windguy

@daneli - there is a second thread discussing Gen 2 TC transmission problems. http://fordtransitconnectforum.com/topic/2972-2014-transit-connect-lt-lwb-transmission-shifting-issue-any-one/ Search for a post by jimmyboost on page one that mentions resurfacing the drive shaft. I would agree that this may be part of the problem. That's why replacing it with another drive shaft that has the same surface texture might not necessarily solve the problem, so poster GBL's approach of monitoring the fluid level and waiting for a TSB is a good game plan. Otherwise you may introduce more problems greater than the original problem.

@stevemalone189 - most of the TC's at my local dealer (not where I got my van) are cargo versions. In fact, the local dealer has about 6 of them and only one wagon. maybe 6-8 full size Transits too. And guess what color they all are? yes, white. I stopped by on Saturday just to see what options were on them and the saleswoman, despite me telling her I don't need any help, was hovering like a dog sensing food, shadowing my every move. Someone needs to give me a better line to get them to leave me alone. if you need more detailed info on the dimensions and/or pictures, then let me know. I do have a pic in my gallery of the rear cargo opening. what color did you get and what options? regarding delivery - my van left the plant shortly after it was built but it's a slow boat to Maryland and then customs and processing (which can take a while from other posters' experiences) followed by a train ride to your regional dispatch and then a truck ride to the dealer. I didn't get any status once it was on the ship until it got to the local dispatch, then it was a few days to the dealer. I would expect a solid two months for delivery unless things are faster now than what I experienced.

thanks

welcome to the Forum Steve. congrats on your van order. it's a long wait. below is my schedule from start to end in case that helps. you'll still need another helping of patience before you get delivery on that van. 07/11/14 - van on order 09/02/14 - 2015 production started 10/02/14 - order selected for production at end of October. 10/17/14 - got VIN from the dealer 10/30/14 - van produced 01/10/15 - delivery at the dealer in CA regarding the door opening height, I measured mine and got 43" at the sides, 45 at the max height but the middle area has a drop down bracket for the door locks that's about 10 inches wide so the clearance drops to about 43.75. Hope that helps.

thanks. will keep the forum posted if they test the van. link to the company website if anyone is interested http://www.automotivetesting.com/locations.html

good catch - you are probably right about his being a Canada delivery vs US. My platform was probably added by the processing center in Maryland after the seats and belts were removed. I think you're right about it looking just like the wagon version with the platform out. That's more encouraging for me to take this project on in the future. I'd like to have a bit more storage area right behind the seats for small items and then have larger storage areas for things like jumper cables and maybe an inverter. thanks for the input!

nice detailed post. looks good. thanks for sharing. what's next?

sorry to hear that. thanks for the update. Yeah, it would be nice to know why the mechanic thinks the cv axle needs replacing and also how much the seal is leaking. please keep us posted. thanks

Hey Guys, I got a letter from Ford asking me to participate in an Automotive Testing Development Services (ATDS) engineering eval of my 2015 van. It's an emissions test done by a 3rd party service. I called ATDS to find out what's involved. With an appointment, they come to your home or office, connect a laptop to your OBD port and gather some data. Supposed to take only 10 minutes and they give you a $100 cash incentive to participate. Anyone else get this letter and/or has participated? Sounds legit but curious how it went with others before I commit. thanks

thanks Mustang. so much for that model year theory. I'll need to dream up a new one now I've got a great idea. You're a handy guy with some time on his hands, how about you being the first TC owner to take out that platform and create a nice storage solution. Yes? @EvilRobot - hopefully you're still checking in with the forum. Curious, does your cargo van have windows in the back and/or windows on the sliding doors? thanks

@15Dan15 - nice looking floor mats. good testimonial. thanks for sharing. When I ordered my van I added in the optional all weather floor mats at a cost of $52 ($60 list). They are identical in size to the standard carpet mats that come with the van. I would agree that coverage is pretty minimal and could be better. that was my first impression. Second, not sure how long the retention nobs will last if I keep taking the mat out to clean, but they are easy to hose off compared to a carpeted mat, which my last wagon had. checked out the weathertech website to see what the cost is. below is a link to the site. http://www.weathertech.com/ford/2015/transit-connect/floorliner-digitalfit/wheelbase/long-wheelbase/bodystyle/cargo-van/ $110 for the front pair plus $18 for shipping coming out of Illinois. Yeah, that's a bit pricey but it looks like a decent product that will earn it's keep thanks again!

@15Dan15 - thanks for the input. I checked out EvilRobot's pics again and just noticed that his platform is different than mine. I have torque bits in mine and he doesn't. His appears to be welded and he did mention he thought the platform was welded to the frame. Mine is a 2015 Van and his is a 2014 Van, so not sure if this is a model year change. See the attached pic for a comparison. The mystery continues

@15Dan15 - thanks for posting your "seat removed" pic on this thread. it's very helpful to me to see that compared to what the cargo van has going on. the difference between my van and EvilRobot is that I have the same dark carpet extending from the front seat area to the rear. It ends after it steps up to the cargo floor height and then a few inches back then it's all just painted metal. So now I'm wondering how Ford attached the deck to the floor since there is carpet there. Seems like there wouldn't be any welding going on. Maybe they use the same holes that the seats are attached to as anchor points. I hope to make this a next fall/winter project when I have some time. Now that EvilRobot gave us the tip that you can access this area by removing the side door step molding without having to remove the rear side panels, I'm more encouraged to dig into this project.

@15Dan15 - thanks for sharing pics of your van and seating changes. I really like seeing that. your van looks very nice. I like the options you have. seeing all that extra storage space reinforces my idea discussed in the "cargo mat" thread about creating a storage area. looking forward to seeing a pic of the dogs in their van. yes, it's their van and you are their driver

great pics - can see them just fine. thanks for sharing. not sure this would help you but I put a 1/2" sheet of plywood (primed and painted) inside the floor of my cargo van. I couldn't stand the spongy floor mat that came with the van. Covering the plywood with a low cost gray utility carpet from Home Depot that's sold by the foot in a 6ft width. gives the van a nice finished looked.

There doesn't appear to be too many changes for the 2016 model year so pretty much the same as 2014 and 2015. See the first page for "New for 2016 MY" I like this addition as a safety feature "Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) with Cross-traffic Alert is now available for XLT Wagon and Titanium Wagon". Too bad it's not offered on the cargo version too. 2016 Transit Connect Order Guide.pdf

@cageb8 - the Frostking material looks like a good option. whatever works. anything added will help. keep us posted on that project. regarding uploading pics, creating your own gallery (MY GALLERY) is really easy and doesn't have the same size limitations as uploading an attachment. once a pic is in your gallery, you can attach it to your post by using the MY MEDIA option in the toolbar when you create a post. let us know if you have questions in setting that up.

brought the van in this morning to have it looked at by the dealer's transmission guy. They said the leak is very minor so we are going to take the strategy of watching this and not doing anything until Ford comes out with a Technical Bulletin on this issue. They would have replaced the seal if I wanted but based on everyone's experience so far I don't see any benefit to doing this at this point. I don't put a lot of mileage on the van so I'm hoping there will be a fix for this before it becomes a bigger problem.

is the glass clear like the front windows or does it have some tint to it? on my van, the added windows on the sliders and rear barn doors have a decent tint to them but you can certainly see inside if the lighting is just right or you get close enough. I'm assuming that's what privacy glass is like.

@CAGEB8 - welcome to the forum. nice first post. looking forward to reading about your van customizations. just so happens I was looking at insulation materials while at Home Depot this past weekend. I was looking at the R-Tech 4x8 sheet insulation with foil on both sides. I like that it's moisture resistant and has some flexibility to it. comes in different thicknesses and is inexpensive. R value isn't too high though. I think another poster used this material for his work van. Could have been KeyWestLes. Applied with a spray adhesive. Dynamat Dynaliner looks like a really nice option but it's very expensive.

@GBL - good input. thanks. in the other transmission thread, someone reported this issue back at the end of November, so this has been going on for at least five months, if not longer. You would think that Ford would have a fix for this by now. hopefully soon

crap, my axle is leaking trans fluid too :( brought the van in for its first oil change on Friday after roughly 1,100 miles (over four months). yeah, I don't drive too much. per other posters' suggestions, figured it would be a good idea to do an early first oil change and get that axle checked for leaks. I have an appointment in a week to have the local dealer's transmission person replace the seal. Service advisor said she only saw one other case of this fluid leaking. I would have thought they'd seen more by now. I knew going in this might be a problem but I was hoping the 2015 model would have fixed that problem known on the 2014's. Now I'm hoping that replacing the seal will solve the problem and I'll be done with it. Perhaps I'm sticking my head in the sand a second time. I plan to have the axle checked after another 1,000 or so miles to make sure it's not leaking again.

There was a side discussion in the thread linked below regarding tow hooks, on pages 2&3. http://fordtransitconnectforum.com/topic/3450-lost-in-transit-a-toaster-van-build/page-2 As GBL stated above and also in the above mentioned thread, the Gen 2 TC doesn't come with a tow hook. Part No: 6M2Z-17A954-A - List Price $31.81 As silly as it seems, you need to buy one from Ford as a spare part. There is a convenient tow hook holder located next to the jack in the rear left compartment. I picked one up yesterday and took some pics as shown below. Since my TC has a factory installed hitch, the rear bumper doesn't have a tow hook receptacle. There is a bumper cover port for it but nothing behind that. I did take a look at a van yesterday on a dealer lot and can see the difference now. The regular van has a metal bumper behind the bumper cover that is bolted to the frame, four bolts on connects to the same four bolts on each side. So you get one or the other. Looks like I'm stuck leaving that hitch on permanently even though it's a shin grabber.