Vehicles

I was walking past my truck the other day and noticed the tailpipe was pointed almost all the way to the ground. Clearly something was wrong.

I stopped what I was doing and followed the tailpipe. Low and behold the tailpipe had rusted right off the muffler. No bueno.

Investigating further I noticed the rear tailpipe exhaust bracket had disintegrated. The tailpipe hanger was bouncing around in there. My guess is with the hanger bouncing around it caused stress where the tailpipe and muffler come together. And over time it weakened.

The repair looked like it was in my skill level so I went searching for parts. This is what I bought.

2.5 Inch Stainless Steel Strap Clamp – $10

Ford 4L3Z-5260-AB Exhaust Bracket – $41

It took me about an hour to do the repair.

I found it easier to take the tailpipe off to get the old bracket off and new one on. There was a lot of rust and I’m guessing the bracket was original to the truck.

I used a hammer to get the old exhaust clamp off the muffler. It slid off. Much easier than trying to use a socket wrench. I also used the hammer on the old bracket. Gave it a couple of taps after spraying some WD-40 and I feel it helped loosen it up.

It was a little tricky connecting the clamp and the muffler. An extra set of hands would have been nice. Had to get a cardboard box to rest the tailpipe on to keep it level while I tightened the clamp.

It looks like everything worked. Here is a video I made of the repair.

While I was under the truck I noticed the entire exhaust system was very rusty. My guess is the muffler and pipes are six years old. It wouldn’t surprise me if holes started showing up in the next five months forcing me to replace the entire exhaust system. I would need the bracket anyways so I could use these parts when that happens.

Things to do. People to help. Places to go. Thats what I had planned one morning a week ago as I jumped into our 2004 Ford F150. Sadly, it did not want me to do any of those. Balls. Just balls. Instead of meeting my Mom for a Dr. appointment I headed back inside and fired up the Google and YouTube machines.

Here’s the deal. I spent about an hour searching for my trucks symptoms and after piecing various posts and videos together I think I found what was wrong. But there wasn’t a great post or video so I decided to share what happened to me in words and a video (at the bottom) together to help a fellow 2004 Ford F150 owner out.

Symptoms

• Truck turns over to 200 RPM’s but does not turn on.
• Battery appears to be good. Accessories (Radio) turn on, etc.
• Not making the “Starter” not working clicking sound.

It didn’t need a jump. And everything appeared to be normal. Fluids were fine. I had just driven it 600 miles total the three days prior from my house in the suburbs of Detroit to Boyne Highlands Ski Resort in Northern Michigan and back. Nothing made sense.

Strong Probability

Combing through various posts and videos the one thing that kept popping up was a Fuel Pump Driver Module. Many posts and videos talked about how these things would crack in half due to being exposed to the elements which in turns exposes the circuit board eventually breaking it. This was a design flaw from Ford back in the day.

Each video said they weren’t that hard to locate as they were above the spare tire on the cross rail or frame. After watching a short video on how to lower the spare tire from the truck I was able to locate it and this is what I found.

The moment I touched the Fuel Pump Driver Module it fell from the cross rail in two pieces. Damn thing cracked in half and the bolts rusted off. It was hanging by the wires. Here’s what it looked like when I un-hooked it from the wires.

Off to O’Reillys I went and thankfully they had the Dorman 590-001 in stock. The same part was $25 cheaper on Amazon but I could not wait three days to get it. So $104 later I was back in my driveway and under the truck. After cleaning up some of the rust on the cross rails I had it hooked up and installed in about 15 minutes. Dorman improved on the design with rubber bumpers lifting the Fuel Pump Driver Module off the cross rails so there would not be metal on metal slowing down corrosion.

Got the keys. Jumped into the drivers seat. Reminded John (it was my Dad’s truck and I named it after him) how much I’ve been talking about getting a Tesla because they don’t have things like Fuel Pump Driver Modules, or Fuel Pumps, or for that matter Fuel and it would be much appreciated that when I turned the key that he started.

A turn of they key and 5.4L’s of Tritons awoke.

I really wanted to end this post on the sentence above but the check engine light did turn on. A trip back to O’Reilly’s to use their free diagnostic tool to get those codes ran showed the computer was not detecting the new Fuel Pump Driver Module and a Camshaft Position Sensor A Circuit was tripped too.

I didn’t know how to clear those codes with their diagnostic tool and the truck drove like normal so hopefully they just go away. If not, a call and a trip back to O’Reillys to clear those codes might be in my future.

We were given the option to turn in our leased 2017 Ford Escape Titanium two months early last month and we did. It was too good of a deal to pass up. Especially since we just went over miles. And with the Escape no longer in our lives means it is time for a review.

I’ve always hated the Escape. Every single one of them. It’s the one car Ford makes that irkes me. I think its because the Escape has never been what it claims to be. A small but roomy SUV. It’s just not.

But this car wasn’t really for me. It was for this hot chick that I live with. You see, I work from home and barely drive. If its nice out I’ll ride my RadWagon all over Oakland County. Because my car is not a car. Its my Dad’s 2004 F150. A vehicle that doesn’t fit anywhere.

We were turning in the 2015 Transit Connect Wagon that I loved and she hated. Since she puts 90% of the miles on the car and has to drive with a then 1.5 and 2.5 year old every morning for thirty minutes I can only push so far.

And since my Dad worked for Ford my Mom still gets his employee discount. It’s stupid for me to get anything else than a Ford because of the discount we get.

So the hot chick says something like “uuuuhhhhh, I want the Escape.” I’m like “No. They’re dumb.”

I just couldn’t change her mind. More on that below.

Ford Escape it is.

It was $7 more a month for the Titanium which was way more optioned than the SE so we did that.

Let’s get right into it.

1.5L Ecoboost was underpowered –  It just did not have any pickup to it. Sure, it was fine getting around in but when you floored it the Escape did not get up and go.

Firm Bouncy Ride – I’m sure the low profile tires had something to do with that.

Cramped – I don’t fit. For some reason I fit in a Ford Focus just fine. But not an Escape which is basically the same car. At 5’10” I felt pinched in the drivers seat.

Doesn’t Fit Much – An over night bag per person is really all it could fit in the trunk. No way I can throw my golf clubs in there with those.

26 Combined MPG – There is no reason a 4 cylinder turbo engine should get less than a combined 30 MPG in 2017. I could not get it over 29 MPG on the highway. Pitiful.

Clearly I am going the Negative Nancy route here.

But to be fair the Escape wasn’t that bad. We had 21,224 uneventful miles over nearly two years of use. We were able to put both of our kids Britax car seats in it. And it was easy to park.

But that’s about it. Or at least what I thought about it. The hot chick was quite fond of the Escape.

Ford’s The Problem

When we turned in the Transit I almost had the hot chick convinced on getting a C-Max Energi. They were giving them away. I remember our salesman saying 24 months $0 down 10500 miles a year for $249 a month. The Escape was $296.

We’d be saving $47 a month in payments and with the C-Max Energi getting like 100 MPG we’d be saving at least $50 a month in gas versus the Escape. We’re talking about $1200 a year less for the C-Max Energi versus the Escape. That’s a big difference going from the Transit at $340 a month.

As much as it made sense (we really only need one commuter vehicle) I just couldn’t convince the hot chick to deal with putting a stroller in that tiny trunk for four months. Our youngest was so close to growing out of the stroller ride to the daycare but it was still needed. Damn that battery!! What a bad design. Even with the savings I could barely sell myself on putting up with that.

So we got the Escape.

We looked at the regular C-Max hybrid which would have worked better than the Energi but for some reason they were pricing out at $340 a month. As was the Fusion hybrid. Even with the savings on gas we’d probably save money with the Escape. Plus, she always wanted one.

I was really hoping there would be more (any) hybrid or electric options than the Fusion or C-Max to chose from in 2017 when we turned in the Transit. The electric Focus was not an option as it didn’t get enough range for us to deal with yet.

All of that lingered with me the entire time we had the Escape.

It comes back to two years prior to getting the Escape when I went for a test drive in a Tesla Model S. Within 15 seconds of feeling what it was like to get thrown back in the seat and realizing how simple electric cars were is when I knew I wanted one (an electric car).

I remember saying during the test drive “This car is going to change the world.”

Four years later it is. Ford didn’t bother to notice.

They gave us boring Escape’s instead. And not even a hybrid one.

I know Ford said almost a year ago that 16 electric cars would be released by 2022 along with 25 new hybrid models. I was really hoping one of the electric cars would have been released before we turned in the Escape. They did not.

We did get our first hybrid though. A 2019 Ford Fusion SE Hybrid. So far so good. More on that in two years when we turn it in.

It’s not you 2017 Ford Escape. It’s me. You’re five years late and I’m two years early to the party.

The lease is almost up on our 2015 Ford Transit Connect Wagon which means its time to reflect on the joy this vehicle brought one of us.

The truth is its Andreas daily driver. She has put 18k of the 21k miles on the Transit. She would love to tell you how much she loves this car but she is not the one who likes it. So sad.

I am the one who likes it and suggested we get it in the first place. I am also the one who writes about stuff. It is I who must tell you about the 2015 Ford Transit Connect Wagon.

Why?

Quite simply, smart people get what the Transit Connect Wagon is about – versatility. We turned in a 2013 Ford Edge with the 2.0 Ecoboost motor before leasing the Transit Connect. It was fuel-efficient and quick for an SUV. Surprisingly the Edge did not have that much cargo room with the rear seat up.

She’s short, so lifting the infant car seat and locking it into the base in a parking garage while trying not to swing the door open and hit the car next to her was a delicate procedure. Sure enough she was pregnant with our second child for the last couple months of that lease trying to lift our first-born into a toddler car seat. She did not enjoy doing that in the Ford Edge.

With the dual sliding doors and small footprint the Transit Connect would be easier to get babies in and out of in parking garages and everywhere else on Earth. Those two qualities alone were reason to get the Transit over an suv. We were brand new parents which meant we did not know what we did or did not need in a car. The Marketing Machine told us to get something with a lot of space for baby stuff and that’s what we did.

7 Seater or 5 Seater?

“You have a 7 month old and you’re having another baby in 6 months so of course you’re getting the 7 seater.” – said everybody.

“Wrong.” – said Brad Gibala

This notion that you must have a huge car because you have kids is silly. Not once during our two years of leasing the Transit Connect did we feel cramped or needing more space.

We took a trip to Gull Lake with my golf clubs, bags, stroller, baby bouncer, and a portable crib. What we realized after a couple of months of ownership was the Transit Connect might be more than we needed. The 5 seater worked just fine.

Which Engine?

We were set on the 1.9L Ecoboost from the get go. It was listed at 2 more mpg’s highway and 1 more city than the 2.5L. It added $4 to the payment for the Ecoboost. We had a good experience with the 2.0L Ecoboost in the Edge so we went with it. Only downside was it needed premium gas to hit those mpg numbers. We put regular gas in occasionally but the Transit would run sluggishly. It ran so much better with premium. Lets call the extra mpg’s with the Ecoboost and the premium gas a wash.

What We Liked

Transit Connects versatility is hard to come by in small vehicles. The Ford Edge I previously had was 15 inches longer but the Transit Connect had almost 10 more cubic feet of cargo space (68.9 to 77.1) due to the high roof. We were able to put the kids stroller in there standing up. Kind of felt like we had to or it would look like we were wasting space.

The Transit Connect was easy to park in Compuwares basement parking garage. Since the Transit is basically a Ford Focus with a high roof it carries over the small car feel. The car’s responsive, nimble, and light which made maneuvering in Detroit and nearby Royal Oak easy to do.

The seats were in an upright high position making it easy to get in and out of along with giving you good visibility. Never once did I feel cramped driving or riding in the Transit. The huge windows may have something to do with that as it felt like driving in a fishbowl.

Loved the lift gate. Made getting things in and out of the cargo area so easy. The damn thing must be 7 feet off the ground when open. You can stand underneath it and use it as an umbrella when tailgating if need be. The low bumper height made for an excellent seat too.

If there was one downside to the lift gate it was you had to check the ceiling above you. Our garage is small. If we pulled in far enough we could open the tailgate in the garage. Otherwise we’d have to gently open it and rest it on the overhang.

 

We averaged 26.3 mpg combined which is ok. I did see 29.4 mpg on the highway at 70 mph on our longer trips.

Reverse camera which is standard on most cars these days was nice but sometimes unnecessary because you could stand and lean into the driver’s seat (due to the high roof line) and back up.

The door cup holders were huge. I would put a water bottle in there every time I drove.

The overhead compartment was nice for things like boxes of tissues or baby wipes but we really did not use it that much.

Not once was a babies head smacked off the Transit Connect when getting them into their car seats. Well, maybe once but definitely a lot less than most cars and small suvs that parents own. There is so much room to maneuver them into the seats and the roof is so tall that it makes smacking their heads on the car hard to do.

Not So Much

I believe cars made today are so much more awesome than cars made a decade ago which means there really is nothing to complain about. “OMG – this car sucks. It doesn’t have heated cup holders.” – says whiners.

The Transit Connect does not have heated cup holders as it’s a barebones manually operated kind of car which I liked (Andrea dealt with it). We leased it so anything that went wrong (nothing yet) would be covered by Ford. I prefer to not have things like power sliding doors as that is one more thing that can break forcing me to take the car in to get fixed. Even though I would not pay for repairs I’d still have to take it in.

The ride was a bit bouncy due to the low profile tires and high roof line. It felt as if the car was lunging due to those two things. After a month of driving we got used to what was really nothing. It just rode different from the Edge I turned in.

There was only a couple of times when adults were in the back seat instead of babies. It happened on a road trip to Chicago with my brother and his girlfriend. Both said the back seats were very firm which made for an uncomfortable ride. We had the cloth interior which was firmer than leather. I asked them if they would like to walk home. They said no.

The visors are ridiculously huge, clown like if you will, and they had to be because of the front windshield. There was so much sunlight getting into the cabin that it would blind us. You have to keep sunglasses in the car. We had to tint the front windows to cut down on some of the sun. Otherwise it would cook the side of your face.

I would have to take our garage door opener off the visor when it was sunny as the visor would not stay in place. The garage door opener would start hitting the windshield after hitting a couple of bumps. Ten seconds of metal tapping glass is all I could take and the opener would be put in the overhead compartment.

Felt bad for my 2.5 year old when the sun is out in the morning when driving into Detroit as the sun blasts his face in his car seat. Even with the visor down there is nothing you can do. I tell him it’s not the suns fault its sunny but his fault because he throws his sunglasses and hat I gave him on the floor. This does not please him at all.

I’ve had to hold my right hand up to block the sun from hitting his eyes as I drove down Woodward. If he was only an inch taller too. Our 1.5 year old is rear facing still and has no clue whats going on. She eats her gold-fish and stays quiet.

We also bought Stick and Peel window shades for both rear seat windows. The rear windows came tinted from the factory but they were not that dark. The additional layer of tint from the Stick and Peels provided extra shade for both of kids so they would not get hot back there.

What I’d Like To See

I know the new one is out but Ford needs my help for 2018 and beyond.

ARMREST!!! – It needs one that swivels. Feels weird not having one in that driving position. Its a van. It needs an armrest.

“Stow-N-Go” rear seats like the Chrysler Town & Country – This feature is available in the long wheel base but what about the shorties? The tumble seats kind of suck. I know this is a barebones car but when you tumble the seats they are still in the way. It just looks odd. I tumbled or folded them only once as the kids car seats were always in. There has to be a way to design a rear seat in the 5 seater that folds flat into the floor. Even if it means giving up some floor space.

Hybrid or Hybrid Energi Version – We were seriously considering leasing the 2016 Ford C-Max Energi as our commuting car and having a second larger vehicle for weekend trips / Home Depot runs (moms letting me keep dad’s F-150 at the house right now) but she is not ready to do so with two toddlers and little cargo room. You know what does have a ton of cargo room for a big electric battery? Yup – the Ford Transit Connect Wagon.

A hump in the cargo area like the C-Max Energi would still have mountains of space left over. The Engineers at Ford could surely position the battery behind the rear seats so those seats could now be folded flat. Come on Ford. Get with it. Make a Ford Transit Connect Wagon Energi. I’d get one immediately.

Bigger tires on the fancier wheels – The Ecoboost option came with fancier wheels which meant low profile tires. They weren’t bad but thicker tires would be better in reducing the bounces. We rotated the tires once in our two years of leasing and they still have plenty of tread left.

In Summary

When our lease is up we will not be getting another Ford Transit Connect Wagon. It looks like we will be getting a 2017 Ford Escape Titanium. Not nearly as versatile as the Transit but for at least two more years we will not need it to be.

What I thought to be odd about the Transit Connect with it being a minimalist type of car was that the lease payment was $30 higher than a fully loaded Escape Titanium. I would think the Transit to be the same price or less since it does not have leather, premium radio, or built-in navigation. I get the Z Plan as my Dad retired from Ford. It is not a coincidence me mentioning only Ford vehicles in this review. I would be an idiot to not take advantage of the discount.

The Transit was extremely helpful in transporting babies and all the stuff you think you need when you’re new parents. Slide the doors open, throw them in, and then shut the door. No balancing act with doors in parking lots and no lifting babies in. Our oldest is capable of climbing into his car seat and by the middle of July our youngest will be facing forward. Having sliding doors is not a necessity anymore.

Once you get over how awesome it looks you will appreciate the Transit Connects versatility. It shines in urban areas with short commutes. On long road trips you might be taking an extra pit stop or two to stretch out. This is not a deal breaker as you will not be able to find a vehicle of its size where you can bring that much gear with you. I never tried to take out the rear seats but you can take them out in ten minutes. Imagine how much recreational gear you can bring if it’s just two people with the back seats out. After getting to your destination you could take the gear out and sleep in the Transit if desired.

When we picked up the Transit Connect our salesman said he had only sold or leased two others in the 5 months it was available. This does not surprise me as Americans are stupid when it comes to purchasing or leasing cars. I was elated when I heard Ford was going to start bringing some of their European cars over here including the Transit. Well, maybe not the boxy Transit prior to the 2015 one. I liked the concept but it indeed was ugly. Ours at least looked ok. I mean awesome.

We just do not need big trucks, cars, or suvs here. The problem is Americans buy or lease cars based on the one time a year they need a big vehicle (camping, towing a boat, etc.). What they really need is something utilitarian like the Transit Connect Wagon that is decent on gas, fits in any parking spot, and can satisfy 95% of their transportation needs. For the other 5% they need to borrow or rent something.

That’s all I got. As you can tell we’ve I’ve been very happy with the Ford Transit Connect Wagon. But come on Ford. Get on the Transit Connect Wagon Energi already.