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Old Mar 2, 2009 | 01:38 PM
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Aftermarket?

I recently bought a used '06 Escape XLT. I was wondering if anybody has found aftermarket cold air intakes and exhaust systems for this vehicle? I know for the pickups and broncos where to go, but not so much on the escapes.

I was thinking along the lines of an AFE cold air intake and perhaps magnaflow exhaust cat back.
 
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Old Mar 3, 2009 | 07:37 AM
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Spend the money on a K&N drop-in and get an XCal.

Best bang for the buck!
 
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Old Mar 3, 2009 | 07:40 AM
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XCal? I have never heard of that. I would use a K&N drop in but I have seen too many MAF's cooked from the oil, if I would do a drop in it would be a dry flow, like AFE or Amsoil's eA performance filters. Any info on the XCal? Have you used both of these on an escape before?
 
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Old Mar 3, 2009 | 07:48 AM
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XCAL will help performance tune your engine if you want to burn premium fuel.
 
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Old Mar 4, 2009 | 08:09 AM
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In nearly 20 years of using K & N's, I have NEVER seen a "cooked" MAF.

I hear about them on the internet (so it must be true).

A wipe with a Q-tip soaked in carb cleaner will clean any oil from a MAF wire, anyhow.
 
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Old Mar 4, 2009 | 09:58 AM
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From: Warren, MI
Originally Posted by DoctorCAD
In nearly 20 years of using K & N's, I have NEVER seen a "cooked" MAF.

I hear about them on the internet (so it must be true).

A wipe with a Q-tip soaked in carb cleaner will clean any oil from a MAF wire, anyhow.
Not if it's baked on hard. I've heard of scraping them clean but you chance breaking the delicate wire. Not sure how a current MAF is built but the one on my '97 Ranger it was impossible to get on the wire physically with anything unless you took it apart "somehow".
 
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Old Mar 9, 2009 | 10:42 AM
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Is there a tune on the X-Cal that will help with performance and not make it so you burn premium?
 
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Old Mar 10, 2009 | 10:12 AM
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Originally Posted by wickymustang
Is there a tune on the X-Cal that will help with performance and not make it so you burn premium?
Absolutely!

I had mine tuned for 87 octane (high-torque and snap shifts) for towing.
After you install it, you will wonder how you ever bought a vehicle with such a horrible (factory) transmission. Mine would chirp second gear with the automatic under full throttle! Try that with a stock tranny set-up!

The higher octane tunes will give you much better high-end power than the lower octane tunes will, but who really uses high RPM's all the time.

Torque is what moves the vehicle!

P.S. YOU specify what tunes you want when you buy the XCal...
 
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Old Mar 10, 2009 | 12:23 PM
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Anybody have a source for buying the XCal? All my searches lead me back to mustang tuners. When you bought yours DoctorCAD did you just say you wanted snap shifts and high-torque? Do they ask for any technical data or just what you are looking for and then translate that to a real life tune?
 
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Old Mar 11, 2009 | 06:45 AM
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I bought mine through Torrie at fastpartsnetwork.com

I only asked for a towing tune, I had no idea what that would be, but it was exactly what I wanted. After you buy it, Torrie will tweak the tunes (you get 3 with the XCal) any way you ask him to, and a lot of the settings are user-defineable. He has a ton of experience with Escapes, so talk to him.

Its just a computer program, so anything that your vehicles computer operates can be altered. Bigger tires...change your speedo to read correctly. OD hunting at 45 mph...change it to 52 (my personal fave). Idle speed too low...raise it up a bit. Etc etc etc...

Best money you will ever spend.
 
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Old Mar 11, 2009 | 05:24 PM
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From: Warren, MI
Originally Posted by DoctorCAD
I bought mine through Torrie at fastpartsnetwork.com

I only asked for a towing tune, I had no idea what that would be, but it was exactly what I wanted. After you buy it, Torrie will tweak the tunes (you get 3 with the XCal) any way you ask him to, and a lot of the settings are user-defineable. He has a ton of experience with Escapes, so talk to him.

Its just a computer program, so anything that your vehicles computer operates can be altered. Bigger tires...change your speedo to read correctly. OD hunting at 45 mph...change it to 52 (my personal fave). Idle speed too low...raise it up a bit. Etc etc etc...

Best money you will ever spend.
I assume if your vehicle is still under warranty, using XCAL isn't something that you'd want to mention to your dealer! Of course, I'm guessing that the dealer has equipment that can read/program the transmission as XCAL can. Is there a way to revert back to factory settings?
 
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Old Mar 11, 2009 | 06:23 PM
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Originally Posted by wptski
I assume if your vehicle is still under warranty, using XCAL isn't something that you'd want to mention to your dealer! Of course, I'm guessing that the dealer has equipment that can read/program the transmission as XCAL can. Is there a way to revert back to factory settings?
Just reset it back to factory settings, no issues at all except it will feel like you took 2 of the cylinders out of it!
 
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Old Mar 11, 2009 | 10:43 PM
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From: Warren, MI
Originally Posted by DoctorCAD
Just reset it back to factory settings, no issues at all except it will feel like you took 2 of the cylinders out of it!
Did a bit of reading about but like somebody asked, don't see anything listed for the Escape! What year is yours?

There just isn't a RECALL feature to reset the PCM? You have to log the settings before changing them???
 
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Old Mar 12, 2009 | 06:40 AM
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The XCal fits ANY Ford with OBD ports, also some other models as well.

Programming and un-programming is simple, plug the device in to the OBD port, pick stock or modified program from its on-board menu, wait about 90 seconds, drive much happier. All information stays in the XCal, which does not stay plugged in, you remove it and all of the new programming stays in the Escapes PCM.

I had mine on my 03 Mazda Tribute and will now I use it on my 03 Sport Trac when I get it reprogrammed for the Trac.
 
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Old Mar 12, 2009 | 09:00 AM
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From: Warren, MI
Originally Posted by DoctorCAD
The XCal fits ANY Ford with OBD ports, also some other models as well.

Programming and un-programming is simple, plug the device in to the OBD port, pick stock or modified program from its on-board menu, wait about 90 seconds, drive much happier. All information stays in the XCal, which does not stay plugged in, you remove it and all of the new programming stays in the Escapes PCM.

I had mine on my 03 Mazda Tribute and will now I use it on my 03 Sport Trac when I get it reprogrammed for the Trac.
I'm familiar with consumer grade OBD-II scanners but you only have one bidirectional command, clearing a CEL/SEL. So what is the reprograming for a different vehicle/engine going to cost you?
 
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