DonShockley

Well, the parts from Latvia got to the house just ahead of my TC making it home from the shop, so Latvian/USA post wins the race. I'll do a longer post later on the install, but the short story is the parts fit and it's a simple swap with just a couple screws. Here's a few pix.

When I was in the Navy, I used an S-10 to tow a 25 ft 5th wheel from ID -> TX -> CT -> WA state -> TX. I did have to replace the manual clutch once after I got it stuck at my sisters place way up in the hills of WV.

I remember a case that was on TV decades ago that involved a driver ramming his car back and forth in a parking lot, IIRC shoplifter trying to evade store security. A bystander retrieved his weapon and fired because the driver was trying to run down the security coming after him. At trial one juror swung the rest by pointing out that although the guy was definitely trying to run people over, at the instant the shot was fired the car's backup lights were lit and the people were in front of the vehicle. The argument was that at that instant, even though the shooter had no way to know the car was in reverse, the danger did not exist even though the driver had previously backed up multiple times to make another run at his targets. That type of split second video analysis doesn't accurately reflect real self defense situations. I watched that video for the FL case and it's another fraction of a second hair splitting. By my count, it was just 4 seconds from the guy being blind sided until the shot was fired. And from the camera angle, the backward movement was barely noticable so I wouldn't be too sure that it was apparent to somebody on the ground directly in front of them. If you use a comparable example of emergency braking, "A controlled study in 2000 (IEA2000_ABS51.pdf) found average driver reaction brake time to be 2.3 seconds" then you can see how easy it would be for somebody who already believes themselves in a life threatening situation to be unable to stop shoot nerve impulse when the attacker backs off at the last second once they realize the victim has the ability to defend themselves. Regrettable but you do need to consider such human factors in any analysis. https://copradar.com/redlight/factors/index.html https://copradar.com/redlight/factors/IEA2000_ABS51.pdf

Subsidized anything doesn't lower the actual cost, it just shifts the burden of paying the costs to somebody else. Personally, I suspect subsidies actually increase overall cost since the people financing the subsidies, usually taxpaysers, aren't part of the decision making on if what you are getting is worth the cost. And the person making the purchase decision is only paying part of the burden so is willing to pay more than what it would really be worth if the buyer was paying all the cost.

About a month with no update on my order of these reflectors. Long waits are not all that unusual for some overseas orders but I usually see something within that time frame, so I sent a follow up message to the seller. Although he stated there was an error in the eBay systems ship date, I suspect they just dropped the ball on getting it out because just a few days later a tracking number finally shows on eBay. The sellers delivery estimate was "within 14 days usually", and just yesterday the tracking number started showing it within the Latvian end of the postal system. So hopefully it will be here soon. The bigger question may be if my TC will be fixed and out of the shop before it arrives.

Thanks for the info Mike & Don. Doesn't seem like diesel would have net benefits for my driving needs. Although I haven't done any towing with my current TC, I still intend to add the tow package to my next TC options since I would rather have it and not use it as opposed to needing it and not having it.

I'll be replacing my current TC Wagon next year and had been planning on special ordering a TC Van. That may change depending on how my current trip to the shop turns out in the end, but for now another TC is still the plan. For those with prior diesel vehicle ownership, what are the reasons to consider making the switch from gas to diesel. I've heard durability at high milage is a big plus, but I do less than 10K per year so I am not sure that would be a big benefit. It seems like the fuel cost is slightly higher and I've noticed they now have some additive that's needed in addition to fuel, I'm assuming for emissions reasons. I would think keeping that topped off in addition to fill ups would be a bit of a pain. I'll be doing more specific research on all the options once I'm ready to special order, but I'm interested in learning more about diesel in a daily use vehicle instead of a commercial vehicle.

DEXTER is getting a reboot on TV and the Ice Truck killer got frustrated with city parking.

I'll always try to give the dealer a chance to own up and fix their mistake which is why I took it back to the same dealer. And there's still a chance that Ford corporate is going to make it right. But I do think this is likely the final straw for this dealer. I had been cutting them some slack because they were obviously overgrowing their old service facilities but were in the process of building a huge new one. But it's even worse at the new place. And I wonder if I'm getting the full story on the recall install where the newly installed part failed so soon. That's another reason for getting the failed part back, I'll be able to check part numbers to try to see if it's the pre or post recall version that failed. But one thing's for sure, next year if I stick with my original plan to special order a van with all the bells and whistles, it won't be ordered from this dealer. and unless there's a drastic shift in the dealer's attitude, I'm also going to try to dissuade my stepfather from getting his Lincoln Navigator there even though he doesn't typically use the dealer for his service needs. I understand that sometimes dealers get outrageous customer demands. But when it's so simple to do what's right, and reletively cheap too, I don't know why businesses don't put forth the little bit extra it takes to keep everything running smoothly. Of course I don't seem to win that argument at my own place of employment either. I know that it may be out of the control of the service staff I am dealing with so it's why I don't go raving lunatic on them even though sometimes I want to.

That's exactly why I told them I needed the failed part even if there was an extra core charge. Repeat failure of the part installed as a recall repair needs to be not only documented in the paperwork but the failed part preserved for failure analysis if needed. Regardless of who ends up paying for the replacement, the failure will need to be documented. If it's just a one off failure, fine and dandy, these things can happen to even new parts. But if it can be shown to be a pattern of repeated failures among different customers vehicles and different dealers installing the recall repair, that's when failure analysis of the part may provide an answer of why.

Looks like it might be these locks: 2010-13: https://www.slicklocks.com/ford-transit-connect-kit-2010-2013-2010-2013.html 2014+: https://www.slicklocks.com/ford-transit-connect-kit-2014-present.html I might have to check into these myself. It's about half the price of getting the failed latch replaced on just the drivers slider which is what my TC is in the shop for right now.

Checked throughout the 13 page SRS wiring diagrams. And there are seperate sections for 8-10-12 Loop variants, single/dual seats, and with/without 2nd row seats. But all of them reference those same two pages as the location of the modules, so I assume the location remains unchanged. Makes sense in a way; van, wagon, or taxi all have the front 2 seats so the module can sit between them for all types and it's only the extra sensors and extra bag circuits that need to be relocated.

My 2015 wiring manual shows a couple Restraints Control Modules in the center console area.

Here's how I responded to my unpleasant buying experience with my RAV4. I knew you had to be careful to not say things that were potentially actionable. I know if you suggest criminality or what people did or did not do that it could be something you need to try to prove in court. So I was very careful to just say how I felt after what happened rather than make charges about their actions. I hope I'm not jinxing it, but I did get a better response from Ford corporate. I called the recall number who then redirected me to Ford Customer Satisfaction and after explaining the situation, and a short wait while they checked the records or talking to the higher ups or whatever, they came back and said Ford would help on the issue as long as when they contacted the dealer that the issue was not due to neglect or abuse on my part. The said it could be another 2 days for that process to complete before a final yes/no determination could be made. It's not even about the money at this point, as shown by the fact that I'll pay extra for a spare part for the passengers side, but rather that a recall repair should actually fix the problem for longer than a year. I have an even better label maker now, I don't think Ford will like the extra size and attention getting graphics that will end up plastered on my back window if they stick with this poor recall repair failing after 13 months and no fix.

I may end up voluntarily giving up my TC membership card and going with a Mercedes Metris next year based on my recent repeat failure on the door latch recall. I may be giving up my Redneck card too, never having EVER thought about any kind of luxury brand car since I've never seen a car as a status symbol. But the Mercedes was the closest back in 2015 when I decided on the Transit Connect, with the NV200 a distant third. I may also have to see what new models may be in the running.

Just got the word, and apparently the prior good news was just words. After waiting 5 days for my car to even make it into the service bay, and that's 5 days after the appointment I was given with AutoMax Ford of Killeen TX, I got the call late yesterday that it was indeed the latch that had been replaced during the recall that had failed. But yesterday they said they were submitting a request to Ford to cover it and it usually takes 24-48 hours to get an answer. I just got off the phone with the dealer and the answer was NO! The reason given was that the recall parts were only warrantied for a year after install. So for the exact failure that generated a fleetwide recall that happened 4 days outside the standard 3yr/36000mi warranty and 1 month outside the warranty on the installed recall repair parts, Ford will do nothing. It's really making me rethink my plans to do a custom order Transit Connect van next July once my TC Wagon is paid off. It also has me rethinking the trade in vs keep it if the recall repair is only lasting 13 months. So it's going to be $550 for the repair. I made sure to tell them to give me tho old failed drivers side part. I am actually going to increase that cost a bit and get the same part for the passengers side since they were both part of the recall repair and I want to be prepared for a repeat failure on the other side. But if it does happen, I'll see if the repair is DIY or take it somewhere else if I have to. All in I expect to be out around $700, not too bad, but I shouldn't be paying anything for a repeat repair of recall issue. After I finish this post I do intend to do a little more fighting. Starting with calling the Ford phone number listed on the recall notice. I still strongly suspect the recall wasn't properly installed. I also made sure to tell AutoMax Ford of Killeen to make sure to keep the old parts, even if it involved an extra core charge (which it turns out it doesn't) so that I would have evidence if needed when I file a report with NHTSA (? or other appropriate governement recall agency) that the recall repair has the same failure with the new part as was failing on the old part. I drove around for years with my poor puchase experience on a Toyota RAV4 shown on the back for all to read, I guess I can do the same with the poor recall repair experience on the TC posted all over that big back hatch for all to read until I upgrade next year. I guess I'll also have to start doing some more serious research into making that replacement possibly be a Mercedes Metris instead of a Ford Transit Connect.

The front bar doesn't have any hooks, it was for keeping cases of pepsi (which I buy A LOT) from sliding around too much. When I go shopping, Pepsi in first up against the bar, hang the bags off fthe rear bar. And they don't actually hang since they sit on the floor, but it does keep them upright to prevent spilling until I get home and unload.

Just got back from dropping my TC off at the dealers and so far the dealer response is promising. Although the service manager says it's doubtful the wrong doors were done because the parts numbers wouldn't match and Ford wouldn't have paid for the wrong parts under the recall. But after seeing my photos comparing front and rear doors he said he could understand how it looked that way. But he did say that even under an out of warranty repair on safety issues like door latches, especially with a recall already in place, Ford is pretty good about covering it. It's still going to be a couple days before it even gets looked at so I'm not expecting any more info until then. And I'm guessing there will be some additional wait for parts. But hopefuly I'll get a definitive answer on cause and some kind of answer on coverage in a few days.

GBL: What's that red lube you are using on the locks? At purchase the dealer told me to use white lithium spray on the sliders and latches every 6 months or so. But it doesn't seem to leave much lube behind so I wonder if that may have contributed to the extra wear. If yours look that good at 70K and mine look worse at 29K, it seems like your lube is doing the trick.

I called this morning and while setting up the appointment, the service advisor made a strange comment that the recall was for the front doors only, not the sliders. I went back to the original recall notice I received and it specifically mentioned the slider latch breaking, nothing about the front doors at all. So I decided to go take a look at my front door latches. They were not very worn at all and I could see a few very small scratches on the screws. It appears that they may have done the recall on the front doors only and never touched the rear door sliders that the recall was intended for at all. I called back and had them add that info to the ticket. Still not sure how it will play out, but I feel a little more confident that I know why it broke, the recall repair was never fully completed. Hopefully once the dealership sees the same thing they'll have the sense to finish the job under the recall and not try to stick me with out of warranty charges. As a side note, if you ever have this problem with your doors failing to latch, here's a way to strap it so the door is secure and the vehicle is drivable. I initially only had a single strap pulling the door in, but was getting momentary "door ajar" warnings on each right turn. Not trusting a single strap anyway, I added a backup but still got the warning with both straps pulling in towards the center. But then I thought to rig the second strap so it was pulling the door forward against the pins on the door frame. That worked much better and stopped all the door ajar warnings. Since my seats were already out, I used the seat base mount for the pull in strap. For the pull forward strap I looped it around the bottom post for the drivers seat belt attachment. And both straps are attached at the door end by looping around the center slider mechanism mount pivot pin. I didn't think to take a photo of that part.

Well, don't you know my 3 year / 36000 mile warranty period ended just 4 days ago. And what did I find when I started to head out for lunch earlier today, my side sliding door on the drivers side was sitting ajar and would not latch when I tried to close it again. So it looks like my vehicle has fallen prey to the failure that they issued a recall for, #16V643000 back on Sep 6, 2016. Now normally with a recall, I wouldn't be worrying about warranty time frames. But there's one problem, supposedly my vehicle had the recall repair installed on Jun 16, 2017 so in theory what has broken is the newly installed recall repair kit. However, when I was investigating the problem, it looks like the plastic on the latches is much more worn than I would expect for parts just a year old. And it doesn't look like the torx screws have any scrattches suggesting they had been removed with a tool, but maybe I am expecting visible signs where there are none. Maybe pros don't let tools slip and leave scratches like I am used to seeing when I work on things. Does anybody have any experience or knowledge on this recall or recalls in general? I am wondering exactly what was replaced, if the work was indeed done and not just radio'd off on the paperwork. And is the dealer done with their obligation just by performing the recall repair once or does repeat of the same failure reported in the recall require them to address the issue even though the warranty period is over? Obviously, it is the weekend so I won't be able to actually contact the dealer and get any info until Monday morning so I have no idea how they'll respond. I just wanted to get a little feedback if possible since this is the first issue like this I have had with any of my vehicles. All other repairs were normal age related failures where you know they aren't covered. Here's some pictures of both the drivers and passengers side latches (drivers side is the failed one). I rarely use the passengers side door which is why the normal wear and tear is so different between the two. But even the passenger side plastic latch shows an awful lot of wear for just 13 months after recall replacement.

I can understand a simple "code says" replacement the first time but a second identical failure in such a short period should have caused the second repair to involve additional checks and troubleshooting to eliminate other causes besides a bad PCM prior to replacing it again. If the problem persists and isn't corrected, you may need to invoke your lemon law protections. Here in Texas the rule is 4 repairs for the same defect in 24 months / 24,000 miles, but I am sure each state is different.

Floppy visors on mine too.

If your relay #9 is either one of the ones pictured below, I can send you a free replacement. I have a couple of each that I tore out of a salvage fuse box I bought to play around with.

I tried one of the cheap under $50 systems for my Mom's F250 and it broke almost immediately. I replaced it with this $200 unit and it's been doing fine ever since. It even survived an accident that required replacing the entire bed of the truck and the camera was uninstalled and reinstalled during the repair with no issues. It was installed in Feb 2013, so 5-1/2 years survival in the Texas heat is pretty good. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002GM5GKO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1