Viking

All the math done and calculated, we are paying the equivalent of $5.50 US for a US gallon up here in the great white north.  My MKZ is not that good for MPG, but the truck I just sold was a whole lot worse.

I would try a radiator rebuilder.  They should have plugs for just about every radiator made.

I also replied in your other post on this same subject, so I copied my reply here.

Well, the very first thing I would do would be to charge up the battery till it showed full, if it ever does - then load test it.  If the load test fails, you need a battery before you can go any further with this.  Also, if the battery will not charge up to full (12.6 volts) then you may need a new battery.  Either way, you need a good battery in the car to attempt diagnosis of anything else.

Well, the very first thing I would do would be to charge up the battery till it showed full, if it ever does - then load test it.  If the load test fails, you need a battery before you can go any further with this.  Also, if the battery will not charge up to full (12.6 volts) then you may need a new battery.  Either way, you need a good battery in the car to attempt diagnosis of anything else.

8 hours ago, jimflutes said:

leftoverture, I felt the same way about the wing being the better , but now I have " seen the light" , particularly the great daylight running lights on the 18 , by the way I am swapping out the Mich MXM tires for the new all weather Michs cross climate 2 ( # 1 rated all weather , tirerack  and consumers ) , I will be giving a report when they are on . I do like the MXM tires how they ride but we get a lot of snow here ( MA ) and the Z front drive is not real good in the snow to begin with , I have had the MXM on my 13 Z , and slid all over my long driveway . I do a lot of highway driving and absolutely amazed about the adaptive cruise , it took me awhile to trust it but now I am use to it all the time , it makes for a relaxing drive for long distances . Great talking with you , Jim

It is my studied opinion that you will really like the Michelin Cross Climate 2 tires.  As I bought my MKZ as mainly a winter driver, as I drive an F250 diesel with a slide in camper most of the summer, I put the Cross Climates on right away.  I have had two winters (and one and a half summers due to Covid) with the ires, and they are good to very good in snow and excellent in all other conditions.  They are very quiet as well.  We get a bit of snow here as well in Ontario.

I bought these tires preinstalled on my MKZ when I purchased it used.  It needed tires, so I threw in the extra bucks to get these over the el-cheapos they would have slapped on to pass safety inspections.  I originally bought the car (a 2012) as a winter driver only, but love it so much I am driving it year round.  I am very happy with the tires in all weather, winter, spring, summer and fall with the exception of six or more inches of wet snow.  They do struggle to break a trail through something this heavy.  They are quiet as well.  I would highly recommend them for anyone who puts only under 10K a year on their cars in northern climate where the weather has all aspects.  I cannot yet recommend it as a higher mile tire as I have not experienced that as of yet, nor will I likely.

17 hours ago, scn101 said:

When I purchased my MKZh new it needed a new battery as it sat on the lot so long that it destroyed the original battery.  They put in a new Motorcraft battery.  Typically hybrids are easy on the 12V battery as they only need the battery to power the electronics on the vehicle and do not need to crank the engine, so they tend to last a long time, yet that battery lasted just over a year!  Recently I was having weird issues with the vehicle and the dealership said it was the battery.  They replaced it under warranty and sure enough, the issues were gone.  On that note, I had a 2014 Fusion Hybrid that still had its original battery six years after I bought it new when I traded it for the MKZh.  So either the quality of Motorcraft batteries has slipped considerably or I was just unlikely.  Either way, your battery needing replacement at 46 months doesn't seem that odd and luckily a cheap fix.

One thing I have discovered from buying and owning new Ford vehicles is that the replacement batteries sold by Ford are NOT the same quality as the OEM batteries in the new cars.  I have easily gotten up to six years from OEMs but seldom more than three years from their replacements (which they say are identical, but even looking at them shows they are not)  I really wish I could discover who makes their OEM batteries, because I am really impressed with them.

Bout friggin time.  I have three four wheel vehicles and just got rid of a fourth.  All four had/have the secondary in a different place and require a different movement.  Three of them are Ford/Lincoln.

Undercoating faithfully saves a lot of vehicles.  As well as my MKZ, I have a 2004 F250 Superduty 4X4 which has had Krown treatment yearly since new.  It has no rust, but is hellish dirty to work under.

For the rumbling and vibration, check the driveshaft.  Good chance that is your problem there.  On the whining, it is possible it is a combination of the A/C pump drawing enough of the engine torque to affect the alternator's attempts to recharge the tiny battery.  So the alternator whines a bit.  On the first, you would have a toss up on the transfer cast or the driveshaft as to which is more expensive and painful to fix.  The driveshaft is expensive, not serviceable, but easy to change, while the transfer case is serviceable, but a real pain. 

The transfer case drain hole is on the right side lower case, and the fill hole above and to the rear of that.  I do not know anything about the mythical self tapped drain plug.  The transfer case uses 75W90 gear lube.  The transfer case, by the way is known as a PTU or Power Transfer Unit in these cars.

My guess, with almost no knowledge of Hybrid cars, but a working knowledge of batteries and what is electric or electronic on these cars is that your hybrid batteries are getting old.  They are probably not holding as full a charge as they did when new, and so need that extra alternator boost at the beginning.  As I said tho - just a guess.

According to Volvo, this is what they recommend.  Should be pretty close for other brands:

https://www.volvocars.com/en-ca/support/manuals/s90-recharge-plug-in-hybrid/2020w17/electric-motor-and-charging/electric-motor-and-charging/long-term-storage-of-vehicles-with-hybrid-batteries

On 1/10/2021 at 5:36 PM, drolds1 said:

How about Madrid?

Madrid's rare snowfall is our average snowfall.  Got about 4 feet in the back yard right now.

Maybe not the issue, but have the driveshaft checked.  I had a problem very similar to this, and that was the reason.  It was a TSB item for these year models.

But there has to be perforation, and it has to be from the inside out, in their judgement.  I have gone through this several times with Ford dealers.  My solution has been to Krown coat my vehicles from new.  I have a 2004 Ford F250 Superduty diesel with absolutely no rust aside from the surface frame rust that comes as soon as the wax coating peels off.  I have had Ford vehicles since the 1960s and this has always been a problem.  Newer GMC and Cheverolet trucks are now having this same problem where I live, but there is a lot of calcium chloride and salt used here in winter, which exacerbates the problem.  Krown or Rust Check, or other undercoats which "creep" are about the only solution that really works in my neighborhood.  We just have to accept the mess that comes with having an oily substance picking up dirt and soot.

Yup, I did that last month on my 2012 MKZ AWD, however, the driveshaft I took out was a two piece, with no indication that there had ever been a three piece in it.  Slid the old out and the new in, and bolted the carrier bearing in upside down.  Seemed wrong, so I reversed it and all was good.  Got rid of some annoying vibration and noise for sure.

19 hours ago, Viking said:

Those wheels are just a stock MKZ wheel that was offered at some point mid year, so it wasn't included in the sales brochure. 

 

Thanks fusionff

fussionff has the correct answer below

I can supply you with a brochure for the car, however, the VIN would be required for someone else to be able to give you an "As Built" list.

2012 Lincoln Brochure.pdf

Royshard, as bbf2530 mentioned, the expertise here is more directed towards the Lincoln MKZ sedan.  If you were to join the Lincoln MKX forum, you might have better information for your vehicle.  It can be found here:

https://lincolnmkxforum.com/

Sorry we could not be of more help.

19 hours ago, bbf2530 said:

 

Hi Viking. Personally, I would not use that Amsoil trans fluid for several reasons,

 

Just my opinion based on experience. Good luck.

You are absolutely correct.  I did not fully read the information, although it did state it met the Toyota T-IV specs.  As I am a fan of Amsoil products, I did use it, and hopefully, there will be no adverse effect.  Thank you for more fully reading and pointing out the possible deficiencies, bbf.

Removed due to incomplete information

You need the XT-8-QAW, which is called Premium ATF on the bottle.  Warning on the back says not to use where Mercon, Mercon V, Mercon LV, Mercon SP, or Type F are needed.  It does not look like Valvoline MaxLife fits the specs for use in the Aisin AW21 transmission.

I put Michelin Cross Climate tires on my Z last winter, and was pretty happy with them.  I rode on them all summer as well, as they are a Four Season tire.  Nokia makes one as well.  I ride a motorcycle most of the summer so did not wish to bother with two sets of tires is why I went with the Four Season style.  I live in a part of Ontario which is even more northerly than Minneapolis.

These cars are quite well built.  I bought a 2012 with only 50K miles on it, just last January, and all and all I have been relatively happy with it, with the exception of the following.  What the largest problem that I can see with these vehicles after a few miles is driveshafts.  I have only just had to replace the driveshaft in mine.  This only applies to All Wheel Drive models, and perhaps only to those that live in the climates to deteriorate them.  Near the ocean would probably be one circumstance.  I live in a climate that gets snow for five to seven months of the year, with the resulting salt and calcium chloride applications, which may have contributed to the malfunction of the driveshaft.  Research after the fact supplied the information that the Ford Edge, Transit, Escape and Explorer, Lincoln MKT and MKX, all with three piece/two hanger bearing driveshafts are well known for breaking down at about 30 to 40 thousand mile intervals.  There are several TSBs on the subject.  The driveshaft in the Fusion and Lincoln MKZ are two piece with a single hanger bearing, and so are not as prevalent a problem.  When the driveshaft was out of this car, the U-joints could not be flexed by hand in either of two directions 180 degrees from each other.  This caused a serious vibration in the driveline that shook the entire car up to 25 MPH, after which it would smooth out.  Incidentally, one day it was fine and the next day it was vibrating.  These are supposedly not repairable, only replaceable, and are an expensive part.  Changing them is a half hour job if one has access to a hoist.  Eight bolts (four each front and back) and two nuts holding the carrier bearing in the middle.  Put blue locktight on the front and rear eight bolts.  As far as the non repairability goes, Amazon sells both reman'd and new with the reman'd being half the cost of the new.  There are also repair kits shown.  I went ahead and bought new because of the condition of the car otherwise.

Aside from this unpleasantness, my 2012 is as tight as and rides like a new car.  I bought it to be my winter car (what with the AWD and all) but it is so pleasant to drive that it has become my daily driver.