Fifty150

The good news is that with the basic radio, you can install an aftermarket radio. Look around for a double din unit, with a touchscreen, and WiFi.

I think the dealership should pay for a rental car until they fix your roof.

Good deal. $7,000 on a trade in. Did they know it got struck by lightning?

I see that a "clear window tint" product is available from LLumar. I entered my zip code to see their dealer network, and the 1st listing is my friend's shop. It's surely something to consider.

I suspect that it all depends on the dealership. Big City, Small Town......it doesn't matter. Some small dealerships are better because they are small. Some big dealerships are better, and that's why they are so big. Some dealerships may be great at everything Mustang, or F-150, and not so good with the rest of the Ford fleet. Are you heading towards Northern California or Southern California? Or by CA, are you referring to Canada? I'm in The SF Bay Area. Ordinarily, I might give you some references for roadside attractions, and "go to" spots. But with Corona Virus, you should probably research the Covid infection status of the region before going. Pretty sure you could just do a VIN check to see if your van is even a part of the recall. Chances are good that if your van is a 2016, and there isn't excessive wind or a leak, then the roof is fine. I'm pretty sure that you would already have noticed if there was a loud noise from wind, or it leaked everytime you wash the car. I suspect that the fix for the recall is probably removing the roof, and reinstalling it with a new seal. If it were my van, I would not be in too much of a hurry to fix something which isn't broken. I don't think that you will be driving down the road, and all of a sudden, the roof blows off. But still, have a dealer check your VIN for the recall, and schedule the work since Ford is paying for it.

You've got it isolated to just the mount? Did you try switching the bulbs also, while you were switching the mounts around? Take the bulb out, and look inside the mount. See if the contacts look burnt or corroded. I've seen that on other cars. Never figured out why. But replacing the lamp sockets and lamps will get you back in business. I suppose it doesn't matter. But I would've have ordered 2, just to have a spare. Now's your chance to install LED signal lamps.

You could always get tint. Go with whatever the darkest tint is. I have tint, and it works good enough for me. In this state, front window and windshield tint isn't allowed. I'm only guessing that when you go camping, you'll figure something out. Park under trees, make a canopy with a tarp, leave windows down and doors open, install a roof vent. I doubt that you will drive XXX miles from home, just to sit inside of a hot van all day. Cold nights in the van won't be any worse than being cold in a tent.

I have a passenger wagon. I've removed nothing. Just pack gear that I want, and go. I set up camp when I get there. Then sleep inside the van with the seats folded down. It's cozy. I decided that I wasn't living out of the van. Just camping. All of the things like camp stoves, utensils, whatever, can be unpacked at the campsite. I didn't need to drive around everyday with my camping gear built into the back of my van.

If I were to attempt a build out, I would start with a cargo van.

There has to be a way to do it. If once upon a time, passenger wagons were shipped to the US, then stripped of the interior for sale as cargo vans, then it could be done.

Here is a view of the liftgate with the panel removed.

I have a lift gate also. Admittedly, I did not go out to the car to actually look at the rear wiper. I suppose I should have known from memory that the wiper arm is set into the rear auto glass. Sorry.

I just took a look at my driveway. The hill I live on, and the angle of my driveway, makes it a "no go" for me. I can only imagine the angle from other driveways into parking lots. But then again, if I had a front end lift kit......

Since you are convinced that you will never want the wiper again in the future........unplug the motor at the harness. Maybe even wrap a little electrical tape. Remove the motor and wiper arm. Treat the hole like a body repair. Get some 3M Bondo. I recall that there is sort of a mesh tape that you can apply over the hole, then bondo on top. Sand it down. Paint it.

It looks like just Unistrut and brackets. Strutnut and hardware comes in different sizes. Even the brackets have different sizes. Were rivet nuts used? I want to save myself the homework of measurement and pouring through parts catalogs for hours.

If you could help out, what are all the parts you used?

The problem with replacing the radios is that some Ford features are connected to the computer. New cars make is very difficult to replace the radios. If you get an upgraded Ford radio from another Transit Connect, it still may not work because the van't computer needs to be reprogrammed to operate with the new radio. You can install an aftermarket radio, with a lot of features, and it may not work with your van's steering wheel controls. It is possible, to get cruise control. Other forum members have done it. They buy a steering wheel with the cruise control buttons, and activate it using FORScan. I haven't seen anyone remap the air/fuel ratio or recalibrate gear shifting with custom tuning. It is probably possible. Maybe a shop which offers dyno tuning would help you. Just haven't heard of anyone trying it. You are not going to physically regear the front wheel drive transmission. Most mods on this van is for appearance. There are suspension components for changing ride height. Some mods are functional like cameras and lighting. But not much you can do about performance and mileage.

I've installed front end hitch receivers on trucks and Jeeps. Storage platforms, bike racks, and winch mount plates. Sometimes a tow hook or shackle for recovery. They typically mount onto the solid part of the frame, and extend out from under the bumper - much like a rear hitch receiver. On a Transit Connect, I don't see where you would mount it. The front end is way too low to have something stick out from under the bumper.

1 of the frustrating issues with Ford is that there are so many variations of the product. Trying to order parts becomes a huge headache. I always wished that Ford could standardize the product lines. So if you need a rearview mirror, the 1 mirror would work for every Ford. They could do that with things like power window regulators, headlamps, switches, and hardware. Wouldn't it be nice if every Ford had the same drain plug, or lug nut?

Passenger side, rear quarter panel. Behind the plastic panel. Opposite of the spare tire kit on the driver's side. A little trap door pops open just like you have for the jack and tire tool. There is an auxiliary power supply unit. And a body ground. There's a thread on the forum with a few photos.

A cooler for motor oil probably isn't needed. It is a simple add on. There's an adapter with hose fittings which goes right where your oil filter mounts. Your oil filter then mounts onto it. You attach tubing to connect to the cooler. Mount cooler in a place with good air flow. But if your engine oil is getting that hot, you should worry about why it's getting that hot. And consider what the coolant temperature is. Engine oil coolers are usually found in off-road vehicles, tow packages, and police cars. Still a good idea if you plan on abusing your Transit Connect by doing more than it was designed to do. The transmission fluid cooler is not that hard either. With the right tools, you can do it at home. Splice the return line after the OEM heat exchanger and before fluid flows back to the sump. There's a kit for cutting and flaring tubing. Then hose clamps and transmission line to the cooler. Mount cooler where you will get good air flow. I prefer coolers with an electric fan. B&M, DeRale....maybe even inexpensive Chinese brands found on Amazon. Monitor the transmission fluid temperature. 1st determine if you actually need a cooler. Trucks come with auxiliary cooler as part of a tow package, which usually includes other options like taller gears. A lot of people would add a cooler if the truck didn't come with it, or upgrade when they felt the factory cooler was insufficient. And older trucks did not have sophisticated cooling systems. There are coolers designed to cool the engine and transmission. 1 unit, with separate inlets and outlets for both. The difficult part of installing onto a Transit Connect is deciding on a mounting location. I would remove the front bumper and grill. Most likely, drill into the bumper bar and mount under it. May need to fabricate brackets.

Nobody likes to do the obvious. Drill a hole. Of course you will use a grommet, and encase the wiring in split loom.

In all my years of doing it wrong, I never looked it up. 3/8" ratchet. Hand tighten. A good seal with a gasket maker, or OEM when available. I've done about a dozen "drop the pan" fluid changes. I never had a leak. I would guess 12 - 14 ft lbs.

My dipstick reads fine. Engine cold. On level surface.