2015 Sport didn't make it off the dealer's lot without issue - do I have a lemon?

[firefrog]

I am happy to report that the repair was made on the door lock and it seems to be working perfectly. The manager at the dealer understood our situation and did his best to make things right by offering us a 2 year maintenance plan and a second full tank of gas.

We have an appointment with their body shop to fix the scratches and water spots all over the hood which don't seem like normal water spots, because I tried to rub them off and they won't budge. Might be some kind of chemical. Hopefully the body shop will be able to buff out the spots with the proper equipment.

Besides that the drive home last night and the drive to work were a lot of fun. I can't wait to play around with all the bells and whistles this weekend.

Any tips on proper engine break-in? Should we be using 91 octane for the first 1500 miles? I emailed the dealer to find out. I am not sure what kind of gas they sent us home with. I suspect it was 87?

My fingers are crossed that this car doesn't have a ton of hidden issues. But all manufacturers have problems. I am just happy that so far Ford has done what it could to keep first time Ford buyers happy.

Does anyone have experience buying ESP plans from http://www.warrickfordwarrantyonline.com ? They quoted me $1800 for a 7 year 125k mile $100 deductible plan. Thanks!

I look forward to learning and contributing more to this forum now that we have our 2015 Ford Sport.

 

[adamjeeps]

Any tips on proper engine break-in? Should we be using 91 octane for the first 1500 miles? I emailed the dealer to find out. I am not sure what kind of gas they sent us home with. I suspect it was 87?

From the owner's manual:

You need to break in new tires for approximately 300 miles
(480 kilometers). During this time, your vehicle may exhibit some unique
driving characteristics. Avoid driving too fast during the first 1000 miles
(1600 kilometers). Vary your speed frequently and change up through
the gears early. Do not labor the engine. Do not tow during the first
1000 miles (1600 kilometers).

Only 87 required.

 

[1996BLKBauer]

I work at a GM dealer, that is on par with the quality control that GM has... we had a NEW car come off the truck with 2 ABS codes, and no refigerant in it... many more with similar issues, I would for sure not let it leave a bad taste in you mouth over any company, most parts are outsourced from China for every company, so defects happen. the car as a whole is solid, this is just one hiccup.

 

[bigdude2468]

87 octane is the recommended fuel and there is no benefit to using 91 octane. High performance cars burn 91 not because it is better but due to their engines having higher compression. Using 87 would result in a high compression engine having pre-detonation or as we used to call it pinging. Putting it in your Sport is a complete waste of money. Use good quality fuel and you will be fine.

 

[peterk9]

For the 3.5L V6 Ecoboost engine, Ford's advertised HP and Torque figures were achieved using 93 octane gasoline.

I'm on my first tank of 91 octane gas and it seems to slightly improve gas mileage although I can't be too sure at this point. I'm just coming up to 1000 miles so it may also be due to getting a few more miles on the engine. Will try another tank of 91 next fill.

The Owner's Guide recommends 87 octane gas but also mentions the following;
Premium fuel will provide improved performance and is recommended for severe duty usage such
as trailer tow.

Peter

 

[adamjeeps]

87 octane is the recommended fuel and there is no benefit to using 91 octane. High performance cars burn 91 not because it is better but due to their engines having higher compression. Using 87 would result in a high compression engine having pre-detonation or as we used to call it pinging. Putting it in your Sport is a complete waste of money. Use good quality fuel and you will be fine.

Per the owner manual for EcoBoost engines:

Premium fuel will provide
improved performance and is recommended for severe duty usage such
as trailer tow.

 

[peterk9]

Not quick enough Adam.

Peter

 

[rkh58]

Besides that the drive home last night and the drive to work were a lot of fun. I can't wait to play around with all the bells and whistles this weekend.

Glad to see your problems are being taken care of to your satisfaction. Keep us posted as to how the paint issues turn out. Now get out and enjoy your new ride over the holiday weekend. I'm sure you'll be happy you made the decision to keep your Explorer. Good Luck.

 

[bigdude2468]

Per the owner manual for EcoBoost engines:

Premium fuel will provide
improved performance and is recommended for severe duty usage such
as trailer tow.

Correct with the Eco Boost. Modern cars seldom ping due to knock sensors that will retard the timing and prevent engine damage. Even if 91 octane would improve fuel economy I doubt the cost difference of 87 vs 91 would ultimately save money.

I have a 2014 with the V-6( non Eco Boost) and I saw a dramatic improvement in mpg after about 7500 miles. I recently did a 300 mile trip and the computer reported 25.0 at a steady 72 miles per hour. I just filled up and reset the computer and will double check to be sure the reported MPG matches actual.

 

[peterk9]

At this point I would tend to agree on the fact that the mileage gained, if any, wouldn't offset the cost. The last time I filled up the 91 octane was about 64 cents more than the 87 per Imperial gallon.

Peter

 

[amd2800barton]

This seems to be the case for me. With about 7000 miles, I've mostly tried to stick to 91 (or better if available) and 0% ethanol. However, whenever we go out of state we have to fill up with 10% ethanol, and occasionally premium is unavailable or significantly more expensive. I keep a pretty detailed spreadsheet that calculates what the ethanol and octane content, as well as the fuel value in the tank is, and am thus able to calculate a pretty accurate cost-per mile. Even still there's a lot of variables to consider, but in my experience, the cost per mile has been the same whether the fuel in the tank is premium or regular . So I pay a little extra per gallon to have that extra power on tap when I want it. It seems like it ends up costing me the same either way.

 

[Sgt1411]

I am happy to report that the repair was made on the door lock and it seems to be working perfectly. The manager at the dealer understood our situation and did his best to make things right by offering us a 2 year maintenance plan and a second full tank of gas.

We have an appointment with their body shop to fix the scratches and water spots all over the hood which don't seem like normal water spots, because I tried to rub them off and they won't budge. Might be some kind of chemical. Hopefully the body shop will be able to buff out the spots with the proper equipment.

Besides that the drive home last night and the drive to work were a lot of fun. I can't wait to play around with all the bells and whistles this weekend.

Any tips on proper engine break-in? Should we be using 91 octane for the first 1500 miles? I emailed the dealer to find out. I am not sure what kind of gas they sent us home with. I suspect it was 87?

My fingers are crossed that this car doesn't have a ton of hidden issues. But all manufacturers have problems. I am just happy that so far Ford has done what it could to keep first time Ford buyers happy.

Does anyone have experience buying ESP plans from http://www.warrickfordwarrantyonline.com ? They quoted me $1800 for a 7 year 125k mile $100 deductible plan. Thanks!

I look forward to learning and contributing more to this forum now that we have our 2015 Ford Sport.

7 years with $100 deduct at $1800 seems very worthwhile to me, one repair to a module in these vehicles can eat almost $1800. If you're someone who keeps their vehicles for that long I would jump on that.

But first, there's a big thread in this forum on various members quotes for ESP, do a comparison.

 

[AZmom]

I am happy to report that the repair was made on the door lock and it seems to be working perfectly. The manager at the dealer understood our situation and did his best to make things right by offering us a 2 year maintenance plan and a second full tank of gas.

We have an appointment with their body shop to fix the scratches and water spots all over the hood which don't seem like normal water spots, because I tried to rub them off and they won't budge. Might be some kind of chemical. Hopefully the body shop will be able to buff out the spots with the proper equipment.

Besides that the drive home last night and the drive to work were a lot of fun. I can't wait to play around with all the bells and whistles this weekend.

Any tips on proper engine break-in? Should we be using 91 octane for the first 1500 miles? I emailed the dealer to find out. I am not sure what kind of gas they sent us home with. I suspect it was 87?

My fingers are crossed that this car doesn't have a ton of hidden issues. But all manufacturers have problems. I am just happy that so far Ford has done what it could to keep first time Ford buyers happy.

Does anyone have experience buying ESP plans from http://www.warrickfordwarrantyonline.com ? They quoted me $1800 for a 7 year 125k mile $100 deductible plan. Thanks!

I look forward to learning and contributing more to this forum now that we have our 2015 Ford Sport.

That cost sounds about right. I just paid $2080 for 7/125 with $50.00 deductible with first day rental.

Enjoy your ride!

 

[bigdude2468]

There is no more energy in 91 octane than 87 with the exception of perhaps no ethanol. Ethanol has 10% less energy than gasoline so if a gallon of gas has 10% ethanol you might get two mpg less. Higher octane fuel ignites at a higher temperature, that is the only difference. When an 87 fuel is used in a high compression engine the higher pressure ignites the fuel before the spark plug sparks, earlier in the compression stroke than designed, hence pre-detonation. A 91 fuel ignites at a higher pressure / compression so it does not ignite too early.

 

[bigdude2468]

Google "difference between 87 octane and 91 octane gasoline". Good article from Wikipedia that explains exactly what octane rating is. Long article but it confirms that octane is a measure of compression prior to ignition, not energy.

 

[amd2800barton]

There is no more energy in 91 octane than 87 with the exception of perhaps no ethanol. Ethanol has 10% less energy than gasoline so if a gallon of gas has 10% ethanol you might get two mpg less. Higher octane fuel ignites at a higher temperature, that is the only difference. When an 87 fuel is used in a high compression engine the higher pressure ignites the fuel before the spark plug sparks, earlier in the compression stroke than designed, hence pre-detonation. A 91 fuel ignites at a higher pressure / compression so it does not ignite too early.

If you look at the left of my post, you'll see that I have a Sport. The sport has an Ecoboost V6, which means it has a turbocharger. This boosts the pressure significantly. While the Ecoboost engines are capable of running on 87, thanks to today's automotive engineers doing some amazing stuff with internal combustion, they have to adjust the timing to avoid pinging. This produces less power, and worsens fuel economy. If I had the base V6, I would agree with you. I'm a chemical engineer, I understand octane ratings fairly well. I'm not just putting in the more expensive stuff as a status symbol or because I think it contains more energy.

Ethanol is disgusting stuff to put in your car. Even though modern cars have been "designed" for it, that doesn't mean its better for them than pure gasoline. Ethanol does terrible things to rubber and plastics, and can cause all sorts of parts to wear out faster. Ethanol is also hydroscopic, which means it really really likes water - so much so that it can absorb water from the atmosphere. Ethanol started being added to fuel under the guise of "energy independence", and now the corn lobby keeps it there. Thankfully one of the upsides to living in the backwater of a state I live in right now is that ethanol free gas is widely available and not significantly more expensive.

 

[peterk9]

amd2800barton, what you say makes sense. If you read the small print on Ford's brochures and website, it says that the Mileage and Torque figures that they advertise for the 3.5L V6 Ecoboost were attained using 93 octane gasoline. In the Owner's Guide it also mentions using Premium gasoline for top performance. I'm on my 2nd tank of 91 octane and can't really say I have noticed much of a difference but then I don't usually run my vehicle hard. It is difficult to find ethanol free stations around here. There are none in my immediate area.

Peter

 

[Tony407]

Lots of speculation going on. Someone do a few dyno runs with regular vs. premium fuel and put this all to rest!

Tony

 

[amd2800barton]

No speculation. Ford engineers and marketing have outright stated that the Ecoboost V6 was rated on and performs better with higher octane fuel.

 

[ptx415]

time to post pics of that nice new sport of yours