may be checked and made a part of the accident data.

Nicely done GrySql! Way to keep the forum polite. Cliff- thanks for understanding and being willing to adapt. Nothing to apologize for as we all are learning each day. Welcome to the forum

I will re-post this in the MPG forums also. If possible I will not put the fuel gauge in the red. I have a very fastidious neighbor who will not let his tank reack the 1/4 mark! If traveling long distances I try to combine pit stops with fill ups. I get very nervous if I am out of town and the tank is telling me it is empty. That being said, I also am getting highly variable results when filling, as to the amount I can pump into the tank. Here is some great info from Car And Driver: On your next long trip, stop next to a mile marker and reset your trip odometer. One hundred or more miles later, stop once again and note how your odometer compares to the road mileage. Then, at your next fill-up reset your trip computer and fill your tank, according to this procedure. 1) Till at the maximum flow rate until the pump clicks off. 2) wait 10 seconds, then continue filling at the minimum flow rate until the nozzle clicks off again. 3) repeat this 2nd procedure two more times. Ideally, you should do thi using the same pump at the same station. Even with a calibrated odometer, a single fill-up has too many variables for an accurate calculation. If you log at least three fills like this, you should have sufficient data to divide your corrected odometer miles by the indicated pump gallons to obtain an accurate mpg. Compare that mpg figure to what the trip computer reports and you'll have your correction factor. Finally, copy and paste this into a document and print it out to put in your car. I usually don't like to overfill my tank, for ecological reasons. The amount of gas wasted in America due to evaporation/fumes is incredible. With this car I believe most of that vapor/fumes is captured and put back into the tank.

I try to not become obsessed with getting the absolute, utmost, whatever it takes, mileage from my Fusion. On my trip to and from Florida recently I was getting 44 MPG at 65 MPH and 39 MPG at 72 MPH. In heavy stop and go, high heat driving locally I was getting less than that sometimes. The total average mileage using the cars computer was 41.5. Two weeks, many miles, driving as normally as possible. That to me is hybrid territory, especially given the size, weight, comfort, road handling and load capacity. I saw a lot of out of state plates on "P" hybrids, and not once did I think that my Fusion was not more desirable, or much more attractive. Mileage is just part of the equation in my satisfaction quotient. I am not making a comment here about anyone else, just saying that for me, I am highly satisfied, and glad I bought this car. I also love this forum, and am glad it is so open, polite and informative.

This may belong in the topic EPA test is totally unrealisticbut I just wanted to get it posted. Any corrections of locations would be appreciated. I apologize for the length. Here is a link to the article-- http://blog.caranddriver.com/why-your-trip-computer-isnt-giving-accurate-mpg-readings-and-how-to-fix-it/ Here's the article about why it is so difficult to get accurate results of mileage: From Car and Driver Sept. 2013 In our April 2013 issue, we took the EPA to task for its unrealistic fuel-economy assessments of hybrids. But is it possible that the EPA isn’t the only one prevaricating about fuel economy? This is a subject near and dear to your author. Every time I fill up my 2007 BMW 335i, I record the gallons used, the odometer reading, and the trip computer’s mpg report. Given the vagaries of filling a gas tank to exactly the same level at each fill-up, some variability is understandable. But, in years of doing this, I’ve found the BMW’s trip computer has always read higher than the mpg calculations based on the fuel used and the corrected odometer readings. Over the course of 20,340 miles and 56 fill-ups, the mpg inflation ranged from 0.8 to 2.6 mpg. [While Car and Driver’s long-standing policy is to report mileage to the nearest whole number due to our lack of confidence in higher-precision figures, we’re making an exception for this study. Bear with us.] On average, the BMW’s trip computer reported mileage 1.4 mpg higher—nearly 6 percent better—than calculated. It wasn’t just my car. During a 1289-mile round trip from Ann Arbor to New York, C/D’s long-term Acura ILX averaged 29.5 mpg. But its trip computer claimed 31.4—optimistic by more than 6 percent. We also took the long-term Kia Sportage to Washington, D.C., and back. Over 1064 miles, the Sportage achieved 24.6 mpg according to pump and odometer readings. However, its trip computer padded that figure by 1.1 mpg to 25.7—a 4.5-percent inflation. Every fill-up was slightly optimistic. Mark Allen, GM’s director of global energy, mass, and aerodynamics, says some inaccuracy is unavoidable. “The density of fuel varies. We have no way to measure it. Mobil might be different than Shell. Summer gas to winter gas could be a big difference.” And then there are vapor-recovery systems. With modern cars’ sealed fuel tanks, gasoline vapor accumulated in the tank is absorbed by a charcoal-filled canister. Periodically, this canister is purged by the engine. “If the weather is hot, you generate lots of purge,” says Allen. “This unmetered fuel isn’t counted by the trip computer.” Honda uses additional inputs to calculate trip mpg. “We look at the fuel-consumed data that comes from the engine-control computer, but we also track the float sensor measuring the fuel level in the tank,” says Raj Manakkal, chief engineer for electrical and infotainment devices. He also points out that, due to temperature changes, plastic fuel tanks can expand and contract by as much as a liter. On the Acura ILX, that yields a total variation of 4 percent. These sources of potential imprecision are real, but if you want to accurately track fuel consumption with your trip computer, you need to calibrate it [see below]. On the 335i, a service menu is accessible via an arcane procedure I found on the internet. Within that menu, I was able to change the trip-computer calibration. Changing the default value from 1000 to 1035 aligned the trip computer with reality. Sadly, no such adjustment exists to fix the BMW’s appallingly optimistic speedometer. CALIBRATION STATION On your next long trip, stop next to a mile marker and reset your trip odometer. One hundred or more miles later, stop once again and note how your odometer compares to the road mileage. Then, at your next fill-up, reset your trip computer and fill your tank according to this procedure: 1) Fill at the maximum flow rate until the pump clicks off. 2) Wait 10 seconds, then continue filling at the minimum flow rate until the nozzle clicks off again. 3) Repeat this procedure two more times. Ideally, you should do this using the same pump at the same station. Even with a calibrated odometer, a single fill-up has too many variables for an accurate calculation. But if you log at least three fills like this, you should have sufficient data to divide your corrected-odometer miles by the indicated pump gallons to obtain an accurate mpg. Compare that mpg figure to what the trip computer reports and you’ll have your correction factor.

I will be gone over 3 weeks, so I think I will trickle charge the 12V battery. Not able to do that with the Mustang, since I only have 1 charger. I can always charge that battery when I get back, since I won't need it the day we return. It does have a new Fomoco battery too.

Ford could save weight the way Toyota does in the Prism, by using a fake leather. Oh yeah, that's what I want in my next car! Maybe just put a big ass spoiler on the back like the modders do on so many small Japanese cars.

That is exactly Ford's thinking, from what I have read. Europe doesn't get the Lincoln, but they do get the Vignale. Here's the origin of the word: Vignale was an Italian automobile coachbuilder company. Carrozzeria Alfredo Vignale was established in 1948 at Via Cigliano, Turin by Alfredo Vignale (born 1913) in Grugliasco, near Turin (Torino). That should make the pronunciation Italian, which would be vig nal ee I love the wagon version, and would have one in a minute, given the reduced trunk size in ours.