100,000 miles with my 2015 Transit Connect

[herb]

Since people say that it's hard to find Transit Connects with 150,000 + miles on them maybe the 10,000 mile oil change intervals have something to do with that . Just a thought .

[Fifty150]

If you care enough to change oil more than recommended, then you care enough to use higher price oil and filter.  Which is expensive, and not cheap. Not possible to get better, and cheaper.

[Spooner]

True, I only use full synthetic oil. And I do think these super long intervals that manufacturers recommend are somewhat due to lowering the ‘cost of ownership’ and not because it’s fine for the engine to go that long. Still it’s only like $30 to do it myself so In the grand scheme of things it’s pretty cheap. 

[herb]

6 hours ago, Fifty150 said:

If you care enough to change oil more than recommended, then you care enough to use higher price oil and filter.  Which is expensive, and not cheap. Not possible to get better, and cheaper.

 

 

Well of course i would use exactly what Ford recommends which is their Motorcraft 5 w 20 full synthetic oil and Motorcraft oil filter .  Walmart carries the Motorcraft with those specs and it's not very expensive at all actually .

 

You didn't think i would go with some economy blend with a Fram filter i hope.   I'm just going to bring the stuff to a Ford certified mechanic and have him change it since i see no way i can fit underneath this vehicle to do it myself.

 

I heard the dealer charges like $60.00 + which is insane and i also heard they will not change your oil sooner than the recommended intervals which also doesn't cut it with me .

[Fifty150]

2 hours ago, herb said:

 

 

Well of course i would use exactly what Ford recommends which is their Motorcraft 5 w 20 full synthetic oil and Motorcraft oil filter .  Walmart carries the Motorcraft with those specs and it's not very expensive at all actually .

 

You didn't think i would go with some economy blend with a Fram filter i hope.   I'm just going to bring the stuff to a Ford certified mechanic and have him change it since i see no way i can fit underneath this vehicle to do it myself.

 

I heard the dealer charges like $60.00 + which is insane and i also heard they will not change your oil sooner than the recommended intervals which also doesn't cut it with me .

 

 

Ford actually specs their vehicles for Motorcraft Synthetic Blend.  Not Full Synthetic.  Motor oil prices vary. I believe that Wal*Mart has the best price on Motorcraft oil filters.  As far as oil brand, everyone will have an opinion.  I won't weigh in on boutique oil brands or even boutique filters.  Plenty of research has already been done with used oil analysis and oil filters cut open.  I will encourage using oil weight as specified in your owners manual.  Transit Connect is 5W-20, with 0W-20 as an alternate for cooler climates.  

 

Again, with used oil analysis, plenty of people have found that even the Wal*Mart brand SuperTech is perfectly fine.  Fram filters on the other hand, do come in different grades.  The lowest price Fram is not very good.  The higher price Fram models are better built. 

 

Out of curiosity,  what do you mean by "Ford Certified Mechanic"?  I was not aware that Ford has a certification program for independent mechanics.  I was under the impression that only the dealership technicians received continual ongoing training.  In my area, there are shops that which specialize in certain makes & models.  Even a shop which specializes in Mustangs, housed in a former dealership.  They are probably more knowledgeable about Ford Mustang than most independent shops.  But I don't see anything that says, "Ford Certified".  And they cannot do things like "reflash" your computer when Ford releases an update.  Nor are they allowed to perform warranty work.  To my knowledge, no independent dealers get software updates to reflash the car, nor are they allowed to perform warranty work.

 

Dealer rates will vary.  Most dealers still put those little stickers in the windshield that ask you to return within 3000 - 5000 miles.  Performing extra oil changes allows them to upsell you on other services.  They want you in the shop for those oil changes.  Ask your service advisor.  I don't think they will have any problem charging you the "coupon price" every 3000 miles.  Look for those coupons online.  There is always a discount price for "The Works".  

 

[Fifty150]

[Fifty150]

Present this at your local dealer, and see if they will honor it........

 

[G B L]

When I change the oil on all of my vehicles I open the filters up with a filter cutter to drain them and recycle them. 

The motorcraft ,napa, purolator , super tech, are all better than the fram. 

All oil filter's have a bypass to protect the engine in case of filter plugging, cold starts and sudden full throttle operation.

[Fifty150]

 I'm always surprised to hear that Wal*Mart SuperTech brand oil & filters are of good quality.  You just don't expect that.  

 

In real world observation, fleet maintenance speaks volumes for regular maintenance.  Most fleet service programs follow factory recommended service intervals for everything.  They never change the oil at 3000 miles, or 10,000 miles, if the maintenance schedule says 5000 miles.  If the book says 5000 miles, they change it at 5000 miles.  Where I work at, and almost every private or government fleet, they are not paying extra money for premium grade synthetic oil or high cost oil filters.  They use the least expensive oil from a drum, and the least expensive oil filters which may be even worse than a Fram.  Yet, with regular oil changes, none of these vehicles have blown an engine within the warranty mileage, and all go over 100,000 miles easily.  

[herb]

On 12/5/2018 at 1:46 AM, Fifty150 said:

 

 

Ford actually specs their vehicles for Motorcraft Synthetic Blend.  Not Full Synthetic.  Motor oil prices vary. I believe that Wal*Mart has the best price on Motorcraft oil filters.  As far as oil brand, everyone will have an opinion.  I won't weigh in on boutique oil brands or even boutique filters.  Plenty of research has already been done with used oil analysis and oil filters cut open.  I will encourage using oil weight as specified in your owners manual.  Transit Connect is 5W-20, with 0W-20 as an alternate for cooler climates.  

 

Again, with used oil analysis, plenty of people have found that even the Wal*Mart brand SuperTech is perfectly fine.  Fram filters on the other hand, do come in different grades.  The lowest price Fram is not very good.  The higher price Fram models are better built. 

 

Out of curiosity,  what do you mean by "Ford Certified Mechanic"?  I was not aware that Ford has a certification program for independent mechanics.  I was under the impression that only the dealership technicians received continual ongoing training.  In my area, there are shops that which specialize in certain makes & models.  Even a shop which specializes in Mustangs, housed in a former dealership.  They are probably more knowledgeable about Ford Mustang than most independent shops.  But I don't see anything that says, "Ford Certified".  And they cannot do things like "reflash" your computer when Ford releases an update.  Nor are they allowed to perform warranty work.  To my knowledge, no independent dealers get software updates to reflash the car, nor are they allowed to perform warranty work.

 

Dealer rates will vary.  Most dealers still put those little stickers in the windshield that ask you to return within 3000 - 5000 miles.  Performing extra oil changes allows them to upsell you on other services.  They want you in the shop for those oil changes.  Ask your service advisor.  I don't think they will have any problem charging you the "coupon price" every 3000 miles.  Look for those coupons online.  There is always a discount price for "The Works".  

 

" What do you mean by "Ford Certified Mechanic"?

 

 

Just a term , what i meant was a person who has knowledge and experience working on Fords ,  i was at one shop and i brought a Chevy to him for maintenance and he said OK but we work and much prefer Fords lol.  

[herb]

Reflash my cars computer ?  I install Sync updates myself if thats what you mean , never heard of re flashing my car how often have TC owners needed to do this "Re flashing" thingee ?

 

How often does Ford offer an update , from what i can gather it's extremely rare .

[Gideon]

As my brother says:  most mechanics today are NOT real mechanics because they do not actually FIX anything, they are simply parts CHANGERS.

When was the last time a mechanic actually repaired a part and reinstalled it ???  And yes I know it is cheaper to replace instead of repair.  That is why we have such a problem with landfills all over this world.

[Fifty150]

6 hours ago, herb said:

 never heard of re flashing my car how often have TC owners needed to do this "Re flashing" thingee ?

 

How often does Ford offer an update , from what i can gather it's extremely rare .

 

 

Sometimes the dealers update your car's body control module, engine control module, or transmission control module.  These updates can be for anything from shift strategy, to your air fuel ratio, to whatever Ford feels is needed for your car to operate better.  

 

No schedule for computer updates.  They are made available whenever the manufacturer decides to issue them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Fifty150]

26 minutes ago, Gideon said:

As my brother says:  most mechanics today are NOT real mechanics because they do not actually FIX anything, they are simply parts CHANGERS.

When was the last time a mechanic actually repaired a part and reinstalled it ???  And yes I know it is cheaper to replace instead of repair.  That is why we have such a problem with landfills all over this world.

 

 

Major items, like engine, transmission, alternator.....there are still shops who specialize in rebuilds.  

[G B L]

The parts rebuilding has changed to mostly replacement because the Manufacturing process is so advanced .  The other thing is Rebuilt is not new, if the cost is the same then it should be new.

Edited December 8, 2018 by G B L

[herb]

On 12/6/2018 at 10:20 PM, Fifty150 said:

 

 

Sometimes the dealers update your car's body control module, engine control module, or transmission control module.  These updates can be for anything from shift strategy, to your air fuel ratio, to whatever Ford feels is needed for your car to operate better.  

 

No schedule for computer updates.  They are made available whenever the manufacturer decides to issue them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where do i go to see if there is a download available ?  The Ford Owner site because thats where i go to check if there are any Sync updates.

[Fifty150]

In some instances, like transmissions, remanufactured at a factory can be better than new.  The factory can remanufacture with better parts and make corrections to the OEM design.  I have been looking at Monster Transmissions as an option for replacing the 4R75E in my pickup truck.  https://www.monstertransmission.com/4R70W-4R75W-4R75E-04-08_c_3973.html  I'm hoping that they will eventually offer 6 speed Ford transmissions like 6F35 in Transit Connect.

 

 

[Fifty150]

3 minutes ago, herb said:

Where do i go to see if there is a download available ?  The Ford Owner site because thats where i go to check if there are any Sync updates.

 

 

Usually, at the dealership.

[herb]

2 minutes ago, Fifty150 said:

 

 

Usually, at the dealership.

 OK so i would have to bring it to the dealership to see if there's an update . Wish they would contact you to let you know , that would be easier.

[WillMartin]

I disagree that there aren't very many TCs with over 150K for sale.  I see them regularly out here.  They are nearly all gen 1, which isn't too surprising.  There are a whole lot of them in Seattle.  I was in LA last month visiting my son and only saw one over a weekend.  I didn't see more than a couple gen 2s and almost no other small vans.  I guess Southern California has other ideas about what's a good idea for getting lots of stuff from one place to another.

 

For what its worth, there's a gen 1 for sale locally that has over 300k miles on it.  I personally think buying it is a very bad idea, but there it is.

[Fifty150]

Transit Connect does not have enough "bling" and just isn't as plush as other small vans.  My sister & cousins do not like Transit Connect.  For girls, they want everything to happen with the push of a button.  Heavy sliding doors on hills that slam open & close, heavy seats with awkward pull straps just don't work for them.  They would rather spend an extra $20K of their husband's money on a Sienna or Odyssey for push button automatic doors, and push button automatic folding seats.  

 

I think the Hollyweird crowd in The SouthLAnd is more into the Mercedes vans.  Those full size Sprinter livery models are nice.  Most Transit Connects that I see are commercial vehicles.  Very few privately operated vehicles.  

[WillMartin]

I would like a small Mercedes van, the Metris.  I also have no intention of spending twice as much for about 3% more that I might use.  I would have expected Los Angeles to be full of commercial TCs and other, similar vans, but that wasn't the case.  They still seem to like big vans.  Go figure.

 

I sure don't care what the bling types want, since I can't use a non-commercial style mini van for my purposes anyway.  Powered mirrors are a new luxury as far as I'm concerned.  Electric windows?  I feel like the king of all I can see when I have electric windows!

[Spooner]

Personally I wish we got the transit custom in the US. Nice in between size from the TC to the transit but much better fuel economy I’d think than the transit. 

 

 

[PhotoAl]

While the TC may not have the bling and sheer size of other vans it is a very nice van.  There are a couple of others out there but I don't think the Dodge, Chevy or Nissan are competitors - I didn't even give them a second look.  They may be OK cargo vans but not for the versatility I have in the TC.  Cargo wise it's about 6 to 8 inches shorter than my daughter's Odyssey van but much smaller on the outside.  Seats are lower and the roof is higher.  I have the Titanium version with most of the goodies.  Went to lunch Sunday and parked next to a Lexus sedan with it's mirrors folded back.  I clicked the lock button and mine folded back also :-) have to confess I had a bit of gleeful excitement as my Ford van had mirrors that worked like theirs.  For me it the incredible versatility it has.  It can be a nice vehicle to transport several people, leather seats decently quiet and rides well enough although I can't get the nose dive of a giant sized SUV when stopping.  I can fold the seats flat and but the WeatherTech mat down and haul stuff like double ovens, dishwashers, furniture, cabinets from IKEA, etc.  Can take the twin grandkids to Costco and buy lots of stuff and put it in the back.  Those are my daughters favorite trips - she's not there!  Can take the 3rd row seats out, fold the middle seats and haul one of my scooters.  All of this and the van is only 3 or 4 inches wider than my Volt and 10 or 11 inches longer.  I can park it in my overcrowded garage.  Currently have a 1890s vintage full sized metal lathe residing in front of the van.

 

Everyone be careful as you are driving around during the holidays.  Seems like drivers are worse than ever.  Pulled up to an intersection the other day just as the light changed.  I stopped and wasn't paying close attention as the cars in the left turn on on the cross street started turning.  As the first vehicle was most of the way across, a rollback wrecker with an SUV on it and coming from my left made a panic stop at the red light.  If they had not of stooped would have broadsided on of the cars turning left.  Clearly they just didn't see the red light.  Maybe they mistook a green turn signal for a green light but it was too close for comfort!  If it had hit one of the turning cars they would have probably been knocked into me!  I also saw a Suburu driver getting an award for probably executing a 20MPH stop at a 4 way stop.  

[Fifty150]

Transit Connect is surely the most bang for the buck.  While you are getting a little less luxury, you are saving a whole lot of money.  When a Toyota Sienna or Honda Odyssey cost almost twice as much, you do not get twice as much.  

 

My pickup has no air conditioning, roll up windows, manual door locks, and AM radio.  Not to mention the rubber, plastic, & vinyl interior.  But I just think of all the money that I saved between the XL model, and the King Ranch, Lariat, Harley Davidson trim levels, and what I would have paid for a Chevy, Dodge, or Toyota truck.  Those Toyota pickup trucks are really nice.  But not nice enough for me spend double the money.