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DonShockley

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  1. Like
    DonShockley got a reaction from Bean in How to connect power for amps. inverters and other high current loads   
    If these look like what you mean, and the post size is about right, I can hook you up with a couple free. I have leftovers from when I did my project. But I did have to find the right size existing holes in the bodywork to use. IIRC I got them on eBay because I'm not seeing them in my Amazon history.
     

  2. Cool
    DonShockley got a reaction from GTVan50 in How to level out floor after removing second row seats   
    As for the underfloor storage, I just found some bins at Walmart that worked for me. They just slide in from the side and let me use almost all the volume. It's also a great spot to store the crossbars for the factory roof rails since I never use them.
     


  3. Thanks
    DonShockley got a reaction from jrm223 in Need ideas on how fill the steps on inside of sliding doors.   
    Here's some photos from this forum back in 2016 that I copied when I thought they might come in useful for working on my 2015. My apologies to the member who did the original post but I didn't think to make a notation at the time. Based on the file names I gave them at the time, they were from a 2015 cargo version.







  4. Thanks
    DonShockley got a reaction from Mgp in Mgp   
    Here's a pix of the rubber seal on the pass through on my 2015 wagon. Obviously I was trying to get the connector but you can see the seal behind it. It's just a thin push in grommet that just pops out if needed. Easy enough to remove and plenty of room to secure some screening over the hole to keep out bugs. Not sure how much road splash you might get from the rear wheel.

  5. Like
    DonShockley got a reaction from PhotoAl in Edit-DONE: WTB Your Gen 2 / 2014+ Busted Manual Driver or Passenger Mirror (Base)   
    I've got a replacement piece of mirror glass for the passenger side on a 2015. Mine had a tiny crack that I figured would eventually get bigger so got a replacement ahead of time. Then I ended up trading it in before I ever got around to repacing it. It's just sitting on the shelf taking up space. PM me an address and I'll send it.
  6. Like
    DonShockley got a reaction from Bean in Converted 2015 LWB Wagon into a Van   
    Yes. Each seat is held in by four bolts (T50 needed to remove). The third row seats have them at each corner and you need to slide the seat all the way forward to remove the rear two, then slide the seat back to access the front two. The second row seats have four each also, but in pairs of two at the front. And each seat also has locating pins on the base so you have to give it a little wiggle and lift straight up after you remove the bolts to break it loose. The second row seats are easiest to remove when folded and the third row seats while unfolded.
  7. Thanks
    DonShockley got a reaction from Bean in Load restraint tracks   
    When I was looking at maybe adding some tracks to the 3/4" plywood floor in my 2015 TC, this was the place that seemed to have a good variety. In the end I never did add any and just used the few stock tie downs. But the L track seemed well suited to the light duty needs of the TC as opposed to the heavier duty E track fittings used in full size cargo vans. And the extra strength of the track itself and the screw holes spaced every 4" means the load is spread over numerous fasteners in thin material like was mentioned.
    https://www.uscargocontrol.com/Trucking-Transportation-Tie-Downs/Airline-Straps-Hardware
  8. Like
    DonShockley got a reaction from i86hotdogs in how the F do you get a wire through to the battery?   
    Here's a photo I took of that area on my 2015 TC. I was adding some protection (the corrugated loom going through the hole) to the dealer installed power supply wire for the trailer hitch wiring kit. Routing through that hole was part of the Ford instructions for the OEM accessory kit. I also used the path up the A pillar for adding my own USB and 12v power points to the overhead shelf (the corrugated loom running next to the hole).

  9. Like
    DonShockley got a reaction from Bean in Change Front 12v Power to Switched from Always On?   
    Here's how I did it. Rather than trying to change my sockets to switched, and since I was needing the power in the overhead shelf area instead of down low on the console, I added extra connections to the overhead shelf and tapped the power from spare switched fuse locations. For convenience, I added a small accessory fuse box behind the glove box. Then used that for all my future add-ons. The link below is for when I added USB outlets, but at the end added an additional 12V sockets. That topic has links to the other stages of the build.
     
  10. Like
    DonShockley got a reaction from Bean in Remove rear seats from the wagon   
    Installing and removing the seats is a very simple process. There are just four bolts holding each one in. You only need a T50 Torx wrench to remove them. The second row seats have two sets of two bolts at the front corners under some black cover pieces that just snap off for easy access. The third row seats have one at each corner of the seats. You need to move the seat all the way forward to access the rear bolts and then slide it back to access the front ones. Once the bolts are removed, just a little wiggle to break the mounts loose then lift straight up to remove them. There are short locating pins on the bottoms of the mounts that are fairly tight fits into holes in the floor. Putting them back in is as simple as dropping them in, making sure to move them into position so the locating pins hit their holes and the base drops all the way down into position, and installing the bolts.
    Here's a thread I made documenting how I removed the seats on my 2015 LWB wagon to make it into a van. Unfortunately, I didn't think to start taking photos until after I had the seats out. But there are several photos in there that show the openings in the floor mat where the bolts were installed. It's the places where you can see the silver metal through the black floor mat.
    http://fordtransitconnectforum.com/topic/4109-converted-2015-lwb-wagon-into-a-van/?p=11644
  11. Like
    DonShockley got a reaction from Bean in Converted 2015 LWB Wagon into a Van   
    Here's a couple extras! The first is a drawing with all the measurements for the single piece plywood deck I built. And these measurements were corrected to fix the errors I described earlier. Naturally these were for my vehicle so there's no guarantee they'll match yours if you want to try this build. But it should be close if you have a LWB Wagon.
    The second is a quick diagram and explanation I had for some alternate ways of doing the job that occurred to me during the build. My initial thought was for a smooth, strong and flat floor from a single continuous sheet. But you can get a bit more coverage, 57" wide at the doors instead of 48" wide, if you are willing to have a cut joint in the middle of your floor. It was also starting to become a pain every time I had to install and remove the single panel for the numerous trials and modifications. A narrower folding floor, 26" wide when folded with hinges, can be made in 3 pieces to make frequent installation and removal much easier. Unfortunately, it will also require a second (half) sheet of plywood. I tried and just couldn't seem to get all 3 pieces to pattern onto a single 4x8 sheet if you want the full 57" width at the doors.
    They are in PDF format for most universal viewing. That's part of the reason for the delay in posting this thread. It took a week to try to learn the DraftSight program well enough to produce a useful drawing.
    Transit Connect Floor Alternate Ideas.pdf
    Transit Connect Floor Dimensioned.pdf
    But if you want the CAD drawings I generated for these, PM me an email address to send them to.
    I tried to upload the .dwg files but the forum wouldn't allow it.
    Update: Found an error in the files orignally posted. Fixed the error and posted new corrected files.
  12. Thanks
    DonShockley got a reaction from jrm223 in What happened to my 2019 TC fuse box?   
    Current vehicles are basically miniature computer networks so it's nearly impossible to do any old school repairs or upgrades. How on earth do you build a vehicle where the ONLY latch release is controlled by an electrical module with no physical handle with mechanical linkage for backup. That's happened to a couple forum members with the rear liftgate failures.
     
    But I do see some reasoning behind that fuse box design, at least from a reliability standpoint. That double cover setup and the fact that they result in the fuses hanging upside down when installed would not allow water to collect in the fuse area even if the covers were left off or got cracked. Any penetrating water would drip out instead of collecting at the connections and causing corrosion. A secondary benefit would be that by disconnecting the plugs before gaining access you minimize the chance of damage during fuse replacement by shorting something else out while replacing fuses. Of course now you have an extra connector and it's powered fittings but if designed to handle clumsy people that can still be pretty reliable. But I'm just guessing based on the photos.
  13. Like
    DonShockley got a reaction from Don Ridley in VICTORY!!! Second recall on door latches   
    As I posted here back in 2018, I had the door latches on my 2015 XLT fail AFTER having the recall repair done. Turns out the parts were never installed on the first "repair" under the recall. Lots of fighting over several months to get the dealer to fix the problem and refund the money I paid for the repair. But complaints to NHTSA and trying to get local news channels or news papers to inform others, who might also be driving around in cars that were still unrepaired after having the recall done, all got me zero responses.
     
    But this morning I got an email that a second recall is being issued because first recall may not have been done properly.
    Here's a copy/paste:
    Jun 08,2020
    Manufacturer Recall Number20S30 NHTSA Recall NumberAWAITING# Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available SummaryVEHICLES MAY NOT HAVE HAD ALL OF THEIR DOOR LATCHES REPLACED OR REPLACED CORRECTLY WHEN PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED BY DEALERSHIPS UNDER SAFETY RECALL 15S16 OR 16S30. SAFETY RECALLS 15S16 AND 16S30 WERE ISSUED TO REPLACE DOOR LATCHES WITH A LATCH PAWL SPRING TAB THAT WAS SUSCEPTIBLE TO CRACKING AND FAILURE IN AREAS WITH HIGH THERMAL LOADS.
    Safety RiskA DOOR LATCH WITH A FRACTURED PAWL SPRING TAB TYPICALLY RESULTS IN A DOOR WILL NOT CLOSE CONDITION. IF THE CUSTOMER IS ABLE TO LATCH THE DOOR AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO SHUT THE DOOR, THERE IS A POTENTIAL THE DOOR MAY UNLATCH WHILE DRIVING, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
     
    And in just a few hours I am going to be turning in my 2015 and picking up my new 2020. And it's from the same dealer I took the 2015 to in order to have a double check on the second installation of the recall parts. I am going to try to see if I can get the service fee refunded not that a second recall is being issued.
     
    It was a pain and took too long, but at least now I have peace of mind that other people in the same situation will be protected. I kept imagining some poor family driving around in a "recall repaired" van with kiddies jumping around in the back and the doors flying open and kids falling out on the road. And all because the parts were never installed like happened with mine. Now that's finally being corrected. The good guys win for a change.

  14. Thanks
    DonShockley reacted to Marquizzo in What happened to my 2019 TC fuse box?   
    I figured it out! It turns out that to get to the actual fuse-box (in my 2019 Passenger TC at least), you now need to take about 5 additional steps. I'm gonna document it here for anyone else that might be running into the same issue.
     
    Make sure the engine is turned off and the keys are out of the ignition!!
     
    1. Remove those 2 large plugs by pulling up on the white tabs.

     
    2. You'll see the exposed black box with two tabs at the top. Pull down on the left and right tabs to unlatch and pull out. (Don't drop it!)

     
    3. Here's the box outside the engine compartment. It was a struggle to angle it correctly to take it out of there because it's such a tight fit.

     
    4. Flip it over and you'll see the fuse symbol again. There's another tab at the bottom, unlatch that

     
    5. Ta-da! We FINALLY have the traditional fuse-box that was expected. It only took a bunch of extra steps and a day to gather the courage to disassemble the thing.

     
    I can only assume the passenger compartment fuse box is just as complicated, if not more because it's a real awkward twist to fit my body underneath the glove-box. I wish it was as accessible as my 2006 Escape with a simple panel to open from the driver's side.
     
     
  15. Like
    DonShockley got a reaction from Marquizzo in Will these Turtle Cross Bars Work on Transit Connect OEM Rails?   
    That Amazon listing makes it difficult to tell since it looks like only the first photo is specific to the TC. But zooming in on that photo looks like it has a bar that comes up from the bottom to tighten. The TC rails are a little misleading at first appearance on where they actually tighten. The groove in the outside edge seems like that's where it's anchoring. But in reality it's real strength comes from a small lip that's sort of undercut on the inside face. The Ford OEM rails do a double action as they are tightened. The pinch the rails between the inside and outside pieces, but the main anchor force comes from the 90 angle piece moving under the lip on the inside of the rail and then being pulled up to tighten. Here's a photo of the ends on the Ford OEM rails.

  16. Haha
    DonShockley got a reaction from drh14 in LIFT!!   
    Although this video is for a full size Transit van and not a Connect, it's still one of my favorite car show segments. If I win the lottery I want to do something similar with an old beat up Connect. The ultimate sleeper.
     
  17. Thanks
    DonShockley got a reaction from Jamie S in Converted 2015 LWB Wagon into a Van   
    Here's a couple extras! The first is a drawing with all the measurements for the single piece plywood deck I built. And these measurements were corrected to fix the errors I described earlier. Naturally these were for my vehicle so there's no guarantee they'll match yours if you want to try this build. But it should be close if you have a LWB Wagon.
    The second is a quick diagram and explanation I had for some alternate ways of doing the job that occurred to me during the build. My initial thought was for a smooth, strong and flat floor from a single continuous sheet. But you can get a bit more coverage, 57" wide at the doors instead of 48" wide, if you are willing to have a cut joint in the middle of your floor. It was also starting to become a pain every time I had to install and remove the single panel for the numerous trials and modifications. A narrower folding floor, 26" wide when folded with hinges, can be made in 3 pieces to make frequent installation and removal much easier. Unfortunately, it will also require a second (half) sheet of plywood. I tried and just couldn't seem to get all 3 pieces to pattern onto a single 4x8 sheet if you want the full 57" width at the doors.
    They are in PDF format for most universal viewing. That's part of the reason for the delay in posting this thread. It took a week to try to learn the DraftSight program well enough to produce a useful drawing.
    Transit Connect Floor Alternate Ideas.pdf
    Transit Connect Floor Dimensioned.pdf
    But if you want the CAD drawings I generated for these, PM me an email address to send them to.
    I tried to upload the .dwg files but the forum wouldn't allow it.
    Update: Found an error in the files orignally posted. Fixed the error and posted new corrected files.
  18. Thanks
    DonShockley got a reaction from G B L in Shelter In Place   
    I work at a drinking water treatment plant. The only people who are getting to stay home during the "shelter in place" for our county is the management staff. All the operators are still working but social distancing means all overlap between shifts have been cut out so you have to do all the work alone. Normal for me since I work the midnight shift, but the day and evening shifts are used to working together on multi-person jobs during the afternoon overlap. Overall, a few less hours per week but much busier.
  19. Thanks
    DonShockley got a reaction from jrm223 in Adding a second row OEM folding bucket seat to a Cargo van?   
    Been pulled from my 2015 LWB since about week 2 of buying new. Only put back in for about a month while family was visiting a couple years back. I was planning a van custom order for my next purchase but the whole "classified as commercial" means extra loan and insurance hassles I haven't felt like messing with. Plan was to put the seats back in once I had both and just switch vehicles as appropriate.
  20. Thanks
    DonShockley got a reaction from jrm223 in Adding a second row OEM folding bucket seat to a Cargo van?   
    Meanwhile, in a shed in Texas ...........
     

  21. Thanks
    DonShockley got a reaction from jrm223 in 2022 Transit Connect test mule sighting?   
    How is that any type of a van / wagon? Just another hatchback car. I know our TCs are based on a car's power train, but the practicality is all in the body style and resulting roomy interior. That thing looks even smaller than my old RAV4 when it comes to usable space. If that's the direction Ford is going with the TC, I might have to start looking more seriously at the alternatives.
  22. Thanks
    DonShockley got a reaction from jrm223 in If I had only known .........   
    Just pull it out and it will do just that. That's what I did to flush the line before I reinserted the cleaned out nozzle. Of course you would to leave the cover flipped open or drill a hole in it for it to actually work. Make it better by adding some bright yellow dye to to your washer fluid.
  23. Like
    DonShockley got a reaction from drh14 in New Here! Owner satisfaction and reliability of 2014-17 model year TCs   
    I knew the TC was the perfect fit for my needs as soon as I saw one. A first gen model was turning into Lowes as I was leaving and I said to myself "That's what I've been looking for!" then turned around and found where they parked so I could see the make and model. The first gen was a bit too commercial with not enough daily driver comfort features so I waited until the second gen came out with those extras and got a 2015 LWB Wagon. Took the 2nd and 3rd row seats out since it's just me. I'm so satisfied that I'm starting to look at getting a second one now that the wagon is paid off. I'm starting to do the research on special ordering a van so I can get the wagon features I like (liftgate, tow package, etc.) since dealer stock vans typically are still stripped down commercial models. And I plan to keep the wagon and put the seats back in, unless they offer way too much as a trade in. That way, I've got a backup and I can just leave the seats in and switch back and forth as needed. Unless something drastically changes in either my life situation or in future vehicle offerings, I see myself sticking with Transit Connects from here on out.
  24. Like
    DonShockley got a reaction from windguy in If I had only known .........   
    It's the washer nozzle for the rear window wiper on my 2015's liftgate.
     
    It stopped working a couple years back but I didn't need it that often and tended to forget about it once the weather improved. And I was avoiding what I assumed would be a major disassembly issue just to get the nozzle loose so I could dip the tip in something to dissolve the buildup causing the clog.
     
    If I had only known how simple the job was, I would have done it in the rain !!!
     
    First just pull on the end of the cover to flip it open for access. Then just grip the end and pull. Then it was easy to take it into the house for cleaning. A needle, some vinegar, and a couple dips in the HF ultrasonic cleaner did the job. Also flushed out the line by triggering the spray with the nozzle removed just in case there was some debris inside. When you put it back in, point it straight up, it doesn't rotate with the wiper arm. The just push the cover closed.
     
    Simple once you know and actually a pretty good design. Of course, I couldn't find any mention of such a simple cleaning procedure in my owner's manual when I looked at the time i first noticed the problem. I feel stupid for postponing it so long, now.
     



  25. Like
    DonShockley got a reaction from ThumperJB in Need help with my transit   
    I think I found it, you would need to double check to see if part number is different depending on which side is damaged. But it looks like the cable trak (which seems to be the more generic term and spellling) probably is the same and just flips over. The end connectors are likely side dependent looking at the ones on my 2015 TC. BTW: I found it by scrolling through different areas, but it looks like the search term needed was "Shield" since that's the title on the part landing page.
     
    Here's the info I got:
    Ford Part #14A099B Cover - Wiring
    https://parts.ford.com/shop/en/us/other-electrical-related-parts/shield-6592745-1
     

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