azdamay

I believe skurtz is asking how to get the 2011 mirror glass that has the integrated blind spot mirror, without having to purchase the entire mirror assembly for a 2011 model. If anyone knows how to do that, and how to replace the glass without destroying the mirror I would like to know as well. I'd love to upgrade to the blind spot mirror without spending hundreds of dollars, and I hate stick-on blind spot mirrors.

Yeah, this is very true. The transmission desperately needs at least one more gear and two would be better. And the engine needs another 30 or so horsepower pretty badly. In hilly country (which is where most of my driving occurs) this thing can be a chore to drive. On flat ground things are fine.

Well at least that was easily solved. That's what it is great about discussion forums! Good to know it's not just mine that has the wind noise issue.

You too huh? I thought I was the only one who had experienced that. Except I didn't think to check the pressures before leaving the dealer. I just knew by the feel of things on the way home that they had not adjusted the pressures to compensate for rotating the tires. Idiots. It's right on the info label on the door jamb.

I have yet to experience this noise. OTOH I don't carry anything in the door pockets, either. I do have an annoying wind whistle/road noise issue coming somewhere from the leading edge of the driver's side door. It's annoying as hell over about 60 mph. But the prospect of bringing the van to the dealer and swapping EVERYTHING out into a rental, only to later pick the van up from Ford with a "sorry we couldn't replicate the issue" answer is more than I can take at the moment. So I live with it and turn up the radio (and yes I did replace the speakers!).

Haha, you saw the light! Where did you see the NV? Dealer lot, car show, on the street? I have yet to see anything other than the pictures on the 'net.

That's righteous. I'm on FF.com, I used to have an SVT Focus. I was wondering how long before someone put 2+2 together and realized the engine in the current Focus and the Transit Connect are the same (meaning there are some aftermarket parts out there). I was thinking about a supercharger myself... if this van actually belonged to me, and I had the spare money. Keep us updated on what happens. The European market version has a 5-speed manual, what about swapping out the ATX for a manual? Too costly?

LOL that bad, huh? I've only had occasion to use it a few times, I thought it sounded OK. But I am sick and tired of people cutting me off like I'm not even there... which is making me consider a Hella Triple Tone. Not sure where to squeeze it in though.

I am at my company's headquarters right now for training, we have techs from NorCal, SoCal, and the Boston/Northeast area here currently. One of the Boston guys was saying his Transit had this problem, it does sound like either an extreme cold or snow-related issue. I believe in his case he was saying it was caused by snow covering the sensors? Honestly the guys from back East who have to drive a Transit are not happy with them. I seem to be the odd man out because I actually like this van (but perhaps it is better suited for mild climates??).

That's what she said! Sorry I couldn't resist... nice work on the "workstation" there, that's heavy duty for sure.

Appliance repair. My Transit Connect isn't actually mine (it is a fleet vehicle belonging to my company), but I like to think of it as mine and treat it that way. It is a nice upgrade in cargo area and features compared to the 2006 Grand Caravan C/V I drove previously.

Glad that was useful! BTW if anyone wants it, you can download the user manuals in pdf form, from Ford on the fleet website: https://www.fleet.ford.com/maintenance/owners_manuals/default.asp

What the heck is that surfboard-shaped thing in the middle of the headliner? Just a really decorative light?

Neat! Thanks for the updates, this is a nice forum from what I've seen so far.

Yeah, that's the only thing I can think of, that I'm basically hitting it from the wrong angle or maybe even standing too close, to get the signal through the windows. I kind of doubt that there would be any issue with the antenna or the keys but it's worth bringing up with the dealer at the next oil change.

Range according to the manual is approx. 33 feet depending on variables. I can activate the locks fine if I am at a 90 degree angle to the side of the van, even from a reasonable distance. But most of the time I am approaching the van from the rear (to put my tool bag away in the back) and the dang thing will not unlock... sometimes when I am literally standing RIGHT THERE! I can try again and again, and nothing happens, I put my arm around the side of the van and try it again... click, doors unlock. Maybe it has something to do with the glass delete? So yeah, maybe I better take it up with the dealer, but I doubt they'll be much help. My GTO isn't much better so I'm sort of used to it. Strangely my old Focus had GREAT range, what happened Ford?? Oh and I changed the locks to unlock all at once... very easy and so worth it, Scratch did you do it?

I had forgotten you can do this, I will be doing it myself later today (I HATE the separately-unlocking rear doors). I attached the instructions. BTW am I the only one whose TC remotes seem to have a mind of their own? This thing locks and unlocks when it feels like it. I have to be standing really close, and often if I am standing at the rear of the van, it doesn't work at all, and I have to literally just put my arm around to the side of the van, and then it works!? Worst implementation of remote keyless entry I have ever used.

Yeah, I wouldn't call a Transit Connect with a bumped roof the prettiest thing, but for some folks it might be a necessity. I'm thinking of handicap-accessible conversions. To the OP, why do you want to put a body kit on a Transit Connect van?

I'm not a huge fan of the older ones, which strike me as odd-looking (much like the Escort vans and Fiesta-based Courier that predated the TC). But the recent model seems like a nice, traditional-looking van: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Caddy#Caddy_Typ_2K_.282004-present.29 I've seen some that were modded and they actually look pretty cool.

Hey, I just noticed in the gallery images you have the mud flaps/splash guards installed on the rear (can't see if you have the front ones?). How well do those help in keeping down the crud that gets splashed up? I'm thinking about buying a set for the front and rear if they actually help, we have had a very rainy fall/winter here in California and a ton of junk off the streets is getting stuck to the sides of my van! If I push on the side marker light on the rear bumper it actually makes crunchy noises from all the stuff that went under the lens.

Looks good! Good use of all the "billboard" space on the side of the TC to advertise your company. Honestly I think the wraps look silly. Pacific Sales has Transit Connects for their premium-brand appliance repair vans, they are obviously white vans wrapped with a black wrap. I just don't see the point.

^^ What are you saying, we don't know how to drive in the snow?? LOL.

I'd like to see a picture of that too. The cupholders are in an awkward position, but like the rest of you I guess, I've gotten used to "feeling" for my drink without taking my eyes off the road.

For me, it didn't matter (because the vehicle doesn't belong to me). The cosmetic flaws are very minor, they wouldn't even show up in a photograph unless I took a close-up photo specifically of the flaws. I can understand wanting a new vehicle to be brand-spanking-new, but bottom line is this a cheap work vehicle, not a Lexus, and it makes a hell of a journey over several forms of transportation before even making it to the dealer. On the passenger side fender there is actually a flaw in the paint that looks like a several-inch long discoloration (almost looks like a rub mark or something under the paint). That's an area that is not touched by the outfitters, it came from the factory that way! If I had paid for this thing myself I'd probably be more pissed, but... I fully expect to accumulate much nastier scars over the years of driving it.

With regard to the 3rd brake light, I would speculate the North American standards are more strict in requiring it to be centrally-located. Here's what wikipedia says about CHMSL: "Trucks, vans and commercial vehicles sometimes have the CHMSL mounted to the trailing edge of the vehicle's roof. The CHMSL is required by regulations worldwide to be centred laterally on the vehicle, though ECE R48 permits lateral offset of up to 15 cm if the vehicle's lateral centre is not coincident with a fixed body panel, but instead separates movable components such as doors." As far as I have read, the front fog lights are going to be available on the 2011 Transit Connect. What "issues" are you concerned about regarding the glass delete? I drive a TC that has no rear glass, I will say that the quality of the work done left a little to be desired... when I picked the van up from the dealer there were several marks/scratches on the panels and near the panels. Otherwise they seem to be structurally sound. I doubt you'll see rear disc brakes. Honestly the Transit Connect stops better than the previous vehicle I drove for work, a 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan C/V, which had 4 wheel disc brakes.