Daves43

The passenger seat in my 08 MKX rattles and makes noise also. I just had to the dealer for service last week and the service manager and I took it for a ride. He noticed that the seat did wobble but we did not hear any noise. With that I attributed it to something else making the noise. Now that others are having the same problem I'm sure it is still there and will reappear at some point.

Dave,

 

When I installed my hitch, I drove the rear of the car up onto ramps to give myself some extra room. Then I lowered the exhuast by unhooking the 3 rubber supports at the rear of the car. I found that if I let the exhaust hang down, it was stretching out the rubber hanger in the middle of the car too much. It might have been ok, but I was worred it would rip the hanger. I used a jack to support the exhaust near the middle of the car so that the stress was relieved from the middle hanger. It still left plenty of room to work on the hitch.

 

This might not be necessary if you try to install the hitch without elevating the rear of the car, but I think it was alot easier with the extra room.

 

Good luck if you decide to install one. I went with a Curt hitch and I'm happy with it. Very easy to install.

 

Rich

Rich,

Thanks for your input. It is what I was looking for and is much appreciated.

Dave

Hi,

I'm considering installing a hitch on my MKX but was wondering about the lowering of the exhaust system. Once it is disconnected from the hangers do I need a jack to lower and support it? I appreciate any details you can provide.

Thanks,

Dave

First time Lincoln owner also. I purchased my MKX back in November. Having owned several Honda Accords previously this was a real switch for me. I had been looking at the Ford Edge for some time but when I drove the Lincoln I really liked the added features the Lincoln had.

Hi, I too am interested in knowing if anyone has running boards or nerf bars installed on their Edge or MKX. I've found several websites that offer the nerf bars for the Edge and MKX but I cannot find any photos showing what they look like installed.

I have 2008 MKX with about 1300 miles on it so far. I've been noticing a burning smell that seems to be the same as what everyone is describing. It seems to go away after a few minutes but it is quite noticable especially after starting the engine in cold weather. Hopefully it is nothing serious.

When I was deciding on the MKX I also looked at a loaded Enclave. I test drove it and found it to be a really nice vehicle with lots of features. While the sticker price of the MKX and Enclave was fairly close the difference I found was the out money the dealer wanted with my trade. It was quite a bit more and there was no negotiation. I went back several times and when I told him I was considering the MKX he made a rediculous comment that they were giving them away. That comment really turned me off and I never went back. Another dealer I was working with said there was a waiting list and he told me that all the Enclaves coming in were sold.

I ended up purchasing a 2008 MKX and personally like the looks of the MKX better than the Enclave. I have to agree that the Enclave does have some really nice features though. The bottom line was they were not enough to make me want to spend the extra bucks.

My 2008 MKX has about 750 miles on it so far. I'm averaging about 15mpg with a mixture of city/highway driving. Is it worth purchasing this filter now or waiting until I have more miles on it?

Thanks for the feedback!

Dave

Hi everybody. Well after becoming a member back in May 2007 and visiting the forum almost daily I finally purchased a new 2008 MKX. It was a tough decision because my initial goal was to purchase a 200 Ford Edge Limited with all the bells and whistles. Because I wanted the

power lift gate I started looking at the MKX as an option but didn't like having to pay the extra dollars. After test driving the MKX several times I was hooked. Well anyway, here I am and what a beautiful vehicle it is!! I want to thank everyone for the the positive feedback this forum has provided and look forward to continued participation in this forum.

You forgot adaptive headlamps and THX II.

Thanks. I forgot about the adaptive headlamps and the added warranty.

Just curious; I am buying either an MKX or an Edge this coming spring, and I would really like an opinion from someone regarding the value in buying the MKX over the Edge. Is it worth the extra money? Is it that much quieter? Thanks for any input!

I've been looking at both vehicles for some time now and have driven both the Edge and MKX many times. The MKX rides smooth and is quiet while the Edge seems to have a firmer ride and road noise is more noticable. I just drove an 2008 MKX with the 20" wheels and sprt suspension and it feels more like the Edge. This is a good question though as I am asking the same thing. The were extras on the MKX that are now offered with the 2008 Edge. If you are looking for a more luxurious ride and feel then the MKX is really nice. Other than having a smoother and more quiet ride the only extra on the MKX is Homelink and air conditioned seats which I don't think are available for the Edge. Each have their own design features like the grille and tailights so I guess it depends on which one you like best. The interior on the MKX is a lttle bit nicer also. This is just my opinion as both are really nice vehicles.

Hi! I am not yet an Edge owner but I have been keeping up to date with the interesting posts on the forum. I really like the Edge but I am having difficulty making a final decision. I am probably driving the dealers crazy because I have taken the Edge on quite a few test drives to date. To date all of the new cars I have purchased have been Honda Accords. I really like the Accord but wanted to try something different like a CUV. The main reason is I have a handicapped son who is in a wheel chair and I thought having the room in the back would be more convenient that a trunk of a car. It is getting difficult lifting the wheelchair in and out of the trunk.

To date I have driven the CRV, Highlander, Pilot, RAV4, Outlander and while I liked the RAV 4 and Outlander the Edge stands out and the one I liked most. The one concern I have is the Edge is larger and different to drive than a car like the Accord. I am concerned that I will not get used to the different feel of the Edge and end up being disappointed. Has anyone had simlar feelings when making their decsion.

Thanks for your help.

Could you post some photos of what it looks like after the install.

The following outlines everything necessary to install the AVIC-D3 w/backup cameras into the Ford Edge with the Audiophile subwoofer.

 

This does not address maintaining steering wheel controls, or Ipod integration YET.

 

I must give credit to “Misfit” on the avic411.com forum for helping me to find specific wires on the edge. I believe he’s an installer and has an Edge of his own.

 

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Pioneer’s AVIC-D3 Navigation unit.

You can find them fairly cheaply online. But I chose to by locally in case I ever have a problem with it. Best Buy offered a 4-year warranty for $89. I normally don’t purchase the extended warranties but this seemed like a reasonable deal to protect a sophisticated and relatively expensive unit. Circuit City put the thing on sale for $799 for a few days and I was able to get Best Buy to price match it !!

 

A backup camera:

I used Kenwood’s CCD-2000. I got it locally at Meyer Emco but you can get it online from a number of places including Crutchfield:

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-65Kr0Od6zfo/c...mp;I=113CCD2000

 

I’m really happy with the camera. It’s small and has a nice picture in the daytime as well as at night.

 

A dash trim Kit:

I used Scosche’s FD1432B

http://www.scosche.com/press_room.aspx?id=128&year=2007

 

A wiring harness:

I used Scosche’s FDK11B

http://www.scosche.com/v2/scosche_caraudio...p;ItemID=FDK11B

 

You can also use metra’s 70-5521

 

A Ford antenna adapter:

I couldn’t find this locally so I ordered from BrentwoodCarAudio.com, who’s also posted some pics of an install on this forum.

 

Other stuff:

I used crimp-style butt connectors, zip ties and wire taps from Posi-Tap. You can find these wire taps at Crutchfield:

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-fTDSZud4j2C/c....asp?i=669PP605

INSTALLATION:

Removing the Dash:

The dash of the Edge removes nicely without any screws. It’s simply a pressure fit. The first time I did it, I used a thin putty knife wrapped with electrical tape to keep from scratching anything. But later on, I got good at removing the dash with just my hands in this position:

 

 

Once the dash trim is pulled off, there are a few harnesses for the HVAC keeping it attached. I just left these in-tact and rested the dash as shown here. The wires are long enough:

 

Use some cloth or paper at the resting point to keep from scratching anything.

 

Unbolt the 4 screws and the factory radio comes out easily. Remove the 3 wiring harnesses from the radio and pull out the antenna wire.

 

Mounting the Nav. Antenna:

I mounted mine in the little cove that’s on top of the dash. It fits there perfectly and always has good satellite reception. I just drilled a small hole for the wire. The antenna is off to one side to avoid the "nubs" that protrude down from the dash for that center shelf. Make sure to use the metal backing plate that comes with the nav antenna.

 

 

Connecting the Edge’s factory AUX input Jack:

There’s 3 connectors that plugged into the back of your factory radio. But the Scosche and other factory harness kits only have 2 connectors. The unused connector that went to your factory radio is the connector that has the 3 wires that go to the Edge’s factory AUX input located in the arm rest console.

 

Using tap-in connectors, tap the 3 wires for Left, Right and Common. I didn’t note down the colors of the wires but you can figure them out easily by doing a continuity test between the tapped wire and one of the 3 segments of the audio cable. If you get stuck here, I’ll pull my dash back off and get you the wire colors.

 

I used the AV1 input wires of the D3 here.

 

Connecting the Subwoofer:

The Audiophile harnesses come with a separate harness connector for the subwoofer. This connector has 6 wires coming from it (4 for stereo RCA connectors and 2 for remote amp turn on) but the Edge uses only 3 of them (2 for Mono RCA to the Sub and 1 for the amp’s remote turn on).

 

Use the wires that match up with the factory’s harness. I connected the Left Subwoofer output of the D3 to the RCA connector on the harness. I’m told this is a full mono signal but I’m not 100% convinced yet. Because when I move the balance all the way to the right, I have no bass. So, it’s possible that the output of the D3’s Subwoofer output is Stereo, meaning I’m losing half of the signal. I may decide to use a Y-adapter to combine the Left and Right Sub output of the D3 but I’m trying to find out if this is Ok to do.

 

If you connect the D3's amp turn on wire directly to the harness, you will notice a rather severe “THUMP” every time you turn on the radio. This is because the factory Edge amp expects a turn on voltage of 5 volts but the AVIC D3 puts out 12volts. This isn’t healthy for the Sub and probably not for the amp either.

 

Follow these instructions for building a 5v dc voltage regulator.

http://www.sminntech.com/techai.html

http://www.sminntech.com/aiinstall.html

 

A picture of mine completed is here. I shielded it using shrink tubing from Radio Shack. All of the parts can be found at Radio Shack for just a few dollars:

 

 

AVIC-D3 BYPASS

Don’t want the navigation unit to prevent you from entering destinations while you’re moving? Simple !! Follow these instructions to ‘Bypass” this.

http://www.avic411.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4670

 

VSS:

VSS = Vehicle Speed Sensor. You don’t NEED to connect this. But if you do, the Navigation is supposed to be more accurate.

 

In the Edge, you can find this wire coming from the PCM (Powertrain Control Module), which is under the hood on the passenger side of the engine. It is the purple/orange wire.

 

Reverse:

You should connect the D3’s reverse wire even if you aren’t using a backup camera. This again is supposed to help accuracy by giving additional information to the Navigation.

 

A reverse wire can be found in the Edge at the driver’s kick panel, in the large bundle of wires heading towards the rear of the car. Good eyes, good lighting and some patience is necessary here. The wire is Light green/brown and there are plenty of green wires in that bundle. I used a multimeter with a sharp probe to make sure I had the correct one before I tapped it.

 

Illumination:

In order for the D3 to switch between Daytime and Night time modes, you must connect the illumination wire from the D3 to a wire in the Edge that goes to +12v when the lights are turned on.

 

There is no illumination wire in the radio harness. So, I used the parking lights wire, which is a purple/white wire in the Smart Junction Box above the driver’s kick panel.

 

NOTE: If you often turn on your headlights in the daytime but want your Nav to stay in Daytime mode, then you don’t want to connect this wire in this manner. You’ll want to wire up your own switch so that you can override the D3 from switching to Night mode. I’ve left mine connected so that when the headlights are turned on, it automatically goes to Night mode. I’m not sure if I fully like this or not yet. Unfortunately, the D3 does not give the user the ability to manually go to day mode. There actually is an on-screen “button” that allows you to switch between day and night but it does not work as expected. It only changes brightness somewhat, it does not change the background map color between grey and black.

 

The backup cam:

Installing the backup cam wasn’t difficult but it requires a good bit of time. I mounted the Kenwood camera up under the area where the rear hatch release button is right next to it.

 

That panel where the rear hatch button is located is removable and makes installation much easier. To remove this panel, you have to open the hatch and pull off the interior trim. The trim will pull off by hand. It’s held on with several cheap plastic push-on connectors. Just keep yanking gently all around the piece and it comes off. Then you’ll see the nuts that hold the panel. Remove the nuts and compress the two plastic “pins” at either end of the panel and it comes out easily.

 

From there, it’s pretty straightforward to mount the camera and route the wire through the existing harness. It did take me some time to fish the wire through the factory rubber “tube” connecting the hatch to the car. But it’s doable.

 

I’ll add some additional Finished pics later…

 

Good luck with your installs and let me know if you have any questions.

 

Ike

I finally got my Black SEL Plus yesterday and so far it is fantastic! :happy feet:

 

I got the charcoal leather, bamr, reverse sensing, and 18" painted wheels. Monday I'll have the Nav and Sirius installed. Even without them, the Edge is as awesome as I expected. The base stereo, that I have to live with until Monday, blows away the one from my Escape!

 

Will post pics shortly, then I have to go for a drive! :shades:

Congratulations. I'm still deciding and might wait for the 2008 model to come out. I assume you are having a third party navigation system installed. Can you tell me which one you are looking to install.

I really appreciate the feedback on this forum and certainly understand the comments by those not getting the gas milage they expected. I have not yet purchased the Edge but am very close to getting one. I understand that driving conditions and driving habits all have to be factored in but the bottom line is that the sticker on the Edge does say between 17 to 24 mpg. So worse case I would expect 17 mpg to be the minimum. As I mentined in an earlier post the salesperson told me that it takes about 5000 miles before the gas milage starts to improve.

By some of the posts it seems that this is not always the case.

I am thinking about buying a new Ford Edge and I am concerned about the posts on low gas milage. Tonight I took an SEL+ for a test drive and mentioned the low gas milage concern. The sales person's response was that it takes putting on about 5,000 miles before the milage levels out to be more comparable to what it is rated. I thought I'd post this to see if anyone has any other opinion on this.