windguy

I actually think the idle is pretty quiet in my van - 2.5L standard engine - cargo version. when you first turn it on, it's a little tinny sounding (I think that might be the cat converter) but once warmed up and with the windows closed, it's hard to hear the engine, almost like a hybrid.

congrats on your new van. your signature says SWB but you mentioned LWB. How about a pic of your new wheels? regarding the hook thing, I was wondering the same thing but never got around to asking about it. thanks for bringing it up. regarding that secondary mirror, I think that's only on the wagon models. The cargo vans don't have that option.

great tool to have and inexpensive. thanks for sharing.

great job on the van. even more jealous of the 50mpg. that's double what I'm getting.

same with mine - Gen 2 2015 built in October 2014 I thought it was strange to see that as well. how do you like the weathertech mats? I got the optional all weather mats with the van but it doesn't contain too much. fits nicely though.

long story short the recirculation control doesn't work if you have the ducting set to defrost. I'm sure this is explained in the manual but I'm still saving that exercise for a rainy day, hopefully soon. I had left the ducting on defrost the previous trip and not realizing this, I couldn't get the recirculation switch to come on. Was convinced it had broken until my return trip home I noticed the ducting was left on defrost and moved it to the regular position I use and the light came on, both on the recirc switch and my feeble brain. I'd prefer to have the recirc option for defrost.

The OP, LikeToTurnLeft, wants to lower his van. I'd like the option to be able to raise mine when needed. I'm guessing you're in the same camp, wanting to add some lift, right?

there's an ongoing thread regarding roof racks for the Gen 2 TC's. there has been some discussion regarding the front mounting points and the location of the side air bags. http://fordtransitconnectforum.com/topic/2406-roof-attachment-points-on-2014-transit-connect/page-4#entry11578

@GBL - excellent posts regarding the heater ducting. Ford needs to put you on their payroll. I never realized you had a wagon. Just assumed it was a cargo van. So you removed the lower console cover to expose the heater elements. Curious, was that hard to do? Any guess as to why this transition duct was missing from your van and would that be a global problem for others, like this part was off the build list and no one realized it was missing? I have the cargo van and there is no ducting under the seats. I checked after reading your first post. In fact there is a small gap between the front console and the one between the seats. Not sure if your console is the same or if the ducting goes below that somehow. To test if hot air is leaking in the console area, should I check where the plastic meets the carpet on both driver and passenger sides? It would make sense that something like this is happening rather than just having a closed heat exchanger putting out the heat but by touching the console the temp seems to be way hotter than any air that would be coming out of a vent duct so I'm not so sure why the excessive heat.

I thought Vermont and NH joined as one state a few years back I was in NH last April visiting family and it snowed 4", which stuck around all day too. crazy winter. I guess I don't mind the console getting that hot as long as there's some type of thermal blanket protecting the parts above it, like the radio. somehow I kind of doubt something like that is in place. Still think it's a bit of a liability having it be that hot in the cabin area.

there is already a three page thread that discusses roof rack options for Gen 2 TC's (2014 and newer) so check that out for starters. http://fordtransitconnectforum.com/topic/2406-roof-attachment-points-on-2014-transit-connect/ I agree with what bikinchris said. The OEM rails and cross bars have a max load limit, which is probably light duty. I'm sure the aftermarket rack solutions are much better, but they would know the max load rating for their products. I've seen in parking lots like Home Depot Gen 2 TC's with some beefy looking ladder racks on tradesman vans. keep us posted on what you find out.

that makes sense but mine is more than warm. I'd call it pretty hot, too hot to leave your hand on it for too long, unless you live in some crazy cold place like Vermont

I checked the measurements of my installed keypad and came up with the approximate numbers below: width - 4" height - 1 3/8" depth - 1/2" I looked at the location you describe. I think that would work size wise. As long as the surface is rigid, not too much bounce when you press on it, you'll be okay. Where I mounted it on the back door has a little bounce, but not too bad. I love having the keypad access. It took me a little while to get used to entering the code with the right touch to get it to recognize, and open. Once you have that learned, it opens almost always on the first try. It wasn't that way in the beginning. Very inexpensive upgrade.

sounds like the perfect van for your business. I'm sure Ford would love to use your pimped van as a marketing tool. Perhaps you can contact them regarding that. those colors are very cool. can't wait to see pics of the conversion. the fact that you're going to be driving the van all day, ride comfort and driveability would be paramount to me, so keep that in mind in any mods you do. If you have to slow down to a crawl every time you cross a low point in the road to avoid ripping off your air dam then that would be a big hassle. please keep us posted on your progress special request - a time lapse video of the van being wrapped would be awesome

@mrgone obviously the Town Car is a whole different ride compared to the TC. There's a reason they use it for limos. The Element is pretty similar in terms of function. never rode or drive one though. cool that you got your warranty extended, but would be nice to get those irritating problems fixed. In the transmission leaking thread, I mentioned about the 3 levels of service alerts that Ford uses. I'd be curious if there was an SSM for this rear heater problem, which would imply that there is some type of remedy. I wouldn't wait for Ford to contact you on these problem issues. Time to take it up a notch and press them harder. You have nothing to lose in being persistent given the nature of the problems. It's going to get cold soon and that 90 year old mother needs some heat. If I had a wagon model I'd join forces with you. Did you try checking the ducting like GBL suggested? understand about your Forum comment. please keep us posted and start barking louder! woof woof woof

thanks for posting the fact that the video is over 27min long tells you something, doesn't?

@mrgone, Sorry to hear about all your TC problems. sounds like a bad ride. how far up the ladder at Ford have you gone in working these issues? curious, what vehicle did you drive before you got the TC and why did you change it? Don't think anyone will deny you've had more than your share of problems so far, but I have to disagree with your forum comment "If they had, this forum would not be taking place." The forum isn't just for discussing problems with the TC. It's for sharing everything about the TC, good, bad and ugly. And if bad, ways to overcome them. A guy just jumped on the forum today to talk about making mods to his new 2015 TC. That's pretty neat. And the recent interchange between posters Escobar and our resident tech genus GBL was a beautiful thing. It's all good. best of luck to you in your quest for a more suitable vehicle.

congrats on your new TC. Is it a cargo or wagon model? What do you use the TC for? I'm okay with whatever you decide to do with your TC but please don't call it a toaster. One piece of burnt toast is all this forum can handle. Funny in that I'd like to have the ability to raise the TC, not lower it more, but only as a temporary adjustment. I'd like to do this for possible light off road use. I would think that Ford kept the ground clearance to a minimum in order to improve fuel economy. If you add a bunch of passengers to a wagon version or lots of cargo to the cargo model then the van is naturally going to sag lower. I wouldn't want to change that dynamic beyond the specs in fear of safety and handling issues. That would shift a huge liability burden to the person making the mods. But, that's just me talking. Keep us posted on what you customize and please include lots of pics. Best of luck!

I had added the Forward and Reverse Sensing Systems option when I ordered my 2015 van. I also added the backup camera. For the sensing system, the MSRP is $495 and the dealer invoice price is $425, which is what I paid. Since I parallel park off a busy highway quite often, this was an important requirement for me to have. I often have to shoe-horn the van into a tight spot and I couldn't do that confidently without the sensors. I don't rely on the backup camera as much for doing this. The camera is good for backing up in general, but I also have side and rear windows to help with visibility. The sensor alerts have a different tone for front versus rear. The parking aid also has a great display on the LCD for the rear sensor showing the projected path, space zone and color codes the proximity and region (green, yellow, red). If I park just after the sensor goes from green to yellow then I know I will have enough room to open the rear barn doors to get my gear out. When the sensors start chiming, the radio will semi-mute to a very low level, which is a great feature. Then return to normal volume afterwards. There are times when the sensors are a bit of an alarming pain. When pulling in/out of the garage the side sensors detect the door post and alert. Also, sometimes while waiting at a light if someone gets close to the bumpers they will alert, which can startle you a little. I haven't fully figured that part out since it happens rarely. I would highly recommend adding this feature to anyone's van as one fender bender, or worse, could easily justify the cost of the system.

maybe due to the requirement to get better fuel economy. that would be my preference over added power and probably the same for the majority of users, who would be tradesman. I keep my van full but not with heavy stuff and only one passenger. I think if you are doing heavy loads consistently then a full size Transit would be a better fit. But since the TC is available as a 7 seater, if you had all adults you'd be hauling some weight around.

good catch. I'm too lazy to check mine

great write-up. thanks for sharing

sounds interesting. please post a pic when you can to post pics, first create your own Gallery and the attach them to your post using MY MEDIA above. to create your own Gallery, in the upper right corner of the forum page is your user name - click on that and select MY GALLERY. the rest is easy.

good new so far. keep us updated after your next oil change. good luck with your dealer issues.

I've tried Home Depot, a local hardware store, a locksmith and the local Ford dealer. It's a specialized key that requires a special laser cutter, not easily found.