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Fifty150

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Everything posted by Fifty150

  1. I've heard that the minivan market in The U.S. was huge, until all the people who drove them, didn't care for the "image". A matter of form over function. Minivans became thought of as a "soccer mom" car. So much so, that not even soccer moms wanted to be seen in one. imagine that, a soccer mom didn't want to be seen as a soccer mom. Is that why they have "mom jeans" and "dad pants"? The soccer moms moved into SUVs. Minivans either went big, or went home. The Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, and Dodge Caravan are probably the only survivors, and they had to bulk up to compete with Denali, Suburban, Expedition, Explorer, and whatever else a soccer mom wanted to look sexy in while driving her kids around. Does a Hummer make your ass look better? Whatever happened to station wagons? When I was kid, Brady Bunch wagons were everywhere. There were 9 of them, including the maid, plus they even brought the dog along. Sure, there's a little Audi wagon, and Subaru has something that looks like a wagon. But nothing in today's market even comes close to those old school wagons with bench seats that all the surfers had. I'll give $1 to the first forum member to paint their van like Scooby Doo.
  2. Are you planning on saving them and reinstalling them? Otherwise, cut them out. Use an angle grinder with a cutting wheel.
  3. 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.
  4. 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
  5. We don't get diesel engines either. I would have loved one of those little 1/4 ton Rangers with a diesel engine.
  6. 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.
  7. Does anyone else have a Mitsubishi 80's flashback?
  8. 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.
  9. Fifty150

    Oil

    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.
  10. Go old school. Get a project box, some switches, and build your own switch panel.
  11. 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.
  12. 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?
  13. My manual does not seem all that confusing. At least I wasn't confused.
  14. Fifty150

    Oil

    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.
  15. 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?
  16. Fifty150

    Oil

    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.
  17. I think I paid a little more to have my Transic Connect shipped from Valencia, Spain.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. 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.
  21. Who did you buy from? I ordered from proclipusa.com and haven't had any problems with spam.
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