The joys of driving a new SporTrac in winter

[fogghornn]

Hope you all are enjoying your 'new' SporTrac's as much my as my wife and I. We are so impressed with the stability and secure feeling of the STA's AWD and electronic traction control, anit-lock brakes, etc.

We've had only cars for the past 30 years, so this is a huge change for us. We wanted something different, as we'd grown tired of 4-door sedans. We love the V8's ample power and sound, the smooth 6-speed tranny, the smooth ride, and the overall comfort and quiet on the highway. The SporTrac is a very solid feeling machine.

I just can't believe how the auto journalists gloss over this vehicle with scripting from previous reviews that appear to be written by journalists who may never have sat their ***** in the "new" ST and drove it. To me, their biases are blatantly obvious. As for me, I'd been a Honda/Acura loyalist for 23 years, but the Ridgeline just didn't quite do it for me. I just kept coming back to the ST...

As for the winter weather, we could do without the bitter cold days, and the dirty slop of salt, sand, and melted snow... YUCK. We driven the new STA through some NASTY stuff during the past month, and have come away impressed every time.

Last week we had a huge temperature drop, and the "low air pressure" warning light came on. We only had 22 psi in two, 24 psi in #3, and 27 psi in the 4th tire. My local Ford dealer's service guy, Roy, was kind enough to top all 4 tires up to 32 psi. I really appreciated him doing it for me because it was so dang cold that day. You could feel the improvement in the ride. Guess the reduced air pressure was somewhat gradual with the cold temps.

How much PSI are you running in your ST's tires? 30? 32? 35? more than 35? How has tire pressure affected your mileage? How has the cold winter temps affected your fuel mileage?

Am off now in search of a few bags of sand/salt mixture as my country driveway is staring to glaze over... I know it's gonna get wicked slippery when the temps drop again later this afternoon.

Happy motoring!

 

[JohnnyO]

I keep 35 psi in all four but I have the 245/65-17 tires and the Adrenalin has larger 18" tires. I would advise keeping them at 32 and see how they wear. If the edges are wearing faster then pump them up to 35. I check my air every Saturday and I have a small compressor so I can fill tires on my own.
If I am on consistently snow-covered roads I switch it from 4-Auto to 4-Hi because I find the switching back and forth in Auto mode annoying.
Frankly I don't like the OE tires for winter. It goes and turns just fine in snow but they're worthless when it comes to stopping. Maybe you have different tires that are better.
I went from a 2005 Sport Trac to a 2008, the ride and handling is so vastly better on the '08 that it isn't even funny.
Been brutally cold here the last two weeks and my mileage is worse than it was. Yesterday was the only day above freezing for a long time and most days it's been single digits or below zero (Fahrenheit). The Trac always starts and goes though, never a complaint.
It will never be a mileage champ no matter what you do.

 

[fogghornn]

Hey JohhnyO,

Maybe next time I get near an air pump, I'll try the 35 psi. My tires are 20" Pirellis. So far I haven't had any concerns with either stopping or going in the slippery stuff. I'm glad, because my uncle hounded me to take the tires and rims off and put on "real" snow tires. He claimed he had the big Pirellis on his FX2 F-150, and found them useless in the snow.

As far as mileage, like you I recognize the ST will never be a mileage champ. I am interested very interested to learn what is "normal" for the ST in extremely cold weather, mild winter weather, 50-70F, and 75+ F type days. My Acura has acted very differently in different temperature ranges, but it has always done it consistently. I really would like to try to get 22+mpg on the highway this summer. My expectations are that warmer weather and gentle throttle movement at highway speeds should yield "reasonable" mileage. I'll have to wait and see, as 75F days are 4 to 5 months away on the shores of the Bay of Fundy.

 

[JohnnyO]

I usually average about 14.5 mpg per tank in mixed driving but I have a V6. It is rated at 19 mpg highway but keeping it at 65 mph I've gotten 23 mpg on a 40 mile trip on a flat road when I was in Florida last year. I put on a lower restriction exhaust not long after I got it to help the mpg.
In the colder weather I'm averaging about 11 to 12 right now.

 

[Infinity08]

I'm averaging about 14mpg with the v8, and a LOT of idling to warm the vehicle (can't put the baby in a cold car- and I'm not real fond of it

 

[fogghornn]

Infinity08,

For awhile I was having a hard time with cabin heat.... my right leg was getting was way too hot. Discovered the vents toward the rear seat were flipped off, so a lot of the heat was jamming up in the console, and coming out by my leg. Since then I'd been experimenting opening and closing other vents to see their effect in certain situations. I learned I can close off vents to more effectively direct heat to the windshield and front side windows for defrosting, or you can balance the heat in the whole cabin by opening up the rear vents. It also helps to close the sunroof shade to keep heat in the cabin. If the windhsield is has no frost on it, I don't use the defrost buttons, which enables heat to blow toward the passengers... which heats the cabin much more quickly than using defrost. This all works, but I don't remember ever having to do all this with my car. Oh well... it's been fun experimenting. "Learning all the time".

 

[xero2099]

I had a focus before my trac, and its night and day, i can actually drive in snow and not be afraid, i used to spend alot of time cleaning my drive way after snow since the focus was so bad now all i do is put it into 4x4 and go then clean after i moved the car

 

[adrnlnrush]

I just love driving my STA in winter, of course I live in Florida

 

[fogghornn]

ADRNLNRUSH,

OUCH ! You sure know how to hurt a guy... stick that "knife" in real deep... and twist it... hahahaha. I'd like to know what bright fellow at FORD HQ decided to delete "Heated Seats" and "Heated Mirrors" off the ADRENALIN Package... Amazingly, a "block heater" is standard. Go figure... I am nonetheless very happy with my "FLORIDA" truck... a white suede STA like yours!

 

[Richie18]

Heated seats are standard on the 2009 Adrenalin's.

 

[NJPDR]

I had a focus before my trac, and its night and day, i can actually drive in snow and not be afraid, i used to spend alot of time cleaning my drive way after snow since the focus was so bad now all i do is put it into 4x4 and go then clean after i moved the car

I too have enjoyed not worrying about cleaning the snow off the driveway!

 

[BigV]

Yeah I have heated windshield and mirrors but no heated seats weird. I was nervous giving up my f-150 it was great in the snow. Well I was pleasantly surprised the sta is great in the snow. The AWD works superbly you can't even tell it is working it's very efficient.

 

[fogghornn]

Unable to drive my STA the past two days... ARRGGHH

I was unable to drive the STA the past two days.

We had a heavy snow storm Wednesday that turned to freezing rain overnight. Tried to open my garage door on Thursday morning, and it broke... the STA's garage door was frozen down. ARRRGGGHHH. The "attempted" opening ripped the screws right out of the metal plate attached to the top panel. I may have to try larger screws in the old holes, or drill a couple of outboard holes on the plate, and use the old screws in those.

Might take a look at it tonight to see if I can get it unstuck... just got home from work and am trashed out.

More snow on the way.... "La-La"

On the positive side,
(1) I was able to open the other garage door and get my car out to go to work;
(2) the month of January has all but "had the biscuit"; and
(3) ONLY THREE more months to motorcycle season!
YAAAAAAYYYYYYYY.

UPDATE:
A bit later this evening, I took some pics...
Looks like I'll need a whole new top panel with the metal plate attached from the factory.
Used a shovel and pickaxe to break up the 4" thick ice in front of the garage door.
I removed ice back about a foot from the door.
Phewww, I'm somewhat relieved...
Now I can get the garage door open and get the STA out.
Will have to go at it again tomorrow with the pick and shovel to clear 4'-5' in front of the garage door.

 

[icepaddler]

I have had the low pressure light come on many times in cold weather, usually it goes off when the tires warm up but at -40 it stays on! I think JohnnyO's suggestion of increasing the pressure to 35 is good, I have run 32 and my tire wear indicates it is too low.
I love the Advancetrac in the winter, the other day I got in some icy ruts and was heading sideways into the ditch, I remember thinking OK
as soon as I hit the ditch and the tires get in the deep snow I'll flip or if I don't flip I'll hit that power pole, while I was thinking about my obituary the Sport Trac straightened out by itself!!!
I have found the heater system isn't the greatest, I leave it on manual and adjust it as needed, I think this comes with the fact it wasn't
built for the great white north, but once you know how it acts its easy to adjust it as needed.
I have had the 07 for 2 1/2 years and overall it's a great winter vehicle.

 

[NJPDR]

I was unable to drive the STA the past two days.

We had a heavy snow storm that turned to frezzing rain overnight Wednesday. Tried to open my garage door on Thursday morning, and it broke... the STA's garage door was frozen down. ARRRGGGHHH. The "attempted" opening ripped the screws right out of the metal plate attached to the top panel. I may have to try larger screws in the old holes, or drill a couple of outboard holes on the plate, and use the old screws in those.

Might take a look at it tonight to see if I can get it unstuck... just got home from work and am trashed out.

More snow on the way.... "La-La"

On the positive side,
(1) I was able to open the other garage door and get my car out to go to work;
(2) the month of January has all but "had the biscuit"; and
(3) ONLY THREE more months to motorcycle season!
YAAAAAAYYYYYYYY.

What a horrible way to start the day.
I have the old carriage house style doors on my garage. They open outwards instead of rolling up.

I love them in comfortable weather because I can leave 1 side shut but every winter ice builds up outside of the doors and sometimes (actually lately)I can't get them open.

I'm switching to the roll up door this summer.

 

[Infinity08]

Infinity08,

For awhile I was having a hard time with cabin heat.... my right leg was getting was way too hot. Discovered the vents toward the rear seat were flipped off, so a lot of the heat was jamming up in the console, and coming out by my leg. Since then I'd been experimenting opening and closing other vents to see their effect in certain situations. I learned I can close off vents to more effectively direct heat to the windshield and front side windows for defrosting, or you can balance the heat in the whole cabin by opening up the rear vents. It also helps to close the sunroof shade to keep heat in the cabin. If the windhsield is has no frost on it, I don't use the defrost buttons, which enables heat to blow toward the passengers... which heats the cabin much more quickly than using defrost. This all works, but I don't remember ever having to do all this with my car. Oh well... it's been fun experimenting. "Learning all the time".

It gets plenty warm, and I've done all the tricks you have. It's just been 0* here for a few weeks, so extended warm up is preferred over freezing the baby. At least until he can talk

 

[Infinity08]

Oh yeah, kinda off topic, but how DO you shovel a mix of snow/freezing rain? I managed a 6'x12' space, but had to quit before I killed myself. Weather sucks, and there's more of this garbage coming on Monday

 

[JohnnyO]

I'm averaging about 14mpg with the v8, and a LOT of idling to warm the vehicle (can't put the baby in a cold car- and I'm not real fond of it

Take it to the dealer and have them install an engine block heater. We got my wife's Taurus used, it was originally sold in Canada and has a block heater. Here in PA you don't really NEED it, but I plug it in when it gets below 25* and the heater has hot air almost instantly.

Oh yeah, kinda off topic, but how DO you shovel a mix of snow/freezing rain? I managed a 6'x12' space, but had to quit before I killed myself. Weather sucks, and there's more of this garbage coming on Monday

You don't. Just shift into 4wd and park on top of it unless you have a backhoe.

 

[fogghornn]

Any chance you already have a block heater under the hood?
One came standard on my '08 STA, but I haven't used it 'cause I keep it in the garage overnight. They make a big difference if they've been plugged in. Some people have an in-house off-on swithc, and flip them on an hour or so before you want to leave. Apparently it both saves power, and enables quick statrts, and quick heat on very cold mornings.

 

[JohnnyO]

I don't think so. I think would be listed as an option on the window sticker if it had one. I'll check the manual to see where it would be located but I doubt it has one. On my wife's Taurus the plug is in the lower grill at the bottom of the front bumper.