Just got a 2006 Ford Escape for $200, Trying to make it a daily driver for cheap

Interesting idea. I have used this trick in the past to flush radiators and it worked great there.

I guess I would just be worried about getting it all rinsed off good enough so it doesn’t cause worse rust long term.

Yep.

Acids in general are great deoxidizers, but that is also their weakness.

They clean the surface, but etch it.

It’s not too bad with weak acids, but something like hydrochloric acid will absolutely murder most metals after exposure for some time.

I’ve actually used this method for removing rust on screws before zinc-nickel plating them myself, or removing copper oxide before plating, or even removing rust from small car parts.

Worked ok, until I decided to say OVERDRIVE, and decide to take the 2x/10C rule of chemical reactions, and nuked the solution in the microwave.

Removed every traces of rust imaginable.

lol, yeah that is me.

When flushing the radiator I was supposed to add like 2 tbs, think I added like 1/2 a cup and then proceeded to heat that sucker up and drive it for a day or 2 before draining.

It worked that is for sure, never seen coolant so dirty!

Also not the best for the water pump seals, they were already going out but this put the nail in the coffin. Luckily I was already planning on doing the water pump.

Dunno Fords, but the engine might just be peaky, or might have well-worn plugs or other combustion issues. Faster rpm, it’ll almost diesel, with the plugs just pushing the mix over the edge.

Question I ask most people and get blank stares: “When was the last time you changed the plug/coil wires?”.

Had that issue, new Autolites (nice fat 9mm or so), and it ran like it had a new engine. I try to change mine every coupla years or so.

Then check the plugs. I’ve squared then regapped mine when they were easy to change, but now where you need to be a contortionist with multi-link wrench to get at 1-2 out of 6, it’s a pain in the ass, so I just pay Mr Mechanic to do it.

Which reminds me… :expressionless:

I guess I should mention that I used to be a tuner / mechanic years ago. Had a few records for awhile with the 4runner, heck I bet it still stands since it would be basically impossible to beat with the TRD supercharger.

Yeah, I plan on checking the plugs but the guy I got it from had a receipt in the glove compartment for some work done 5k miles ago which included the valve cover gasket, spark plugs, a coil and something else. So I think they are ok.

You are spot on the right track though, spark plugs are always my first mechanical item outside of air filter / vacuum leaks. I used to buy them in bulk for my cars and swap them out at the first signs of strange issues. lol

In years past, my first concentration would be on swapping speakers (Crutchfield Is Your Friend) to get the best bang for the buk. Then get a decent head for more features, more power (eg, 25W×4). I never went whole hawg with the separate amps and all. I always preferred clean sound, even if I couldn’t keep the neighbors up at night blasting it like some nitwits do.

Good speakers with a crappy head sounds way better than crappy speakers with a good head.

My newer car has everything integrated into the “infotainment system”, so I can’t do the latter at all, and even though I got the speakers sitting here I haven’t done the former, either. :confounded:

One head I got way way back had the aux input as a connection on the back of the unit, where you’d route the cable wherever you’d want it to go. Wtf?? Left it unconnected, too.

Yeah, if I just had a way of playing MP3’s on the stock deck I would not even bother with it.

Fact is though that CD’s are dead (won’t even play an MP3 CD I think which I considered) and the radio has too many commercials.

Apparently there used to be an adapter that would add an AUX input to the stock head unit but it costs $120 and is not made anymore.

What is the exact model of the head unit? I’m curious about that adapter. Since ultimately, it ends up having to connect to SOME kind of input on the stock head, perhaps there’s a workaround for the adapter thing.

That’s just it, people’ll check/replace the plugs, but keep the same wires on the engine forever. They leak, crack, corrode, degrade, and let those little electrons leak all over the garage floor.

“They’re wires… who has to replace wires??” :person_facepalming:

And yeah, tell me about vacuum leaks… Had one so bad that the #1 plug was completely fouled, and #2 was going, and this was on a high-strung 4-banger. Fooled the ECU into thinking it was running too lean, so it ended up dumping so much fuel down the pipe that of course it was getting fouled.

That should show up, though. Lousy mileage, missing, running rough, etc.

Not sure on the exact model, it is the stock unit without the 6-cd changer is about all I could find.

It has a sat and aux input button but it just says “not installed” when pressed. Apparently it was a factory option and there is an input on the back for them on some models but not all. Also they appear to be proprietary in some way since the adapter box to use them was so expensive.

Yeah, most cars now days use a COP (coil on plug) setup that removes the wires from the equation but I have run into plenty of issues with wires over the years as well. I generally spring for the higher end wires and have rarely had them fail unless I melted them or something.

I mostly second pennzy’s suggestion of spraying it with a diesel/oil mix.
However, you should splurge and buy a fresh quart of oil for making your mix. Used motor oil will make your vehicle smell nasty. And I would also suggest using a scraper to remove the loose rust before you oil it. If not, the oil will not get where you need it most.

Bungee ...das legal .Is it a red bungee ? that may make it's illegals.

Nah... rust is a hole . red just means primer .

non no no you can't have a stock radio in your ride .it must go bump bump bump at the light and maybe even some bouncy in the shocks .

The cheapest way to deal with the rust is just to turn up the tunes really loud and all the vibration will loosen up the rust and leave it at the stoplight .

Good points, I guess I will grab some more of that discount oil from pepboys.

Yeah, I figured I would try to get the big rust off before spraying it. Does pressure washing the underside do the trick or does it need elbow grease?

No idea if it is legal, just how it came. Gonna pull the bumper off entirely and take a look at the damage in the next few days anyways. I once drove a car with no front bumper at all for almost a year, gonna guess it is not a big deal around here.

I think you are right, I need to drop some 15’s in the back and my rust problems will loosen themselves lol.

It won’t hurt to try the pressure washer, but I bet you have rust in places that long wand won’t aim at.

Step 1: make sure it has a clean title and isn’t stolen :question:

A lot of places these days are able to do keys. The requirements vary depending on what kind of hardware/software the place has, but often a place like a (participating) Batteries Plus, some hardware stores, some locksmiths, etc. Usually the dealer is the most expensive place to go, but also the only one guaranteed to get it right.

Yeah, it seems walmart can clone the keys but they are $60 each.

If on the other hand I have the dealer program 1 more key, I can then make as many as I want as home. Since I need to program 2 keys getting one from the dealer seems like a better option depending on the exact price.

Anyone know if the 2.3L in the escape is prone to rear main seal leaks?

I topped off the oil when I got it but it has proceeded to loose 1 quart and then stopped loosing oil.

I am hoping it is something else but sounds like a rear main seal to me since the oil is coming from that location as well.

If the main seal does need to be done, how hard is it on this car?