PhotoAl

very interesting, I have a 2016 with the HD/SAT/NAV radio. In 2017 they went to the Sync3 which I thought was a Sony. Im not sure what manufacture mine is but its the MyTouch version.

Welcome! Love the color, same as mine. I have a 16 with the Sync navigation system and don't have any complaints. Don't know abut updates, I'm sure others will respond to that. Agree with you on the ride, firm but not harsh. Doesn't ride like my daughters Honda minivan but when it comes to going around corners the TC is much better. My 3rd row seats are in and out, a bit of a hassle to take out but lots of space without them and make it easy to haul my scooter.

I haven't camped in my TC yet but have looked at beds a lot. Mine is the wagon version and for camping would probably take out all the seats. Ive looked at the 3 section foam mattress on Amazon. At night a bed but can be stacked as a sofa if desired - probably not a great one but with a little ingenuity could probably figure a way to make it better. I haul my scooter in the back of the van so would need a bed that could be folded up and out of the way. Scooter can be good local transportation without having to drive the van.

Good info, thanks for the update. Good to know the bumper hitch held up well. Read something today about unibody hitches causing buckling in the body if in a rear end collision with a hitch in the receiver. Sounds like that is not the case with the TC. I see you are HeRodeCBR, I had a 2012 CBR600RR that I sold cheap when I bought the van. At the time I had a 2014 ZX6R636 ABS but currently ride a BMW F800GT, really miss the I4 600s, BMW is better on a long trip though. BMW stands for Bring My Wallet :-)

Some great battery info in here. Recently the battery in my wife's Smart car died due to a light b being left on overnight. I couldn't get it to charge so went and pulled the replacement battery off the shelf and blew the dust off of it. I bought it 3 or 4 years ago the last time she ran her battery down but was able to charge the battery then. It regerstered 11.98 V after just sitting on the shelf without any charging. Battery in the Smart car was almost 9 years old. Ive found cars with batteries in locations other than the engine compartment last much longer due to not getting cooked by engine heat. Worst cars Ive had for batteries are surprise - turbocharged cars! I've looked into lithium ion batteries for my motorcycle but have not gone that route yet. They don't have great performance when really cold but I don't ride my bike after its been sitting outside in 20 degreeF weather. Nice thing about lithium is the weight reduction which would be very nice in my current bike as the battery is mounted high.

For 2016 and earlier it would be the MyTouch system instead of the Sync3 system. I have it on my 2016.

Welcome, I love the big touch screen especially the backup camera. The phone part works well - Ive the MyTouch and not the Sync 3 but generally can dial a number by just telling it who to call. My grandkids laugh when it pronounces their last name. I like the way it handles, its not a sports car but does go around corners well and can be a bit entertaining. Switching between my TC, Volt and Motorcycle I have to be careful when Im on a curvy road and calibrate to the vehicle.

Agree with you Beta Don, around town I drive a 1st gen Volt and it is very weak on initial acceleration so I typically just stomp on it then back off as it gets to 5 to 10 MPH. Just exactly opposite to how I have to drive the TC.

I looked at my rear lift gate and don't think it would be a simple thing to do. Didn't see where the hinges would mount on the sides. The hinges for the lift gate are on top and each has a large rivet holding it in place. If you really want the doors I recommend getting a van with them. When looking for my van I used Car Gurus a lot. Most folks who are looking for the wagon version probably refer the lift gate. I did see a 2017 with the rear doors that I would have bought otherwise, I prefer the lift gate. It was very handy recently on a trip to Costco with the grandkids. They sat in the buggy with a large umbrella over them. I rolled them under the opened lift gate and they were able to climb thru to their carseats - of course with a few stops along the way as 5 year olds are prone to do.

First thing to check is the bulb, occasionally a bulb fails and shorts. second thing to check is wiring to see if there is a spot with the insulation rubbed off.

Very Nice! Living in the deep south had to laugh when you said summer tires in June. On my BMW i used to run summer ultra high performance tires year round. Did have to be a bit careful when the temps got down to mid 20's (F). Only problem is living where it snows once every 3 or 4 years is the drivers. They can't drive!

Very Nice! Like the color, much better than my creeper van white. Creeper van white is my daughters description.

LOL, yea sometimes its tough to admit. Ive done worse though. Funny you are looking for a front plate mount and my Volt has a front plate mount on it but we don't have front plates here. Ive looked at how to get rid of it but haven't come up with a good way to get rid of the holes.

Ive never seen anything for the TC. Happy with the manual doors, the other day as I was dropping my grandkids off at mothers day out a mom in her Honda or Toyota started driving off with the side door open! She didn't stop just closed it while moving, made me very nervous. Ive wondered if there is an interlock to prevent opening the passengers side sliding door while fueling.

Welcome, have a 2016 TC wagon and am happy with the powertrain. Agree with david parker. Have a son in San Jose and my TC may make a trip out there but then again it may be my motorcycle.

I'm with you on the mistrust although I can see the value in some situations like following a Honda - my daughters minivan is amazingly inconsistent on speed up and down hills with the cruse control on - I know its trying to avoid downshifting but its annoying.

A great write-up! Thanks a bunch, I haven't had to poke around it it much yet. My son recently bought a Focus ST and Im sure he will be borrowing my scan took and computer when he has time.

When I bought my van (2016 model) I remember seeing the tire pressures in the screen but have not been able to access again. My Volt is happy to show the tire pressures in the dash display. I agree with you Fifty150 but think most drivers don't care. They want to just get in a turn the key and go. Amazing how complex the technology is in our society today and how few folks know how anything works.

yes that's what I figured. I park on the right side of the garage and walk around the van to get in. At least twice I've opened the passenger door and leaned across the seat to open the hood but couldn't because of the safety feature. A minor aggravation. This is the first vehicle I've had that has had something like that.

I looked at my 2016 with the 2.5 engine. It would be pretty tough but with some patience it might be possible to get to the latch from underneath with a a coat hanger. One of those flexible cameras would help. It might be possible to get to it from the grill but there wasn't an easy obvious way. Love the way the drivers door has to be open to release the hood.

This is for Fifty150: I heard that the reason some of the expensive European brands went to free service was the lease vehicles were coming back off lease with the oil having never been changed! I'm not trying to start a social commentary but its amazing how badly some folks take care of their vehicles. But again I have a couple of 2008 vehicles with the original antifreeze and brake fluid. It's on my agenda to change the brake fluid this spring. A year or two ago I did some Google research on antifreeze and the German brands all say life of vehicle for their antifreeze. I ran across knowledgable folks who backed it up. Only change if there is problem or issue that requires draining the system. Since I live in a place where really cold is 20F and totally frozen is 10F and one of the cars lives in a garage.

PWFX, know exactly what you are saying. I used to be in the camp of change it every 3, 4 or 5,000 miles. When I bought my Volt, i changed my ways. I have a lot of interstate miles but decided to go with the oil change indicator. I don't wait till the last moment but will let the oil life get down to 20 or 25 percent then change. The old systems where they just counted miles were not good but I like the new ones where they include they type of driving. My Volt for example ran on the batteries most of the time but I was making trips to see my mom every weekend. It was a 300 mile round trip in a day. About the best service you could ask for. The TC is a trip car and sees mostly highway miles. Again I expect longer life from the oil. So far Ive changed it about every 6,000 to 7,000 miles. As for the transmission my plan is 35,000 miles and I get it changed - plan is to see if I can find a good shop that will do a real flush not a drain and refill. IMO how you drive is as important as how you maintain. Always letting the engine and trans come up to temperature before hard acceleration makes a big difference.

It really does look like it is part of that assemble. Mine is a 2016 with the rear lift gate. I took a photo of what the part looks like. You might be able to find one at a salvage yard. Without looking at any diagrams my guess is its part of the motor assembly and perhaps you could remove that and put on your motor.

The TC is a Ford Focus derivative and as such things that work on the cars are somewhat applicable to the TC. I really like the 2.0 turbo with the 6 speed. If you know how to deal with the electronics - ie swap over the computer, then it would be possible to have a descent amount of power. No idea how to go about a lift though. If you have a really big budget find a wrecked Focus RS and put the drivetrain under the TC.

Welcome, I also have a 2016 and have taken the rear seats out several times. I bought it new Nov of 2017 and it only has 13,000 miles on it. It was supposed to be a third vehicle for hauling stuff, trips etc. However after having it only a few months my son's car broke and he "borrowed" my other car. Finally after 7 months I got my Volt back am now back to my planned vehicle setup. He did manage to run the front of the Volt into the left rear corner of the TC! Fortunately just some minor scratches and the backup sensor on the corner wasn't damaged. It has been great for hauling my wife's 90 year old parents. Her father had terminal cancer and it was so much easier to get him into it than a car of SUV. He passed away at the end of last year but now we are taking mother-in-law places. She still drives locally but has very bad arthritis, the van is very easy for her to get in and out of. Sometimes I haul the 5 YO twin grandkids in it. And yes they did find something to compete about. Left side or right side, what's the difference? On the left side they can see the whole screen on the NAV system! In the Volt same issue but its the battery display which has wheels that turn and shows the engine and power flow.