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Hello from Granview, TN


JamesRich
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New guy here, and hopefully by tomorrow afternoon will be a new transit connect owner! I'm looking at a 2014 Wagon XLT LWB. I'll mostly be using it as a commuter vehicle since they get such great gas mileage. I moved up here from Louisiana and need a fuel squeezer to go back home often and see my family. Don't want my grandbaby to not know his Papa!

The reason I chose a TC was because as a mechanic working for a fleet maintenance company we took care of several TC for various companies and never had problems or had to do repairs on these things! Just oil changes and routine maintenance was all we did to them, they never had problems. As a person that does all his own vehicle maintenance that what I want! And they are cheap used! Looking forward to learning all I can about it! Will post some pics when I get it home.

James

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Welcome, I think you will find it to be a great vehicle.  I have a 2016 (which came from Knoxville TN) and really enjoy.  I grew up in Chattanooga and had to look to see where Granview is.  The TC is an under appreciated vehicle and there are some great deals on them.  I bought mine in late 2017 when the 2018s were out.  It hauls scooters, twin grandkids, 91 YO mother-in-law, Christmas trees, TV's and other stuff from Costco and pulls a small trailer.  I recommend getting the big WeatherTech floor mat for the rear area - it goes over the seats when they are folded and makes cleanup much easier when hauling stuff like Christmas trees and scooters.  When hauling one of my scooters I usually take the rear seats out and put the floor mat down and a piece of MDF board on top.  Mine has been very reliable and generally they are reliable vehicles.  I think the transmission is the weakest link in the drivetrain and I would recommend a complete flush if it has 50,000 miles on it.  The fluid is not lifetime as Ford seems to think but they really didn't do a good job with provisions for draining and filling.  As a mechanic you should have no difficulty with that.  There are several threads on here about changing the transmission fluid.  That said there are many folks with 100,000 miles on the TC and no transmission issues at all.  I primarily use mine for long trips unless I have something to haul locally (like MIL or Grandkids).  Something that is fantastic about the wagon is that the seat height is very good for people getting in and out.  My MIL has very bad arthritis and the seat is easy for her to get in and out of.  Biggest aggravation I've had was when the grandkids started using the car seats as booster seats the reach to plug the seat belt in was almost too far for them to reach.  I go a couple of short extenders to get the buckle closer to them and so far that has worked well.  Sometime i pick them up from kindergarten and we go to Dairy Queen for ice cream.  Their mother enjoys a couple more hours of "free" time.  

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3 hours ago, PhotoAl said:

I think the transmission is the weakest link in the drivetrain and I would recommend a complete flush if it has 50,000 miles on it.  The fluid is not lifetime as Ford seems to think but they really didn't do a good job with provisions for draining and filling. 

 

True, there's 50,000 mile lifetime written in the fluid brochure. Or 100,000 in normal duty. It's cheap enough to flush according to the stressful schedule.

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Well the one I was going to get was sold before I could get there! A useless dealer in Georgia! I found another one local that is in perfect shape. It doesn't have navigation and leather like the first one I was looking at but it only has 76K miles, is a one owner, was always garage kept and always serviced at the dealer. I forgot to ask him if he ever had the transmission serviced, I'll ask when I finish the paper work today. I just gave him a deposit to hold it. It has the lift gate, which I would have preferred the doors but the lift gate has its good points too. Like hiding under when you have a handful of stuff and its raining! It has a hitch which the owner had installed to pull a trailer small enough for a motorcycle. He showed me the trailer and said he only pulled it once. The paint inside the receiver isn't even chipped so I believe him. I took it out on the highway and pushed it to 80 and it drove and ran perfect! Now I can't wait to get it home and start driving it daily. Will be a welcome relief both physically and financially over driving my ram 3500 megacab dully with a 6 speed manual every day! My knees aren't what they used to be and pushing that clutch all day is tough!

James

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Cool  . I have three trailers that I tow with mine. It handles the job very well.  As for the heavy clutch I took care of that when I got my 3500 Silverado  duel, I made sure it had the Allison.  You will enjoy the TC. welcome aboard.

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Congrats on the new van.  Now I'm curious about the dealer.  I have a cousin in Chattanooga that has a TC, think it is a 2018 SWB.  

 

LOL, seeing the comments about the TC being the small vehicle.  It's the opposite for me.  Mine lives with a Chevy Volt and a Smart car.  Smart car is my wife's, she doesn't drive any of my vehicles!  She doesn't like the Volt, it is different and hard to see out of at times, particularly when backing up.  The van she describes as huge.  Not sure what happened to her, for years she drove our kids around in a Safari van.   I hear you on the clutch.  I used to ride a motorcycle to work most days, it was bad when I got stuck in stop and go traffic having to constantly work the clutch. Volt is fantastic in stop and go traffic.  Yesterday I picked up 6 5/4x6 by 8' boards.  With the seats folded they fit behind the passenger seat with it all the way forward and the back leaned forward.  I folded an IKEA bath mat and put under the front and that gave me a 1/4" to 1/2" clearance.  Very versatile van.

Edited by PhotoAl
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Thanks guys! I'm loving my new to me TC! I work with a bunch of dump truck and heavy equipment guys and they all gave compliments on it. No one called me a soccer mom. Lol I'm 6 foot and sitting in this van it feels huge! I have a foot and a half above my head! I know it's not a luxury vehicle but it feels very refined compared to my stiff riding deleted diesel with a straight 5 in exhaust pipe! Way easier to park too. The previous owner took such good care of this thing every one that sees it thinks its new. Whenever I can get home with the sun still up I'll take some pics of it. I hadn't had time to play with it much and see how seats fold and things like that. I'm still learning to use sync too. Averaging 28mpg right now doing 57 but my route is not flat, lots of hills. Now on the interstate doing 70 is was showing 30mpg even with hills. So on my trips back home I should get 30mpg or better. I keep track of mileage with a spread sheet so I'll know exactly what it's getting. Hopefully the mpg meter doesn't lie like my dodge! claims I'm getting 2 mpg better than when calculated. I'm gonna give it a once over as soon as I get a chance. Service trans and probably new plugs and PCV.

James

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IMG_1044.thumb.JPG.eecb17c439929189b7f158308cd25636.JPGIMG_1043.thumb.JPG.ffdc250637e8d7a8e6fb12baa66b0c21.JPG

Finally got some pics! Learned how to fold the seats and realized the lock for the alloy wheels isn't in the van! I'll have to go see the guy I bought it from and hopefully he has it. He's 72 years old and kind of forgetful though so might not remember. Think ford can order me one with the vin number?

Also does anyone know if I am navigating on my iphone plugged into the usb and listening to the radio, is there a way for sync to interrupt the radio with direction? The only way I can get the directions through the speakers is if I'm listening to pandora. It will interrupt the radio for a phone call I believe. (hadn't got a call in it yet)

James

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The Lock nut issue ,Not sure but it should be a possibility.  When you do get the lock nut off, leave it off!  All the people who would steal your wheels already have the socket any way.

I don't have the upscale radio so I cannot help you with that.

Looks like a great rig.

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