Fifty150

You don't even have your Transit Connect anymore. By June, you mom would have traded hers in for something new.

You can still change a tire, jump start, change a broken fan belt, repair and/or change a leaking hose, change a light bulb, change the wiper blades, change a fuse..........all sorts of little things like that on the side of the road. You can still change the oil, change the transmission fluid, change the spark plugs and coils, add washer fluid, install a backup camera, and perform minor service in your driveway. Even with a sophisticated computer, bolt on parts are still bolt on parts. Don't let the sensors intimidate you. It's not like making roast beef in a microwave.

As a passenger wagon, passenger safety relies on the headrest, seatbelts and air bags. The headrest is so that your head doesn't snap back and break your neck. In a cargo van, are those rear passenger airbags still in the van? But I'm sure that WindGuy "gets it". For what it's worth, I think you did a pretty good job. Sure, it's not the same as an OEM seat, seatbelt, airbag configuration. But what he did was a pretty neat mod. In the old days, I had a Ford Explorer. Early models were 5 passenger seating. Many people, myself included, got jump seats and bolted them into the rear cargo bay. A lot of those mods used UniStrut for the seat mount rails.

Try a solar powered fan first. A couple of these with the solar panel may be enough to circulate airflow.

Sufficient time has gone by. I have added to the Transit Connect: A plug kit. Release the spare tire, lowers the winch cable. 13mm Metric Drive Hex Bit Socket A 3/4" deep impact socket, 1/2" drive, for the wheel lug nuts. A long handle breaker bar. A torque wrench for remounting the wheel & tire. A little floor jack in a case. A little box of tools that someone gave me years ago. It has sat in storage for over decade, because I already have better tools at home. But this will give me a handful of tools in the event of an emergency. A Multi-Tool for little things.

Okay. So I really didn't know what that means. I had to look it up. Here is what I found @: https://www.ecoboostperformanceforum.com/index.php?topic=651.0 HS-CAN modules: -PCM (Powertrain Control Module) -ABS (Anti-lock Brake System, includes AdvanceTrac and Traction Control) -RCM (Restraint Control Module, AKA airbags and seatbelts) -AWD (All Wheel Drive module, if equipped) -OCSM (Occupent Classification System Module, AKA Passenger Seat Sensors) -PAM (Parking Aid Module) -IPC (Instrument Panel Cluster) -BdyCM (Body Control Module 2013+) -ACM (Audio Control Module, 2013+) -FCIM (Front Controls Interface Module, 2013+) -PSCM (Power Steering Control Module, Hydraulic PS only) -SECM (Steering Effort Control Module, Electric PS only) -CCM (Cruise Control Module) -SCCM (Steering Column Control Module, 2013+) -APIM (Accessory Protocol Interface Module AKA SYNC) MS-CAN modules: -SJB (Smart Junction Box) -HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning module) -ACM (Audio Control Module, pre 2013) -DSP (Audio Digital Signal Processing Module) -DSM (Driver Seat Module) -DDM (Driver Door Module) -RFA (Remote Function Actuator Module) -DCSM (Dual Climate Controlled Seat Module) -SDARS (Satellite Digital Audio Radio Service) -FCIM (Front Controls Interface Module, pre 2013) -FDIM (Front Display Interface Module) -ILCM (Interior Lighting Control Module) -HCM-2 (High Beam Control Module) -SOD-R/L (Side Obstacle Detection Control Module AKA BLIS, a module for each side of the vehicle) -IPC-MS (Instrument Panel Cluster, MS-CAN) -GPSM (Global Positioning System Module) -APIM (Accessory Protocol Interface Module AKA SYNC)

I thought that everyone knew that the Tornado is a joke. I'm surprised that is still on the market. It's still being sold?

That is the hardest part. You need a 6 foot ladder.

I use a sprayer with a reservoir. Typically found in garden supply, and used for mixing pesticide and/or plant food for irrigation. Always spray from top to bottom. Spray first with JET nozzle to knock loose any dirt and debris. Spray with MIST setting, with the soap mixed in. Allow a little time for the soap to soften and penetrate whatever is on the car. Spray with JET setting to rinse off soap mix. That is my lazy man's wash. Just about as good as a drive through commercial car wash. I have a wash mop and use as needed. Sometimes I'll spray and wipe with detailer spray for spot cleaning. I have clay bars and waxes. But for the most part, I'm lazy. I just want to spray it down and be down the road. Even with all the tools, who has all the time? When I find time for maintenance on the car, it's usually mechanical. Time is better spent on an oil change, or spark plugs. So I'm a sucker, and I buy that car wash formula which is suppose to have wax in it. I'm not fanatical about detailing. And every car I've ever owned has seen more commercial drive through car washes than hand washing. A good wheel cleaner solution as needed for brake dust on the bling. In the photo, I used a piece of gauze to dab on a little bit of the solution, then rinsed it off. No scrubbing. If applied, allowed to penetrate, and then brushed; this brand of cleaner removes all of that buildup and restores the wheel to shiny new. Here is the wheel spray that I really like, and that cheap car wash mix I put into the sprayer.

Interesting location. So you would have to remove the passenger side door panel, then remove the mirror, in order to service?

You're probably correct. He is either talking about a Transit 250, or Econoline E-250.

The photos are of a 2nd generation wagon. Give them a call. I'm curious as to what the price point is for that type of work. My biggest concern would be if it starts leaking.

Herb, a ball gag may be your solution. Mine would be a Daisy Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas.

VW makes a nicer car, in comparison to Ford. Very luxurious and comfortable. Smooth ride. Well insulated for a quiet cabin. VW engines should be better, considering their history with Porsche & Audi, but they are terrible. VW transmissions are worse. A jointly developed vehicle from 2 companies with weak transmissions should be interesting. 1. The Tiptronic Transmission The Volkswagen's Tiptronic transmission is very modern and uses cutting edge technology. However, it has a few inherent weak points. These have been identified by the manufacturer and steps have been taken to resolve them. The problems with this transmission are hard shifts from gear 1 to 2, erratic shifting from gear 3 to gear 4 and a shudder in the torque converter. These can be rectified by following the Volkswagen service bulletin and downloading the latest software. 2. Solenoid N89 Failure In certain cases, an important solenoid, N89, has failed. This causes a sudden shift from gear 4 to gear 1, when the gear gets stuck at the shift from gear 3 to gear 4. This causes a sudden deceleration, similar to when the brakes are suddenly engaged. 3. Faulty Temperature Sensor A faulty temperature sensor in the DSG system of models of the Jetta results in a false negative lighting of the warning lamps on the dashboard. In rare instances, this sensor results in transmission slips, causing the vehicle to shift suddenly to neutral. The affected vehicles have been recalled. 4. Faulty Clutch Component A faulty clutch component of the mechtronic unit causes sudden downshifts. Affected vehicles have been recalled by Volkswagen. Before you buy a Volkswagen, you should be aware of the above problems in the transmission and select a model that isn't affected by these troubles. Otherwise you should wait until the problems have been completely resolved by the manufacturer.

Engines can be pretty durable. Your's is still working. If any harm was done, it's already done. Can't worry about that now. Look ahead. Remove your Intake from the air box to the throttle body. Clean everything as best as you can. Also, clean the Mass Air Flow sensor. Re-Assemble with Tornado

The hood release is usually just a few moving parts, and a cable. Sometimes you can adjust the tension. No way to tell until you actually examine the cable and it's motion. Start at the handle. Check that part in the truck that you pull on for release. Is there a cable there which you can apply a little tension? Back when cars actually had a throttle cable, the accelerator pedal had a steel cable at the top, which lost tension over time. Some guys would use cable ties as spacers to take up the slack. Just pull away the slack on the cable, and wrap zip ties on the slack of the cable, then release.

Kind of looking forward to what VW will replace Transit Connect with. That joint venture unibody small pickup could be interesting also.

https://autoweek.com/article/detroit-auto-show/vw-and-ford-are-teaming-vans-and-pickups-evs-are-also-menu Ford will develop midsize pickups based on the Ranger and large commercial vans based on the Transit Custom for both automakers. Meanwhile, Volkswagen will build a small city van, similar in size to a Transit Connect, for both automakers. Read more: https://autoweek.com/article/detroit-auto-show/vw-and-ford-are-teaming-vans-and-pickups-evs-are-also-menu#ixzz5fSfWtqtd

https://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20180812/blog200/668221/tackling-trumps-tariffs Paul Vandevert is principal of OCHIM Trade Law PLC, an international trade and Customs law firm based in Michigan. As Ford's in-house trade counsel from 2000 to 2017, I advised Ford how it could legally import the vehicles without paying the 10 times higher duty. Ford's imported Transit Connect program is instructive in showing importers some options to avoid falling victim to high tariffs, but, perhaps more important, that there is no easy, one-size-fits-all solution.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/the-strange-case-of-fords-attempt-to-avoid-thechicken-tax/2018/07/06/643624fa-796a-11e8-8df3-007495a78738_story.html?utm_term=.628caf1a017b July 6, 2018 Brand-new Ford Transit Connect vans, made in Spain, are dropped off at U.S. ports several times a month. First, they pass through customs — and then workers hired by the automaker start to rip the vehicles apart. The rear seats are plucked out. The seat belts in back go, too. Sometimes, the rear side windows are covered with painted plates. Any holes left in the floor are patched over. Last year, the U.S. Court of International Trade sided with Ford and its tariff engineering. But the government appealed the ruling in federal court, where the case is just getting started. Ford has been paying the chicken tax since customs decided its cargo vans were no longer exempt in 2013. But Ford sounds optimistic after its win in the trade court. “If we prevail on appeal,” Ford wrote in a legal note this year, “we will receive a refund of the contested amounts paid, plus interest.”

OEM tires were only meant to be driven on paved roads, in optimal conditions. Sure, a little rain is fine. Your yard is "off-road". It's mud. It's swampy. Glad to hear that with better tires, the van can get out of a yard. Not as crazy as it sounds. I've seen it before. People park on a grassy area. It rains. Or they wash their car. The soil saturates. Car is stuck. Happened to one of my buddies once. He parked in the grass next to his driveway. He didn't want to waste the overspray and water. Figured that it was better going into his patch of front yard, instead of running down the storm drain. Washed his car. Went to move it. Tires spun and the car sank into the soft soil. Got mud all over his freshly washed & waxed car. I had to go there with my truck to pull his car out.

http://1stclasseconomics.com/ford-beat-usas-chicken-tax-tariffs/ Customs officials claimed that Ford because so efficient reassembling a passenger truck into a cargo truck that the sneaky task took them less than 11 minutes.

Do all the maintenance. Just like with every used car, assume that it wasn't done by the previous owner. Recharge the air conditioning. Spark plugs and coils. Air filter. Fuel filter. Coolant. Tires. Get a new tree on the mirror. I bet you just cut your fuel bill in half. I know that it's a huge difference in fuel cost between my F-150 & Transit Connect. I suspect that your F-350 was just as bad, if not worse, in mileage. My F-150 average mileage is about 14 MPG. Only problem is that with my driving style, and California ReFormulated Fuel, my Transit Connect is falling short of the EPA estimate on the new car sticker. A lot less. I've seen mileage as low as 14 MPG on a tank. My best tank was about 22 MPG. My average as per fueleconomy.gov is 18 MPG. But such is life. I've never gotten the EPA estimate on any car I've owned. On my ex's Acura, the EPA highway is 26 MPG. I installed a K&N air filter, tune up with NGK ignition parts, bolted on an aftermarket exhaust, changed engine oil & transmission fluid to boutique brand synthetic......then we took a road trip 1,500 miles. The average MPG for that road trip was 28 MPG. Not exactly cost effective to see 2 miles per gallon on the freeway. We lived in The City. All of our day to day driving was in city commute traffic. No improvements in city traffic. By the way, I have the K&N filter in the Transit Connect. It doesn't gain anything by way of performance or mileage. I suspected that much before installation. For me, it was just so I wouldn't throw away all of those paper air filters. Average cost of a paper air filter for the Transit Connect is about $20. K&N filter is about $40. My math has me ahead in not throwing away $20 bills.

The sensor. Black electrical tape over the sensor. The sensor detects nothing after you cover it.. Does it work? Try it.