Beta Don
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Everything posted by Beta Don
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Welcome! The SWB vans can be hard to find - I suppose you found one 5 miles from your home and didn't have to hunt like we did. We found ours in Georgia, about 300 miles away, but it was worth the trip. We got an excellent deal on a 2014 with only 12,000 miles on it IMO, it's the most versitile of all the models, the way the rear seats can be quickly removed and reinstalled as needed. We only use ours for long trips (we have three EV's for everything else) and we regularly get 30 mpg on the freeway at 65 mph. You are right . . . . much more like driving a car than a van Don
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IMO, $60 is a pretty good price for something to hold one corner of your van up so you can change a tire - I'd jump on it at that price Don
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What to look for in a used 2016
Beta Don replied to TCjeff's topic in Buying, Leasing, Ordering & Owner Impressions
I agree 50K is the perfect time to service the trans . . . . either that, or buy an extended warranty which covers the trans - You can't just drain it and refill it unless you do that 4 or 5 times because draining it doesn't get even half of the old fluid out . . . . most of it is in the torque converter which doesn't drain White is the universal car color - I have 4 white cars. Two 2012 Mitsubishi electric cars which are 'Diamond White Metallic, a 2017 Chevy Volt which is Iridescent Pearl Tricoat and the 2014 TC which is just plain white. None of them show dirt very much so I can do other things with my weekends other than washing cars. I had a beautiful Black on Black Supra once . . . . for about 3 years and then I had it painted white. Everybody should own a black car once in their lifetime. If you buy a second one, we know what you like to do on Saturdays . . . . Wash the car! Don -
Can I add OEM Cruise control to vehicle that came without it
Beta Don replied to ang210's topic in 2015 Ford Transit Connect
I upgraded my OEM steering wheel with cruise to a leather wheel with radio controls. I sold my OEM wheel to someone here on the forum who did exactly what you're wanting to do - Add OEM cruise. He did it, so I'm sure it can be done. Search here for his discussion and you should learn all you need to know Don -
As an EV driver now for the past 8+ years, I don't see this ever happening - It's just not needed, so why would anyone design an EV like that? The battery is the single most expensive part of the car, so why would you ever want to replace it? There are numerous EV's on the road now with 250,000 miles plus on the original battery, which is already approximating the useful life of most ICE vehicles. At that point, you toss the entire car and replace it, don't you? The typical useful life for all cars in the USA is considered to be 200K, so as long as you've got batteries which last 200K, you wouldn't be looking to replace them Google "Sparkie Chevy Volt" and read up on a car with 400K still on it's original battery - True, not all of those miles were on electricity only, but more than 150K of them are and the battery range remains pretty much constant. They haven't been out long enough yet, but we'll soon be reading about 200K mile Chevy Bolts. There are already Teslas used as Uber vehicles with more than 300K on them The need to replace EV batteries really isn't much of an issue . . . . even our lowly, inexpensive iMiEV's came with a 10 year, 100K warranty on the battery Don
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True - Most folks who live in northern climates (Michigan, New York, all of Canada, Norway & Sweden) who drive iMiEV's on a daily basis have installed tiny diesel burning water heaters in them. The iMiEV heating system (such as it is) uses a very ordinary heater core from the ICE version of the car with a 5 Kw heater to warm the water and then the fan blows air through the heater core just like in almost every ICE car. Using that 5 Kw heating element to heat the water severely reduces the cars overall range. If it's really cold out, you may lose 1/3rd or more of the cars roughly 65 mile range just heating the cabin Fortunately, since it's using hot water to heat and defrost the car, you can very easily heat the water using other means. The little diesel heaters (smaller than a shoe box) will give you a very warm car for a week or so using about a quart of diesel fuel - These are a very popular mod for iMiEV drivers in cold climates The air conditioning system on the other hand is very efficient. We lose 10% or less of the cars range staying comfortable on 95 degree South Mississippi days. In addition to our TC which very seldom gets driven, we have a 2017 Chevy Volt for longer trips, but about 85 to 90% of the miles we've driven over the past 7 years have been in our two iMiEV's. They are so good at what they do that there's not much need for any other vehicle, day to day . . . . unless you need to tow something or take a long trip out of town, which is why we're hanging onto the TC Don
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Although our two Mitsubishi iMiEV electric cars are actually a little smaller than a Prius, they are much better engineered to be practical for everyday use. You can fit a full size washer or dryer in the back (with the rear seats folded down of course) and still close the rear hatch. Loading and unloading is simple too as the floor is flat all the way to the rear hatch, just like our TC
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Mounting a amber light ontop of the roof.
Beta Don replied to fordfanatictony's topic in Accessories and Modifications
The roof isn't aluminum - It's steel, at least on my 2014 Gen 2 it is You could remove a pair of the plugs in the roof and use those as mounting points and a way to run power up to the light bar. You will probably need to remove the headliner to gain access to the underside of the roof. You'll also need an assortment of steel and rubber washers to 'sandwich' above and below the holes to keep everything water tight Don -
That's my service plan too. I drained & refilled mine 4 times using Castrol Transmax Full Synthetic which is Ford approved for all Mercon LV vehicles, mostly because I found a deal on it for $5 a quart, which is less than half the price of Mercon LV and also because I wanted full synthetic fluid and I still don't know exactly what Mercon LV is Now, every 25K I'll drain and refill it twice for the rest of the time I'll own this van Ford obviously wanted you to take it to the dealer for all transmission service, because they didn't give you a dipstick to check fluid level and they also didn't give you an easy way to add fluid. I *hate it* when any manufacturer does this sort of thing. As much as I love this van, odds are pretty great that it's my last Ford. The good news is, no more than we drive it though (it's a 2014 with only 25K on it now) it may last us another 10 to 15 years Don
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Adaptive Cruise Control aftermarket?
Beta Don replied to 2019 Transit by the Bay's topic in Accessories and Modifications
I do know that a dealer can't add it to a Volt that didn't come with it from the factory - Lots of those kind of questions on the Volt forum If there was an aftermarket upgrade (doubt that there is though) I suppose it might be possible to add it to a TC after, but in reality, it's one of those options that you shop for when you're buying a car . . . . not something you can practically add after Don -
adaptive cruise control?
Beta Don replied to govandlaw's topic in Buying, Leasing, Ordering & Owner Impressions
By adding a few (relatively) inexpensive components, the Volt's Adaptive Cruise Control and LKA (Lane Keep Assist) can function as an autopilot, similar to the one offered in the Tesla Don -
I hope TPMS becomes mandatory on every vehicle sold, and soon. You can destroy the carcass of a modern tire by driving with it only a few pounds low - For sure not low enough for the driver to have a clue that it's too low. While the tire is essentially destroyed on the inside, it still looks fine on the outside, so the driver eventually puts air in it and goes on his/her merry way . . . . with a ticking time bomb just waiting to blow out and cause a major accident . . . . which could kill ME! - An innocent motorist coming at you in the other lane when your tire blows Any innovation which can save innocent lives from the negligence of other drivers should be mandatory IMO. I'll be glad when it happens Don
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Read the reviews on that piece of junk - 33% of them are 1 star. It claims is puts 5 amps into the dead battery, which is just shy of what a typical 6 amp battery charger does. I kinda doubt all 5 of those amps actually get there, considering the tiny wire gauge and the length of the wire Don
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Before I broke the grille to open the hood, I would look for a place tpo hook a battery charger and see if you can't charge the battery and then drive it to the dealer Don't we have a 12 volt outlet which is always hot? A 6 or 10 amp battery charger connected there overnight should get it going again Don
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I'll second 150's take on LED headlights - Brighter, but you can't see as far is exactly how I would describe my experience with them too. I don't drive at night all that often, but I'm going back to halogen headlights so I can see where I'm going IMO, it all comes down to what works best with the reflectors in the stock headlights. Ideally, you want a pinpoint light source, positioned exactly at the focal point of the reflector. Halogen filaments aren't exactly a pinpoint source, but they are a smaller source than the LED chips on the aftermarket replacements and they are positioned much closer to the ideal focal point of the reflector. So, even though the LED chips put out plenty of light, the light doesn't get put where you need it, well down the road . . . . plus, they're a real nuisance to the other drivers coming at you in the other lane - Some of what misdirected light ends up in their eyes I'm all for what works best and I've yet to see a set of LED's which can match a set of Osram Nightbreakers Don
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With significantly larger wheels and tires and not changing the front axle gear ratio to compensate, I think you''d end up with a cool looking vehicle barely able to get out of it's own way! The transmission is programmed for the gear ratio & tire size the factory installed - Venturing very far from stock will surely give you shiting problems The Gen 1 vans were famous for short lived front wheel bearings and I can only imagine what a problem they would be for you with the axles at steep angles caused by raising the front end. I think starting with a 175K van, you'd end up with an expensive pile of junk before you ever got to the 'cool' stage . . . . let alone to the point where you could drive it as reliable transportation I would advise starting with a Transit - V6 or V8, rear wheel drive, much easier to lift it up to the 'look' you're going for without encountering many, many problems Don
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How many miles are too many...?
Beta Don replied to eporter123's topic in Buying, Leasing, Ordering & Owner Impressions
I'm certain you could. On my 2014 with the cruise set at 60 to 65, I consistently get better than 27 . . . . and no one flips me off -
Inverter installation 2014 tc. HELP!!
Beta Don replied to ky_tc's topic in Accessories and Modifications
I installed my inverter at the far back on the drivers side - Behind the removable panel which pops off for access to it I ran a single positive cable from a 70 amp fuse added to the panel in front of the battery. The cable was an easy install, as I popped off the weather stripping for the drivers door and the rear sliding door and laid the cable in the trough and then put the weatherstrip back in place. Got the negative by grounding the inverter negative to the chassis near the inverter location - You DO NOT need to run a negative cable from the battery to the inverter Don -
That's a really outdated (and incorrect) Wiki article - It says TC's are exported from Turkey (and even names the shipping company) but all Gen 2's were made and exported from Spain. The Fed cracked down on Ford's evasive tactics for getting around the 'Chicken Tax' in 2013 and I don't believe any Gen 2 cargo version TC's have been imported as passenger vans and then stripped, as they were doing earlier If anyone finds OEM seat mounting points in any 2014 or newer cargo TC, please report here, with some pictures Don
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How many miles are too many...?
Beta Don replied to eporter123's topic in Buying, Leasing, Ordering & Owner Impressions
Thank you 150, for another one of your posts which takes up several FEET of my computer screen - I'm sure he's interested in ALL of those examples Golly, I'm glad I don't live on the West Coast - Prices there are a bit ridiculous!! For comparison, I bought our 2014 TC from a dealer in Georgia almost 3 years ago with 12,000 miles on it and paid $15K. It's an XLT with leather and had never been sold. Sat on the dealers lot for more than a year and then they titled it and used it as a dealer loaner vehicle for a year, so when I bought it, it still had 2 years of the 3 year, 36K warranty remaining How many miles are too many? That really depends on how it was used and serviced. There have been Gen 2 transmission failures on vehicles well short of 100K miles . . . . which has caused many of us to begin servicing our 'lifetime' transmissions early on - A fluid change every 25K or so I know I wouldn't be interested in one with 160K on the clock and especially NOT at $10K - I much prefer to buy really low mileage vehicles for $10K off the sticker price and let someone else eat the depreciation, while I put on most of the miles Don -
Driver and passenger doors open only 2-3 inches.
Beta Don replied to tworock's topic in Exterior Parts & Panels
Pour lukewarm water on your car when it's 20 below outside - THAT should be fun to watch!! Forget about going ANYWHERE that day! Don -
Your 'politics argument' would mean that it would be much cheaper to build them here, rather than import them and have to pay the 25% tax on the imports The Chicken Tax never applied to passenger VW buses, or any other passenger based vehicles for that matter - It originated specifically when VW started making a pick-up version of their van for business use and the tax only applied to 'commercial use' vehicles, like small trucks and vans aimed at small business owners Don
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There's a thread in the Wheels & Tires forum titled 'Fusion Wheels' with pictures of some vans with wheels from other Ford products. There's a picture there of my 2014 with the Ford Focus wheels I bought on eBay to replace my steelies Don
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Trying to decide, and I need help!
Beta Don replied to yellowbandit's topic in Buying, Leasing, Ordering & Owner Impressions
Gee, I never looked at it like me changing my own oil was saving college girls their dignity - See what you learn from helpful forums like this one!! Don -
The OEM rear bench seat in my '14 TC seats three and the center seat belt (including the shoulder belt) is built into the seat - When I remove the seat, the belts come out with it Don