Fifty150

You could do a lot with those free tarps from Harbor Freight. Some PVC pipe could frame a canopy, or make a tent.

Looking at Eddy Kilowatt's photo, I have a hard time imagining how that dipstick would fit. Sure, you could easily tap a hole into the transmission case, and the mounting points are already there for the hardware. I just can't imagine it running along the firewall, and then up through the battery tray.

Looking good

I think deleting the dipstick had more to do with being able to access the dipstick. Look at the layout under the hood. There is a radiator hose right on top of the vent cap. There's no way for a dipstick to slide in & out. I think that the fill level port on the side is sufficient. Most people never pull the dipstick anyway. And if they do, they have no idea what the temperature of the transmission is, so the dipstick is useless. Depending on the transmission, it must be checked within a certain temperature range. And most people have no way of knowing transmission fluid temperature. For years, people have been reading dipsticks wrong, and maintaining the fluid level wrong. The dipstick almost hurts more than it helps. So if you had a dipstick, the hashmark range would be good for 150 - 170, which is what Ford considers to be the "warmed Up" temperature of the transmission. At 190, the fluid cooler bypass valve is closed, allowing transmission fluid to flow to the heat exchanger. Operating temperatures between 190 - 225, the transmission fluid is now much hotter, and the volume has expanded. The dipstick will appear as overfilled. If you look at the transmission case, you'll notice the fill level port is much lower than the vent cap. The vent cap is part of the cooling system, as it allows heat to vent. Idling at 185, fluid should be level with the hole. As the car is moving, the temperature will rise, and the fluid volume will expand. If you open the fill level port at 225, and drain to level, your transmission will be low in fluid once the temperature decreases. If you get up to 250, the vent cap will also release excess expanded fluid so that your transmission does not become a pressure cooker. If you reach transmission temperatures of up to 250, you should visit a transmission service center at your next available opportunity.

As they say, everything impacts overall performance and fuel consumption. It's usually a combination of factors. Any 1 thing will have very little effect. And it would probably be negated by other factors. If I get a phone call, and pull over to conference, that idle time impacts my tank mileage. 15 minutes idling on the side of the road, could burn more fuel than you save by removing those bars. Glad you had a good trip, and returned home safe. Your fuel mileage appears to be within the EPA estimate on the new car sticker, and is within an acceptable range. I'm jealous that I can't get that kind of mileage. But I already know why my mileage is poor.

You can drain into a paint mix bucket with measurement marks. That will tell you how much came out. A transmission funnel fits perfectly into the vent cap opening. An offset funnel will work also. An oil dispenser has the measurement marks to make sure that you know how much you are pouring in.

Your decision. About 250 lbs per tire load rating = about 1,000 lbs total difference. The difference between the curb weight, and the GVWR, is about 1,500 lbs. The math is there. OEM specification is to use tires with a combined load rating of about 6,400 lbs, for a van which has a GVWR of about 5,400 lbs. Using a lower weight rated tire may create a complication. The lesser priced tire is also a little more narrow, though that probably wound't hurt much in the grand scheme of things. You probably won't get a blowout the minute you drive away from the tire installer. You should be able to get away with it. 4, 91 load rating tires just about adds up to your van's GVWR. It looks like Amazon only has 3 tires in stock, for the smaller tire. That would be even more interesting. Others will have valid opinions on why you should use the correct tire, if not upgrade. Some will think it's not such a good idea to downgrade. I think that you should buy whatever tire, which has 4 tires in stock. Not mix & match, especially with different sizes.

Strange coincidence, maybe. Confirmed sighting in California. Another red toaster. I'm not worried. He can confront all of the thousands of white Transit Connects in Northern California. Mostly driven by employees. Nobody will know what he's talking about. Or care. Someone might hit him. Or spray Mace. Can you imagine the crew of utility workers on the side of a coned off lane, as he pulls up, jumps out, and starts ranting?

A lot of improvised solutions will work. Plasti-Dip will fill in the cracks and repair the plug. Flex Seal could also solve the leak. Silicone works also. It could be one of these plugs..... https://parts.ford.com/shop/en/us/plug-blanking-6311541-1

I'm really starting to not like the big sloping windshield, short hood design. Even the valve cover, engine oil fill cap, and spark plugs are hard to access. If you disconnect the ground wire at the body, next to the driver side hood hinge, first; that will allow the battery to slide out further for you to disconnect the negative terminal.

And that is a red color car. Suspect was seen North-bound on Bayshore, in the no. 2 left turn lane, at the corner of Geneva, where Brisbane, Daly City, and San Francisco all border. Last seen turning left onto West-bound Geneva, entering Daly City.

He did advise to clean the terminals?????? Point taken. None of us would disconnect the battery without 1st plugging in a memory save device. Wouldn't want to lose all the presents on the radio buttons.

That could amusing. Like explaining to a child why the grass is green. Most of us missed all of that. Maybe we should invite him back.

Of turn speaker wiring up the A-Pillar, you can install speakers in the overhead shelf or the headliner.

It's in the owners manual

Interesting to see that my driving is at the low end of what Ford's algorithm considers to be normal, and at the high end of severe. My last IOLM was 7,500 miles. In the past, without the IOLM, I always followed the severe duty maintenance schedule. I guess nobody has seen extreme drive cycle, with IOLM activation between 3,000 - 5,000 miles. Without the IOLM, I could have been one of those people who went for 10,000 miles or a year between oil changes. I figure it is a new car with full synthetic oil. No reason why I can't. IOLM says otherwise.

I don't blame you. Lift is a luxury item. It's not the cost of the lift. It's the cost of the real estate you need to install the lift.

So he buys a new car, just so that he can post online in another forum. Just doesn't make sense. And isn't that car just a Jeep labeled version of the Fiat 500X?

You're very lucky to have a lift. How often do you check the transmission fill level?

Sounds like a lot of work. Glad that worked out. Another fix for the information archives. But chances are, the next guy with the same problem, won't do a search. He will just post that he has the problem. And someone else will tell him to use the search feature, without bothering to help him, or even link this post. Just like on every other forum.

Just switching out an 02 sensor doesn't fix the problem. You need to figure out why you are running rich.

Get the codes read. You are in "limp mode"

I think that the screen is wired to a separate harness.

Traditional push bars mount to a solid frame. A unibody car lacks the frame to absorb the impact. You can probably fabricate something just for aesthetics. It will not be functional. Look at https://publicsafety.gorhino.com/ You may be able to adapt one of their products.

Perhaps all of those vans were involved in some sort of front end collision, the headlights were never replaced, and now they are leaking. Just something to consider.