Fifty150

Erring on the side of caution, I would think that all modern vehicles have transponder keys. Even on my 10 year old F-150, the key looks like a normal key, but has a transponder. For the truck, I got an extra key made at the hardware store. It was only a few dollars for a regular key blank. It unlocked the tailgate and cab, plus turned in the ignition. However, the truck did not start. I was able to get a working transponder key at Wally World for less than what the dealership charged. I was hesitant and had doubts that a Wal*Mart clerk could cut a key for less than $50, when the dealership charges upwards of $200. The Wally World clerk stated that the key was guaranteed to work; if I went outside and couldn't start my car, they would issue an immediate refund. No troubles. It worked. As it turns out, not every car dealership has equipment to cut keys, make transponder keys, or even have a qualified locksmith on staff to address such issues. As with some tech work, body work, and upfitting; they outsource. In my local area, I've seen the same locksmith van at a bunch of different dealerships, both domestic and import. Lock World. Check with your local locksmith for pricing and availability. Now, even Home Depot offers the keys. I got my key about 10 years ago. Pricing may be different in today's market. But options are out there.

I suppose if you had to publish one owners manual, for a bunch of different vehicles with different options, then not every vehicle will have the options described in the manual.

Was that a new van, with a sticker price of $18K? I suppose pricing will vary depending upon location.

From what I could see, the rear turn signal is a 7440, and the rear brake is a 7443. Has anyone tried the plug-n-play load resistor kits? Looks simple. A pair of 12 Ohm 100W LED load resistor used to solve common bulb burnt out or turn signal problems associated with LED bulb upgrades.Simulates traditional filament bulbs to eliminate error indications for hyper-flash (quick blinking) or burnt out bulb.Load resistor compatible for sizes: 7443 (please order correct size for your need).There are two different types of adapters for size 3157 and 7443, this set of load resistor is meant for standard adapters. Please double check that you are not purchasing this for use with vehicles equipped with CK (polarity sensitive) adapters.Plug-and-play kit that requires no retrofitting, please be aware that metal piece does get hot during use. A pair of 6 Ohm 50W LED load resistor used to solve common bulb burnt out or turn signal problems associated with LED bulb upgrades.Simulates traditional filament bulbs to eliminate error indications for hyper-flash (quick blinking) or burnt out bulb.Load resistor compatible for sizes: 7440 T20 (please order correct size for your need).Plug-and-play kit that requires no retrofitting, please be aware that metal piece does get hot during use.

Speaking for myself, I would never do it. For me, one of the "features" of an "American" car is the constant power to the cigarette lighter. I like being able to turn my ignition off, with my phone or whatever, still plugged in and charging/operating. I've been known to take Japanese cars and wire up the 12v power port and the stereo directly to the battery so that I can still play music without the engine running. Yeah, I know. The obvious is to turn the engine off, then turn the key back to the ACC position. But I like doing stupid things to my cars. It allows me to exit the vehicle with the music still playing, only to come back in the morning to a dead battery. The best has to be to leave your headlamps, fog lamps, and off-road lights on. That really drains your battery.

Look in your owners manual, locate the fuse which supplies the power port, remove the fuse. Get ahold of the wiring diagram for the vehicle. Locate the positive wire for the power port. Cut the wire, then reroute it through a relay. Your load, the power port, will be "normally open" on pin 87. The "common", on pin 30, will connect to your fuse box. Hook up pin 86 to your ignition, and pin 85 to ground, and this will be your coil. Reinstall the fuse. Use a simple Single Pole Single Throw relay.

Interesting. I always wondered how well the Costco program worked. It sounded easy enough. Just tell Costco what you want, and go with their pricing. I wonder how that works on the back end. Obviously, nobody gives cars away. And no dealerships let anything drive off the lot at a loss. So there must be money being made. Money is made on every deal, no matter how good you think your deal was. Nobody beats the dealer down to a loss. My observation is that now it's not just the dealer who has to make money, but Costco also has to make money, and it's going to be from out of my pocket. That is why I've always negotiated my own deals, as opposed to using an auto broker, or one of those internet websites that supposedly help you get a better deal. And what does "invoice" really mean? There is no way that everyone is buying "below invoice", and the dealerships are staying in business. There ought to be an investigative report done by a news documentary show on the real way dealers sell cars and make money. I would love to know how that works. How many other businesses can list prices that are extremely overpriced, a price point which none of the actual merchandise is actually sold at, then lie to you about how much you're saving because they're giving you such a great deal?

This could work for you also.

Isn't it kind of hard to get an NV200 with seats?

I suppose we all make decisions that best suit our individual needs and wants. For me, the short wheel base would have been better for maneuverability and parking. Having only 5 seats would usually leave me out as the driver on any outing since someone else would be able to carry more passengers. Living in The City, being able to squeeze into small parking spots is a huge advantage. Not so important if you live where there is plenty of parking. But the long wheel base would be better for carrying passengers and cargo. Although the obvious observation would be that if I had really wanted to move large cargo, I should look at a larger van or truck. In addition, if I wanted to simply carry passengers, a larger van would also serve better. In the end, I remembered what my dad told me about trucks. If you don't get an 8' bed, then you didn't really buy a truck. I guess if I only cared about carrying 5 passengers, I could buy a sedan. I bought a long wheel base, and now I'm driving around by myself with all the seats flipped down, including the front passenger seat. Kind of nice being able to flip over that front passenger seat and having a work surface to write on or eat lunch off of. I could simply do more with a long wheel base, so I decided to to sacrifice being able to squeeze into small parking spots. Fortunately, I also own a pickup truck for cargo and towing, a small import for fuel economy and parking, and a motorcycle just because I like motorcycles.

Kydex is a great idea. A lot of people like the idea of using that to "produce" their own "custom made" holsters. Me? I simply use whichever holster is issued with my firearm. I suppose, since you're only cutting to size and drilling holes, that there would be no need to heat the item first?

Lots of options out there. I always advise against visor lights, dash lights, or any lights that are mounted in the vehicle interior. Why? They tend to reflect lighting into the vehicle's interior. At night, it's more of an issue. How discreet do you need your vehicle to be? Grill lights are simple. You can easily acquire "switchback lights" and have the option of running them as daytime running lights, and LED flashers when needed. Rear mounted switchback lights could also be wired for rear facing work lights, auxiliary turn signals, and "excuse me" flashers when you cut people off as you're responding "code 3". Switchback LED lights are easily found on Amazon dot com, along with the simple flasher units to make them wig wag. I personally prefer that my unmarked vehicle stay unmarked. Strobe flashers can be hidden within OEM light housings. Low profile speakers can be tucked behind the grill and bumpers. On my pickup truck, I used the high mount stop light's clear bed lights. Disconnected the OEM lights and taped over the unused wires. Installed LED lights in red and blue. Then wired them to a simple alternating flasher. Of course, with a pickup, there is a lot of room for improvising. Simple wig-wags wired into the high beams were good enough. My siren speaker is tucked behind the grill so that nobody sees it. But it's okay, since I will not be conducting traffic stops in my personal vehicle, on my own time.

Now I have to think about other power needs, like installing an inverter somewhere. Nothing like being able to travel with appliances.

Just a hint. The cover plate which comes with the kit does not fit, i.e. cover the OEM hole. I went to Tap Plastics, and had a larger cover plate manufactured. I added 1/2" to the top & bottom. You could have them countersink the holes too. If you happen to have your own sheets of plastic handy, and have the tools to cut and drill holes, then you could simply make a new cover plate on your own. For me, it was just easier to pay a couple of dollars. I don't happen to have random pieces of plastic sitting around.

Believe it or not, I routinely see smaller pallets built 24"X24". Small motors are shipped on those all the time.

That all depends on the size of the pallet.

Interesting. In my area, we have plenty of cargo vans. We have plenty of wagons also. But dealership lots have 3 vans for every wagon. On some lots, it's more like 10 vans for every wagon. In the U.S., all Transit Connects are imported as wagons, then stripped of the interiors to be sold as vans. I suppose it would be more difficult to convert the van into a wagon. But then again, who would buy a van, which was shipped to the U.S. as a wagon and then converted into a van, only to reverse engineer it? Was it more cost effective to purchase a wagon, then strip it yourself? Consider your labor. At any rate, good job.

I suppose there isn't a Haynes Manual available for Transit Connect?

Load resistors will work. But when using them, remember that they do get hot, and that you should install them in a well ventilated area. On my F-150, all sorts of crazy things happened. I solved that problem with replacing the OEM flasher relay with a LED relay. However, if this vehicle does not have a flasher relay, then that will not be the solution.

Alright. Who has tips and tricks on how to negotiate pricing and availability? I know, that at least one person on this forum, is probably a salesperson. Did you look up the KBB or Edmunds? Share with the rest of us, on the best way to buy a car. How did you haggle your deal? We don't have to measure manhood by comparing out the door price. A buddy of mine asked for a real test drive. Not one of those go around the block deals where the salesperson tells you where to turn. He wanted to go up and down a few hills. See if the car would fit in his garage. Parallel park. Go up on the freeway, test merging from the ramp, and see if there was enough pickup to pass trucks and buses. Maneuver through financial district traffic, dodge bike messengers, and zip around double parked delivery trucks. He drove to another dealership in the next town 8 miles away, pulled right up to the other showroom, and got out. Then he told a salesperson there, in front of the salesperson who came along for the test drive, that he was buying a car that day, and wanted to see what they had on their lot. Then he took both salespeople to lunch, and let them fight over the bill and fight each other over who could give him the best deal.

I found myself piloting a Transit Connect recently due to the fact that seniors with limited mobility have a hard time climbing up into full size vans & SUV's because they are too high off the ground, and have a hard time climbing out of conventional sedans and compacts because they are too low to the ground, With the seat height of the Transit Connect, there is a lot less of a drop into the seat when stepping in from curbside, and easier to simply step out of the passenger cabin. Seniors and the disabled can, and do, have a hard time with folding and flipping the seats; which is why I am the pilot. Without offspring of my own, I find myself surrounded by a very large extended family. And, oh yeah, I have lots of friends. So as a people mover, this vehicle provides the utility of a minibus. Think about those vans that you rode in summer camp, airport shuttle, church vans, Scooby Doo, and bands on tour. In my case, seating arrangements are adequate, and nobody has really complained of headroom or legroom, since they are typically accustomed to riding in less roomier SUV and crossover configurations. If you're one of three 200 pound plus adults who have shared the 3rd row of an Acura MDX, then you will appreciate 3 bucket seats over sitting over an armrest with a seat belt. What good are leather seats, when it's in the third row of a Honda Pilot? In my opinion, the Transit Connect has enough power ports and cupholders. Everyone can carry one backpack or carry-on size bag in their lap, and we will try to carry extra stuff behind the third row seat. I bought a stripped down XL. No frills. AM/FM radio. Cloth seats. Plastic floors. No navigation system, backup camera, Bluetooth connectivity, or any of the fancy things found on the upgraded sound system screen. Okay, so if it's a simple trip out to dinner, or to the movies, this gets the job done. Seating for seven. Nobody complains about the music, since they all have their own Ipods and/or phones with ear buds. If a kid spills anything, it's easy to wipe up, wet mop, or even hose off. Nobody in my van is looking for Cadillac comfort with \Corinthian leather. They are just lucky enough to be able to get there without being squeezed in like a sardine can. Road trips to The State Fair, Little League away games, medical appointments, grocery shopping, overnight glamping, or simple errands. This van bridges my chasm between my F-150, 5.0, and Harley. A cell phone signal booster keeps everyone happy.