CTFordfan

Took the first long trip with the new 2.0, coming from the 3.5 v6. As I had already noticed, it is a bit of a different powerband with the 2.0 being more "torquey" throughout the powerband. The 3.5 is the traditional set up we are all used to for 35 years- normally aspirated with predictable up shifts and down shifts. The 2.0 seems less responsive because it may not down shift when accelerating from a cruising speed, but it will pull just fine if you have a bit of patience. Just a bit. Fully loaded with luggage and 2 adults mostly on 81s through the blu ridge mountains we got just under 25 mpg, 70-75 with a/c on. This is hilly terrain. On the way home on 95n mostly flat we did a bit better at 26.5. So my conclusion on the gas mileage is it is only about 10% better than the 6 on the same trip. We are getting 26.5 average during normal mixed- mostly side roads every day driving which the 3.5 delivered just around 20 so every day driving is the big fuel savings over the 3.5 and this is where it counts as it is the bulk of the milage. Short hiway trips unloaded we are seeing about 28. My opinion is the 2.0 is a quite impressive 4 banger that takes a little getting used to but is a fine engine. Also in the life of the vehicle- less shifting may logically extend transmission life which is a good thing but yet to be proven.

Has the weather been cold?

I had 152,800 when I traded in my 11 sel awd. Never any issue with the ptu- fluid was never changed that i know of. Worked fine. No issues. I did buy a 17 awd and love it.

Did it come on suddenly or happen over time? Is the vehicle garaged or parked outside? I just did an oil change on my pickup that is parked outside and the air box was packed with a mouse nest.

I thought the 2.0 was rated to tow 2000#. Now I need to add a hitch as a back up for towing the boat to the lake. Less than 3k with the trailer and it is only 5 miles to the launch. I agree the 2.0 is probably not the best choice for long haul or very long hills on the highway, but it is nice that it is rated to 3500 for the occasional boat or small camper tow.

Engine and trans drop out as one unit. Is the engine toasted from the failure? Coolant in oil? If not why not do a compression test on your engine and just change the pump and worn chain guides? Chancing all that labor on an unknown junkyard engine could be trouble.

Rock auto has a z23 performance brake kit with ceramic pads, drilled and slotted rotors that are silver zinc coated for rust. Around $330 total but with a $30 rebate you are at $300 plus shipping. I have this kit with the powder coated calipers on my f350 and it is nice quality parts, I recommend you check it out.

So how many miles on the original 5 year old factory tires did you get in Arizona? I would think the heat may shorten the life. Also what factory tires are you replacing? A bonus on the ecopias is they are low rolling resistance tires which are supposed to improve gas mileage a bit.

I was considering the Michelins when I bought the Bridgestone Ecopias. I love Michelins but I could not pass up the deal at Costco on the Bridgestones and I was not disappointed. Michelins were close to $1000 out the door and I got the Bridgestone for $650. That is retirement fund worthy savings for me. I agree the Michelins are probably best but I could not justify that amount of difference for the minor performance gain. Plus I always seem to get a flat or two along the life of the tires, so I always consider the replacement cost.

Well that explains one reason for premature ptu failure. Now we know. Thanks WWWPerfA_ZNOW

Also, the motorcraft cap with the small spring is known to fail. Look under your cap and the cylinder should be an inch or more diameter. If it is smaller, you have a cap that is a poor design. The aftermarket has caught this and gates has a good replacement for less than the oem $12 cap. This is a big issue in the diesel world and i suspect all ford vehicles. The new plastic caps should be replaced as a maintenance item every 12 months in my opinion. Cheap insurance

When testing a battery checking the voltage is not enough. You must put a load tester on it to actually see the cranking amps. Also the new automotive batteries do not seem to last like batteries once did. If I buy a 3 year battery nowadays, I chance it after 3 years. Not worth the wife or kids getting stranded.

True but the ignition can be being back-fed from the low voltage trigger wire- just trying to brainstorm to help th OP. Have you tried swapping relay positions? Something is whacky-

With a mighty vac and some fittings. Do a quick search and the procedure will come up. Sorry i am not good at posting links. Air in the system can cause this and the vac procedure will remove all of it. I guess some do not self bleed by turning lock to lock.

Compare the old unit to the new one. Are the jumper lines correct. They may be reversed unintentionally. Also some units need a vacuum pulled in the system to remove all the air.