Fifty150

Did you go from New York to Connecticut, which is only about 100 miles? Or New York to Colorado, which is a little over 1800 miles? Tully, My ex used to get all of these coupons, go shopping, then come home to tell me how she got a dress, top, shoes, bags........and saved 25%. I stayed home, didn't buy a dress, top, shoes, bags......and saved 100% 5150

LED drop in lamp technology has changed by leaps & bounds. Even within the last few years. When I bought the Transit Connect in 2016, the latest technology was to use LED on 4 sides to mimic the 360 degree lighting of the OEM halogen. In theory, you will have an equal amount of useable lighting, bouncing off every part of the reflector. As we speak 2 years down the road, that seller is no longer in the business of selling LED lamps. Look for some kind of warranty. Just be aware that the warranty is useless when the company is out of business. In today's market, what you want to look for is an adjustable beam. See the fastener near the red gasket? You can loosen it, and turn the chips to aim them, then tighten the screw once the are in the correct position. Ideally, the LED chips are facing sideways, in the 3 o'clock & 9 o'clock positions. Notice that the photo also shows a cooling fan at the base, and an inline LED driver. You want both of those features. Some do not have a cooling fan. The driver, like a ballast, is essential to regulate the amount of electricity so that you do not have a fire! Some models have no such safety device. I do not have this brand, do not know if it is good, and am not endorsing the product. This was just the first image that I found with all of the desired features. There are only a handful of factories in Shenzhen, China which produce LED lighting. From those factories, come hundreds of brands sold in stores, and online. Some claim to be US companies, and they probably are. But look carefully. It will be a US based company, with manufacturing overseas. I know of a local company which claims Made In U.S.A. They get all components manufactured in China, shipped to U.S.A. for final assembly. Some "companies" are just a handful of people in an office in U.S.A., with drop shipping from the factory in China. It could even be 1 person, living the U.S.A. and working out of their home, with fulfillment by Amazon......which I have seen locally. What kind of adhesive did you use for mounting off road lights? I am curious as to how well the adhesive holds up to dissimilar substrate, heat, road conditions, et cetera. Start a new post to show off your camera installation.

That's one less thing to worry about. One more item checked off the list. What was the part no. on that item?

No chance of sitting around and having nothing to do.

I lifted my hood today. Take a look at where the hood hinges are. No trees on my block to park under. Those leaves don't look familiar at all. My best guess is from leaves just blowing in the air. Now I've got to get a vacuum with a crevice tool, a very long extension cord, or just find someone who can suck & blow hard.

Let me know if those work out. If the base fits, and the lamps flash without hyper flash. In case anyone is interested, here are photos of the OEM lamp.

I curious about these old toilet dispensers that you were able to repurpose. What do they look like? Do you have a close up photo? Is this item something like a machine which sells condoms at a glory hole? Is the part still in production & available, or is it so "vintage" that the company is out of business?

Very well done. I applaud your success. And thanks for returning to the forum to share your update. Sharing your efforts, and making it easier for the next guy, is what car forums are all about. Now on to hijacking threads, personal opinions, and everything which is not politically correct!

Look up Adrian Steel. All sorts of options are out there for bulkheads. Many manufacturers. You may even find them used.

I would like to see how you set up the fog & driving lights. How did you mount, wire, and switch them? What did you use to for the front turn signal lamp? That is the one lamp that I haven't been able to source an LED replacement for. Which brand & part number?

Looking good. I really like the addition of the extra battery, the power inverter, and that refrigerator. The overhead storage in the rear is an interesting touch. Sun visors in the back are also unique. Popular in other parts of the world, but hardly seen in USA, are van curtains. I'm seriously thinking about fabricating a set.

Except for those of us who actually do want that lighter for lighting a campfire.....or a cigar! In this day & age, you would think that almost every car would be equipped with USB power ports. It's a fairly simple procedure to add USB outlets to your car if you really want them.

You can feel the torque steer on the Gen2 also. I just did not think the little engine had enough power to do that. I discovered that on my test drive. Dealership salesgirl was wide eyed, and speechless, as I chirped the tires and the steering pulled hard on take off. I looked at her with bewilderment, and said, "first time in a minivan, do they all do that?"

I believe that your warranty is 3 year bumper to bumper, 5 years for the drivetrain. See if your local dealership can help you out with an after warranty adjustment. After all, it's a 2014. Only 4 years old. Nothing should leak.

You are in the market for a used car, 5 - 8 years old. You need to look out for everything! As with any used car, check the VIN to see if there are any recalls or TSB work that needs to be performed by a dealer. Then have a good mechanic inspect it, and do all the service work that the previous owner may or may not have overlooked. All fluids should be replaced. Transmission, coolant, oil.....doesn't hurt to inspect the brakes, front wheel bearings, front axles......new air filter, cabin air filter, recharge the A/C, and it's probably due for new spark plugs. With the 1st generation, most of the vehicles were used for commercial purposes. If you get the commercial ladder racks, pipe carriers, or bulkhead screen divider, then consider that a bonus since those are very expensive. Even better if they installed a rooftop cooling unit and drove the van as a mobile walk-in freezer. They were driven harder. Sometimes overloaded. Shocks and springs may need a little attention. Any car that age could have from 50,000 miles, to hundreds of thousands of miles.......between service work & wear items, budget yourself accordingly. Don't spend $$$XXX on a used car, that you will have to put $$$XXX after you buy it. You could easily find within the first year of ownership, that you just paid for the privilege of paying for all the deferred maintenance that the last owner did not pay for. Even a new set of tires could be $300 - $500 - and that may the first thing you'll need. Look at the interior. Is it the configuration you have in mind? What condition is the cockpit? Do all the knobs & buttons work? Is the seat sunken in, worn, faded, and ripped? Is the spare tire still there? How about the body work? Is there rust? Are body panels straight? Do all the lights work? Is there a residual odor which makes you want VapoRub in your nostrils? Are there still logos or lettertype which identify that the van was used to transport cadavers? If the van was used to cater soup, salad, and sandwiches, it may be in better shape that a plumbing van with worn suspension. With any used car, you will luck out if you find one that belonged to a little old lady, who kept it in her garage, and only drove it 2 miles to worship services on The Sabbath. Or you get the Animal Control van with assorted animal odors of urine, feces, and different stages of decomposing roadkill. If you're paying attention, the dog catchers are carrying automatic rifles.

Genius. Made your own out of wood! You get the award for "creative idea of the day".

2017 & 2018 should be exactly the same. I like modifications just as much as the next guy. You want to make it different. Make it better. I just don't see how that could possibly make your drive any better. One of the things that I do like to do with the interior lamps is change the color to red. Preserves night vision. That does allow you to access the wiring harness, in case you feel the need to spice into it to add more interior lighting. LED strip lights are inexpensive, easy to work with, and come in different colors. You literally cut them to the length that you want, attach your positive & negative wires, and stick them where ever you want.

I don't know if there's enough space behind the headliner.

Look in the Gen 1 owners manual. If you don't have the manual, it's available online. It may be different.

Relearning the drive cycle is normal. Happens every time you disconnect the battery.

If a Jiffy Lube tech simply removed your screen, and "accidentally" forgot to install it after the oil change......most people would drive away and never know the difference. Sure, it may effect the aerodynamics & mileage. All the dirt, mud, water, and road debris would fly up in there. All of the extra cold air could effect your car's computer trying to maintain a proper operating temperature. But it certainly isn't a skid plate which offers protection from tree stumps, rocks, and curbs. What about all of those cars of yesteryear which didn't have a lower splash guard? I'm actually thinking of leaving it off the next time that I remove it.

The Transit Connect roof has holes drilled into it, and it is capped with plastic covers. I don't know if any of the roof rails, racks, crossbars are actually installed at the factory. I've seen the techs at the dealerships installing them when they prep the vehicle for sale. I am guessing that it is the seal around the hole where the roof rail mounts.

That explains every cheap part on the car......all that plastic, vinyl, loose parts that rattle, weather seal rubber strips held in place with cheap glue........ I think that almost every car sold today could be, and should be, built better with better parts, fit, & finish. It can be done. Cost is the only factor. If Transit Connect were manufactured to Lincoln standards......it would cost more than double. I bought a minivan which cost $$$XXX. I could have spent a lot more. I could have spent twice as much...... What do you get for $40K+? I have sort of accepted that I bought a car at the lower end of the price spectrum for new cars. I know that @ $20K+, I'm not getting a Toyota Sienna, or Honda Odyssey. I also feel that those vans are not twice as good, and even though nicer, not twice as nice.

Cost reduction = profit. Save $1 per fastener X 1 million fasteners = ??????