hurk

2002 Escape XLS 2.0L I4 5-spd manual

My fuel mileage is down after disconnecting & reconnecting the battery.
I performed the steps outlined in the manual to help the car relearn its idle trim settings.
Will it take several tanks of fuel for the car to relearn?
Or is there an alternative procedure that can be used?
Or should I not do it at all?

According to the Owner's & Chilton manuals, after disconnecting the battery, the car needs to relearn its idle & fuel trim strategy, and there's a procedure that's supposed to help the car relearn those settings. Well, after doing a cooling system flush & reinstalling the battery (the battery was removed to gain easier access to the radiator hose & thermostat housing), I followed the procedure outlined in the manaul, but now my fuel economy is down to ~18-19 mpg from the usual 22.5 mpg. I'm fairly sure I've disconnected the battery before without following the procedure w no discernable effect on the mpg (at the time I didn't know such a thing was supposed to be done). Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. JMK.

360ci

The PCM will relearn the settings. Generally it'll come back in less than a hundred miles. If it takes longer, I'd look at some basic maintenance items that might have caused a decrease in mileage, as simply disconnecting the battery shouldn't decrease mileage for more than a couple hundred miles.

Some things might be fueling up at different locations; poorer quality gas. Fuel filter getting clogged up, O2 sensors need replacement (engine light doesn't always come on for this, when they do, you'll be down to around 10-15mpg on the highway), spark plugs need replacement or gaped correctly, throttle body is, or getting, dirty and needs to be cleaned.

I find the repair manuals relatively informative in regards to proper torque specs and such, but they don't always give the full info that you require on a certain topic. I'll have a look around and see if the Escape service manual can be found online; as the dealer will want $100 for it, either on CD, or hardcopy. Most can be found online in PDF form.

__________________
'00 Durango R/T 360ci 290hp (modded); 138,500m
'06 Pontiac G6 GT 3.5L 220hp; 44,000m
'12 Chrysler 200 Limited 3.6L 283hp; 13,000m
'99 Taurus 3.0L 2V Vulcan 145hp; 154,300m - Traded
Amsoil in all vehicles!

hurk

Thank you for the reply & a pdf would be great. The Chilton is kinda lacking.

This is one of those cases where it truly makes no sense. I've been doing routine maintenance & after each step the mpg has been unaffected, except for after the cooling system flush. Oil & filter change. Transmission gear oil change. Spark plug replacement. Air filter replacement. Fuel filter replacement. I've done each thing separately & the fuel mileage has been always been 22.5mpg +/- a tad. For the year-and-a-half that I've owned the car it has never been less than 21 & is almost always spot on at 22.5. I get my fuel at the same Cheveron station 99% of the time (87 octane).

The next thing on my list is the IAC & throttle body.
I'll keep monitoring the mpg & look into the oxygen sensor(s).

Thanks again. JMK.

360ci

My original source for Service manuals is offline. However, http://www.pdfoo.com/ seems to have a LOT. They have over 500 manuals on different Ford vehicles, including those in the Euro market. I couldn't find a search tool to go through the listings and they only show ten a page. If you have a half hour or so it might be worth while to check out. I tried to download an F-250 manual but was told I need to register first. If I see anything else I'll pass it your way.

__________________
'00 Durango R/T 360ci 290hp (modded); 138,500m
'06 Pontiac G6 GT 3.5L 220hp; 44,000m
'12 Chrysler 200 Limited 3.6L 283hp; 13,000m
'99 Taurus 3.0L 2V Vulcan 145hp; 154,300m - Traded
Amsoil in all vehicles!

hurk

Great. I'll give it a go. Thanks.

JMK.