Double Nickels

And after all day of driving in stop and go, on hills, my temperatures are still in the same range. On my van, with my drive style, fluid temperatures maintain consistently whether the ambient air is in the 50s, or over 100.

Of course, the real question is, do you trust the computer algorithm? Some people say that once you add oil from the bottle, even if you're not driving it, the oil oxidizes. In a calendar year, the oil and/or additive pack has degraded. This is why oil labels say 1 year. This is why the computer will signal you in 1 year. Some people believe that the oil they are using will not have that problem. A lot of people feel that certain higher prices motor oils are better and will not degrade. You can send in an oil sample for analysis. I usually buy motor oil based on what I can buy cheap. And I have gone over 1 year between oil changes. The car did not blow up while driving on old oil. But that doesn't mean I did the right thing. I can't measure if the old oil was oxidized, or if any damage was done.

Smart. A lot of people say that you don't warm up modern cars. The school of thought is that the warm up is leftover from the carburetor days. I'm with you. Warm up before driving.

Very true. Today was much cooler. I was in stop and go. Steep hills in The City.

I hope that roadway is perfectly paved, dry, and clean. At those speeds, any uneven grade, water, or random debris could be bad news.

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Ambient air in the 70s, and temperature range is consistent. It seems like the fan turns on when coolant reaches 212F, or 100C. With my driving, movement and airflow reduces coolant temperature.

I meant to post screenshots of the PID formulas in case anyone needs to know.

I tried to look it up. Apparently, the speed limit cannot be removed with FORScan. As I recall, that was available on my old Mustang with SCT.

104 today. Similar temperature range. Heats up a little in stop and go. Airflow from driving 30 mph or more, brings the temps down.

I use Torque as a daily monitor on a tablet. I also have FORScan on a laptop. FORScan is way better. But only good for Ford. But the options to actually make changes are invaluable. It seems like Ford owners can do so much with FORScan, that everyone should download it. I can use Torque with a lot of different cars. For those who are interested, there are a lot of themes, including Ford and Mazda themes. It's already set up for Ford monitors.

Not Las Vegas or Saudi Arabia. Portola Valley hit 102 F today. The President left last week. He didn't take me with him. I am still here, and it was hot. Transit Connect did not overheat. You can see by the high RPM that I am going uphill at freeway speed. My regular route goes up very steep grades at high speed and high RPM.

Did you have to drill a hole in the roof?

Mine is literally within minutes. In less than a minute, the coolant approaches 100, and idle drops from 1200 RPM range to 800. Then within a few more minutes, coolant is approaching 150 and idle drops to 700. Of course, all of that varies from car to car, ambient temp, elevation, etc.

I sent a telegram for a diagram to wire in my 8 track player, and they still haven't responded. They lost my business for good.

I find the opposite. Today, with dashkits and harnesses, it's plug and play. Much easier than before.

But it would be interesting to see 1/4 mile times in real world conditions. Is anyone street racing? Has anyone set up an app to measure 0-60 and 1/4 mile times?

No idea what maximum speed is. I cruise on Interstate 5 between 75 -85. I don't need to find out what a Transit Connect tops out at. I know better than to push a minivan like a sports car.

Instructions should be in your owners manual.

Makes sense. I wouldn't want to drive a Transit Connect in that weather. Roads are probably covered in ice and snow. Apparently @ -30 degrees, your Transit Connect vans are still gripping the pavement. Is this with stock tires?

Interesting comparison. Something to think about with engine options.

Are you guys using 0W-20 in that cold climate?

You're only limited by your imagination.......and reality. Take out the seat, then install a swiveling bar stool with the legs cut off. There's no possible way to sit in the passenger seat and swivel. Where will your legs go? Easy enough to fabricate a lazy Susan style ball bearing swivel. Next you remove the center console, and the door. That OEM seat still won't turn. You can remove the front seat, then install a rear facing jump seat. An accident would kill whomever is sitting that way.

Overcooling occurs in extreme cold weather. Subzero ambient temperature. Transmission fluid can actually gel up in the lines and in the cooler. The Transit Connect is engineered to avoid this issue by returning transmission fluid via the bypass valve. A little bit of misplaced concern. In a subzero climate, you will not drive a Transit Connect. A bigger concern would be extremely hot ambient temperature. 100F + conditions in the dessert. I don't know of any Transit Connects in Alaska, or Saudi Arabia. In North East snow states, overcooling has not been a problem. Or at least not that I have read. Have there been overheating issues in South West dessert environments? Some of us, who have been around awhile, are referencing our decade(s) of experience. Old tech training and information, applied to modern technology. We go back to the charts which showed us 175F as an optimal transmission temperature. Back in the old days, temp gauges were installed with a sensor in the pan. Cool fluid returning is dumped into the pan. Or if you followed the instructions, the temperature sensor was suppose to be in the return line between the coolers and transmission, to gauge the effectiveness of the cooling system. Modern sensors in the valve body, being read electronically by the car's computer, are reading a higher temperature. The sensor is located where the fluid is hotter. People who have mechanical gauges in the pan, and ScanGauge have reported 10 - 15 degrees difference in temperature readings, with the pan sensor reading cooler than the scantool temperature from the valve body. Transmission builders also say that temperature is highest in the torque converter, so a sensor in the cooling line as fluid exits will be a higher reading. Modern transmissions are designed for operation at higher than 175F. Even the transmission fluid, just like modern engine oil, is a different formulation. May as well go back to changing oil every 3,000 miles. Or hanging fuzzy dice on the mirror.

I hope that all forum members in the effected storm zone are safe.