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- Today
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Dynamic fluid replacement with a modern device is not invasive by any stretch of the imagination. It hooks up to the coolant lines and gradually replaces all fluid while the transmission pumps the fluid around by itself with the engine running. Just had it done for my Toyota last year. Probably too late (past 100K miles) but it was better than not to.
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Dodgy-plumber joined the community
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Neil Hibberd changed their profile photo
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My 2012 TC had that issue. I inspected everything....I mean everything and found nothing. Then one day as I looked through the engine compartment from an unusual angle to the back side of the radiator I saw a little orange discoloration on the radiator fins. Van had 72,000 miles on it and some of the fins were leaking at the seams/creases. The van had spent most of its life as a port security vehicle at the Port of Norfolk. I can only guess/assume that at some point those fins may have been bumped, gouged, scratched by a mechanic or a curious person looking under the hood. The salt air may have done its work to the damaged fins. Just my guess. I had the radiator issue remediated and the smell is gradually going away. Who knows how much residue may be on assorted parts of the engine/body from the long standing process of decay. I may be opening a can or worms but here we go.....make sure you have the system filled with the Ford branded Orange fluid or a product that you have verified to be an absolute equivalent. I had some challenges with an abundance of conflicting opinions about that. I finally went to the dealer and gave up a few dollars....tired of hearing yet more, more, more than I wanted to hear about types of radiator fluid.
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52rjf joined the community
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That's my service plan too. I drained & refilled mine 4 times using Castrol Transmax Full Synthetic which is Ford approved for all Mercon LV vehicles, mostly because I found a deal on it for $5 a quart, which is less than half the price of Mercon LV and also because I wanted full synthetic fluid and I still don't know exactly what Mercon LV is Now, every 25K I'll drain and refill it twice for the rest of the time I'll own this van Ford obviously wanted you to take it to the dealer for all transmission service, because they didn't give you a dipstick to check fluid level and they also didn't give you an easy way to add fluid. I *hate it* when any manufacturer does this sort of thing. As much as I love this van, odds are pretty great that it's my last Ford. The good news is, no more than we drive it though (it's a 2014 with only 25K on it now) it may last us another 10 to 15 years Don
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If you Drain and refill the Transmission 3 to 4 times you can change almost 100 % of the fluid with out an invasive operation that would stir things up. I change mine every 25000 miles. If you slack the belts you can spin the pulleys and get an idea of what condition the water pump ,alternator and idler pulleys are in. Have the AC system tested and topped off, as over time they all loose refrigerant. I think you will find it is a very good service platform. Welcome abord
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Aaron Alexis Rodriguez Paul changed their profile photo
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JustinBarr changed their profile photo
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Some cars have permanent coolant smell outside the cabin from new with no leaks whatsoever.
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Joshua Daily changed their profile photo
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Mr. Jackson, it sounds like you have found an excellent solution. Please post photos so that we can copy what you've done.
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Heater core, maybe. Hoses deliver coolant to the heater core and return the radiator fluid back to the cooling system. A fan blows that heat into your passenger cabin. That is one way the odor of antifreeze can enter your cabin.
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https://www.fleet.ford.com/partsandservice/owner-manuals/ Download Owner Manuals To download the Owner Manual, Warranty Guide or Scheduled Maintenance Guide, select your vehicle information: Select Year Choose Year 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Select Make Choose Make Select Model Choose Model https://owner.ford.com/tools/account/how-tos/owner-manuals.html Owner Manuals To view your vehicle's owner manuals, please sign in or select a vehicle. You can also view all owner manuals for all vehicles. In the old days, transmission flush machines did knock things loose, and caused transmission failures, because the machine pumped cleaning formula into the transmission to "flush". . Back then, you would drop the pan, clean it out, and drain the torque converter if a service plug was available. This was considered safer than to machine flush the transmission with high pressure and cleaning agents. Today's modern transmission fluid exchangers are different. They don't "flush" like the old machines. The machine hooks up to the transmission's cooling and return lines. The car is turned on, and the transmission's pump pushes fluid out the cooling line. The machine contains fresh fluid which is added back to the transmission at the return line. Your vehicle should be in good hands at a dealership. However, you can independent shops with the right transmission fluid exchanger. Just ask them what kind of equipment they have and how it works. If they aren't willing to discuss the equipment and process, then you don't need to go to that shop. Your vehicle was in commercial service when owned by Hobart. You are using the vehicle as a commercial vehicle. Follow the severe duty maintenance schedule. Service the transmission every 30,000 miles. Belts. Hoses. Water pump. Thermostat. Brake fluid. Power steering fluid. Air conditioning chemical. Air filter. Cabin air filters. Coolant. Spark plugs. COP ignition. You will get a lot of opinions about the tune-up parts. Some people will tell you that it's a waste of money to replace any of those items, and just wait until you actually need new parts. Do you want to be the guy who "needs" new parts? In the middle of your work day, as you are already behind on service call appointments, is that a good time to "need" a new part? No better time to have a drive belt fail or a hose burst. You'll only be on the side of the road, hoping that your engine didn't overheat to the point of failure. Then you lose all of the work for the rest of that day, and maybe the next day, until you get a replacement van. Not to mention that it would hurt your reputation. Commercial customer waiting for you to repair his walk-in's compressor, loses his entire inventory and all of his sales for the day. That guy won't be calling you back to fix his ice machine. The Coil-Over-Plug ignition has to be removed for you to change the spark plugs. Some people will tell you to carefully clean, inspect, and reinstall the existing COP. My approach is to simply replace and install a new part. Less effort and easier to just open the package and put a new one on top of your new spark plug. After all, you didn't remove, inspect, and clean your spark plugs; just to reinstall the old spark plugs. And you're not really going to wait until the spark plugs foul and your engine misfires, before you replace them. Same way you're not waiting for the engine to build up sludge and seize, before changing the oil/. There are already several threads on mounts for cell phones and such. I used a cell phone mount to cradle my tablet on the dash. Working so far. Nothing fancy or expensive. If the van doesn't have one already, get a roof rack for tools and ladders. You may also want a hitch receiver, as a small trailer will come in handy for transporting washers, dryers, stoves, et cetera.
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Very clever detective work @G B L !
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Welcome @ServicePlus and congrats on your TC! Here is a link for your owners manual. https://owner.ford.com/tools/account/how-tos/owner-manuals-search-results.html?make=Ford&model=Transit Connect&year=2015 As for the flush, its a gamble. If it works, you are definitely better off. I however, would play it safe. I would drain and fill. Drive it until the next oil change and drain and fill again. That will replace about half the transmission fluid. Some members have done it four times in a row to get most of the fluid changed. You can read up on what others have done in the transmission section. I would check all your filters (air, cabin, etc). Check here for info on your cruise control. Check here for a laptop mount. These are really popular: https://www.rammount.com/consumer/device-mounts/laptop-mounts There are several companies that have shelving for the TC. I guess it really depends on what you need and what inventory you want to carry. You can just google "transit connect shelving" With all of your experience, I am sure you will make the most of you new vehicle and truly enjoy it.
- Yesterday
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Sometimes my 2010 has a coolant / antifreeze smell, but the coolant level has not gone down in 5,000 miles. The coolant level was slightly low when I purchased her, but after topping it off, hasn't been low since. I know this smell from previous vehicles that have had leaks. Any idea where to begin looking? Info: 2010 2.0L gas engine, only 47,000 miles.
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Hello everyone, just joined today. I've been doing Appliance Repair for the last 21 years, previously working for 2 different Appliance stores I started my own business in May of 2018, Service Plus Appliance Repair. Over the years I've worked out of 3 different full size pickups and 2 E-150 vans, when I started my own business I didn't want to go in debt so I used an extra car we had, a 2000 Subaru Outback. While obviously not ideal it actually worked quite well and it was great for getting around in the snow this winter, especially in customer's driveways that are often steep and not cleared. Anyway I knew the Subaru was only a temporary vehicle for my business, and once I had saved up enough I started looking for a vehicle. I first started looking for a full size van as that is what I was used to working out of but I worry that gas prices are going to continue to rise and a rear wheel drive van is awful for getting around in snow, so that got me thinking about a Transit Connect. After about a month of looking I found a 2015 XLT with the longer wheelbase, it has 112,000 miles on it, and also has shelves in the back, driver side shelf is short enough to allow access from the side door, the passenger side is full length, and it also has a cargo wall. I have a few questions and if I should start individual threads I can do that as well. Don't have an owners manual, can I download one somewhere? I talked to my local Ford deal about how often the transmission should be serviced, he recommended every 60k miles. They also do a complete flush of the entire system, I plan on getting this done ASAP, but I have also read horror stories of a flush breaking loose items etc. and causing more problems than you started with. I asked about this, he said that used to be true but that isn't a worry any longer. Any thoughts? Should I look to get just a fluid change instead of a flush? Sadly I don't know any service history on the vehicle other than the oil was changed before I bought it, only know that it was owned by Hobart. Any items I should look to do right away besides the transmission fluid? After a few days of driving it I've noticed that the Cruise Control sometimes works, sometimes it doesn't. When it does work, it works perfectly, then at times you hit the on/off button and it won't respond at all. Any suggestions on that? I'd love to see pictures from other users on how they have their Transit Connect setup so I can get some ideas on how to make the best use of mine. I'd like to have a tablet mount in the cab, possibly make better use of the space in back with some more shelves or ways to best organize things. Any pictures for ideas to get the best use of the space and make it a nice environment to spend my days while working! Thanks!
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ServicePlus joined the community
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I did something similar in my 2012 TC cargo. I picked up a jumper seat from a brand new Ford F250, the seat was removed by the dealer to be replaced with commercial vehicle equipment. The seat had a built it lap and shoulder belt and it folded flat into a cup holder/table like all truck front jumper seats. After months of head scratching I too settled on superstrut and all of their attachment hardware to securely attach the seat to the van floor and yet have it easily repositioned, turned around, or removed when need. Just four bolts loosened and the seat can to moved or removed easily.
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Yes it does help. There is nothing like the thick rubber backing of the carpet laying directly on the floor and lower sidewalls to cover any pin holes to the outside and items inside the van that would rattle/vibrate against the bare metal.
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Great idea Bill! Did it help with the noise?
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Fantastic TC conversion. I have seen your TC on the web better than fifty times and while researching for a design for my 2012 I kept coming back to look closer at what you did. I am still looking and learning. So far I have learned to: 1. Leave the headliner alone. It was designed by professionals for the van. Though it is not fancy it works; I doubt I could design and fabricate something that will look better. 2. Leave as much open floor space as possible - make everything fold up out of the way. You may end up with more floor space than the big vans with all of the cabinets, bathrooms, kitchens and permanent bed platforms eating up every square foot of foot room. 3. Use sheet goods for your cabinetry - they cost $ but use less hardware to become sturdy and rattle free. 4. Repurpose metal framing for the bed frame - I bought some used metal foam mattress foundation frames. 5. Let your upholstery be your insulation and keep it removable so that it can be cleaned and eventually renewed with fresh fabric. Wayfarer vans has a kit that takes this concept to the limit. I'm sure I'm just scratching the surface of the obvious. These things have been gleaned from pictures of your design. Would you please share with us your wisdom gained from designing and building your van. What to avoid, how to thing about using space and creating storage areas.... Thank you so much for posting the pics and especially the build process. You've taken a different approach from the everything-big-and-built-in crowd. You have a very versatile yet comfortable van with room to move around in bad weather.
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I just went to the overstock store - Ollies Discount - and bought sixteen commercial two-by-two rubber backed carpet squares. They fit perfectly on the 4ft by 6ft floor of the TC with no cutting and I can just flip them from carpet to rubber when I want to carry something messy. I left the vinyl liner that came in the van in place. If one square get too soiled or even ruined by oil, liquids etc. I just throw it away and replace it; that's why I bought so many of them. They also provide great insulation for the floor in the winter time..
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Chris King changed their profile photo
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Swing out hitch carriers and tongue weight ?
zalienz replied to Sudsy's topic in Cargo, Hauling, Towing & Upfit Packages
I forgot to mention probably the most important aspect -braking. Say some hotshot pulls in front of you and hits the brakes, forcing you to brake hard and/or swerve to avoid them, is often the result of a jack-knifed trailer, especially a trailer without trailer brakes which most of the small trailers do not have. The more weight you are towing, the worse this scenario is. -
Swing out hitch carriers and tongue weight ?
zalienz replied to Sudsy's topic in Cargo, Hauling, Towing & Upfit Packages
Don's correct, none of us really know. There is much more to this calculation than just the weight on the tongue. Vehicle engineers decided to use a Class 1 hitch on this vehicle, 2000 tow and 200 tongue weights so the vehicle can safely drive in a wide variety of conditions, including the total vehicle weight and cargo, passengers and so on. It will affect the handling of the vehicle, especially if it's overloaded. Speaking of hitches and tongue weights, they are designed to handle much more than their rating. Imagine driving over a bump, the tongue gets light going up and much heavier coming back down. Hitches are designed to support that. The resulting weight can be 2 times more than the actual 200 pounds, depending on the conditions, which again are widely varied. The Curt hitch is Class 3, but putting 500 pounds on the tongue behind the rear wheels will definitely make the front end light especially if you add cargo in the back. Do what you like, but be careful. -
Carol Closterman Clark changed their profile photo
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Read many posts regarding non OEM tires for my 2012 TC. Bought my TC with Cooper tires on back and Continentals on the front. Good tires for a truck/van right? So I thought. While shopping to replace the original mud/snows I ended up at Sam"s Club two miles from my house. The prices for most brands were within 10 dollars per tire. I spotted a set of Pirelli P4 Plus in stock. Consumer Reports rates these tires at 90,000 plus miles. I thought "well this is not a sports car so why would I buy Pirellis for a cargo/camper van?" My answer - they're the same price at this shop as all the other tire brands and they are rated well for poor weather. I bought the Pirellis......you can not even image how much the handling has improved. As for durability my experience so far is that they wear like iron and ride like silk.The van used to handle like a buck board wagon. Now, less road thump, much less noise, great traction dry, wet, or ice/snow. When I point the van in a certain direction it actually goes there, takes some getting used. Just place one hand on the steering wheel and point - awesome. Buy performance tires and get performance....image that.
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Swing out hitch carriers and tongue weight ?
G B L replied to Sudsy's topic in Cargo, Hauling, Towing & Upfit Packages
Ford says the TC is rated to tow 2000 Lbs. The standard tongue weight for a 2000 Lb trailer is 10% as a result they say 200 Lbs on the tongue. I am sure that there lawyers tell them to stay quiet on cargo carriers and bike racks. -
Bill Jackson joined the community
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The inner grease shield on the bearing is plastic so it lets the tone ring work. I the bearing is reversed the steel Grease shield would block the signal.
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Swing out hitch carriers and tongue weight ?
Don Ridley replied to Sudsy's topic in Cargo, Hauling, Towing & Upfit Packages
The truth is none of us really know. There was a previous discussion on this with different opinions. Your aftermarket hitch can handle the extra weight. At some point the vehicle handling will be affected. -
Swing out hitch carriers and tongue weight ?
Sudsy replied to Sudsy's topic in Cargo, Hauling, Towing & Upfit Packages
I left off a very important piece of information - it is NOT a factory hitch I'll be adding an aftermarket Curt class III hitch The rating on the Curt tongue is 525 lbs So now looking at it I realize I did not ask the question correctly Is the tongue weight still 200 lbs even though I have a 525 lb class III hitch attached - in other words, is it based on the suspension capabilities ? Still not sure how the math works for the swing out arm -
Swing out hitch carriers and tongue weight ?
davidparker replied to Sudsy's topic in Cargo, Hauling, Towing & Upfit Packages
It's not the suspension. I suspect its the hitch itself. The factory hitch has the receiver welded to a plate that fits behind the bumper cover. (If you crawl under the bumper with a flashlight, you can see it) As a result, I suspect that the receiver can only support 200 pounds without bending the plate or breaking the weld. Kurt sells an aftermarket hitch for the TC with a 500 pound tongue weight limit that mounts below the bumper and is much stronger. However, you would have to remove your factory hitch which is a pain. There's a lot of pics and info on hitches in this forum if you look around. You may want to consider a small luggage trailer instead of a hitch carrier. Then you could go a big or small as you need.
