akirby

So you're contemplating getting rid of a $30K vehicle because of a $200 mp3 player that can easily be replaced with a $10 USB drive? Wow. Ever hear the phrase penny wise, pound foolish?

I can move mine with one finger. Not hard at all.

Well that sucks. Since the software works perfectly fine in other vehicles it really points to a hardware issue with some vehicles.

You could try posting on Facebook - the reps there can probably help. Without dealer assistance it's going to be difficult. Ford may think the dealer has taken care of it. Why isn't the dealer calling Ford?

Let me rephrase. Ford isn't setup to work directly with customers except in rare cases where the dealership is unable to fix the problem. Did the dealership try replacing the APIM after the media players would not sync? I've seen many cases where the dealer replaced the APIM and fixed these types of problems with no questions asked, so when I see something like this where the dealer did not replace the APIM it makes me question what the dealer is telling Ford. My other point was that Ford has over 3 million vehicles under full warranty coverage at any given point in time so it's difficult to give a lot of customers individualized care so they rely on the dealers to do most of that. That said since Ford is now involved they should be more responsive and I hope they get it fixed for you. I would still consider a different dealership in the future.

Yeah, I think we're done here.

Your dealer has failed you and should have replaced the APIM - more than once if necessary. If your dealer won't do it then find one that will. Ford has an entire network of service locations to repair vehicles - they're called dealerships. Unfortunately there are a lot of bad ones out there. You shouldn't have to go to Ford directly and if you do they should take care of you but finding a good dealer will make life a lot easier.

Ford is not set up to work directly with customers - they rely on dealers. Your dealer should have pursued getting a new APIM. Since the 3.5.1 update the software seems to be stable in most older vehicles and almost every new vehicle. Major problems almost always end up being APIMs. My suggestion is to contact a new dealer who wants to fix the problem.

Thank you for your service to this country and stay safe!

That's why they created the 6F55 version for the Flex, MKS and Taurus SHO 3.5EB.

It may not have to actually latch - try inserting the buckle anyway.

The 3.7 also uses the 6F50. The SHO uses a beefed up 6F55 so I think it's safe to say that the 6F50 won't handle a lot more torque than stock. In Ford terminology 6F50 means it can handle 500 lb/ft of torque at the input shaft. But before you get carried away that's AFTER the torque converter so you have to account for that. For reference the Explorer/Ranger/Lincoln LS RWD tranny was the 5R55 and it couldn't handle much more than 325 hp or so. You could probably do a mild tune for an extra 5-15 hp but I wouldn't try to do more than that.

When you crank a vehicle, especially in the cold, it drains the battery. You need to let it run for a bit so that it has time to fully recharge. If you're doing a lot of 2-3 mile jaunts without long drives in between to recharge it can slowly drain. There is also a normal drain from the onboard electronics which doesn't help but by itself should not be a problem. And again - your battery may be bad, even if it's new and even if it "tested ok". An easy solution (if you park in the garage) is to use a simple battery minder to keep it charged - or just drive it a few extra miles every other day or so. Or crank it and let it idle for 15 minutes every now and then.

It's the added weight that makes it slower. Even a few lbs adds up when you multiply it by 4 and move the weight further away from the center of the wheel.

New APIM should fix all of that.

Those are the only recommended points. I do use the spare when rotating just because it's easier than getting a jack stand in next to the floor jack. I'm sure you could get away with other suspension points but Ford doesn't recommend it.

Pinch weld points. Get an adapter that fits around the pinch weld. Like this one: http://www.ebay.com/bhp/floor-jack-adapter

Do you have aftermarket wheels? Unusual for all 4 to go bad. There was a defect in the hub I think that causes some of the bearing failures so you have to replace the hub but not all 4. Do a search for more details.

I thought you had to replace the hub - that's what's causing the bearings to fail.

You must drive a LOT of highway miles.....

A TSB is simply a guideline for the dealership to help them resolve an issue. It's not a warranty. It just means that Ford is willing to pay for the repair if the vehicle is under warranty. Try a new dealer - just be up front with them and tell them you weren't satisfied by the other dealer and you're looking for a new one.

Yeah - 3 screws and one connection. Couldn't be easier.

How can they be at a loss? REPLACE THE MICROPHONE! Find a new dealer.

Did you report it to the dealer and show him the TSB? It's under warranty and shouldn't be a problem to get them to fix it.