ctrcbob

Right now, I've got about 225 miles since I last got gas. When I filled up the last time, I drove to Sanford on CR-46, 20 miles away. Five stoplights between my house and my destination this side of Sanford. So, I went 40 miles roundtrip on a two lane road, ten stoplights, and when I got home, my readout read 25mpg. Since then, on the same tank, I've put on the additional 185 miles (225 minus 40 = 185), all everyday driving around Lake County. My readout now reads 21.1 mpg average. Sure, my around town milage must be much lower to drag the average down to 21.1, but thats the way it is so far on this tank. Going to Winter Park (32 miles door to door - 64 miles roundtrip) tomorrow (New Years Dinner with friends), not taking lightly traveled roads, but taking Highways 441 & 436. Lots of stop and go, but should not be too bad on the holiday. Will see how that 21.1 reads once I return home tomorrow night. Tank will be ready for a fill up on tuesday. If I have time, I will also calculate the milage with pen and paper, just to see how far off the readout is.

Boz, With it being so cold up there in MD, one of the reasons you may be getting poor milage is that you take short trips, (groceries, school, work, etc.) and the engine uses a lot of fuel until it warms up. Do not let the car warm up in your driveway. Get in, start it up, snap on your seat belt, then drive off normally. When you let it "warm up" in your driveway, your milage goes into the toilet. Your milage may get better when the weather warms up.

urnews, I don't feel so bad now, after reading about your low fuel economy. I normally get 18 to 20 in all round driving around Lake County Florida with my MKZ AWD.. I did get in the mid 16s once, but only once. Have not taken a trip with it yet, but think I will average about 25 on the open road. BTW, my Continental, with the Duritec DOHC 24V 4.6liter engine gets the same economy around the county, but out on the open road, on 1500 mile trips, I get a low of 26.5 to a high of 30, averaging 27.5-28, and that is at 75-80mph.

Anyone, (or Steve who works at dealer), Where is the antenna for the GPS Located on the Focus (same as my MKZ)? Living in Florida, I need to get my windows tinted. I want to use Llumar "metalized", but somewhere in the Owners Manual, it says to not use metalized as it could screw up the GPS function. Asked a Llumar dealer who thought my Serious roof antenna was for the GPS, but told him no, its for Serious. If the GPS antenna is in the rear window, I don't see where that would be a problem as the Llumar would be under the antenna wires, but don't know for sure. On my Continental, which has the same Llumar tint, I have no problems with an aftermarket GPS unit mounted on the dash. Anyone out there know where the antenna is located?

Akirby, Don't forget that the Suburban owner better have the OnStar phone number on his person or programmed in his Cell Phone. Want to bet that most GM owners don't have that OnStar number anywhere other than inside their car?

One of the reasons we stick with Ford Products is the keypad. My wife loves it, and would not have a car without it. Although at first, I was not crazy about it, I now also love it.

The QI bulbs are normally easy to replace. Just read the manual, and take it from there. If they burn out too often, change brands. Note; Their burning out could be because you (or the dealer tech) touched the bulb with his bare fingers. This is a no-no. Only handle from the metal base, otherwise they will burn out fast. (Oil from your finger burns on the "glass" and "poof" the bulb burns out). Feel lucky as I have the HID bulbs. Once out of warranty, they will cost me a bundle to replace.

So far, in the two months I've owned my MKZ, I find that it is a non issue. :doh copy:

Good idea, but I doubt that Auto Zone, or Discount Auto, or any of them will have this fluid. Perhaps the next time I'm in there, I will start reading the backs of ATF bottles to see if any of them have Ford Spec M2C924-A listed. I will hate to find out that this is a "Captive Fluid". It may be worthwhile to phone various oil companies (ExonMobil, Castrol, AmsOil, etc.) to see if they have a fluid that meet this spec. Just may try that when I have nothing better to do.

The 6 Speed Automatic calls for Motorcraft Premium Automatic Transmission Fluid, Part #XT-8-QAW, Spec WSS-M2C924-A. I think this is the same transmission used in the Ford FiveHundred. The Fusion and FiveHundred have been out for a while now, (over a year and a half anyway), so just for the heck of it, I thought I would pick up a quart from my local Ford Dealer. Dream on. Did not have any. Parts Department told me that the price was $7.27 a quart, but does not have any. When I asked what they would do if someone has transmission problems and the Transmission Tech needs to refill, the answer I got was that they would special order the fluid when someone comes in for transmission service. What a joke. Owners Manual says not to use Mercon or Mercon-V as it will ruin the transmission. Why in the world do they have to have so many fluids. I understand that the fluid for the CVT is different yet. I can understand when different manufactures (Ford, GM, DC, Honda, Toyota) would have different fluids, but why can't one manufacturer have the same fluid for all their cars, or even for all their cars in a given year. Understand, I don't need any at the moment. I just like to have a quart, just for emergencies. (Grrrr).

I've had my MKZ for two months now. Although I read the owners manual when I first got the car, I decided I would re-read it, as you always miss something the first time around. Well, there it was. Page 254 in the Owners Guide. "Fuel Tank Front Wheel Drive" - 17.5 Gallons (66.2L) "Fuel Tank All Wheel Drive" ---- 16.5 Gallons (62.5L) Did not know this. Don't like it, but nothing we can do about it except stop for fuel more often, which we must do anyway, compared to the FWD. Also, if you want to hear some doubletalk, listen to this, from page 243. The advertised capacity is the amount of the indicated capacity and the empty reserve combined. Indicated capacity is the difference in the amount of fuel in a full tank and a tank when the fuel gauge indicate empty. Empty reserve is the small amount of fuel remaining in the fuel tank after the fuel gauge indicates empty. The amount of usable fuel in the empty reserve varies and should not be relied upon to increase driving range. When refueling your vehicle after the fuel gauge indicates empty, you might not be able to refuel the full amount of the advertised capacity of the fuel tank due to the empty reserve still present in the tank. What did it say? Huh?? After reading it and re-reading it a few times, I think I know what it says, but then again, maybe not. I feel completly discombobulated.

I have the Nav Unit in my MKZ. Still learning how to use it after owning the car for two months. One thing it does not have, that I would like, is that it does not show the altitude above sea level. It does show the Latatude and Longitude, but I can never remember what button or icon to push to read it. If it does show altitude, I have not found it yet. I'm sure that the unit in my car is the same as the Fusion. I like "Christine" (the girl that talks to me) in there. When I program a destination, and I make a turn that was not told to me, or when I don't make a turn when I should have, "Christine" just goes ahead and plots a new course. I have two add on units, Magellin Roadmate 760 and 700, for my other car (and former car). When I make a wrong turn, "Geraldine" gets angry with me and keeps telling me to turn around, and just won't take no, for an answer. After a while, "Geraldine" gets the idea that I don't want to go her way, and she recalculates a new route. BTW, if anyone ever wants to buy a Roadmate 760 or 700, go for the 760. It is a much better unit in many ways. Both are "Plug it in and go".

Try as I may, I have not found anything wrong with my MKZ in the two months I've owned it. What am I doing wrong <grin> :D

Not offered on the MKZ. Doubt if it would be offered on the Milan.