TheWizard

I find it interesting that the FRAM filter gets bad reviews on Amazon as well (2 star rating... not a lot of reviews but not a single 5 star response). Comments like bad fit and that the baking soda additive blows white powder all over the interior. And yet the similar ATP carbon filter gets four times as many reviews, a 5 star rating and costs less than half as much. In fact, that filter is $12 and can be installed in your driveway in less than five minutes so you were right to decline the $66 dealer installation. This is just my personal opinion... your mileage may vary. I have used many different filters in numerous cars over 40 years of driving and have found FRAM filters to be inconsistent. Certain filters for certain vehicles are excellent and highly recommended. Others not so much. So now that the Internet makes it so easy to research, I would recommend checking out reviews of the exact filter you are considering before buying. Let others be the guinea pigs.

Actually, all but the most alert and careful drivers will achieve better mileage on cruise control than manual control regardless of terrain. A driver who is watching and anticipating changes in driving condition (grade, speed limit changes, traffic lights, etc.) can make those changes gradually to avoid braking and accelerating as much as possible thus beating cruise control which can't anticipate anything. But the average driver on the highway simply isn't that attentive (except maybe to their phone) so not only do they not adjust properly for grade changes, they don't even maintain a constant speed on level ground. We've all experienced those jackasses that are constantly passing and then slowing down until you go buy them on cruise control and they suddenly find the gas pedal again. Besides, the fuel used during acceleration (up a grade) is more than that saved by coasting (down the grade) so it takes a really good driver to beat the cruise control by any significant margin. Modern transmissions with six or more speeds can downshift only one speed (say 1,000 RPM) to go up the grade whereas older three and four speed transmissions (and most drivers trying to do it manually) would down shift to a gear maybe 2,000 or more RPM higher, using more fuel.

You can receive emails as text messages with most providers by addressing the email to your phone number at the provider's domain. For example, AT&T has 1234567890@txt.att.net. Other providers have similar setups. Email sent to that address will be treated as a text message by your phone. It's invaluable for use with systems that can email but not text directly. I have used that option for many years to get automated alerts from network monitoring systems and even to "page" me when somebody leaves a voicemail on my office phone.

The two sides have different wire colors but as before, the positions remain constant. For the right side, you want to connect the resistor between the yellow/violet (T/S power) wire and the black/grey (ground) wire. For the left side, you want to connect the resistor between the blue/green (T/S power) wire and the black/green (ground) wire. In both cases, those are the two outer wires in the connector. The center wire (yellow/blue on both sides) is the parking light power.

Sorry, I must have missed your post somehow. Those photos are of a normal 3157 (not a CK) socket. You can see that the brass colored connectors at one end are connected together by the strip of metal across the end of the socket. That's the two ground pins that share the common black wire. The two silver colored contacts are separate and are power for the parking lights (upper edge) and the turn signals (lower edge). The resistors have no polarity - either wire can be connected to power or ground. They also cannot cause a short because the resistor itself is always a load on the circuit. So no, there really is no way you can cause a problem by installing the resistor. Just connect one of the resistor wires to the turn signal power wire and the other resistor wire to the ground wire (or to any chassis ground such as a screw in the body). Your connections look correct assuming you matched the correct colors for the outboard and inboard wires. But even if you had them reversed, it wouldn't cause any damage... it would just reverse the function of the bright and dim bulb outputs. The only thing that could have caused a problem would be a short to ground and the only way I can think of that happening is if the sockets didn't use the universal standard of black wire for ground. If you have a multimeter, you can check that by testing continuity between the brass colored contacts in the socket and the black wire coming out the other side. There should be continuity (0 ohms resistance) between the brass colored contacts and the black wire but not any other wire. If there is continuity to multiple wires then the socket is defective. I hope that helps.

I would be very surprised if spark plugs are in any way involved. Misfiring from spark plugs would be engine speed dependent and not related to road speed. It could also be engine load (acceleration) dependent. But in either case, the same symptoms would be expected to show up at different speeds as the transmission was in lower gears or when accelerating similarly at different speeds. As has been mentioned, at 90,000 miles you are close to the recommended change interval and it can't hurt to change them but I doubt it will affect the symptoms you describe. It is much more likely related to the transmission.

As long as you didn't short the connections by connecting any of the power wires to the black (ground) wires or accidentally allowing an uninsulated power connection to touch metal body parts, there is no way the connections caused the BCM problem. Even if you connected the bright (turn signal) wire to the dim (parking light) wire, or vice versa, no damage would result. The lights would look wrong because the bright and dim would be reversed but from an electrical standpoint there would be no problem with the circuit. There is one other possibility and that is the LED bulbs or sockets themselves. If you mistakenly installed CK (also called SACK) bulbs or sockets rather than standard 3157 replacements, you would cause a short circuit that should have just blown the fuse but could possibly cause a problem with the BCM. The standard 3157 socket and bulb has both grounds in the contacts at one end of the socket. The CK type has the two ground contacts along one side of the socket. Using a CK bulb or socket in a vehicle designed for standard 3157 will cause a direct short to ground. You can't determine the bulb type by just inspecting but you can check the socket. Look in the socket and you will see two of the four contacts are connected together - those are the ground contacts. If they are the two at one end (across the narrow portion of the slot) then it's a normal socket. If they are the two along one side then it's a CK socket. You can see an image here: http://www.rzrforums.net/lighting-stereo-electrical/100925-led-brake-tail-lights-2.html

This is my Mustang with the electronics package... Each side of the screen can be selected independently using those white arrows at the bottom to customize the display or you can make any single section (map, audio, climate, etc.) full screen. I prefer the default setting with the map/nav on the left and the audio and climate on the right. You can see how it is fairly easy to select many common functions by touch alone. The Radio and Media buttons are right next to the volume knob and the presets are between the volume and tuning knobs. Since the knobs are easy to locate without looking, the buttons next to them are similarly easy. In the lower row, the temperature up/down switches are indented so you can feel the difference from other switches and the seat heater is right next to them. I'll admit that I have to glance at the dash to get the front and rear defroster buttons but that's a quick glance and they aren't controls I use very often. You are correct Waldo, it is the hard drive electronics package. And I can understand why it would be a top pick because it does basically everything that MFT in the Edge does but in a much nicer setup (in my opinion). Plus I have a full set of real gauges in front of me.

I hate to say so, but I suspect there was a problem with your connections that caused a short. And I think you'll find the resolution is simpler than resetting the BCM. I would guess that you'll find you blew the parking light fuse. Fuse #30 in the passenger compartment fuse panel (behind the left kick panel below the dash) is a 15 amp fuse that protects the front parking lights and the front auxiliary parking lights (the pipe lights in the bumper). I would test and/or replace that fuse first before looking for other possible causes.

Consumer Reports is still a major force in consumer product evaluation. If it wasn't, why do you think that Edmunds, MotorTrend, Car & Driver, Car Talk, autoguide.com, USA Today, CBS News and many others quote them when they do reviews such as their review of MFT. Their print magazine still goes to over seven million subscribers every month and their website has more subscribers than any other publication-based site.

I love a good debate as long as it stays civil so I hope you don't think I'm dragging this out. I didn't mean to imply that Ford falsified their survey in any way. My comment was more that they were selective in who they surveyed so that they could get results that were more favorable. For example, it is probably axiomatic that younger people are more likely to embrace technology than older people so a survey that included a large percentage of owners under 40 is much more likely to find positive reviews for things like MFT. No, the nav screen is not like all other Ford systems. I know - I have nav in my Mustang and it is very different. I have my home screen set up so that the entire left half is map/nav and the right side is split between climate and audio. This gives me a reasonably large map without giving up the other two functions that are useful to me. Let's face it, once you pair a phone in an MFT system, there really is no good reason to devote the top left quadrant to the phone. And unless I missed something, there is no way to display a navigation map on the home screen. Sure, you can touch the upper right corner to switch to a full screen map but then you give up the other functions. Of course, much of what we're discussing is not strictly MFT. The steering wheel controls other than the 4-way menu buttons are nothing special - I had steering wheel controls on my 2000 Trans Am without any factory touch screen. And the voice control is SYNC rather than MFT. But the average consumer thinks of the combination as an MFT system that includes touch screen, dash display, steering wheel controls and voice commands. As long as I've mentioned dash display - what's wrong with having real gauges? Why can't I display tach, speedometer, temp, oil pressure and voltage all at the same time? To me that is a big step backwards. As far as what's difficult... none of it is really difficult although some of the less used options can be hard to find in the menu system. But why should I have to take my eyes off the road just to do something simple like change audio source, increase fan speed or turn on the heated seats? With real buttons and switches, I can do that by touch without having to look (or sometimes just a quick glance to locate the switch). With the Edge, even those controls that are not in the touchscreen are not tactile - they're just flat panel markings. Between those and the options that are only available on the touch screen, you not only have to look down to find them, you have to watch to see if they do anything when you touch them. Combined with how hard you have to press to get the screen to respond, it becomes very distracting. I only mentioned my IT background because it has become common for technology supporters to denounce those who don't like a certain technology as luddites who don't understand or appreciate technology in general. I'm all for technology that works well and provides a real benefit but I'm very much against technology just for its own sake. I really do appreciate that our opinions differ and I'm not trying to knock anyone who likes the MFT system. I'm just trying to present an opposing point of view. After all, the original poster asked for opinions to help decide on a vehicle purchase.

Sorry, I have no idea where that 80% statistic may have come from other than Ford marketing. The only thing close that I could find was 71% and that was from a Ford survey commissioned to counteract the Consumer Reports articles. JD Powers dropped Ford's initial quality ranking from 10th to 23rd almost entirely because of MFT. And Lincoln dropped from 8th to 17th for the same reason. Consumer Reports has blasted MFT not only because of their own testing but because of responses to their annual owners survey. In fact, they dropped to 27th out of only 28 brands listed and now CR automatically downgrades any vehicle that is equipped with MFT. Ford faced a class action law suit over MFT issues and has reportedly dropped Microsoft in favor of Blackberry for the new software in an effort to improve it. Then on February they announced that they had actually listened to their frustrated customers and were putting real knobs and controls back into their cars for less dependence on touch screen and voice commands. Take a look at the coming 2015 Mustang dash - it's a thing of beauty! A touch screen for things that make good use of it (GPS, music track information, etc.) but really nice tactile controls for the essentials like climate control (fan speed, temperature, etc.) and basic audio system control (volume, source, tuning, etc.). In fact, there's 15 switches for climate control and seven for audio. I am the IT Director for a billion dollar company so I am no stranger to technology but one thing I've learned is that the fancy gimmicks are often just that - gimmicks. They don't improve the user experience in the long run. MFT helps Ford sell cars because it looks cool in the showroom but it's not for everyone and it sure could use a lot of improvement in my opinion.

I will jump in here and be the dissenting opinion. Like you, I like the Edge but hate MFT with a burning passion. I bought a 2013 Edge Limited anyway - I still like the vehicle and have learned to tolerate MFT enough that I don't feel like taking a hammer to it every time I get in the vehicle. I have an '11 Mustang with Sync (but not MFT) and find that far more tolerable although the voice commands don't like me (I say "phone home", it says "deploying airbags"). For one thing, I can have a split screen with GPS on one side and audio/climate on the other... much better than having to choose between a simple compass or the full screen map. You will find that many members here like MFT but they are not necessarily a representative group since they are "enthusiasts" who are much more into the nuts and bolts of their vehicles (that's why they're here and there's certainly nothing wrong with that). But Ford has discovered that the general public dislikes the current incarnation of MFT more than most similar products in other company's vehicles. And magazine reviews routinely pan MFT as a complete bust. So Ford has announced that it is changing the design significantly to include more real controls (knobs and buttons) so that owners would not be dependent on touch screen or voice commands. And you're right, the touch screen commonly takes an inordinate amount of pressure to get a response. It's not just annoying, it's a dangerous distraction while driving. That being said, I have been mostly happy with the vehicle overall. It has a bunch of useless "gee whiz" electronic gadgetry (what was wrong with good old fashioned mechanical turn signal switches?) but it rides well, is very comfortable, has lots of interior space for its size, and gets pretty decent mileage.

On a 3157 lamp socket, the black wire is always ground, the center wire (red in this case) is power for the dim "filament" for the parking/running lights, and the non-black outer edge wire (green in this case) is power for the bright "filament" for turn signals. The same holds true for the plug except that it isn't clear on the photo of your plug which is inner and outer because they don't seem to be arranged in a straight line. Certainly the black wire is ground. If you can see inside that heat shrink cover on the plug to determine which wire (red or blue) goes to the center and which is on the outside edge then you just connect them the same as the socket (black to black, outer to outer and center to center). If you can't see the wire positions but you have a multimeter, you can test which of the blue or red wires is the parking versus the turn signal connection. If not, you may have to try connecting one way and if the bright versus dim functions are backwards, simply reverse the red and blue wires. Once you have determined the correct connections, the load resistor gets connected between the bright (turn signal) power wire and the black ground wire. No need to use those blue ScotchLock connectors, simply connect the wires where you're connecting the socket to the plug. For example, if you find the red plug wire is for the turn signal then you will connect the red plug wire to the green socket wire and to one of the load resistor wires (doesn't matter which one). Then you will connect the black plug wire to the black socket wire and to the other load resistor wire. The remaining two wires (red from the socket and blue from the plug) get connected together by themselves for the parking light (no connection to the load resistor). You really should leave the rubber seal on the socket to ensure a weatherproof connection. You can make it easier to install in the lamp by putting a little silicone grease on that seal so that it will turn more smoothly when you twist it into the lamp opening. If you really can't push it into the opening enough to get it to turn, you can **carefully** file the locking tabs with a nail file to adjust the spacing between the locking tabs and the rubber seal until you can get it to turn. Bear in mind that you want it to be fairly tight to keep moisture and grime out of the lamp.

Sorry, I didn't realize that the switch had change between 2011 and 2013. You're right, on a 2011 the high beams are activated by pulling the lever towards yourself. If you pull past the detent, the high beams should stay on until you pull the lever all the way again. If you only pull up to but not past the detent, you are using the momentary flash-to-pass feature.

No, none of the trim levels include any of the tow package components (cooling, sway control, hitch or wiring) - all of those components came only as part of the factory option 53G. That option is not a package you can buy and add to an existing vehicle. You could, of course, buy all the individual parts and install them but you have already seen that gets very expensive. What are you planning to tow? The AWD 3.5L V6 is capable of towing 2,000 pounds without the factory towing package (i.e. just a hitch and the appropriate trailer wiring). That is plenty for towing a motorcycle, personal watercraft or small cargo trailer. The AWD V6 with the factory towing package is rated for 3,500 pounds towing capacity - significantly more but still not enough if you plan to pull a big boat or something. I would think that the sway control is not essential and is probably nearly impossible to add to a vehicle after it left the factory. The additional cooling of the larger radiator and fans is probably what makes the difference in towing capacity. I have attached the 2013 Edge ordering guide which shows all standard equipment by model as well as available options and some technical specs. 2013 Edge Order Guide.pdf

There are two ways to activate high beams - pull the lever toward you for the momentary "flash to pass" which should work regardless of whether the headlights are on and push the lever away (toward the dash) to turn on the high beams for extended use (the headlights must be on for this to work - it won't lock in the forward position unless the lights are on). As has been mentioned, there is only one "filament" (actually the electric arc) in HIDs so suggestions that the high beam filament might be burned out are false. There is no point in getting the HID capsules changed out because your low beams work so there is nothing wrong with them. I have noticed that the headlights are so poorly aimed from the factory that the difference between low beam and high beam is almost imperceptible on the road. But you can see the difference clearly if you park facing a wall or your garage door and switch them on and off.

You know, I've probably said this before but I will say it again. Dan's level of customer service is second to none! I had sent him an email describing how my left Edge2 light would not come on after an 1100 mile trip in constant pouring rain and asking what I might look for or test to try to repair the problem. Without any prompting from me, he replied that he would ship me a new set as replacement since the new ones have better waterproofing and are wired somewhat differently. I was blown away by his commitment to customer satisfaction - something you don't see a lot anymore. Many thanks Dan!

This is very interesting. I have the early version with the electronics in the light housing. I also use the amber LEDs in them for strobing while working charity events. This was easy with the separate wires controlling the turn signal input. Would that now be impossible with the new design? Or is there a separate wire between the electronics module and the lights that handles the turn signal? I already use a relay to shut off all other functions (DRL/parking lamp/turn signal) of the EDGE2 lamps when the strobes are turned on so the electronics module would not be in the circuit anyway. I ask because the left side stopped working in DRL mode last week after an extended drive in very heavy rain and I suspect water intrusion has cause a problem. But if I will lose my strobing capability by replacing with the newer design then I will just live with it as is.

Maybe it's just me but I don't understand the attraction of this. First people thought it was too much trouble to have to use a key to unlock the doors so keyless entry came along. Then it was too much trouble to take the remote out of your pocket to unlock the doors and have to use a key to start the car so the push button start came along. Now it's too much trouble to even carry a key in your pocket? My Mustang has keyless entry but requires a real key in the ignition. The Edge has push button start. After a year with the Edge, I much prefer the Mustang key. I don't even really care about keyless entry except that it does help prevent scratches on the door. </rant>

That would be an over-zealous dealer or an uninformed internet poster who told you that. Under US law, the dealer would have to show that the resistor you installed was the cause of whatever electrical problem in order to deny warranty coverage. Since the resistor is being installed to replace the lost resistance in the circuit from the LED bulb, it would be pretty difficult for them to show that patching in the resistor was the cause of ANY electrical problem, let alone a damaged BCM. But if you don't want to find another dealer who won't lie to you, you can always use the extension harness method we've been discussing to install a resistor that is plug and play and can be removed before taking the vehicle in for warranty service. That way the dealer has nothing to complain about.

You should try to mount it underneath that panel at the hole there... not just for the heat but also because that rubber piece is a weatherstrip that gets compressed when the hood closes. The resistor will probably not even get hot enough to be uncomfortable to touch because it is only active when the turn signals are in use (and then only 50% of the time - only when the bulb is on). But I have always been a very cautious person when it comes to things like that and I tend to allow for even the remote possibility that the heat could cause a problem. It definitely won't be a problem mounted to the underside of the metal panel plus it will be out of the way for a cleaner looking installation.

We're getting way off topic here but I seriously suggest you confirm that with a dealer rather than just taking the word of an "authorized shop". It has nothing to do with where you are located (or even with Ford Motor Company specifically). No company in the world is going to make warranty repairs on any of their products if the product has been modified with parts they didn't manufacture. It doesn't matter if it's a car or a vacuum cleaner and it doesn't matter if it's in the US or Saudi Arabia or on the moon - they have no obligation to repair a modified item. Why should they? The warranty covers only manufacturer's defects in the original product. They have no control over what a modification may do to their product so they are not responsible for fixing it. Yes, you are still under warranty. There is no such thing as voiding an entire warranty other than for misuse (such as racing) but the modified items specifically (and any items the dealer can show were directly affected by the modification) would not be covered for warranty repairs.

The installation is fairly straight forward. The center wire (white/black on the socket, blue on the plug) is for parking light power and will just be connected together without any other connection. One outside wire (green on the socket, red on the plug) is the turn signal power and the black outside wire on both socket and plug is ground. You will connect the green, red and one end of the resistor together. Then you will connect the two black wires and the other end of the resistor together. Make sure everything is solid and well insulated then just plug them in. Try to position it so that the resistor is not resting against anything plastic (including the insulation of other wires) because the heat could cause a melting issue. There are a couple of holes in the bodywork near the headlights that you can run a zip tie through to suspend the resistors so that they aren't resting on anything.

I found a pair of 3-tab 3157 sockets on eBay here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Heavy-Duty-3157-3057-3155-3357-3457-3757-4057-Wiring-Harness-Sockets-Pre-Wired-/290942034410?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item43bd7f21ea&vxp=mtr I also found a pair of the plugs here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/3156-3157-Male-Adapter-Wiring-Harness-For-Headlight-Tail-Lamp-Signal-Retrofit-/380722876309?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item58a4da0f95&vxp=mtr Combine the two and you have your own harness extender and the wires are pre-stripped for installation of a load resistor in the middle. That combination ends up being a couple of bucks cheaper than the "decoder" but more importantly it doesn't add some unknown piece of equipment to your electrical system.