“A full three years with the same vehicle in his possession?” A popular statement a few months ago in my social circles, amidst the, “dang, I lost in the pool at XYZ!” All that aside, it was another “status quo” quarter for my Ford F-150. Road trips, hauling stuff, and commuting. Read on for the run-down.
I would be remiss if I didn’t apologize to my loyal readership for not posting this update sooner. Look again at Road Reality in a few days for plenty of catch-up posts as 2015 starts!
Stats:
Time Period: 7/19/2014 – 10/18/2014
Miles Driven: 1,669 / 28,381 (this update / total) (1,389 in last update)
Average MPG: 18.1 mpg (reported by on-board computer)
Avg MPG for Year: 16.8 (hand-calculated) [Remember that the OBC was reset]
Costs:
Maintenance Costs: $0
Repairs: $0
Total Cost (non-fuel): $234.93
Services Performed:
- 8/19/2014 – “Check Rear Park Aid” message was displayed on the instrument cluster screen – repaired under warranty.
Summary:
While most of this past quarter was spent commuting, there were a couple of road trips, which led to the higher-than-normal fuel economy reported by the on-board computer.
My average ownership of a vehicle lasts about 18 months, as shown by my 2010 Nissan Maxima. Usually, I have grown tired of repair costs, lack of certain features, differing needs, or certain design features which are either not there or not noticeable during a test drive. In the case of my F-150, almost none of that has occurred. I still have a need for a truck, still use it like a truck, and it’s got almost everything I want on one. The only things I would ask for are more payload capacity, so I can haul more of heavier objects, as well as more rear seat space in the cab. Both of those can be solved by specifying different options on a new truck, but I have yet to have a truly compelling reason to get a new truck.
The only hiccup this quarter was a “Check Rear Park Aid” message displayed when the truck was in reverse. This happened after an abnormal amount of rain, and was diagnosed by my local Ford dealer as a failed rear parking sensor. Some quick online research showed this to be uncommon, but not unheard of, with repair costs under $200. The sensors themselves are interchangeable and sell for around $75.00, and replacing them is fairly easy – the average owner should be able to complete this at home. The Ford dealer’s technician was able to replace the failed sensor in a few minutes, once the part showed up. He also added dielectric grease to the connections for all four sensors, which should prevent this problem from reoccurring. Apparently, some water can get into the connectors, which leads to corrosion and the failure of the sensor. He also replaced the driver’s side rear license plate bulb and connector, as corrosion had eaten through it as well. Both items were replaced under warranty, and I was back on the road in a couple of hours.
Dated Notes:
- none
General Observations:
- none
by John Suit