Jump to content
Ford Transit Connect Forum
   

Vincent VanGoing 1.0


Recommended Posts

The heaters that ford installs are a electric element that are made like a block core plug and are installed in the block. It is located at the front of the block .  It will take a couple of hours and a coolant drain to put it in.

chong check out page 168 of the 2016 Owners manual.

COLD WEATHER
PRECAUTIONS
The functional operation of some
components and systems can be affected
at temperatures below -13°F (-25°C).

My TC has seen -26 and I am still not sure what the cryptic message means if you find out please let us know!

Very cool on the Auto Start!

Edited by G B L
Link to comment
Share on other sites

   
12 hours ago, mrtn said:

What kind of block heaters they install in Canada? Pretty much all TC here have diesel fuel based Webasto or Eberspächer coolant heater standard, independent, programmable and/or remote controllable.

The Subaru block heaters (that's what I had before) replace the coolant drain plug in the block. It didn't have any fancy timers built into it. I have a block heater timer plugged into the outlet on the side of my house. I programmed it to turn on 2 hours before I left for work. I don't need a block heater in Michigan, but I LOVE having instant heat.

And GBL answered that question. Not enough coffee in my system yet...

I'll see what I can find out about the language in the manual. I know some Powertrain Engineers at Ford that I can ask. Personally, I'm most concerned about the oil and coolant at that temperature.

Edited by chong
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The standard coolant mix is good to -34F Even if it is colder nothing will break.  If you have Synthetic Oil The cold should not be a problem. With the electric cooling fan the engine will maintain temp.  When it is very cold the real challenge is to warm up the rest of the drive train and suspension components after a long -40F night.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/10/2016 at 4:58 PM, mrtn said:

What kind of block heaters they install in Canada? Pretty much all TC here have diesel fuel based Webasto or Eberspächer coolant heater standard, independent, programmable and/or remote controllable.

When I first got my TC, I couldn't find a cord for the block heater, and ended up thinking that there was none. After reading recent posts, I checked my owner's manual, and it doesn't say "If equipped" under the "Engine block heater" title page 117, so I took another look, and sure enough, there it was. The reason I didn't find it previously, is because I was looking for a cord that looked like the one in my previous vehicle (Ford Focus wagon), which was a flat 3 conductor cord with a plug at the end, much like a regular household HD cord. The cord on the TC is wrapped with corrugated loom, and the plug is round. The whole thing was hiding under another loom to the right of the air filter. I would think that a block heater might be standard in colder regions in the US as well. I hope the pics will help some of you find theirs.

IMG_1282.JPG

IMG_1281.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You could be right. I think the dealer is the one to order  the heater here for cars they buy for stock vehicles .  My TC was ordered for a Newport Vermont  dealer 8 miles from the Canadian border and it did not have a heater installed.  If I had done a special order I would have put one in.

Thanks for the great post.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the tip about the block heater! My van is at the dealer now for the install. Here's hoping they get it done by lunch time, I have a lot of packing to do. Wednesday night marked the coldest night of the winter for us thus far. Temps went down to about 0 and maybe a bit below. I slept in the van in the driveway. IMG_1707.JPG

The heated blankets do their job. I didn't use my Fobuino system to start the van every hour. If I had the parts, I'd hack the heated blankets to put them on the Arduino too. I found that the 45 minute built in timer was perfect for a 2 hour sleep. Programming the Arduino to kick those back on every 2 hours would be about perfect.

This week, we've been doing the finishing touches. 

IMG_1706.JPG

Smoke/CO detector installed right above where our heads will go. Hopefully running the engine overnight while parked in an open area doesn't cause that thing to go off. 

The most important part of the entire system, the Fire Extinguisher, right behind the center console within easy reach.

IMG_1705.JPG

Edited by chong
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/14/2016 at 5:23 AM, chong said:

All told its going to be just under $500. I'll get a breakdown on just the parts when I get the car back.

On the 2017 models, the block heater is an option in Canada that will set you back Can$100 (about US$75). In California, the same option is US$35.  This kind of deal looks a lot like the roof rail deal; very expensive unless it comes installed from the factory.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very Nice  . 

If the Exhaust on your 1.6 is like the one on My 2.5 is  pointing down on the left side at the rear bumper. If that is the case , Be careful how you park if it is snowing and blowing  the snow could build up there and the CO could sneak in at the base of the back door.

 

Edited by G B L
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You have a point, It is a retail operation.

The price of the option  at the factory  is  $50.00 for the heater and 2 minutes to install on the engine on the engine line. Once in the car the access is hard and the engine has to be drained of coolant.

Edited by G B L
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, G B L said:

Very Nice  . 

If the Exhaust on your 1.6 is like the one on My 2.5 is  pointing down on the left side at the rear bumper. If that is the case , Be careful how you park if it is snowing and blowing  the snow could build up there and the CO could sneak in at the base of the back door.

 

That's exactly where the exhaust is. That's also the side that I put the CO detector on. I'm quite worried about exactly what you stated, but I think (hope!) we have enough precautions in place to prevent disaster.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, G B L said:

You might want to put one in the bay under the bed near to the bottom . CO is heaver than air and this would warn you sooner.

Good call. No time to pick up another detector, I'll move the one we have.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, G B L said:

You must be ready to head out soon. When is your start date for the run.

Hope we will get up dates from the road.

Leaving tomorrow morning. Should be interesting, a lot of snow coming tonight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey At one point  you should invest in a set of chains.  I got a great set from E-trailer .  They go on in a flash and will provide the added confidence an intrepid traveler needs to maintain their road edge.

Safe trip and let every one else do that stuff that ends up on U-tube!! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

And we are back! As promised, here's a shot of everything loaded up just prior to departure:

IMG_1719.JPG

I was a bit disappointed to find out that the trip computer rolls over well before the 9999 that I would have expected. Here's how we did on Day 1 (Ann Arbor, Michigan to just north of Fargo, North Dakota):

IMG_1727.JPG

Poor poor bikes pick up so much grime on a long trip like this:

IMG_1729.JPG

I was thankful to find a manual car wash that just kept the meter running on my credit card. It took about $10 to get everything scrubbed up!

Edited by chong
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...