windguy

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.

I'd but curious to see that TSB the service advisor is referring to. If the work order shows part numbers then I'll post them here. At least you have the ability to check the leak and fluid level so you can monitor the problem and time the fix when it works for you. It's great that we have this forum to discuss problems like this.

@daneli - thanks for posting about your leak issues. hope your fix works. how many miles did you have before the fix and how many do you have after? hope the grease issues resolves itself. sounds messy. I've got an update myself regarding the leak. brought the van in today to the local dealer to have them inspect the leak and check the fluid level. It was first checked at 1,000 miles when the leak was first spotted and I now have 2,600 miles. I don't drive very much. Working with a different service manager this time and he said they replaced the seals on another van this week and all went well. I asked if there was a TSB on this issue and he said there was. He suggested we fix the problem rather than keep checking so I decided to proceed with the fix. He checked with their transmission tech and the plan is to replace the left axle and seal. They will order the parts and setup an appointment, probably next week some time. Will provide updates when they happen.

sounds good. keep us posted. I got a regular sun shade that reflective material going to the outside and white on the inside. does a pretty good job in keep the sun out. there are few pics in my gallery for this. for camping, I might consider some type of curtain between the cab area and the cargo area unless you don't like that closed in feeling.

I'd send Bob a PM for a quicker reply Also try contacting VanTech directly http://vantech.us/Transit-Connect-2008-13-J-Series-Rack-System_c21.htm

if you're special ordering, then it would be a 2016 at this point. off the lot would be 2015. check out the thread, link below. Lots of discussion on roof rack options. http://fordtransitconnectforum.com/topic/2406-roof-attachment-points-on-2014-transit-connect/page-3 Poster bob248, on page 3, did a nice job in adding rails and crossbars. I'd vote for doing that. I have a friend with a pickup and shell and he did something very similar for windsurfing boards and it works out good for him.

thanks for sharing detailed pics and description. great job in designing and building that. good engineering and maximizing space. looks like it's ready to be road tested. keep us posted on your next addition. windows coverings?

congrats to both of you on your new vans. regarding the upfitter wiring harness, I can't recall the details, but remember looking into that before ordering my van last year and it was just a series of switches on the dashboard, nothing else special. didn't seem worth it to me at the time so I passed. I too am interested in adding an inverter down the road and perhaps a house battery for camping purposes. One reason I'd like to capture that space below the platform, as discussed in other treads, to put these things. I think it would be lot cleaner to have an aux battery with inverter so you keep that isolated from your main starter battery and electronics. keep us posted on what you find out.

I've got 2,500 now and I haven't had the fluid checked since the initial 1,000 mile service. I'm thinking I should bring it in now and then again at 5,000 when I get the next oil change.

do you have a Gen 1 or 2 TC? there a few threads regarding rack options that can answer your question.

nice job on the rack. thanks for providing pics. keep us updated when you get the cross bars installed

welcome to the Forum and congrats on your new van would love to see a pic of your TC. we don't get to see too many dark blue ones yeah, mileage could always be better. I'm averaging 24 even on highways so I have yet to get even close to 29. It's a big box on a car chassis so we can't expect miracles. please document your transmission issues in the thread link below so we can all share and learn from it http://fordtransitconnectforum.com/topic/3064-left-front-axle-leaking-transmission-fluid/page-3#entry10908

sorry to hear about your leak. sounds like more than a drip. How many miles do you have? there has been an active thread covering this same subject for Gen 2 TC's. http://fordtransitconnectforum.com/topic/3064-left-front-axle-leaking-transmission-fluid/page-3#entry10908

sorry I missed your post. I have a few pics in my gallery on how to remove the panels. Click on the pic below to go there. Advice on how to remove the clips came from other forum members in a previous thread. I've only done the ones on the rear barn doors so far just to explore what's behind them. It's on my list to replace or finish the stock material, which doesn't appear to be very waterproof or durable.

The full size Transits are built in the US. Same plant as the F-150 I believe. The smaller Transit Connects are built in Valencia Spain. I haven't heard otherwise. The Gen 1 TC's were built in Turkey. Gen 2 moved over to Spain. Below is a link to a thread I started on my ordering experience, so that might help http://fordtransitconnectforum.com/topic/2778-2015-van-ordering-experience/ I put down $500 as a deposit, which was refundable. My dealer didn't have any set price for that deposit. and yes, I didn't have to accept the van when it came in, even on a special order. but if you don't like the current rebates on delivery, the dealer isn't going to hold the van for you until new rebates come out. He's going to sell it to the next guy. I wish there was a way to lock in rebates at the time of ordering or even during the time span between ordering to delivery. Not aware of how to do that. The sticker price of the 2015 went up by $200 from the time I ordered until delivery and paying dealer invoice was still based off of that. Too much work involved to try to get that backed out for a small amount of money so I just went with the flow. Good Luck!

Tom - welcome to the forum you're not alone with this request. check out this thread http://fordtransitconnectforum.com/topic/3022-disable-perimeter-lights/#entry10868

the incentives from Ford are only valid when you get delivery of a special order. what's offered today is irrelevant unless you buy a van off the lot. I had that same issue when I picked up my ordered van. There was only a $500 incentive available at the time (Jan 2015). I had an extra $750 promo coupon mailed to me from Ford but it had expired on 12/31/14, so it wasn't accepted. Hard to plan this with a special order. The 2015 model year vans had a start build date of September. Then it takes a few months after that to get delivery assuming you're at the top of the list. I ordered mine in July 2014 and got delivery 6 months later. If you want to special order, get on it ASAP. Good luck! PS - there are several buying services available to help you get a good price. I used Costco's, which I'd highly recommend. There are others that are good as well.

thanks for the info. I also got an extra set of key bobs when ordering the van. low cost option. I tried to get a 'dumb' key but none of the local locksmiths can duplicate that specialized key. The local Ford dealer doesn't even have a laser cutter for the keys and they send it out so it's very expensive. (>$100) I was going to stash a FOB in a water proof pouch somewhere under the van but would prefer to have just a key. How did you get your dumb key made? thanks BTW - I added the keypad option so I can easily get into the van but I don't trust it 100%. It's more of a convenience option for me but still would like to stash a key somewhere for backup