windguy

@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.

glad you got that fixed regarding what your sales rep said, that's a bunch of manure. per my post in the "leak" thread, my '15 had the leak problem and is addressed under the SSM from Ford.

shifts hard on downshifts like you describe, a little clunky and not as smooth as you expect from a new vehicle. I'll pay more attention to when it happens exactly. I do a lot of canyon driving to the beach so I shift from D to S on the downhill portions.. I'm still trying to figure out when it downshifts to add that extra braking as a lower gear. I haven't read the manual on how that's supposed to work. My last wagon had L1 and L2. I'd use the L1 for all the downhill portion and then L2 for steep drops where I didn't want to burn up my brakes. The TC doesn't have that but seems to do a good job. It holds the van in a lower gear longer than I'd like it to at times. I haven't touched the paddle shifter yet as I haven't read about that either. I really need to go through the manual and figure out the features of the van. one of these days. I like the cruise control very much. being able to set the speed to a specific MPH setting is slick. very accessible controls too. I like the braking feature to hold it at the set speed. I didn't know about that until you posted about it a few months back. could save you from a ticket on a down hill run where another car can drift higher than the set point.

thanks for posting. nice job!

thanks GBL. hope the van last but it seems the transmission is the achilles heel of this vehicle. it shifts pretty hard at times, mostly on downshifts.

second that. glad you're getting it fixed. long wait though considering you're in a major city. if you couldn't drive your TC because of a cracked windshield, that would be a bummer. side question - how did end up at Sunrise to get your van? Sunrise in NH or Fontana? I got my van at Sunrise NH but only because they were the closest dealer in the Costco auto buying program. there are other dealers closer to where I live and I'm using a local one for my service.

Work was completed today on my Gen 2 TC (2015) for the left front drive shaft seal leak. Attached is the invoice for the warranty repair. Part numbers as requested by poster GBL. The service advisor said the leak was minor, small drip. Same as reported at 1,000 miles on the first oil change. I now have 2,800 miles after 7 months of use. Interesting that they used an oil dye and black light to verify the leak before doing the repair and then again afterwards. Turns out there wasn't a TSB on this work. It was an SSM or Special Service Message #44938 as shown on the invoice. In case you're wondering the difference between a TSB and a SSM and also an FSA, as I was, I found the link below and explanation, cut and pasted. http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/2096-tsb-vs-fsa-whats-the-difference/ TSB - Technical Service Bulletin, a communication from Ford that addresses a known problem. The TSB describes the service procedure that needs to be done. The owner might have to prove to the dealer that the problem exists before Ford will pay for the parts & labor. TSB's are identifed by a title similar to "TSB 13-5-20" that indicates that it is the 20th TSB issued in May of 2013. FSA - Field Service Action. The owner should get a letter from Ford to bring the vehicle in for the service procedure. Ford automatically pays for the parts & labor without the owner needing to prove the problem exists. An FSA can also include safety-related recalls required by the NHTSA or initiated by Ford. There are likely other subtle differences only known to the dealer and Ford. SSM - Special Service Message. This is information from Ford acknowledging a possible problem, but the solution has not been determined or the problem may be due to unusual circumstances. Sometimes the SSM is followed by a TSB or FSA that resolves the issue. I'm hoping this fix does the trick and I no longer have any leaks. I plan to have the next oil change done at 5,000 (probably another 5 months) and we'll see how it looks. Fingers crossed.

When the service advisor told me there is a TSB covering this leaking drive shaft seal issue, that doesn't necessarily mean there actually is an official TSB out there. As I said, I'd but curious to see that TSB the service advisor is referring to. You would think Ford would have some type of bulletin covering this issue considering the number of warranty repairs related to this that have been done so far (just a guess). Maybe since it's not a safety issue it's handled differently.