Hey guys, I just wanted to talk about Freestyles with high mileage. I got mine a year ago, and its a 05′ SEL at 141k. I open this forum to any discussion about common problems at xxxk miles, the longevity of the Freestyle, or just any stories/suggestions about high mileage Freestyles. I’m dying to know what to expect out of my Freestyle, go !
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aroundincircles Regular Member Příspěvky: 18 Založen: Pondělí 11. května 2015 7:46
Re: Life with a high mileage Freestyle
Odeslat aroundincircles » Út 12. května 2015 12:52
I just picked up an 06 with 160k miles. I too would like to know what others have had to do with theirs in the post 100k mile years.
I haven’t driven it much as I haven’t had a chance to go get it licensed. but looking forward to long year of use.
Africa_FS_07 Řádný člen Příspěvky: 1681 Založen: So 09. dubna 2011 10:57 pronájem: Afrika
Re: Life with a high mileage Freestyle
Odeslat Africa_FS_07 » Út 12. května 2015 3:54
these car are not that bad post 100k miles.
I think at 100k+ miles, there’s a much higher chance of the AWD System having issues than the CVT. the CVT record on this forum is 276,000 mile with regular service.
while the CVT Service requires change of the H.P. Filter and fluid every 60,000 miles, the truth is that its a pig that’s been known to prosper in filthy fluid for far longer. the record for NO Service at all is 220,000+ miles (no fluid or Filter change).
i don’t have the AWD version (very thankful for that), but i’ve read here how folks have faced the AWD issues post 100k miles, and its expensive, but not as expensive as the CVT.
IMO, the worst this car will do is groan the Helicopter noise from hell. It first starts with a fairly noticeable whine for several months/year. these are the worst issues.
in the past, that noise has been known to turn men to philosophers on here, it makes you want to lose your mind. Once heard, you know you’re going to lose a huge fortune, even more than the resale value of the car. Back then, there was no info on how to fix these CVTs, only the Dealers did the fix.
The bizarre thing is that more than half the time, the cause of the whine/helicopter noise is a poorly made $10 (yes, Ten Dollars) Rubber O’ring on the Input Shaft in the CVT, the diameter of one-and-half wedding rings.
thankfully, we’ve been able to overcome this potential loss of fortune now, as we’ve learnt to fix the CVT at home. There are several Step by Step Manuals on here which show how to remove and replace the Input Shaft O’Ring and other parts.
one thing to completely avoid is getting the CVT topped up with a regular ATF fluid. this is the death of the CVT. the right Fluid is the Motorcraft XT7QCFT. some folks have used the Amalie version with no issue so far though.
the CVT utilises 2 Filters; the Pan Filter AND the H.P. Filter. the H.P. Filter is the critical filter, needs to be changed as recommended or at worst, every 100,000 miles. The Pan Filter change is not necessary IMO at less than 150,000 because its clean even almost up to 200,000 miles.
The Pan Filter is changed not because it gets dirty but to avoid hydraulic pressure loss issues that might arise due to the Seal on the end of its Giraffe neck getting soft and loose at very high mileages. in the RARE cases i’ve seen this happen, the Pan Filter’s been left untouched for almost 200,000 miles.
Apart from those 2 major issues above, the minor issues are the Compressor Scroll Valve which might need replacement every 18 — 24 months (the How-To is also on this forum). there’s also the Power Steering whine which is fixed most times with an ATF Fluid flush.
There’s the need to change the Stabilizer Endlinks too (fronts) as they could drive you crazy when they start to clunk. very cheap.
there’s a a $10 cheap fix for the troublesome and expensive Trans-axle Roll Resistor , when its time comes. search the boards for the how-to.
apart from all these, maybe the Fuel Pump Assembly. accessed from inside the car, under second row Seat on passenger side.
those are what i’ve experienced on mine post 100k miles (minus the AWD issues). er, and the Fuel Gauge shenanigans which i’ve decided to live with, these cars can sometimes display an odd behavior, i guess too much electronics. it goes away with a simple restart.
if you’re handy, you save a ton by doing the repairs yourself.
not a good idea to jack-rabbit these Cars.
