Cosmos36

Not strange...just cantankerous, irritating, and questionably essential.

Are you crazy? No! I encountered the same scenario when attempting to change settings manually while the engine was warming up but prior to reaching operating temperature. I was perplexed by the situation, trying unsuccessfully to figure it out functionally in my mind and pressing various button combinations randomly. Finally, I was successful but couldn't recall the means that would enable me to ever repeat the 'code'. Perhaps, for example, the engine reaching normal temperature triggered some message to the system...??? Back in the day of 4-speed Chevy Cavaliers, I (and the dealer's service manager accompanying me on a ride) were totally baffled by why the automatic tranny would intermittently fail to shift into high (4th) gear on the freeway & would shift in/out 3rd & 4th for several miles, especially in cool weather, seldom on long, hot trips. The dealer's service dept. finally gave up on the issue, followed by the Regional Rep quitting also. Finally, after a few weeks of angry driving (and poor gas mileage), I figured the problem out after reading an article on the many functions of the 'newfangled' computers in vehicles of the day. I began to put two & two together as it related to my Cavalier tranny issue and finally had a Voila!!! moment. The shifting problem was all caused by a defective thermostat in the cooling system not permitting the engine to reach a temperature which would signal the tranny that it was OK to shift from 3rd to 4th. It was actually an emissions regulating function that held the tranny in 3rd gear, i.e. at elevated RPMs to heat the coolant quicker in order to adjust the fuel mixture to a leaner, less pollution-emitting mixture. In cool weather the car's coolant would not warm up enough to signal the computer to permit the shift to 4th with lower RPMs & lesser emissions. I installed a new thermostat and informed the dealer of my findings. A letter of thanks from the Regional Rep followed. Sorry for digressing. But, as I was messing with the MKX heating/AC controls, I was reminded of the Cavalier incident and how modern vehicle programming can contribute to confounding intuitive operations.

If your concern with the hatch struts is the 'thud' at closing (one previous owner here referred to the closing as a "crash"), my experience with the current generation of MKX-Nautilus vehicles is that the noisy/abrupt hatch closing is normal albeit intrusive. I don't believe there is any adjustability to the strut function. As a word of caution if you're considering DIY replacement, the struts contain a pre-loaded spring. Also, I would assume that the part number remains the same across all trim models of your MKX.

Good grief! Between the 'stupid mechanic' that left the lug nuts loose on punch-card's Nautilus and your dealer's advertising of Lincoln 'CONSAIR' models & 'standards' trim levels, it would be no surprise that some might question Lincoln service & sales integrity.

This year, Lincoln vehicles were conspicuous by their total absence at the PDX Auto Show, the largest such event in the Pacific Northwest. Last year, Lincoln's display was a faint-hearted, dimly lit attempt to be vaguely present, but at least a Nautilus and a locked pre-production Aviator was on display. Perhaps last year's dispute over the failure of Lincoln Motor Company to gain display space in the 'Luxury Loft' along with Lexus, Jag, BMW, Volvo, Mercedes, etc. contributed to Lincoln's demise this year. On the other hand, Lincoln is not (generally speaking) a hugely popular brand in this corner of the U.S. vis-à-vis Subaru, for example. The wow-factor was satisfied this year by the Corvette Stingray...WOW! However, I was extremely turned off by the omnipresence of piano black (aka gloss black) film in so many vehicle interiors...an owner's nightmare when detailing. Also, the large upright infotainment displays of some manufacturers were disturbing to me...other brands were attractive, well integrated and less intrusive. And, the wife mentioned an observation that I also concluded early in the show...with a few exceptions, the fit-finish, quality, and features of many economy and popular-priced vehicles are commensurate with what's available on those costing 3X-4X more. And finally, there were as many e-vehicles/hybrids displayed this year across all brands as were the total number of conventional models at auto shows of past decades. But, maybe we would prefer battery power to a buzzing 4-cylinder engine.

Punch...thanks for adding the details & photo. So, it was the flex rubber connectors, not the steel lines where the failures occurred. Good to know. It has been many decades since I experienced a total 'pedal-to-the-floorboard' brake loss...very frightening. "Stupid mechanic" indeed! You were fortunate to have avoided a fatal incident.

Since I also own a 2016 MKX (with only ~ 35K miles), your post caught my attention as a DIY maintenance owner (minor routine services, e.g. oil changes, fluid & belt checks, etc.). It would have been helpful if you would have identified the cause that necessitated the brake line replacements. A check of the NHSTA website indicated a few MKX owners reporting brake line issues including corrosion, split lines, and leaking master cylinders. The latter can result in low fluid levels that result in interior line corrosion; exterior line corrosion can be caused by environmental conditions, e.g. road chemicals or coastal salt air, and splitting can be caused by elevated levels of water in the lines (from high ambient humidity conditions) that freeze in winter temps. There does not appear to be an unusual occurrence of brake line failures at a national level.

Back on November 10 when I responded to your post of the previous day, my mind was focused on 'non-rotational sources' of the reported clunk, e.g. engine mounts, etc. The thought of a half-shaft being at fault didn't occur to me. For future reference, I'll keep it in mind. Thanks for occasionally updating your experiences on this forum.

On occasion, I have found it necessary it squeeze a door handle repeatedly (2-3 times) to get an unlocking response. I just attribute it to door handle road grime.

My random browsing of other FOMOCO forums, Google, automotive media, etc. appears to put up an abundance of warnings & caveats related to updating 3.0 with 3.4. Even some highly tech geek websites include cautions (in red) to performing the installation.

I should have been more specific about positioning the liftgate when installing the wiper. It only took a moment to figure that sitting in the cargo area (atop the gate latch & facing the rear of the vehicle) with the hatch pulled down towards my lap and the wiper at eye/shoulder level was more convenient than standing outside the vehicle with outstretched arms above my head. Thanks for reminding me to clarify.

When replacing the rear wiper blade on my 2016 MKX, I too pondered the limited visibility available to align the replacement blade's notch with the arm's bar. Similarly, I considered taping a mirror under the wiper arm as you suggested. Then, it occurred to me that a better view of the alignment/installation was possible if I just opened the liftgate and viewed the installation from below looking up through the liftgate glass as I aligned the new blade's notch & arm's bar. It took only seconds to complete.

Welcome to the forum Jim. Whether your MKX has front sensors or not depends on the trim level and option package of the vehicle. My 2016 SELECT model is not optioned to have front sensors.

One of the many features of the key fob is remote opening-closing of the vehicle's windows. It would appear that something either in the remote or the vehicle has gone awry and is triggering a command to open the windows. I learned of this function by happenstance early in my ownership when dining with an acquaintance who noted that the windows of my MKX parked within sight were intermittently open-closing. The issue was traced to the remote in my cargo pants pocket being pressed against a table leg which activated the open-close door lock remote buttons for periods long enough (3 seconds or more) to lower-raise the windows. If your remote is secure when you leave the vehicle, i.e. no physical contact with the door lock-unlock remote buttons, then the issue you're experiencing must be related to either the circuitry of the remote or the vehicle.

Welcome to the forum, Joe. You are correct in noting there is no manual means to open the liftgate, just the three buttons located on the remote, the dash, and the liftgate (I've always wondered if Lincoln designers intentionally located the hidden button on the (L)iftgate just below the L on the Lincoln name). There have been occasional reports here of the liftgate not responding to commands to open/close or closing with a loud thud, but I don't recall any report of issues that were resolved by the owner without a trip to the dealer.