Fifty150

At work, our Econoline vans use Flex Fuel. We have E85 in my area. But none of the local dealers had a Flex Fuel model on the lot. As a matter of fact, no EcoBoost engines on the lots either. Every dealer in my local area only had 2.5 L gasoline engines. I wonder if the Flex Fuel models are only sold for fleet purchases.

Thanks for the wiring colors. But didn't you get a harness that simply plugs into your factory harness? Ford Lincoln OEM Harness 2011-UP Product Details Description (Fully terminated 24 & 26 pin) Plugs into car OEM radio Power/4-speakers 7in long harness

We don't get diesel engines either. I would have loved one of those little 1/4 ton Rangers with a diesel engine.

It's not too bad. AMPS hole pattern allows for a variety of mounting options. Has anyone tried the magnetic base mounts? I'm thinking that if I stick this onto the ProClip, then I could affix anything I want on the magnet.

Does anyone else have a Mitsubishi 80's flashback?

Drives like a golf cart. Pretty much on the money. Compared to the E-250 @ work, and my personal F-150 sitting on a 6" lift kit, this van handles like a dream I can make u-turns and park it just about anywhere. Honestly, the turning radius and handling are more like a small car. The only thing really noticeable to me was that I get to sit higher in the cockpit in comparison to my little 2 door Honda. I notice that you too have an XL. So I'm guessing that you must be riding in the comfort of plastic floors, cloth seats like a Dodge K Car, and a headliner that probably has no insulation between it and the roof. Mine came with an AM/FM radio only. From what you've written about the Sync system, I'm glad that I didn't opt in for it. The obvious drawback for me, is the lack of power. Maybe the 2.5 liter Duratec is a step up from the 2.0 liter Duratec. Maybe I'm just used to a V8. This people mover, for me, is replacing an Explorer with a 5.0 engine. I am living in fear of the day when I load up the back with cases of beverages, and can't get home from Costco. I believe that this van could easily load more than it could carry. I'm already trying to do the math in my head as to how much a case of Coca Cola weighs, and how many cases would put me at the maximum payload of this car. A buddy of mine had an epic failure with cases of Snapple in a Honda Pilot. I don't drink Snapple. I drink Pabst Blue Ribbon, which Costco now sells. Since I'm used to riding every day in a medium duty flatbed truck, the ride quality in just about any car is preferable. At this price point, I knew that I was not going to be floating on air, like a 70's Cadillac Pimp Mobile with white wall tires and wire rims. For me, this is a basic vehicle, and I did not think that I was going to get and extra $10,00 worth of car, by buying a Titanium. Some of the features of the Titanium package were completely not relevant to me or my use of the van; such as 17" rims, color match bumpers, programmable keys, and a skylight. I couldn't actually afford it either. I figured that I could buy the XL in cash, or finance the difference for a Titanium. But at the Titanium price point, I would probably have bought another car. I was not spending that kind of money to drive a Transit Connect.

Use your spam filter. Block them.

My fuel cap on my F-150 says BP. Yet, in my area, there are no BP stations. The owners manual says Motorcraft. I believe that the brand logo on the oil cap, and fuel cap, is simply advertising. Castrol and BP probably paid a certain amount of money for their logos to be placed on the caps. I am fairly certain that at the factory, Ford/Motorcraft oil is the initial fill.

Go old school. Get a project box, some switches, and build your own switch panel.

I usually use a Bluetooth over-the-head headset with a noise cancelling boom mic. But this unit, with it's placement, seems to work fairly well. And I don't look like a pilot in the cockpit. I've always felt that dealer & factory installed stereo systems were a ripoff. The most useful thing on an upgraded head unit, for me, would be the navigation system. But I've already got a GPS. And portable GPS units are simply easier to get updates with. You can't really take the in-dash GPS with you to use for walking. And these days, GPS is available on almost every phone and tablet. I have been using an 8" tablet, Acer Iconia, for navigation. My tablet also plays music, and I can plug into the AM/FM via the 3.5 mm port. It is also nice to have the tablet mounted in the car, so that I can read books, go online to surf the web & check my e-mail, or view my operating parameters via a Bluetooth OBD II reader. It works just as well as the old ScanGauge II.

Okay, so based on what I see, the oil filter holds 0.3 qt. 32 ounces to a quart. Somehow, 9.6 ounces will fit into the filter. And for whatever reason, you want to top off the engine oil to the top of the mark on the dipstick, it takes 0.8 qt. That is about 25.6 ounces. But the real numbers to pay attention to is the 5.7 qts capacity with filter + the 0.8 qt top-up. Now what do you do with the extra 0.3 qt left over at every oil change?

My manual does not seem all that confusing. At least I wasn't confused.

Which is why Bob Is The Oil Guy provides a forum for just that conversation. Or, we can simply live in ignorant bliss and get our vehicles serviced at Jiffy Lube. I hear that all you have to do is mention the coupon price, and they'll give it to you.

I wonder....... I still have a SCT LiveWire unit. I would only need to have a tune e-mailed to me, and I could load it myself. How much did Ford "leave on the table" when it comes to the 2.5L gas engine? What could someone hope to gain?

I suppose the current generation of vehicles have an oil change indicator. When the oil change light comes on, I'll change it then. Ford wants the consumer to use Motorcraft Synthetic Blend. Everyone seems to have an idea of Which brand of oil to use. Some people think that they know better than the manufacturer when it comes to which weight to Forums like Bob Is The Oil Guy are full of opinions from guys who will actually have their oil sent to a lab for analysis. Then you have all the guys who will cut their oil filters in half to determine which filters are best. I'm using 5W20 because it is the spec weight, and I already have it on subscription by the case from Amazon. 5W20 works in my pickup, as well as my Honda. Amazon had a decent price for Mag1 full synthetic oil in the 6 quart case. Wally World seems to have good prices on Mobil1 in the 5 qt jugs. Of course, you could always go with Red Line, Royal Purple, Amsoil, Lucas Oil. Pennzoil.........practically every full synthetic will be a decent oil in comparison to conventional oil. Even the Wal*Mart house brand of full synthetic, is still full synthetic oil. I suppose you could go with 0W20, since it is still 20 weight oil, with a 0 winter temperature rating, if you live in a cold weather climate. But don't get creative. No sense in mixing in a quart of 20W50 to thicken it up, or a little diesel oil for good luck. At the end of the day, you should probably pay a little more attention if you've got an EcoBoost or you're running LPG or Flex Fuel. It used to be that most guys agreed on K&N Filters. Now, Mobil1, Royal Purple, and even aFe are also in the game. If you like Amsoil, they have a filter also. I'm going to use Motorcraft since it is only a couple of dollars, as opposed to between $10 & $20. Hard to use a Wal*Mart filter or Fram, when Motorcraft is only $3.95. You do not have to stick with dealership service if you're still under warranty. Do your own oil change if you enjoy it and it makes you feel better. Get a set of those magnetic sockets. But a Gold Plug and a Filter Mag. Make sure that you have the right filter wrench.

I think I paid a little more to have my Transic Connect shipped from Valencia, Spain.

I'm guessing that your 2010 is currently out of warranty. Here in Cali, and perhaps the rest of The USA, some dealers will advocate on your behalf for the manufacturer to perform an "after warranty adjustment" service. In some states, it's written into law. Talk to your dealer about a "good will" repair. Perhaps inquire with the NHTSA to see if this is a safety concern, which could force a recall.

I might be the only person on this forum who bought a stripped down XL. I simply did not have the hundreds of dollars for the premium Ford Sync system. Nor did I have the extra thousands of dollars for an XLT or Titanium model. So I just have to live in the commercial/fleet world while others have personal vehicles with bells & whistles. My car came with only an AM/FM radio. That little display screen above the head unit, tucked into the dash, does not exist on my car. It's just a plastic shelf which I put my cheap sunglasses in. If you think that is funny, my F-150 came without A/C, power windows, power door locks, and only has an AM radio. Yeah, laugh at me having to turn the window crank to roll up the windows, and locking the door by pressing down on the little whatchamacallit. The AM/FM is just that. No Bluetooth. I found a $12.98 solution on Amazon.com. No frills. It is clipped onto the overhead shelf, right above my head. I can hear everything just fine. The person on the other end of the call is able to hear me. Unit "speaks" Mandarin Chinese, Spanish, & English. Instructions are in Chinese & English. Pairing with my cell phone was effortless. It's not pretty. But it works. I hope this helps other poor people like me who could not afford the extra add-ons that inflate the price of the vehicle. Not being cheap. I just really don't have the money. That is why there are base models. For people like me without the financial resources.

I suppose everyone has their own reasons for the types of vehicles that they drive. Would I like to drive a nicer car? Sure. Are there bigger vehicles with more power and seating? You bet. For me, this vehicle was something that I settled for. Bang for the buck. Probably the best option for interior space and seating at this price point. Not much out there in the same price range that offers seating for 7, with as much leg room & head room, and as many cubic feet of cargo capacity. Of course in my case, I bought the most stripped down vehicle I could find. AM/FM radio. Plastic floors. Cloth seats. No backup camera. No fog lights. I only wish that a stick shift was available in my market.

Who did you buy from? I ordered from proclipusa.com and haven't had any problems with spam.

How about simply buying online?

Get a partition. Then the dogs can have the entire rear of the vehicle.

What are you installing? Your new unit does not come with a vehicle specific installation kit? Your new unit does not have a harness, that you can then pair to the OEM harness? Check with Scosche and Metra. They will usually have everything that you need, from the new dash, to connection harness, to antenna adapter.

I know it is tough to find a dead battery in the morning. It is just as bad to find broken auto glass and that someone had stolen all that stuff that you left in the charger overnight. I live where vehicles are constantly broken into. Sure, the obvious is electronics. But anything of value, or simply anything, left in a vehicle will be stolen. Even an empty backpack or grocery bag. They don't know what is in it, or that it is empty. It's worth breaking your window, to see if anything is in the bag. Even items of clothing are stolen. Some people will think nothing of breaking your window, to take a shirt or jacket that you left on the seat. One local agency police chief lost her gun and badge. I make a habit of clearing out my vehicles, so that nothing is left in them overnight. I know. It is a real pain in the you know what. And since most of us think of our vehicles as our personal space, we tend to fill them with items of comfort and convenience. Phone chargers, navigation aides, tools, birth control, music players, coffee cups, and whatever else to make your commute safe and comfortable. But now I limit myself to whatever I can carry in a backpack. Just like taking the bus. Extra jacket, umbrella, phone charger, sex toys, backup gun, Morakniv, sandwich, coffee thermos, underwear, latex gloves, multi-plier, cable ties, duct tape, hair ties, camp stove, fire starter, tablet computer, spare socks, and a toothbrush. If it all fits in the backpack, then it goes with me out to the car. And when I go home, everything goes back hone with me. I don't leave anything in the car anymore. I'm thinking that I could leave a Morakniv in the car, just in case I "accidentally" find myself driving into the wilderness and get lost in the woods.