2002 Ford Escape XLS 2.0L I4 5-spd manual
Oil change:
Castrol Syntec 5W-20 (
meets the Ford specification)
Mobile 1 Synthetic 5W-20
Mobile 1 Synthetic 5W-30 during Summer.
Motorcraft oil filter: FL-400S (
listed in owner's manual)
Motorcraft oil filter: FL-2005
Oil drain plug: 13mm wrench or socket. 18-ft/lbs.
Access is from the front of vehicle - the bolt faces towards the rear of the car.
Fram oil filter wrench: F1102 (74-76mm) Use with a 3/8 ratchet or 1" wrench.
(
note: fram oil filters are consistantly rated poor in comparison tests. However, I like their filter wrench. O-Reilly's sells a Pennzoil wrench that's similar)
Manual transmission fluid (gear oil):
Motorcraft 75W-90 GL-4.
Royal Purple 75W-90 GL-4 It is non-corrosive to the yellow/soft metal parts & meets the Ford specification. 2.7L or 2.85 qts.
Filler plug bolt: 23mm socket wrench. 20-ft/lbs
Drain plug bolt: 23mm socket wrench & short extension. 35-ft/lbs
Remove the driver's side lower plastic shroud for easier access. I did not remove one screw that's located in the driver's side wheel well. I was able to squirt the gear oil into the filler hole without using a funnel or anything. I bought a screw-on filler tube, but it gets kinked when being routed. I'll fix that next time, so that the gear oil can be added more easily.
Gear Oil Note: The gear oil needs to meet the GL-4 specification which is non-corrosive to the soft/yellow metal parts (
brass bushings, etc). GL-4 gear oil is surprisingly hard to find in Houston. I was hoping to use Valvoline or Pennzoil, but the Royal Purple was the only thing available. I called Pennzoil & was lucky enough to talk to someone there at length, but to no avail. The Royal Purple seems kinda gimmicky, but I got tired of looking: the car was due for a fluid change & I didn't want to waste any more time sourcing a product.
Air filter:
Motorcraft FA-1683
Fram CA8997
Wix 42385 (
not positive on fitment - just cross-referenced)
The old filter had been damaged by the previous installer. I had to straighten one of the housing clamps.
Cabin Air Filter:
MicroGard GA20070
Wix 42136 (
not positive on fitment - just cross-referenced)
My Escape did not have the filter. A number of other models don't have it either.
Here's a how-to for installing or replacing one:
Tribute/Escape Cabin Air Filter.
Fuel Filter:
Motorcraft FG-800-A
Fram G3892A
Wix 33007 (
not positive on fitment - just cross-referenced)
The Chilton manual has a procedure for relieving the fuel pressure. simple.
Raising the car a few inches is necessary to access the clips - don't damage them.
To elevate my car, I drive up onto solid concrete blocks - flat pavers from the HomeDepot.
The clips are hard to access & have some tabs that need to be spread open so that they can be removed. There are two sizes - the smaller ones are available at the auto parts store in the miscellaneous car parts/hardware section.
Spark Plugs:
Motorcraft AZFS-32FE. Torque to 132-Inch/lbs
(~11-ft/lbs) 0.050" gap (
1.30mm).
Autolite APP5364 Double Platinum
Autolite XP5364 Iridium Fine Wire 0.6mm
If a spark plug is removed & reused, it MUST be reinstalled into the same cylinder.
(
note: Champions may not be a good choice - the ceramic on them has a tendency to crack)
Cooling System Flush:
Motorcraft Premium Engine Coolant (
Green)
System capacity is 5.3 qts (
50/50 mix of coolant & distilled water).
Radiator drain valve: 19mm socket or wrench
Radiator drain valve tubing: ~9mm ID or ~3/8" ID
Radiator upper nipple: ~37mm OD (
this should be the same as the radiator hose ID).
Engine block coolant drain plug: T40 Torx wrench
Thermostat housing screws: T25 Torx wrench. 89-Inch/lbs
Temporarily remove the thermostat so that the sytem can be flushed.
Reinstall w a new seal (
replace the thermostat if necessary).
I fabbed a water hose setup & connected it to the upper radiator nipple to flush the cooling system. I also rigged a swimming pool hose to the disconnected radiator/thermostat-housing hose so that the old coolant could be collected more effectively & so that the clean water could be directed to the lawn. I used two 2.5 gal jugs of distilled water as a final rinse.
Throttle body, air intake duct & MAF sensor service:
Removed the air intake duct to service these parts.
Used CRC MAF sensor cleaner & CRC throttle body cleaner (
teflon/coating safe).
Do not use carb cleaner. Use care when cleaning these components. Do not touch the MAF sensor & only use the specific spray cleaner for it. The throttle body & throttle plate have a coating on them: only use a cleaner spray that's coating safe. If necessary, lightly & carefully brush the throttle body w a soft toothbrush.
Wiper blades:
If your wiper blades seem small, measure them w a tape measure & look at the amount of sweep on the windshield, then measure to see if longer blades can be installed.
I got longer blades for much better coverage: 20" (
actual size is 19-3/4").
Center console:
Disassembled & cleaned the center console, shifter boot & parking brake boot.
Very easy. Also, lubricated the shifter at the base - it had an audible vibration.
Bare metal is under the console. It might be a good idea to add some sound insulation under there.
Odometer bulb:
Ford bulb F8RZ-13B765-BA (
part number from another forum)
Apparently, it's common for the odo bulb to burn out. It's supposed to be an easy fix, but I haven't gotten around to doing it yet. Not sure if a bulb can be purchased at the auto parts store. The bulb might be a #37 or #74.
Repair Manual:
I've been using the
Chilton Manual, but it seems to cover the 6-cylinder engine more thoroughly... in regards to the photos anyway. It might be a better idea to get the Ford Shop Manual. Also, I use the Ford Owner's Manual as a reference.
Valve Clearance Check:
See a mechanic or reference the manual.
A Ford valve spring compressor tool is needed to change the shims.
Ford service tool part number: 303-350 (
from the Chilton manual).
Use of the tool is recommended. It bolts to the cylinder head.
Headlight Upgrade:
See links in post #2 - Lock up??
Other stuff: replace brake fluid, replace power steering fluid, clean IAC.
