RJG

My 2012 Honda CRV calls for 0W20. I imagine others will soon follow. Use 5W20 in our 2012 Edge. I can understand the advantages of 0W20.

The Ford tow package includes more than just the hitch and wiring. I consider after the fact hitches, whether Ford or U Haul....mainly good for hauling bicycles on hitch mount racks. For towing, you usually want coolers on trans and power steering. Different flashers, higher capacity radiator, maybe different fan, not sure if trans axle ratio is different on Edge with tow, etc.

Chips have been obsolete for at least 10 years. Now you tune them thu the diagnostic port. Just plug in your tuner, download the new tune, and store the stock tune in the tuner. So simple. Throw the chip away.

My experience is as the vehicle ages and wears.... the rear toe gets out. More so than rear camber. Maybe more changes with miles than front suspension. http://www.brakeandfrontend.com/issue/article.aspx?contentid=90813

I would get the oil change and tire rotation done. At my dealership that's $50-60. I'm a believer in regular alignments.....about every 15,000 miles and around $100 for a 4 wheel alignment at my dealeship. Keeping vehicle properly aligned keeps tires wearing properly, and along wih rotation, not only gives longer tire life, but makes the tires run much more smoothly their whole life. I like my vehicles to drive as nice when tires have 50,000 miles on them as when vehicle is new.

NAV was an option on the Limited. So be careful. It can have turn by turn direcions from Sync and not have NAV. On our 2012 Limited with NAV, if the SD card gets dislodged, or something, nothing wems to work right on dash. Don't think I would buy a Limited without the SD card in place.

Add a 1/2 degree of positive castor to passenger side if alignment, tire change and rotation doesn't help. Has vehicle been hit in front? Also some tire tread patterns can cause this. Still have the original tires? The Edge comes from factory with enough positive castor to give front suspension a strong centering effect, so road crowns not as noticeable in modern cars as cars of the past. You normally don't set alignment for crowned roads anymore.

Maybe secondary fan is cutting on and off....as needed. Especially now in hot weather. It may not engage at all if A/C is off. See if you hear it with A/C off. Compressors are not normally noisy.

The AC on our 2012 Limited is fine......and we live in hot and humid Central Florida......where the humidity is about as high as the temp sometimes. A few years ago, a Ford vehicle we owned, had a page in the owners manual about how best to aim the AC vents. It instructed the user to NOT aim the vents directly on your body, but aim them is such a way as the side vents direct air down the side of the passengr compartment, and the middle vents direct air thru the middle of the passenger compartment. This way you get best circulation, and the return is designed as part of this system of air circulation. The design of our vents is in keeping with this idea. And that's how I adjust A/C vents on current Edge. Not on our bodies, but down the sides, and thru the middle. Then set it on auto....around 72-73 and set to recirculate. You could put it on max recirculate.....which immediately puts it on 60, but it's never necessary and we also live where it's hot. BTW....we also have a 2012 Honda, with an "ECON" button. When this is activated, it always keeps the AC in recirculate mode. This saves fuel, as well as being more efficient in cooling. It's easier and uses less energy to cool air that's already cool, than cool hot outside incoming air. If our vehicle wasn't cooling properly, the first place I would look W/B stopped up air cabin filter or low refridgerant.....correct amount of refridgerant is critical....not too much, not too little. It's so important, correct amount is listed under hood. Make sure radiator and condensor are free of debris....bugs, etc. This can block air flow. Next would check blend door operation....professional probably has to do this. Would not blame the design of the vehicle. If it's not cooling properly, somethings wrong. it's not difficult to check it out. Put on max, stick a thermometer in each vent and see what it's blowing. In hot climate.....under 55 at least. If air is cold on max, then check carefully the blend door operation. At sometime during this checking, make sure the pressure switch is operating correctly. Not rocket science.

How long a tire lasts has nothing to do with it's quality. It's mostly about how you drive, how you inflate and maintain balance and alignment, and what the tread wear rating on the tire is. Tires designed for good handling....cornering and stopping, usually have lower tread wear ratings (around 300 plus or minus....it's on the tire).....so IMHO 35,000-40,000 miles is good wear for some good weather performance tires. If the tread wear rating is 400 and over, sure they can last well beyond 50,000 miles, but they will have a hard rubber tread for long life, and cornering and breaking will not be as good as softer rubber performance tires. And the harder rubber longer lasting tires may not ride as well. They are just tires....and usually perform per their design. All tire manufacturers know how to make good tires.

Probably some factory update to improve drivability or emmisions, shift quality, etc. Or fuel economy. Certainly not a boost improvement.

if you get a tune for that.....might as well have them fix it so it doesn't pull timing and fuel for WOT shift. Make it shift harder. Also.....they can delete traction control if you live in no snow area. When computer senses any slp, even slip you don't feel, it may throttle back power. If performance is important to you. Tunes routinely do this kind of thing.....in addition to adding timing for premium fuel and leaning a tad.

On our 2012.....the owners manual (or mintenance manual) goes into some detail about how often to change it. Mostly depending on if used to tow or not. But there were, as I recall, three different change intervals recommnded depending on use. 150,000 interval is for very light no towing use in low heat conditions. I don't tow, but the 60-90,000 interval sounds about right for my use. That would be at least 5 years. To me....time, not just mileage, is also a consideration.

Not tested this myself....but I have read in several magazines a base model Edge with 3.5 and standard wheels is the quickest Edge. Again....don't know if that's true or not. Do know new edge with 22's now has a different gear to make up for the 22's. The 22 wheel and tire package, with it's huge amout of unsprung weight, will hurt acceleration and braking, but I would imagine they would have a fly wheel effect of stored energy, and not hurt cruising fuel economy any. With struts/shock settings and air pressure settings, designed around 22's, don't see why the Sport model not a decent ride.

Auto Zone, or similar store, can probably give you full explanation of the code. And sell you replacment part to fix it....if you don't want to call the parts department of your local Ford store.

Don't know anything about your particular vehicle, dual exhaust, single, etc, but it sounds like the sensor that measures how quicky the converter is heating up after cold starts.

Regarding lowering......Our 2012 Edge Limited FWD with stock 18's looks like it sits kinda high. However, after measuring underneath, realize it doesn't. That look mostly comes from the fender openings being cut so high (too high I think).....lots of room for chains, etc. When measuring underneath vehicle at lowest point, it actually sits low compared to other hi profile SUV type vehicles, and the plastic chin spoiler beneath front bumper is only 7" above ground.....low enough to easily catch on curbs when parking, etc. So while my Edge looks kinda high and "dorky" around the wheels, it actually isn't that high off the ground. Especially when considering the kind of vehicle it is. I'm not much interested in screwing up suspension on a lowering job just to take out some visual fender gap. It rides and handle pretty good as is....for kind of vehicle it is. At stock height, engineers have figured out air flow management in and around front, and how to eliminate air flow underneath pretty well. A lot of engineering thought has gone into this vehicle. Bottom line.....when you lower our vehicles, you gain negative camber, front and rear, which in turn causes more than stock toe in. You might be able to adjust out the excess negative camber with some tolerances in stock system, or with aftermarket parts, and some built in factory adjustment, but excess toe in will wear tires rapidly. So you will need an alignment. Toe is easily adjusted.

As above mentioned.....I imagine you need different struts for your lowered vehicle. You want your strut travel to be where struts are designed for. Also.....I would imagine you will wear the inside of your new tires. When you lower a vehicle, you usually pick up more negative camber. Sometimes a problem, sometimes not. Can be fixed with a camber caster kit, or just use some camber bolts. For sure, you will need a new 4 wheel alignment. You give up ride comfort (no matter what the ads say) for lower CG. Maybe car handles better, maybe not. Never lowered an Edge....lowered many Mustangs. Enjoy!

ladybird4....you're a smooth driver with a light foot.

The newer car will probably always be worth more a few years down the road. Also the story doesn't sound right. Dealerships don't forget about cars they own. They borrow the money to buy them, called floor planning, and the bank keeps tracks of their sales. I wouldn't be surprised if it had spent some time in the body shop.

I don't think that kit will work easily. But a good shop, one that spcializes in custom super charger and turbo applications, could probably fab up something that would work. Lamotta performance, in Longwood (Orlando area), Fl, could make one work. He has his own dyno for the tuning. In addition to the parts and tuning, you also have to give some thought to under hood heat, and how you're going to get rid of it.(in addition to pistons and rods not designed for super charger applications)

Just got back from another trip. About a 1000 miles, probably 90% Interstate driving, 10% destination driving at night, with cruise set on 70 most of time. Keeping track of fuel purchased and miles driven. Overall MPG average 27.1. Almost exactly what the trip computer was showing. Would have been in the 28's, but destination driving killed my average. The other MPG indicator....the one with a bar, that shows what your foot is doing, was showing 1-2 MPG higher. it showed in the 28's for all tanks. I just reset my NAV for most ecological driving, not quickest time. Will see how that differs on my routes.

I think the only way adding bolt on's make any sense is with a custom tune.

Turned sideways, with different air intake path, different power take off, different tuning, different exhaust, and some other things I can't think of right now.

Top speed is usually limited because of the speed rating of the tires. Don't see how Mustang performance parts will help Edge.