windguy

@CarlaCB - See the pics below showing the plug circled in red. I think this is what r1alvin is referring to. My van has a wire going through this plug. I think it's for the factory trailer hitch harness. My van is a 2015 Cargo model and r1alvin's is a wagon model.

CarlaCB, You can download a PDF Owner's Manual from Ford using the link below http://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/Catalog/owner_information/2014-transitconnect-owner-manual-version-1_EN-US_11_2013.pdf

Thanks JRM223. Good to know. Will give this a try after I get scan tool.

Thanks Don. On page 2 of this thread I posted what Ford ETIS provided for my van. The BCM version never changed after the two dealer visits but each time the tech said they updated the BCM. I did this a few months before my three year warranty expired. Sounds like yours is still under the three year warranty unless your mileage is over the 36,000 limit, so you can try to get your BCM version updated if you're interested. The first dealer gave me a hard time about doing this update under warranty on my second visit. The first time they didn't question it, but failed in getting it done correctly. The second visit they said Ford wouldn't cover it under the warranty. The second dealer I went to had no problems in doing the work, but again failed after two visits with two different techs. As I said in the earlier post, there must be a nuance to getting this enabled. Link for Ford ETIS is below in case someone else wants to check. https://www.etis.ford.com/home/about.do

@Don R - would it fair to say that it would work for earlier Gen 2's as well, provided the BCM has been updated, per the SSM? I'm hoping that's the case for me. Numerous posters have shown that dealers seem to have trouble performing this process. Not sure if it's updating the BCM or setting the dark mode feature or both but something is hanging up the technicians. I'd venture to guess that more have failed in getting this done right than have had success. There must be a subtle step that is being missed.

@phollenback - Thanks for taking the time to put together this tutorial. You did an excellent job. You're a skilled technical writer. You've given me the confidence to see if I can make this change to my 2015 TC, provided the two dealers that had tried to do this had actually updated the BCM as they said they did. Ford ETIS did not show any BCM updates but not sure that is accurate. If they got that critical first part done right but were unable to set the dark mode correctly, I might have a chance. Worth a shot to satisfy my curiosity keeping in mind the evil of good is better.

Zeb - Your van should still be under warranty (3 years or 36,000 miles), yes? I realize you can't drive it over to the dealer to have them fix it with a dead battery, but perhaps you can consult with the dealer on how to fix it or remedy the situation under warranty work. You can ask if your new vehicle Ford tow coverage would cover the costs to transport to the dealer or if you have AAA or insurance coverage for towing. Just things to think of before you start busting into the van causing collateral damage. Good luck!

@bug512 - welcome to the forum and congrats on your new TC. Thanks for sharing pics - good looking van - I like the color. Great looking dogs too. Lots of room in the van for them. You're going to have fun with your TC. Enjoy!

Nice update, thanks. Still a great thread with some decent battery information. Glad to hear you're enjoying your TC and that fridge is working out okay.

Below is the SSM info. Guessing it applies to 2018 and 2019 vehicles as well. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TSB 12651D4 reprogram BEC module SSM 46321 test 9002 WF Dark mode SSM 46321 - 2014-2017 Transit Connect Battery Drain Due to Frequent Door Openings and Approach Light Strategy Some 2014-2017 Transit Connect vehicles may exhibit a condition that causes the battery to discharge. If normal battery drain diagnosis leads to no issues, it may be caused by the approach lights illuminating every time the body control module (BCM) receives a lock/unlock signal or opening any door. If the door remains open, the lights will remain illuminated for up to 10 minutes. If the vehicle was built on or before 11-Dec-2016, reprogram the BCM to the latest calibration using IDS release 103.05 and higher. For all vehicles, access the BCM Configuration Parameters. Select Module Programming, Programmable Parameters, Personality, Approach Light. Choose Disabled and follow the screen prompts to completion. Use causal part 14A068 and applicable labor operations in section 10 of the SLTS manual.

Great news. Good work! Looking forward to seeing your notes. As written earlier, two dealers were unable do make this change on my 2015 following the SSM after supposedly updating the BCM. Is there a way to tell the BCM version using Forscan? I realize your 2018 already has a BCM version that has dark mode option available. I'm guessing if the option to toggle dark mode is available then the BCM has been updated. Been a while since visiting this topic.

@r1alvin - where have you been stranger? Miss seeing your build and adventure videos. Sorry to hear about your water leak. Crap! I believe the clock on your warranty starts when you take delivery at the dealer, not when the vehicle was made. You should have a few extra months wiggle room but obviously you want to get this problem correctly quickly. Please keep us posted and good luck!

You are right that an OEM seat would be safer than the jump seat and the better option if you plan to use the seat with some frequency. In my situation, the seat will rarely be used and it's an afterthought with the storage compartments already in place, which I'm not willing to redesign, along with height restrictions as well. The jump seat is also compact and easy to store.

We've been over this issue a few times before on this forum. Believe what you want but I'm convinced my van was imported as a wagon model with seats and belts and converted to a cargo model. My only proof if that where the belts were mounted to the side of the van was crudely touched up with paint on both sides. The side plastic panels also have cutouts for seat belts. Below are two pics of the floor with the extra threaded inserts highlighted. Similar to what JRM223 showed above. Not sure how a second row seat is mounted so perhaps others with a wagon model make sense of the hole pattern. There may be more that I'm not showing.

@mgordon - Great post on your first excursion. It didn't take you very long to get the van setup. Good work. Sorry to hear about your van problems. Crap. Hopefully you'll get that all sorted out and it will be smooth sailing going forward. Car camping in the winter must be cold at night. You have three dogs, so I've got a potential name for your new van. How about "Three Dog Night". Maybe you're too young to remember this band from the 60's/70's but there's some folklore to the origin of the name. Below is a thread regarding towing the TC and references the tow hook as GBL posted above. If you buy one you will never need towing again. If you have a trailer hitch the rear bumper doesn't have a socket for the tow hook. Just the front bumper. https://fordtransitconnectforum.com/topic/3188-towing-the-transit-connect/?tab=comments#comment-9497

For those not familiar with the footwell area hidden in a cargo van, pic below shows the amount of space available. Plenty of legroom for this jump seat application and storage space.

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new TC. Sometime newcomers make a post in the "WELCOME" section so it's easy to find them. You're going to have a good time with your new van. Enjoy!

Thanks. There's actually plenty of leg room right now in that well area. It extends all the way forward. My wife has no problem getting her size 6 feet in but my size 12's have to be angled in, but I'll never be sitting back there. She actually likes having her legs extended on top of the deck. It's like sitting in a low beach chair with your legs on the sand. Very comfortable. The seat back can be angled back a bit so it has some adjustment. The seat bottom has some decent padding. For short trips it will work out just fine. Will report back after it's been road trip tested.

Below are my project notes for installing a jump seat to a Gen 2 cargo van. The need has come up to add a 3rd seat so my wife and I can transport a relative (MIL) about 100 miles. My first option was to strap her to the roof rack as inspired by Lampoon's Aunt Edna scene, but I didn't want to affect gas mileage with all that drag plus she's still alive. The plan is for my wife to sit in the jump seat and the MIL will be in the passenger seat until her dementia aided driving commentary puts me over the edge. Then all bets are off. Might be other occasions to need that 3rd seat but guessing not very often. I needed to find a jump seat that had a low profile since I have a hanging rack above that limits head room. The rack is removable but I don't want to bother doing that unless I have to. I found a jump seat on Amazon that's used for forklifts and it met the criteria of low profile, folding back for easier storage and comes with a seat belt. Vestil LTS-C Cloth Fork Truck Seat with Seat Belt Below is the link for the jump seat. The cost was $122 plus tax. https://www.amazon.com/Vestil-LTS-C-Cloth-Fork-Truck/dp/B0052PNSIY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1548552589&sr=8-1&keywords=vestil+lts-c There's ample leg room in the storage area I created and legs can also be extended outward in a more reclined position as an option. I think it will work out okay for short trips. Below are pics of the install that should provide enough detail. The seat was mounted to a 3/4" plywood base that's 18" x 24" using 5/16x1.5" bolts. The base is mounted in the rear to a section of superstrut that's bolted to the van floor using the existing cargo hold-down threads (M10-1.50x80). The front of the base is mounted to the existing holes for the platform (M8-1.25x80). The base is setup to be mounted on either passenger or driver side. It takes about five minutes to install the rear brace and seat so the setup if very easy. Will provide an update after we've had a chance to test it out. Below is the bottom of the jump seat showing the mounting holes available. Below is the top view of the mounting board. The strip of wood gave the seat a little rocker for more comfort. Below is mounting board bolted to the seat bottom with four bolts and fender washers. Below is a close-up of the superstrut. Ends were bolted to the existing cargo tie-down threads. Strip of black painted wood to the right is to cover the mounting bolts not in use. Fits on either side not in use.

Thanks Herb. The panels are actually painted grey to kind of match the color of the van. Not the best match but close enough. Panels are made of 1/8" masonite. Conforms nicely to the curvature and easy to work with.

Thanks for posting the pics in a different format. Very nice job on the panels and kudos for figuring out a way to make brackets to mount that.

@govandlaw - Thanks for sharing - interesting read. Curious to know how the sales are divided between cargo and wagon models. I see mostly cargo models in SoCa and most appear to be fleet type vehicles for repair services. Very popular now. Occasionally I'll see a wagon model but not very often. I wonder if Ford would consider building the TC in the US now that the Gen 2 TC is building some momentum. Sure would be cool to cut down on that long lead time for import from Spain. MBenz is building the 2019 Sprinters in South Carolina now rather than building in Europe and then disassembling for import to the US, which seems ludicrous if you think about it.

Thanks for sharing your tire experience. Very good to know. The OEM Conti's aren't holding up very well for my driving conditions with only 18K miles on them. They will need to be replaced soon. I checked out those Pirelli's on Discount Tire's website (AKA America's Tire for those of us in SoCa). That's the shop I've been going to for the past 10 years or so as I like their service where other places have failed. The Cinturato looks like a decent tire and priced about the same as the OEM Conti's so I'm willing to give it a try. Please update us when you've had more experience with them.

Congrats on your new to you TC. Looking forward to seeing the pics.

@johnBowerbank - Thanks for sharing your project. I added rear panels to my Gen 2. It's a lot of work but worth the effort. See pic below. I'd like to see your pics but can't open the *.heic format. Sorry, I don't live in an iOS world Any chance you can post a *.jpg format instead? Thanks!