Fifty150

You want to first lift the vehicle an support it on jack stands. Then you can use the bottle jack under the suspension component to raise the tire.

This forum, like all the other automobile forums, needs a thread on jacks. Then everyone has to post photos of their cars on jacks to show off how much they spent on their equipment, and brag about how it's better than Harbor Freight. Then some guys will have to tell us how their Harbor Freight tools work, have never failed, and come with a lifetime warranty. Craftsman owners will chime in about how they grew up on Sears back when the stores gave out free popcorn. 2 ton bottle jacks are about 7" high, and also have 2" in the extension screw. I could have raised the saddle 1" to be flush with the unibody pinch weld, which measures about 8" off the ground. But even then, the extra inch may not make much of a difference. The same bottle jack can be purchased in blue, with a Ford logo. It tucks nicely into that little space where the OEM scissor jack goes. I would never use blocks; just unsafe. I'm not a big fan of scissor jacks; they require a little brute force, and are unstable. I've actually seen a scissor jack collapse while someone was turning the jack handle to raise the car. He was cranking the handle pretty hard, and the jack was wobbling, twisting, and turning with every turn of the handle. I blame that on user error. That guy should have paid attention and used less brute force. Better to use the right tool for the job. A floor jack does a much better job. At home, I own several floor jacks for vehicles of different GVWR & various frame rail heights. Same way I have different jack stands for different vehicles. But the bottle jacks do have a purpose. Once the vehicle is properly supported on jack stands, bottle jacks are great for supporting the differential, or raising the suspension components. The Ford Econoline that I drive at work does not come with a scissor jack. Over the years, a lot of different models of Fords were equipped with bottle jacks instead of scissor jacks. If Ford became to the manufacturer who supplied floor jacks with the cars, then I would only buy Ford cars. But Ford has chosen to stop making cars. So the next car that I need to buy, I will have to look at another manufacturer. Just makes sense to commute in a little Honda, as opposed to an F-150. I use the bottle jack to raise the vehicle 1', which is just enough to set the pinch weld down onto a jack stand. I have PowerBuilt UniJacks which are capable of lifting the Transit Connect up to 21".

What if I am allowed to park there?

2 ton bottle jacks are about 7" high, and also have 2" in the extension screw. I could have raised the saddle 1" to be flush with the unibody pinch weld, which measures about 8" off the ground. But even then, the extra inch may not make much of a difference. The same bottle jack can be purchased in blue, with a Ford logo. It tucks nicely into that little space where the OEM scissor jack goes. I would never use blocks; just unsafe. I'm not a big fan of scissor jacks; they require a little brute force, and are unstable. I've actually seen a scissor jack collapse while someone was turning the jack handle to raise the car. He was cranking the handle pretty hard, and the jack was wobbling, twisting, and turning with every turn of the handle. I blame that on user error. That guy should have paid attention and used less brute force. Better to use the right tool for the job. A floor jack does a much better job. At home, I own several floor jacks for vehicles of different GVWR & various frame rail heights. Same way I have different jack stands for different vehicles. But the bottle jacks do have a purpose. Once the vehicle is properly supported on jack stands, bottle jacks are great for supporting the differential, or raising the suspension components. The Ford Econoline that I drive at work does not come with a scissor jack. Over the years, a lot of different models of Fords were equipped with bottle jacks instead of scissor jacks. If Ford became to the manufacturer who supplied floor jacks with the cars, then I would only buy Ford cars. But Ford has chosen to stop making cars. So the next car that I need to buy, I will have to look at another manufacturer. Just makes sense to commute in a little Honda, as opposed to an F-150. I use the bottle jack to raise the vehicle 1', which is just enough to set the pinch weld down onto a jack stand. I have PowerBuilt UniJacks which are capable of lifting the Transit Connect up to 21".

For sourcing replacement parts, you should use the Ford Parts Catalog. At the very least, you get to look at the exploded diagram, and get a part number with MSRP. Check the part number online, and you will find all sorts of pricing and availability. https://parts.ford.com/en.html When ordering parts, enter a Vehicle Identification Number for the most accurate search results. Vin Number For the aftermarket parts, popular makes and models such as F-150 & Mustang, all have companies that specialize in those cars. https://www.americanmuscle.com/ Ford also has an accessory catalog. https://accessories.ford.com/vehicles/transit-connect/2017.html For specific items such as roof racks and cargo cages, look for companies that specialize in that type of equipment. https://www.adriansteel.com/item/cargo-vans/2014-transit-connect/ Along with JC Whitney, try Summit Racing & Jegs. When all else fails, look at Amazon & eBay.

Interesting. It's a 2016, and the starter is already going out. A bad starter is usually something that goes wrong 10 years down the line. Unusual for a starter to go out in a 2 year old car.

As an FYI, a 2 ton bottle jack, with 5" of ram travel, will not lift the Transit Connect high enough off the ground to change the tires. I figured that with the unibody pinch weld lifted 1' off the ground, it would be good.

Pricing and availability. I have always gone with the better price. Of course you want to use a higher grade oil. Ford uses Synthetic Blend. Good idea to use a Synthetic Blend or Full Synthetic. I wouldn't save a couple of dollars by using conventional "dinosaur juice".

How about during the course of employment? A lot of people that I know, commute in a personal vehicle, but work with a company car. Boss doesn't want the added liability of employees having accidents off duty. Or worse, drinking and driving a company car. Buddy of mine in the military got a DUI on the base, driving the government's Jeep.

You are not installing them backwards. What happens is when they leave the factory, the lamps were never designed for your vehicle. So when you line up the notches and turn the lamp into it's final position, it is a little bit different in every vehicle. If you're not lucky, you will get an LED meant for low beam driving facing 7-8 o'clock position. This will point your low beam off the reflector, and into the sky to your left. Then your high beam LED will be the exact opposite, aimed at the ground, and to the right. So H13 are adjustable, and that is what you want. You need the low beam LED to point up at 12, so that the reflector directs the light evenly towards the road. Google "dual color led H13" and you should get all sorts of results. Here is a headlight which allows you to use a smart phone app to control the color temperature. I use something similar to these. Different brand sellers. But all from the same factory.

Smoking in your car won't help either.

Most shops have a fluid exchange machine. @ $269, I am tempted to buy one. Shops will charge at least $150 for a transmission flush. 6 gallon capacity is 24 quarts.

Get a second or third quote. Look up the part numbers online to see if you can find a better price.

Nope. They would go to those other jobs, and use their own car or truck for the company's benefit. At the same time, they would also supply whatever they needed, such as special purpose tools, out of their own pocket. Plenty of people do it. That leaves the people like me to work at a place where the boss supplies the car. The building trades are a prime example. A lot of guys buy their own tools, and use their own trucks. Even when picking up supplies. I see guys driving their own cars and trucks to pickup lumber, pipe, wire, et cetera. I didn't want to do that. Then there are companies that have their materials delivered from as distributor, so that their workers do not lose time shopping for supplies, nor do they have to haul it themselves. And on the jobsite, you see trucks with the company logo marked on them, for whomever actually needs to leave the jobsite and/or travel for company business. But I get it. UPS trucks and USPS Grumman LLV are owned by the employer. The delivery drivers are employees with benefits. FedEX routes are bidded on by individual subcontractors whom are responsible for the buying or leasing the truck or van with the FedEx logo. They bear the entire cost of maintenance and fuel. They get paid for volume of packages handled. And since they are not employees, there is no 401K, medical, dental, vision, et cetera. I know people in real estate, banking, and sales, who all turn in mileage logs showing about 200 miles a day, so that they can get an extra $50,000 in vehicle expense reimbursement. None of them get hourly wages, overtime, holiday pay, or benefits. It's either sell, or starve. In those industries, they are driving $50,000 status symbol cars, not $25,000 Transit Connects. Apparently, you don't make a good impression when you roll up to a multi-million dollar real estate transaction in a Hyundai/Kia. You have to factor in that a car with a 50,000 mile warranty, is no longer valued as a new car after a year, if you actually have 50,000 miles, so you now have about $30, 000 worth of car, with a net loss of $20,000. The warranty is gone. One set of high performance tires. New brakes. 10 oil changes. Transmission flush. Radiator coolant exchange. New gear oil. Even the drivers leather seat is worn. Plus all the other unexpected little things that go wrong; like $1,000 to replace a rain sensor for your wipers. And if you really are driving 1,000 miles a week, there's probably a couple of hundred dollars spent on fuel. The insurance is higher because you are driving your vehicle that many miles for commercial purposes. I'm not an accountant. But I don't see a whole lot of fiscal gain. Other than being able to drive an expensive car, and in your mind, thinking that you are getting it paid for. Makes you really consider the "ride share" economy. How many Uber drivers factor in all costs? Uber is the world's largest taxi company, and they don't own 1 car. The drivers bear the entire cost, while the company takes their cut right off the top. I can't justify a 12 hour shift in a Uber, versus a 12 hour shift behind the wheel of a yellow cab. But millions of people all over the world disagree with me, and use their personal cars for someone else's taxi fleet. All without benefits. But I can't see the police department saying, "we'll pay you $1 a mile for your car; it gets shot up or crashed, that's your problem".

The boss pays for service on the company car. Not my personal car. i would never work anywhere that didn't give me a car. No way am I shelling out $30,000, to make a profit for someone else. After you bear the cost of the vehicle, plus maintenance and higher insurance because you use your personal car for work, you lost money. Even if they pay you $1 per mile. It sure is nice to not have to deal with the cleanup post oil change. I hate cleaning all that spilled oil, because a little oil always spills as I am trying to revoke the old oil, then having to clean out the drain panS and funnels. yes, I use 2 pans and 2 funnels. 1 pan under the drain plug, and 1 under the filter. 1 funnel for clean oil. 1 funnel for dirty oil. And with the Transit Connect, there is also the hassle of jacking up the car, and removing that bottom engine splash shield. An hour goes into a 10 minute oil change. Then I need to change and shower.

It's too bad you can't get your Transit Connect custom tuned, and be able to adjust the shifting. Custom Tuning made a big difference in my old 5.0. And with my pickup, it's like night and day. It seems like the factory tune leaves a lot on the table.

Mike Chell Here in California, we have the California Air Resources Board, which is even stricter than EPA federal guidelines. Ever see CARB EO# on performance parts? Even cold air intake and exhaust require an Executive Order Number. Notice how some parts are advertised as "California Legal"? Even my handheld SCT programmer is illegal. Highway Patrol officer jokingly told me about how they confiscate them, along with the car, from street racers, but never had to take one away from anyone trying to get more torque in a pickup truck.

H13 LED are typically more difficult to install. If you get low beam on one side, with high beam on opposite side, the final installed position is with the low beam on top. If the L ED has high and low beams on both sides, the final installed position is with the LED chips facing sideways @ 3&9. Some units are adjustable. But if the LED are not in the correct position, then your lights will not properly illuminate the road. I'm currently using dual color LED in H13. Low beam is daylight white. High beams are amber. When driving in snow or fog, the amber color headlights are unbelievable. Also highly effective when used with wig wag flashers.

I would look at pricing and availability. as with any used car, check for maintenance. You don't want to buy a car that you now have to put money into.

Explains why discount lube shops are in business. i know a guy with a gas station. His, is the only station within 100 miles that still has kids pumping gas, checking under the hood, and cleaning windshields. Why? Because they always manage to show the customer a dipstick low in the hashmarks, and dark oil. Most oil will be dark within a short period of time in the engine. That doesn't mean that you have to change it right at that moment. And since you just turned off the engine, not all the oil has dropped back down into the pan yet. They always manage to sell extra quarts of oil, and schedule an oil change. After all, they are putting free water into your washer fluid reservoir and topping off your tires with free air. And you get a discount because the kid hooked you up by talking to the boss. At $40 (minus 10% for you because you're a good customer who always tips the kid for pumping your gas), plus taxes, shop fees, and disposal/recycling, you get 4 quarts of 10W-40 conventional oil from a drum, and the worst filter sourced at the lowest cost. You drive out of there $52.78 poorer, with not enough oil, at the wrong weight, with a filter that couldn't clean the water in an aquarium. You want the right weight oil? Your owners manual says synthetic blend? You engine needs 5.7 quarts? You want an OEM quality equivalent filter? Sure. It all cost extra. He charges my company credit card $125 for 6 quarts of Motorcraft Synthetic Blend 5W-20, Motorcraft oil filter, Motorcraft air filter, too off all fluids, set correct tire pressure, rotate tires, inspect brakes, belts, hoses, testing all lights, clean the windows, vacuum the floor mat, and I get free coffee while my boss gets the bill. If I upgrade to Mobil 1 oil & filter, my boss pays about $150. Just thinking that synthetic oil sells retail about $10 a quart, and a Mobil 1 brand filter is about $15; you could easily be $75 into a DIY oil change. Is anyone still paying full retail at an auto parts store? I see the bottles of full synthetic oil @ $10 a quart, K&N filters @ $20, when I drop off used oil. Who pays that much as opposed to buying from Sam Walton or Amazon?

I don't think you will have a problem with diesel. You won't have to do anything to the exhaust yourself. Unless you don't trust dealers and insist on doing it yourself. Years ago, there was a lot of grumbling over onboard diagnostics. And admittedly, a lot of people were ripped off by the Check Engine light. Today, most do it yourself types have a scanner and know how to Google the code. i can remember the first time my dad saw a car with an oil life monitor and little oil change indicator light. He thought that every mechanic was going out of business because now only the dealership could change oil.

Just ignore what everyone else says. It's a canoe tie down. OEM Canoe Securement Point. Only 1 made, and you lucked out.

I used to think that you had to have something larger for road trips. But after seeing all of the youtube videos, I am convinced that there is enough room in a Transit Connect. And it looks like you're only limited by your imagination, and what you copy from someone else. Don't reinvent the wheel. If someone else has already done something well, copy it. I'm still of the mindset that I will not permanently modify my van, and will always keep it as a wagon with folding seats. Thus far, my van camping consist of sleeping on the cargo floor with the seats folded down. Good enough for me. Yoga mats and a Pendleton blanket. But I get it. A lot of people want more comfort. Keep us posted with your project.

And while I'm looking at this stuff online, has anyone ever bought bulk oil? I see a 5 gallon bucket on Amazon for $42.87. That's about $2.15 per quart. 4.5 quarts in the Honda. 5.7 qts in the Transit Connect. 6 qts in the pickup truck. That still leaves me with a little less than a gallon. The numbers don't work in my favor, even if I spill a little oil in the driveway. Click image to open expanded view Downloads CAD Models, MSDS, Manuals MILES LUBRICANTS Milesyn SB 5W20 API GF-5/SN Synthetic Blend Motor Oil 5 Gallon Pail 4.5 out of 5 stars 12 customer reviews | 4 answered questions Price: $42.87 Free Shipping for Prime Members

As I looked up the current 2018 Owners Manual, I see that Ford now recommends 0W-20 as an alternative weight oil. Anyone try that yet?