Timbo

I'm glad my Google search took me to this topic tonight. Lately I've been having the same problem with my 2010 not coming out of park. In my case, it's intermittent, so I guess the brake light switch is getting flaky, and not (yet) completely shot. It certainly does seem like the switch that's the culprit, as when the issue arrises, the brake lights don't come on. I was also glad to find out about the bypass button on the shifter console. That will be a huge help in the meantime.

I bought the Mazda pan with built-in drain plug, but I'm unsure what kind of ATF the shop used the last time they flushed my transmission. It could have been the factory fluid, but who knows. Now I'm thinking maybe I'll let them do another flush and ask them what they used so I can top it off with the correct fluid when I do the pan swap. I doubt they used full synthetic, but if they did, it wouldn't do for me to top off with the wrong stuff.

Well this is a big relief to hear! Thanks for the info! ? My neighbor's converter was just taken off his Honda van, right out front in the street, so it's starting to hit close to home. I was wondering if I should get some sort of guard, but it looks like I can skip it.

I went to a local locksmith and got two keys for half the price the dealer wanted for just one. I got the stock, Tibbe key with fob, and a chipped, valet key to have as an emergency spare, or when I don't want a bulky key in my pocket. I actually like the valet key more than the stock, fobbed key. Having a remote is nice, I guess, but the valet key is much smaller.

$500?!?! OMG!!! My local Ford "stealer" just quoted me $475 + tax to replace and program the new fob! I read that without having both fobs, I wouldn't be able to program it myself and would have to go to the dealer. Crap!

I assume I can go to the nearest Ford dealer to have the keys replaced, but is that the best way to go? I want to do it in the easiest, most hassle-free way I can... A way that ensures no chance things won't work out. Dealer, right? Is it expensive? Is that a dumb question? ?

Back in 2014, I built a bed and folding table for my 2010 TC, but it took me 7 years to get around to making the space more useable. Having to unbolt the bed legs (24 large wood screws in the floor) every time I needed cargo room, got old really fast. It was the irregular shape of the walls and the double doors that had me thinking I couldn't mount the hinges to the wall. And I was right. Then it hit me. "Put the hinge on the bed!" Duh! A simple chain and hook holds the bed up, securing it to the wall. Now I can easily lift the bed out of the way when I want to haul something, like my bike or sailing gear. This is what it looked like in 2014. This is what it looks like now. I hinged the upper legs so they don't stick out into the cargo area, and I placed rare-earth magnets, under adhesive Velcro pads, to hold the legs against the bottom of the raised bed. That way they don't knock on the wood as I drive down the road. I made a little cut-out in the leaf so the leg on the left wouldn't interfere with folding the leaf against the underside of the bed. The folding leaf is at the head of the bed, so a pillow goes there (when I even both to use the leaf), eliminating any chance that I'll feel the slot in the wood. I don't know what took me so long.

Cool, thanks. I'm about the change the transmission fluid in my XLT by draining 3 quarts at a time, via the drain valve in the Mazda pan I'm installing, but wasn't sure it would be OK to mix different kinds of ATF while I did. I won't be mixing synthetic and non-synthetic, but I'm unclear if there are incompatible differences between different kinds/brands of fluid, even if they were both non-synthetic.

I’ve decided to pull the trigger on the Mazda oil pan, with drain plug, for the transmission, along with a gasket and filter set, but I want to make sure I’m getting the right ATF. Is this the stuff they use from the factory? The 5 quart bottle is $29 on Amazon. My local parts store wants $9 a quart. ?

I've been running a 75 Amp/Hr. NorthStar AGM under the hood of my XLT for the last 5 years, and I love it! I've got a 200 Watt solar panel on the roof, as well as a 1000W inverter mounted in the rear, on the fender. It's a great system for day-to-day stuff, like charging my cordless power tools, watching TV, running a fan/trouble light, etc. I've used it a couple times to power my plastic welder and soldering iron, too. The solar panel makes sure the battery is always charged to 100%, and allows me to run things all day while the sun is up, without losing a single Volt. I can also run thing all night and know that the panel will start recharging the battery in the morning so I don't have to run the engine at all. That comes in very handy when doing multi-day camping or road trips.

Now that's the kind of answer I'm looking for! Thanks for that! It does appear to be the same part, and since I was going to buy a new pan to have welded anyway, I might as well just buy one that comes with the plug already installed. Many thanks!

Opps. Forgot that "little" detail. 2010 XLT.

2010 XLT Cargo. I did a few searches, including Google, but couldn't find a thread specifically about installing a drain plug on the TC pan. I could only find a few posts mentioned having done it or planning to do it in the future. I get that it's not rocket surgery, but it would be nice to see *exactly* where to drill the hole. It would also be helpful to find out what drain/plug people recommend. (Screw-in or weld on drain?) From the pictures I have been able to find, it looks like the drain is positioned under the transmission filter. Anyway. If anyone knows of a thread that was created that covers this topic in detail, I'd love to see the link. Thanks!

I found the source of the noise. It was a missing/broken tooth on the larger gear. Yay! I saved $400! ?

You're not kidding! The Ford dealer near me, wants $577 for it! The cheapest I found was online for about $320+ shipping from the east coast. AutoZone has them for $365. So are you saying the internal gears are available? I've seen the gears for the front actuators on eBay, but I don't know if they're the same. The link dktool provided (and thanks for that, btw), seems to be in regards to the actuator not locking the door. Mine works just fine, the left side just makes a lot of noise when I unlock it.

Did you ever find one?

Thanks for the helpful replies! I'm finally getting sick enough of the intermittent buzzing sound coming from my driver's side, sliding door, to actually do something about it. Mine locks and unlocks just fine, it just makes a lot of noise when doing it. I've already replaced both front door lock actuators, so these should be a piece of cake.

My 2010 XLT has been making the buzzing noise, off and on, for months. It's finally getting bad enough that I want to do something about it. The lock still works, but it's embarrassing to have your van "fart" every time you unlock the doors. It looks like replacement of the entire actuator is about $325, though I've found a few aftermarket units for a bit less. I see the gears are available on eBay, though the ones posted above this post appear to be for the front doors. I'll have to do some digging to see if the rear, sliding doors have replaceable gears in them.

OK, so "farts" isn't the right word, but it makes a loud, rattling noise every time I unlock it. Kind of like a machine-gun. A very rapidly repeating sound. It doesn't do it when I lock the door, just when I unlock it. It sounds like a bad servo or something, but I'm honestly not sure exactly what's in there. I've already replaced both front door lock/latches because they kept unlocking themselves, and that required dealing with the window and tracks. The rear door should be a piece of cake, as I don't think there's a lot of parts to get in the way. Anyone?

It took years, but I think I finally figured it out. After having my brakes serviced by a local Ford dealer, they started making a strange scraping noise that suggested an out-of-round drum. "Scrape-Scrape-Scrape-Scrape-Scrape". Pulling up on the parking brake, while applying the service brakes, seems to help, but it's no permanent fix. It drove me crazy for a long time, trying to figure out what it was and how to fix it. Then I finally broke down and just replaced everything (Drums, shoes and self-adjusters), but a few days later, it was back. Aaaaaaaaargh! Later I stumbled on an article that explained what it was and how to fix it..... Now I can't find the article! ? Basically it said that the shoes have to be seated in the drums when replaced to stop this from happening. I don't remember the details, but it was something to the effect of "pull parking brake up 8 clicks (+/-?), then drive backward at 5mph for 800 feet, then forward at 5mph for the same distance. Then everything should be fine. I don't have a torque wrench to adjust the parking brake with, so I haven't done it yet. Has anyone tried it? I swear to God... My next van is going to have 4 wheel disc brakes!

Wow, the keypad just sticks to the door with adhesive?? I would have thought you had to drill a couple of holes in the door to secure it. I'm not sure I like the idea that it can just be peeled off the door, or fall off, over time, if it gets wet. .

I wonder if it was Jaguar? I found an article that said only Ford and Jaguar use the "Tibbe" style key found in the TC. Having any sort of service done at a Jaguar dealer would certainly explain the high cost. Having the Ford dealer send the key to the Jaguar dealer, pay their fee then turn around and mark up the cost 100%, explains the crazy cost of going that route. I didn't realize you could install a keypad on the TC. Something else to consider, thanks.

Wow, only $10?? My local Ford dealer wants $44 for the key.

It would be nice to have a spare key I could stick in a key-safe somewhere under the van that would unlock the doors. That way I could hide my spare key / fob inside the vehicle, under the dash or in some other hidden / hard to find place. Is there a simple, flat, metal key I can get that only unlocks the doors? I'm pretty sure the ignition key has a chip in it, so a simple, flat key wouldn't be able to start the engine. It would, however, be easier to hide in a small, out-of-the-way place, like in a Hide-A-Key box, stuck to a frame-rail under the van. I'd rather not put the expensive, fob-equipped ignition key in the key-safe if at all possible.

Curious what people are using to clean their headliners in the TC... I've got some ugly, black stains, that might have a little oil in them from working on the car, but might just be dirt. Thing is, I'm reluctant to use soap and water because I fear there's something under the fabric surface of the headliner that might not react too well to getting wet. Fortunately the stains aren't terrible, so if I don't have any options it won't kill me. It would just be nice to clean it up a little. I'll see if I can get a photo or two up tomorrow. It's 4 o'clock in the morning here and I have to sleep.