Any help appreciated on my new 2008 Mariner.
 

Everyone, this is a great site. I just ordered a 2008 Mariner Hybrid with everything but AWD. Hopefully the FWD peforms well in the 3-5 days a year we get more then 2 inches of snow in Indiana.

I just took some of the first advice from this board and found info on ordering the trailer tow package from etrailer.com which was at a great price.

Anyways, I need help with purchasing mudflaps and a bluetooth system since the NAV system doesnt have it which surprised me.

Also, I see no mention anywhere yet of using a K&N air filter on the vehcile to improve gas mileage. K&N does make one.

Does eveyrone just run standard 87 octane also?

Sorry for all the questions, I have been paying 500+ per month for fuel and I just cant wait till my car arrives.

Thanks

Re: Any help appreciated on my new 2008 Mariner.
 

Several people, myself included use K&N air filters. People who buy them, love them. Most 'think' there is a 1-2 MPG advantage.

The hybrid runs at faster RPM than traditional cars, and closer to wide-open throttle more often than traditional cars, therefore, the K&N is probably better for the hybrid, than in most cars. -John

Re: Any help appreciated on my new 2008 Mariner.
 

As far as mudflaps, Ford makes a molded set which look nice & match the truck but really aren't big enough to give really good protection. I have the molded ones myself but I'm considering swapping to something wider/longer.

I use a Parrot 3100 Blue-tooth setup which works very well. The Parrot automatically mutes the stereo when a call comes in & then runs the call through your factory (or aftermarket) speakers. It uses voice command to dial out & works very well.

I have a K&N air filter as I have used them for years in race cars/motorcycles etc etc & find they work quite well. I have not really noticed much mpg improvement from the swap, but it may be slightly better.

~John

Re: Any help appreciated on my new 2008 Mariner.
 

I bought the flat flaps as the moulded ones are not yet available, atleast not for ford. I tried one set up front, and very pleased, will be adding a 2nd set to the rear soon.

Pics are in the link in my signature.

Re: Any help appreciated on my new 2008 Mariner.
 

Congrats on your order and welcome to GH! 87 octane is definitely the way to go... it will run fine on other octanes but it won't make any more power or provide better economy, it will just waste money. See if you can find gas in your area that's not oxygenated (ie 10% ethanol)... it really saps your fuel economy. I know Indiana allows concealed firearms and has legal firework sales, so it wouldn't surprise me if you had the good gas too! ;)

Re: Any help appreciated on my new 2008 Mariner.
 

I went to the Guns, Fireworks, and 100 octane gas station to see what I could find today. :') It's great to live in Indiana! Anyways, it appears that the 92% ocatane is lower is oxygenated. The 93% premium is not. I will keep looking around, but do you think the non-oxy gas is valuable enough to make the difference, or will I just have track it and see?

This could explain why my Gas hog Dodge Ram got almost 2 MPG better on 92 vs. 93.

Re: Any help appreciated on my new 2008 Mariner.
 

I would say just track it and see. I probably wouldn't pay the extra money for 92 or 93 if that's the only way you can get 100% gas. 10% ethanol isn't too bad...

Re: Any help appreciated on my new 2008 Mariner.
 

Stupid question, how do you tell the difference? Is it going to be the same for the state, or do different brands have different mixes?

Re: Any help appreciated on my new 2008 Mariner.
 

I might not have my facts 100% right but I believe the Clean Air Act of 1995 required all gas stations within 50 miles of the 10 "dirtiest" cities to sell only oxygenated fuel. There are other state and local initiatives, like the entire state of Minnesota requires 10% ethanol gas.

If you go to http://www.gasbuddy.com/ and click on your state you should have access to a message board where you can ask people who are knowledgeable about your local area. That's how I found out that there's a gas station that sells 100% gas just a hair over 50 miles from Chicago. Since I live 38 miles away from the city it's not that far out of my way to gas up there.

Re: Any help appreciated on my new 2008 Mariner.
 

According to the EPA, a 10% ethanol blend will result in about a 3% loss in efficiency. For me, that works out to about 1 MPG. Now, premium gas in my area (which is allowed to be 100% gas because of the ridiculous number of boats around here which can't run on any ethanol) runs about 10 to 15 cents more than regular. Only 93 octane here is free from the ethanol mandate. So, 1 MPG equals about 15 more miles per tank; the extra cost in gas is about $1.50, making it more or less a wash for me.
The real fun will come when the E20 mandate comes into effect in 2012, with no provisions to have manufacturers cover necessary repairs. I fully intend to have my vehicle beyond 2012, and the geniuses on the Hill decided that manufacturers would just build cars especially for Minnesota's new mandate.

Re: Any help appreciated on my new 2008 Mariner.
 

"According to the EPA, a 10% ethanol blend will result in about a 3% loss in efficiency."
Yes. In YOUR engine, right now.

Any car built in the last 15 years can burn 30% ethanol without any modifications. Only result is you will get fewer MPG in most cases, unless you have a fully optimized engine, specifically made for ethanol. Then the differences in MPG are so slight, it almost not worth mentioning. Ethanol can, when done properly, provide more power per stroke than gasoline.
Did you know from now on, every single Indy Car race will only allow ethanol for fuel? And I think they use E98, or 98% ethanol. The same size race engine, proper set up gets about 30 more horsepower from ethanol, than gas.

Ethanol can be made for about $1.10 per gallon, and sells wholesale for about $1.90 per gallon. Plus, it is renewable, and made in the U.S.A.
:angel:-John

Re: Any help appreciated on my new 2008 Mariner.
 

"100% gasoline" is the key. Unless you live in a place where they have 100% gas, the lowest rated fuel yields the best MPG. Running anything higher, as Brady said, is a waste of money.

We know ethanol has about 35% less energy than gas, specifically 76000 BTUs per gallon versus 116000 for gasoline. In most areas octane ratings are raised via ethanol. Higher octane rating = less BTUs per unit. Higher octane gas = less energy per gallon = lower mileage. This is why premium shouldn't be used unless the engine requires it. And why your mileage drops when "winter fuel" (with less pure gasoline) is introduced in some areas. It often has more ethanol and thus less energy, so your vehicle burns more for the same amount of performance.

This is why E-85 vehicles get about 30% lower mileage on E85 than they do on E-zero or E-10. In my area, E85 is almost always about 30% cheaper than regular unleaded, so running E85 saves nothing. It needs to be 35% or more cheaper to be justified. Keeping in mind, of course, that you're burning something made mostly of corn instead of petroleum, and the value we place on that. (often questioned considering how much petroleum is used to produce the corn, but that's way off topic.)

The point is: High octane gas contains less energy. So it's sometimes a little confusing to hear high octane fuel called "the good stuff" or "better". It's not better, it's different. It's designed for high performace engines. For energy content, it's "worse".

Ethanol does have more controlled combustion characteristics (higher octane) which is why it's a great way to enhance the octane rating of a volatile fuel like gasoline. The more ethanol in the mix, the more spark advance and richer mixtures your engine can run.

Re: Any help appreciated on my new 2008 Mariner.
 

Another aspect, is that E-85 burns "cleaner" than straight gasoline when compared gallon to gallon. However, not that much cleaner. Along the same reasoning as yours, since one has to burn 30% more E-85, overall, there is more pollution, not less, coming out of the tailpipe.

Re: Any help appreciated on my new 2008 Mariner.
 

On the contrary... E85 burns much Much MUCH cleaner than gasoline.
Have you ever been to a fancy buffet, inside a fancy hotel perhaps?
Ever seen those "Sterno" alcohol burners under the hot selections?
How come you never see gasoline burners under the hot food?
Ethanol can be BURNED INDOORS WITH NO HARMFUL EMISSIONS!

http://www.sterno.com/consumer/consu...gel_fuels.aspx

" Sterno has been the leader in portable canned heating fuels for over 100 years. The patented solid gel formula resists spills, burns cleanly and is safe for indoor use when used as directed. Sterno cooking fuel is perfect for all of your cooking and food warming needs.

Be prepared – Always keep a can on hand for the home, on the go or emergency situations. For use with all types of home entertaining, recreational and emergency products. Benefits include:

Alcohol based formulation burns extremely clean with no harmful emissions.
Consistent heat output of 205°F holds foods above recommended FDA levels.
Ethanol based formulation is non-toxic.
Consistently delivers the promised burn times.
Patented gel formulation eliminates dangerous flare ups and is odorless, smokeless, and clean burning.
Can be extinguished and relit as many times as necessary until all the contents are consumed.
Portable and compact enough for backpacks, picnic baskets and RV’s."

Re: Any help appreciated on my new 2008 Mariner.
 

OK, now we know what company GPSMAN works for!!

lol

(humor)


08FEH

Re: Any help appreciated on my new 2008 Mariner.
 

If you believe in global warming though they both produce CO2 when they burn... not a particularly toxic gas.... I think thats what people are getting at when they say that. Though admittedly the term "clean" is a bit confusing.

Re: Any help appreciated on my new 2008 Mariner.
 

Another question, is there any chance someone has the owners manual in PDF for the 2008 Mariner?

Also, 10k miles seems to be discussed alot on the forums as when getting the oil changed. This seems really different from what I am used to. Is there something special with the hybrid that makes it need its oil changed less?

Re: Any help appreciated on my new 2008 Mariner.
 

In the thread titled "Today?", the original poster said this about the manual: "I printed out an owners manual from the myford site" so you may be able to access it from there.

Regarding the oil changes, most new vehicles are going with longer intervals than years past. 5,000 to 12,000 miles are common these days. In the hybrid the engine isn't always running for every mile driven so that's one reason it's such a long time.

Re: Any help appreciated on my new 2008 Mariner.
 

AND a normal car idles a good amount of the time... engine running, oil aging all the time the Odometer doesn't turn. So they have to account for that in a normal vehicles oil change interval. On a hybrid, no idle.

Re: Any help appreciated on my new 2008 Mariner.
 

Hey.... "Today?" was my post :)

I do have the Ford Manual in .pdf.. I got it from the myford.com website.
If you are not registered there, I would be glad to email it to you.

post or pm your address.

I would think the manuals are the same???


08FEH

Re: Any help appreciated on my new 2008 Mariner.
 

My email address is plnorton@mchsi.com.

Thanks.