breknraj

It appears that the years of use have caught up to the ignition switch, itself, and it has become increasingly difficult to turn, at start up, sometimes requiring a few minutes of messing with it, to get it to turn. Has anyone else run into this, and is anyone familiar with sourcing a new one, and having it set to use the factory keys? (I hate having to carry more keys than necessary) Thanks for your help!

Altough it has been a few months since I've seen them, I have seen full size Transits high altitude testing, here in the Colorado Rockies, and my service advisor at the local dealership says that the testers stop there on a regular basis. The full size Transit is about the same size as the Mercedes Sprinter vans. Since I have seen them testing here, I would fully expect them to be introduced here within a couple of years.

Overall, I've been pretty pleased with my TC, even with the original transmission going bye- bye, but I, too, would love to see a diesel with a 5 speed, for all of the reasons previously stated. I was hoping that when they started building them over here, we might have some addtional drivetrain options, but it seems (last I heard) that Ford has shevled plans for domestic production, because of not getting any concessions from the UAW, and not winning the taxi competition for NYC. I'm glad to see someone else has had the same thought I did as to the potential suitability of a RHD version for rural mail carriers. I know that Subaru has (or, at least, had) a program for contract mail carriers to buy RHD Subis, and have seen a few of them over the years. Ford really ought to look into this.

I'm sure that others have also been asked, "What's it gonna be, when it grows up?"

I had the EXACT same symptoms with my '10 XLT last month. I decided to park it for the weekend and get it to dealer the next week - I didn't make it home. When all was said and done, I got a new transmission at 6,400 miles. The front planetary was destroyed, and the debris took out everything in the tranny. Now that I have a new one, I'm pretty sure that the original transmission had issues from day one, since this one is quieter and smoother than the original ever was. I asked if I could get a 5 speed to replace the auto - of course I got told no (damn it!)

Try RV supply catalogs, or even J.C.Whitney. I'm sure that you'll be able to find something like what you are looking for.

Without trying to sound judgemental, do you brake with your left foot, and, if you do, do you rest your foot on the brake pedal? I've had friends that do, and they seem to go through pads far faster than I ever do. I'm thinking that perhaps the combination of that, and the famous hills of the Bay area might be the cause.

Since all we poor Colonials get are 2.0 liter petrol engines, we probably can't offer much more help than to direct you to the Transit Connect section at http://fordtransit.org . I believe that there is a company called VanTuners in the UK that has a good reputation for re-mapping the diesels. I think that this section, here, is in hopes that the TC does well, and Ford finally decides to bless us with diesels,too.

You'll probably get more of the info that you are looking for at http://www.fordtransit.org . We here in the states only get to dream about having turbo diesels in the Connects. Our mates in the UK have lots of experience with them.

I would suggest disconnecting the battery for a few minutes, then re-connect and try the radio, again. This will sometimes cure electrical glitches.

To each, their own, but my personal question is WHY?

Azdamay, I think I've seen you post about limited range of the remote, before. While I'm not very impressed with the range, either (as compared to my BMW), I can still activate mine from about 30 to 40 feet away. I'm wondering if perhaps the antenna on the unit in your van might have a problem? Have you brought this up with your dealer?

I had the same problem, but remembered seeing somthing about it in the owners manual. The procedure for re-programming the TC to open all locks is in there, and it worked like a champ for me.

Yep, Summit County, Colorado. If you keep your eyes open around here, you'll see just about everything at least a year before it comes out for sale. I saw my first TCs about 3 years ago, when they were testing here.