chefduane

I use a Fumoto Drain Valve. Open it up, let the oil drain, then close it up. Never had a problem. Used them on my previous Explorers and now my Edge.

I used Powerstop OEK Ceramic Brake Kit(s) #KOE5452 to do front and rear pads and rotors on my '11 LTD. I don't drive too hard so I figured an OEM replacement would be fine. $218.99 from Auto Anything - shipping was free. Pretty good deal by my estimation. I also did a brake bleed and new fluid. Took an afternoon. Did the install Feb of last year so 20 months or so with no issues whatsoever. Nice short stops with no fade or pulling. Just make sure you do the pad bedding process and you should be fine. EDIT: To reiterate Perf's comment - make sure you clean the threads and lube everything appropriately. Also use anti-seize where needed and use BrakeCleen on the rotors.

I should clarify that I have an '11 LTD with the BAMR and Ford will not knowingly sell rails and crossbars to a BAMR'd car. AFAIK, If you try to buy them from a dealer and they ask you for your vin and your vin shows a vehicle with the BAMR, they can/will refuse to sell you a set. That's why I need to find a private seller or a swap. Maybe someone else knows more about this than I. AKirbs, where are you?

Yes, but its even hard just finding someone with crossbars to sell. And I sure don't want to buy then from the dealer!

Interesting. My Edge hatch shuts about the same as yours but the latch mechanism is not quite that loud. Also, when the door does come down there is a mechanism that grabs on and locks and seats the door. I don't see all that much difference in the closing but your door does seem somewhat louder - closes with a 'clunk' more so than mine. I would definitely have that check out. Maybe there is a misalignment somehow.

I don't want to sell mine. I want to trade my strips for roof rails.

Ok, post it. I'll take a look. I'll compare it to my 2 previous Explorers.

That seems about normal to me.

Wow, this is a bookmark for me! My '11 Ltd AWD camera has been flaky for a while. First I lost the gridlines for a week or so. I did a reprogram and they came back only to be gone again once the car is power cycled (ignition on/off.) After the gridlines went, then the camera went black for a few days. I figured it was completely toast. Now for the past month or so the image is back but completely upside down! No gridlines and no proximity warnings either. I can live without gridlines and beeps but an upside down camera is useless. Your procedure for doing this will surely help a lot when I decide to replace the camera! Heck, I may just figure out a way to put my existing camera back but upside down to get a viewable image!! I will definitely be interested to hear how things eventually turn out, and thanks again for posting this!

My lift gate is pretty smooth all the way up and down. There is a slight increase it the rate of descent at it gets closer to latching, but I wouldn't day it 'drops.' I would tend to agree with the suggestion about weak struts.

I've been posting a desire to swap strips for rails ever since I've been here. Even had it in my .sig for a while. Never could find anyone interested.

OK, now I understand. While your assertion is not that the actual oil is a sham, the claims they make are a sham. (thanks akirby for the clarification.) As I said, I am not an Amsoil user - I do, in fact, use Mobil-1 and have for many years on my current Edge and former 213k mileage Explorer. But I am of the belief, and have stated it in this forum, as long as you use a quality oil and change it at regular intervals, you'll probably be just fine. Heck, my dad swore by Ray-Lube and routinely got 150k+ out of our 60's and 70's family cars.

If Amsoil was a sham why does it have such a good reputation amongst its users? BITOG has gone through the chemical analysis and it has great chemical properties and its been on the market for years. If it was snake oil it probably wouldn't have lasted this long under real world scrutiny. Also, if it provides no better numbers than M-1 and you call it a sham, is then logically, is M-1 a sham also? I am not a user of Amsoil so I cannot offer any direct feedback but I think your assertion of it being a 'sham' is kinda' off base.

IIRC somewhere on the chassis or if in the rear at the axle. You do have to crawl under the vehicle to find a jack point but its similar to any vehicle if you've ever jacked one. Nowhere on any body work but on the undercarriage/chassis of the vehicle.

I have 4 jack stands and 4 slotted hockey pucks. I have at times jacked each corner up with my floor jack and placed a stand with the hockey puck at the designated pinch weld location and had the car up at all 4 corners. Basically completely off the ground and on stands. I don't make a habit of it and wouldn't suggest any one do it regularly. Also, I have a compressor and a pneumatic impact wrench so rotating tires doesn't take that long at all. Next house I build I'm gonna' talk my wife into a 2-post service lift in my garage!!

I use notched hockey pucks with my floor jack. Works great and never had an issue.

I've had my '11 LTD through numerous car washes with no problems. Dunno' what all the fuss is about.

On my Gen 1.5 I use Mobil-1 OR Valvoline full synth 75w-100 High Temp gear oil and I change it at 20k intervals. High temp because that is when most of the problems of sludging occurs - during prolonged high temp operation. I think regular changes are more damage preventative than the maker of the lube oil. While I do believe there are superior products to the Mobil-1 or Valvoline product (Amsoil for instance) I am comfortable changing the PTU oil at the intervals I mentioned and using the M-1 or Valv product. I have 93k miles on my Edge and so far no runs, no drips, no errors.

You need a Soundracer X! www.soundracer.se

Yes, but the White House doesn't advertise itself as news. Everyone knows whatever comes out of a politicians mouth is, well, political. ABC/NBC/CBS/CNN/MSNBC... tout themselves as 'news.' LOL!

I remember when it was called 'Hi-Test' and you could watch the little balls roll around in the glass orb as you pumped your gas! The '55 Fairlane we had had 'wind wings' my dad called them. Little triangular windows at the front of the regular window. Had a push-and-twist lever to open. The Fairlane had the 'buckskin and cream' 2 tone paint. Damn fine lookin' car. Neighbor had a Studebaker Hawk - black and turquoise. And I do remember watching 'Big Daddy' Don Garlits race at the Winternationals at Pomona Raceway. I once sat in one of the original '68 Barracuda Hurst Hemi Under Glass. There were a few of them and one was out on the west coast where I grew up. I'm pretty sure I remember all of the above, or it was some long strange trip I took.

Interesting that the guy uses regular in his Corvette that Chevy says should take exclusively premium. He says there is no difference as the engine would compensate. When my wife had her Lexus LS430 we sure noticed a difference! It would knock like crazy on regular and purr like a kitten on (manufacturer specified) premium.

You most certainly do need All Season tires here in North Texas. We have numerous days above 100f, heavy rains, and various days in the low-mid 30's during the winter. Most folks I know around here run some AS tire. We even get snow here once in a while.

Sounds like a bulb or a flasher relay (assuming cars still have flasher relays.) Do a uToob search for changing bulbs. They're all over.

Well THAT'S inconvenient!!