mculbert Posted October 20 Share Posted October 20 (edited) Found a super clean silver 2014 XLT locally. Alabama/Mississippi car, so no road salt. Only 61,000 on the clock. Only immediate change will likely be be swapping the radio for a double-DIN unit. I hadn’t dealt with Sync for a while, I’d forgotten how terrible it is. Edited October 20 by mculbert Added trim level Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mculbert Posted October 22 Author Share Posted October 22 I had a new 2023 on order for over a year. But once it arrived, used TC prices had started coming back down to a reasonable level, so I declined it. I've wanted a TC forever, since most bicycles will roll straight in. My only slight concern was my Salsa fatbike, which is quite tall. I thought I might have to remove the third row seats for extra clearance, but it went right in! I picked up some light cam straps to keep bikes from banging around too much. Loving the TC already, it drives like a car but hauls like a small truck. Even my wife thinks it's great. It replaces my beloved 2012 5-speed Focus, which I've owned since new & the wife hated. Some minor maintenance performed so far: - Rotated tires (including the tire position sensor re-initialization dance) - Changed engine air filter (old one was not bad, but had a new one and I was into the airbox already) - Changed front cabin filter (exceptionally dirty, Ford logo, probably the original) - Ordered rear cabin filter (This is also super dirty) It has Ford-branded roof crossbars, but didn't come with a key. These appear to be Thule locks? Cylinders are imprinted with Thule system numbers; and my existing Thule keys fit into the cylinder. I ordered a replacement from an online source for Thule keys. Will re-post with results. To do: - Order all weather mats - Order recovery hook - Back to the dealer on Wednesday, as they appear to have over-filled the oil when they changed it. Level is way above the full mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fifty150 Posted October 22 Share Posted October 22 On 10/19/2024 at 6:37 PM, mculbert said: 2014 On 10/19/2024 at 6:37 PM, mculbert said: 61,000 Exchange the transmission fluid. mculbert 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mculbert Posted November 2 Author Share Posted November 2 On 10/21/2024 at 11:07 PM, Fifty150 said: Exchange the transmission fluid. Thank you! Going on Monday to a local transmission shop that my longtime mechanic refers all transmission work to. Heading out to the east coast on Friday, so wanted to get that done before we travel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mculbert Posted November 2 Author Share Posted November 2 Also wanted to let everyone know that this Ford-branded roof rack does use Thule lock cylinders. You can use the number on the face of the cylinder to order replacement keys from third-parties online. Took me a few minutes to figure out how this rack is detached. You use the key to unlock, and then you can pull outwards on the endcap. Then spin the endcap counterclockwise to loosen that end of the bar from the roof rail. I'm going to remove these for our east coast trip, as they generate a fair bit of wind noise on the highway. Also any protrusion causes a bit of drag, reducing MPG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mculbert Posted November 6 Author Share Posted November 6 Got mine back from the transmission shop today. They found a leaking left axle seal, which apparently means that entire axle gets replaced. I had a 90-day warranty from the seller, so they agreed to pay for that pay for the replacement. Fluid was changed out with full synthetic. Shifting seems to be a bit smoother now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windguy Posted November 6 Share Posted November 6 (edited) 59 minutes ago, mculbert said: They found a leaking left axle seal, which apparently means that entire axle gets replaced. I had a 90-day warranty from the seller, so they agreed to pay for that pay for the replacement. Congrats on your 2014. Sharp looking van. There was an SSM issued for the early Gen 2 vans (2014, 2015, ?) due to left front drive shaft leak. SSM 44938 or 45441, depending on the VIN#. The axle doesn't get replaced, just the seal as best I can remember. I had that warranty work done on my 2015 back on 08/2015. It was a small leak but still got it squared away. Edited November 6 by windguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mculbert Posted November 7 Author Share Posted November 7 23 hours ago, windguy said: Congrats on your 2014. Sharp looking van. There was an SSM issued for the early Gen 2 vans (2014, 2015, ?) due to left front drive shaft leak. SSM 44938 or 45441, depending on the VIN#. The axle doesn't get replaced, just the seal as best I can remember. I had that warranty work done on my 2015 back on 08/2015. It was a small leak but still got it squared away. No idea why the axle gets replaced too. Listed on the receipt as a CV joint/axle. I peered underneath, looks like a new left axle. Shop was able to get CarMax to pay for that part of the repair, so I'm all good. Guessing it's possible an improper shape/profile of the axle at the sealing point could be the issue that causes the failure? In which case replacing just the seal would not be a sufficient long-term repair. The full synthetic fluid is very nice. Down in the 30s here this morning, shifting was still silky smooth. Will be interesting to see how well it works in Jan/Feb here, which can get down to -20. windguy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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