Eddy Kilowatt

Thanks for posting the answer to a question I've been wondering about! And I agree with JRM, it's too bad there's not a "custom size" option amongst the canned choices offered.

Hi Don, I'll be happy to take a look, but won't have time till this weekend.

I have a 2015 non-Titanium with the larger instrument-cluster display that you mention. I believe that it is always present on any TC with the larger available center-console display (I forget the exact dimension)... and I seem to recall from my search days that the larger display goes along with the Nav option. At any rate, there are definitely XLTs out there that have the display you're seeking, so I would say don't confine your search to just Titaniums. I was happy to find my XLT with the Nav option, because although I seldom use the nav (I use my phone), I really prefer the look of the larger embedded instrument-cluster display. Call me a sucker for a pretty face I guess... P.S. how hard is it to pop the instrument cluster out... and do you think there is any possibility to jury-rig it to tilt further upward? I can't see the top of the tach or speedo from my preferred driving height...

Bummer, I was curious how that diesel was gonna drive. They "can't get" the diesel engines? Huh?

Framebinder, I don't have any problem with the pedal effort, seems like most other cars. But Sampa, I totally agree, it's practically my #1 complaint about driving the TC is the difficulty of a smooth takeoff especially if you are just coming off the brake and moving your foot to the gas. I've actually resorted to two-foot driving (left foot on the brake) in traffic because I really don't like seeing my passengers getting jerked back in their seats. I don't doubt this is done to make the new car seem peppier on the test drive, but it would be nice to have an "OK, now I have to live with it" setting. The throttle curve is totally controlled by a map in software, no doubt... question is, is there an alternate curve that can be enabled with something like FORScan, that's a little less front-loaded?

To the OP -- 235/65 R16 ? Is there a typo there... that's a big tire, like +10% over the stock 215/55/16. I too am looking to upsize a bit, but more like 2-4% in diameter/circumference.

I'd even say hard to beat at twice the price, those look good on the TC.

Not to hijack the thread, but every time I step on the gas in my 2015, I think to myself how short-sighted and context-free the automotive press is, and how screwed up the priorities are among the motoring public in general. The power and driveability of this van is way more than adequate for the kind of driving that people need to do with it, and the upside -- 28 mpg -- pays off for the whole life of the van, not just a couple of onramp drag races. Maybe it is relevant to the thread, since the 2019s have the deliberately downsized 2.0 engine...

I've noticed the thread drift, would be happy if there was a little less of it... I've probably been guilty of contributing a few times, too. Maybe if a few off-topic replies were moved to Lounge and appeared in Recent Posts/Recent Topics, they'd attract attention there and get folks in the habit of hanging out in the Lounge forum. There's an enjoyable bunch of folks here to chew the fat with, we just need a little more self-discipline to keep the question/answer threads on-topic.

It's a Certified Pre-Owned, so warranty now goes to 100k. I noticed the clunky shifting during my test drive, decided to have faith in the warranty and not scuttle the deal (which I'd driven 100+ miles to make)... if it had been a private-sale deal five miles from home I'd have probably passed on it after the drive. I'm glad that Ford was there for me, so far, as I really didn't expect this level of repair. (I guess they didn't either or they wouldn't have CPO'ed the car.) I considered the harsh shifts to be annoying but not damaging, but as I read more about the 6F35, my alarm level grew. So I'm happy with the direction things are going at the moment; as DavidParker said, kicking off ownership with a well-rebuilt trans is nothing to complain about.

I took my new-to-me 2015 wagon to local dealer service, to have them do something about the green-and-yellow brake fluid in the reservoir that I posted about a few weeks ago. While handing over the van I also mentioned the delayed and harsh 2-3 upshift, and general minor clunkiness at random times on other shifts. I didn't think those issues would make me stand out from thousands of other 6F35 owners, but lo and behold... they called to say that I just had two colors of DOT4 in the reservoir and they wouldn't do anything about the brakes... but by the way they reproduced my shift symptoms and noticed a shift flare too, so they were pulling the trans to do a service bulletin on the valve body and replace some clutches while they were in there. (!) That was Tuesday and I've heard one update on Friday that parts were due in Saturday and Monday... so we'll see how it turns out. I have a sneaking suspicion I happened in there during a slow week for their trans tech, and they were happy to see some warranty work they could charge to Ford. (It's a CPO vehicle with powertrain warranty to 100k). It'll all come down to the skill level of that tech, but the service advisor seems confident they can get it running like it's supposed to. Further news as it happens...

I'm all about buying used vehicles too, and while I don't look for high miles, I don't let 'em put me off, either... and because the value formulas use a fixed cents-per-mile price, you do save a lot as the miles rack up. I go for 3-5 years old and up to 20k miles per year. Note that I've mostly applied this to passenger cars, European ones at that... and when you find high miles on a passenger car they tend to be highway miles (unless Carfax indicates livery service). Highway miles are best miles: few cold starts, steady speeds, light loads, not much accelerating and braking, clambering on and off the upholstery, etc. But in this case, you have an indication it was mostly used around town, presumably start/stop traffic. With that I would be a little more interested in wear on the powertrain (are all the transmission shifts smooth and well-timed, up and down), brakes (easy to check, pads and rotors), body (above, below, and suspension), and interior. /just bought a 2015 TC with 61k //but CPO with warranty to 100k, so I'm not as brave as I sound ///and it's currently on a lift at the Ford dealer, with its tranny on the bench =:-0

You can totally shift into S, it's what you're supposed to do to keep from cooking the brakes. To quote from the manual, in manual S position: * the transmission provides maximum engine braking. * gears 1 through 6 are available. * the driver can manually shift the transmission to gears 1 through 6 using the SelectShift™ switch located on the selector lever knob. * grade assist is activated. * the transmission will select gears that will provide the engine braking desired, based on the vehicle inputs, this will increase engine rpm during engine braking. In S, when you step on the brake the tranny will drop a gear to help with braking. Use it anytime you're on a long hill, unless you enjoy the aroma of hot brake pads and like paying for brake jobs.

I'm curious about this too. I looked around briefly (i.e., typed that tire size into Tire Rack's search) and didn't see anything with the XL/97 load rating.

It would be nice if there was an alternate, less aggressive accelerator map that could be selected with a scanner. Something suitable for a wedding-cake delivery business. "Limousine Mode", if you will.

I have to confess I never really expected them to follow through on the diesel, despite announcing it a year ago. I think it was a brave move toward fuel economy on their part (as was downsizing the gas engine offering to 2.0), but the pervasive need to do 0-60 in seven seconds is winning for now. Add to that diesel's real technical problems getting clean, its VW-inflicted problems playing fair, and its historical lack of acceptance for passenger power in the US, and it was a real eyebrow-raiser when Ford announced diesel power for the TC. I was still hoping they'd follow through, looking forward to test driving one, and hoping for success for their new (in N.A.) EcoBlue powertrain... but I will hardly be surprised if these early hints that the engine is cancelled turn out to be true.

The 2.5 (and I would bet the 1.6) has drive-by-wire throttle, and they seem to have mapped it to give about 50% throttle opening with the first 10% of accelerator pedal motion. Perhaps an attempt to fool motor journalists into thinking there's more engine up front than there really is. Anyway, it's hard to get a smooth takeoff even in good weather.

Man, you can say again. Actually, I don't even think they're particularly aware of the nuances of handling. It's all about can it shove you back in your seat, does it have the latest assortment of marginally useful and potentially distracting "driver assist technology"... and in this jaw-dropping case, snif snif, "the infotainment screen isn't particularly large". Rare is the reviewer who puts him/her self in the shoes of someone looking for something other than a vehicle to gun around some pre-arranged drive on scenic country roads for the media showcase. But it also sounds like Ford hasn't solved the mystery of how to make a smooth-shifting automatic with more than three forward speeds. ?

When describing the TC to friends, I say "overgrown PT Cruiser" which, sadly, helps. Most of them don't know the TC by name (thanks, Ford). I'm still waiting for the right moment to use "I'm just here to fix the cable" ? .

Interesting info, thanks... bears out some of my previously formed prejudices, but since I'll be using Motorcraft filters (and oil) while in warranty, it's nice to know they appear to be a quality product.

My name is Eddy Kilowatt, and I approve of this comment ?

Was poking around under the hood of my new-to-me 2015 TC, and came across this dismaying sight in the brake fluid reservoir. I theorize that the dealership (it's a CPO vehicle) got water in there when they were pressure washing the engine bay, but who knows... I've never actually added water to DOT4 to see what happens. Hopefully the whatever-that-floc-is is recent and hasn't been there too long, or migrated too far into the brake system. I've parked the car for now and will schedule a trip to my local dealer (not the selling dealer) as soon as the holidays are over. My thought is they should separately drain the reservoir, then after that flush the full brake system... but I don't suppose I'll have much influence on what they do other than making that stuff go away.

Here's what Fuelly.com reports, for about five thousand fillups of Ford Transit Connects with 2.5 liter four-cylinder gas engines. So there's obviously a huge range, close to 2:1, in the actual fuel economy that folks are achieving. They don't report what folks' trip computers are reading. I've only had my van long enough for one fillup... so no real-world data from me, yet.

Mine too (2015 w/ 60k)... holds 2nd longer than it ought to (close to 3k rpm even when accelerating slowly), then shifts to 3rd less smoothly than it ought to (less smoothly than all the other shifts). Member "Project bike truck" found this service bulletin relating to harsh/delayed shifts into 3rd or 5th, don't know if he was able to get any help from the dealer on it: I haven't taken this issue up with a dealer yet. That'll be step one, before changing fluid myself.

Whooshing and whining is par for the course... thrumming and vibrating the steering wheel sounds like a foreign object(s) caught in the blower wheel. I haven't had mine apart yet, so no advice to give on how to check... see Desert_Connect's post above.