powershift

The Ford Powershift was a 6-speed dual-clutch solution. It utilized the fine bottom draft in the engine better than today's automatic gearboxes from Ford. The new ones are conventional 8-speed gearboxes with a torque converter. But you know that there have been a number of problems with Ford's Powershift solutions.

Got the job done!

Posted 29/05/2020 by Terje Bjørnstad

Ford Transit Custom 2,0 130 HP, automatic 340 L2H1 Trend

I don't know if it is the new front that has given the car more character - or if it sells better than before. In any case, I think that there have been more of them on the way. Last year, it was number seven on the sales lists for vans in Norway.

The car

Today's Ford Transit is number 8 in the model series that started a full 53 years ago. Today, the cars are produced at Ford Otosan in Turkey and shipped all over the world, even to the USA and Australia. Transit includes 4 different models, Courier, Connect, Custom and "full-size" Transit - or just "Transit".

I chose the Transit Custom for the job. The variant which in van language is called L2H1 – long length and normal height. Equipment level Trend with side doors on both sides, one side window on the right side and windows in the rear doors. The drivetrain consists of Ford's well-known 2,0 TDCi 130HK EcoBlue with Powershift automatic.

custom transit — Instrument panel with touch screen.

The mission

Pick up some leftover parquet at Maxbo Sinsen and wardrobes at IKEA Furuset. Unload the car at Skillebekk and load old parquet and old wardrobes there. Continue to Bærum to take the remains after a garage clean-up. The next morning, everything must be delivered to the recycling station at ISI in Bærum.

The warehouse

6,8 cubic meters – on paper. The length is 2,92 metres, but it is possible to extend it to 3,4 for long objects by opening the hatch to a separate compartment under the passenger seat. The loading height is 1,41 metres. The width is 1,77 meters and 1,39 between the wheel arches. The floor is covered by an elaborate plastic "floor liner" that was curved up along the sides. Good solution for keeping the warehouse clean and tidy.

Space in the compartment

I don't know who decided where the dividing wall should be. It was probably in between cargo volume og comfort? You don't have to be much above medium height to notice that there is a lack of legroom - also in the Transit Custom. The solution is a high sitting position with a straight back - much like sitting in the pew. I appreciated that it was possible to jack up the seat a little in the front as well. The passenger seat is locked in one position - as is usual on such cars. Depending on the conditions, the passenger in the middle has good legroom as the gear lever solution does not steal too much space.

look and feel

After the facelift in 2018, the Transit Custom received an upgrade to the instrument panel. The infotainment system is controlled via a touch screen. Comfortable leather-covered steering wheel and clear instruments. There are cup holders "everywhere" for coffee and Coke. By folding down the middle passenger seat, you get a table surface with extra cup holders. There are several USB ports available for portable devices.

Vibrates a lot at idle

It might not have been a good idea to go across Oslo just after working hours. Almost continuous queue from Skillebekk to Alexander Kiellands Plass. People are clearly starting to come out of their Corona hibernation. But what caused the whole car to vibrate when idling? It also created a lot of noise. I suspect it is the Powershift solution. When we stood still in Drive with the engine idling, the vibrations propagated throughout the car, but gradually disappeared as we drove. The idle speed was normal.

On the road

After loading the car with parquet and other building materials, the trip continued outward towards Furuset. On the country road, the drive functioned well. The gearbox left the engine revs comfortably low. The torque is absolutely superb and made it easy for us to take the climbs. At speeds between 80 and 100, we also noticed very little of the speed. Once you get up to speed, the interior noise level is very pleasant. - And for being a van, the steering feels good on the road. Someone had probably had a small accident with "our" car, such that it was on one winter tire and one summer tire at the front.

With the car to work

It was quite difficult to back in from the street where the cars were all over the place. Good mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, as well as a reversing camera are good aids when you have to pry the car around other cars with centimeter precision on all sides. Sliding doors on each side allow quick loading and unloading when parked illegally. Three parcels that were too long for the lift had to be carried all the way up to the 4th floor. Why aren't the stairwells made more suitable for carrying large objects?

Pass the height!

One of the most important characteristics of a van is to arrive hero forward - also into car parks and garages. Most facilities have a maximum height of 2,10 - some only 2,05. The Transit Custom is perhaps one of the tallest in its class. "Our" Transit had integrated load bars on the roof that did not build in height. Brilliant. The only thing to watch out for is the antenna whip on the roof. I had to tape it to the roof when I was driving into my own garage to load some heavy bags. The antenna can withstand hitting the roof when we drive in the direction of travel, - but not when we back up...

transit — Cargo rack that does not build in height when not in use.

Safety

It is not as easy to determine the safety in vans as in passenger cars. In the event of a collision with a passenger car, the van gives you an advantage because you are sitting in a higher and heavier vehicle. But if you hit a brick wall, the sense of security can be false. I also have a feeling that a short person sits more securely than a tall, long-legged fellow. Transit Custom was tested by Euro NCAP in 2012. The report says that there is a lot of hard plastic that can cause damage, - depending on where - and how one sits. This is where I'm afraid we long-legged people can come off badly. However, the greatest damage was caused in a side-post collision and whiplash when hit from behind (station wagon/minibus). Fortunately, there is little to worry about in vans with a partition wall.

Total score in 2012 was 5 stars and 84% for protection of adults. Toyota Proace got 91% then the was tested in 2015. The Opel Vivaro was also tested in 2015 and scored only 52%. Like the Transit, both cars were also pulled for side pillar impacts and whiplash for rear seat occupants.

Conclusion

Vans like the Ford Transit Custom are made for business - not pleasure. These are not cars you get overly excited about, but "our" Transit was perfect for the job! The EcoBlue engine is an example of how good diesel has become. Adequate torque and low consumption. The automatic solution is not recommended unconditionally, as far too much noise and vibrations propagated into the cabin while we stampeded in line. During normal driving, we found that the gear changes were well adapted to the engine and kept the rpm comfortably low.

Facts about the Ford Transit Custom L2H1

Weights and Measures
Length, width, height: 534 / 208 / 202 cm
Wheelbase: 330 cm
Own weight: 2111 kg
Payload: 1014 kg
Total weight: 3200 kg
Cargo volume: 6,8 m3
Cargo space length: 292 cm
– loading hatch: 340 cm
Cargo space width: 177 cm
– between the wheel arches: 139 cm
Cargo space height: 141 cm
Max trailer weight with brakes: 1900 kg
– without brakes: 750 kg
Max trailer weight: 4200 kg
Max roof load: 150 kg

Engines
2,0 TDCi EcoBlue
Horsepower: 130 at 3500 rpm
Torque: 385 Nm between 1500-2000 revolutions
6-speed automatic Powershift (dual clutch system)
Front wheel drive

Tires
Summer tires: Continental Vanco 2
Dimension: 215/65R16 C
One wheel (vf) replaced with a studless v. tire.

Performances
Top speed: 160 km/h

consumption
Stated consumption combined: 0,64 l/mile
Stated consumption highway: 0,58 l/mile
Stated consumption city: 0,73 l/mile
Not without own measurements.

Prices 2020
Ford Transit Custom 340 L2H1 130 HP Aut.
Total price: NOK 467
Includes the following equipment:
NOK 7 Integrated roof rack (expensive but nice)
NOK 6 Alloy wheels
NOK 3 Park assistant (recommended)
NOK 2 Reversing camera (recommended)
NOK 5 Bi Xenon (recommended)
NOK 1 Tire pressure indicator
NOK 8 SYNC/infotainment/radio
NOK 2 Airbag passenger seat
NOK 500 Window in sliding door h.side (recommended)
NOK 1 Central locking
NOK 1 Rear windows (recommended)
NOK 1 Dressing in goods room
NOK 4 Sliding door v. side
Other additions:
NOK 6 Trailer hitch

About the car
Country of manufacture: Turkey
Registered: September 2019
Mileage: 6834
Km driven: 81
Sources: Vegvesen.no, ford.no , Ford Europe
Euro NCAP: Report 2012 Ford Transit Custom
Owner: Hyre.no

You can also rent a Transit Custom for an hour, day or weekend by downloading the mobile app from Hyre.

Ford Transit Custom photos

You can click on all images to see them on a larger scale.

Today, the red building houses City Self Storage on Skøyen. Here you can rent a van if you need to. The building was once grey-blue - and was my workplace for 17 years. The office building has today been converted into a self-service warehouse. Wondering what items are stored in my old office?

On the way home, I just had to stop to take a picture of this great Mustang.

See

Who makes the engines for the IKEA cars?

The neighbour's Transit Connect

Posted 04/02/2018 by Terje Bjørnstad

-Have you taken the neighbor's car?!

Great cheerfulness from the crew at the ISI recycling station when I opened the back doors of the van. The registration number "NABOBIL" clearly indicated where I had picked up the car. It was close to where I work, and could be unlocked with an app. Neighbor car is the Airbnb of car owners. Private car owners let others rent their cars when they don't need them themselves. An alternative to car pool and rental car. Du can also rent this car at www.nabobil.no.

Van in all classes

Ford has a complete range of vans. Transit Courier (4 m), Transit Connect (4,5 m), Transit Custom (5 m) and Transit (5,5 m). Tonight's car is a Transit Connect long edition. The advantage of the long version is that you can bring in objects over 2 metres. An astonishing number of objects within flat-packed furniture, home furnishings and construction equipment are around 2 metres. In addition, there is a loading hatch in the wall of the warehouse.

Long edition (L2)

It was last weekend's garage clearance that made me rent a van. A considerable amount of bundled cardboard packaging, hard-packed sacks of paint plastic and Christmas paper had been piously sorted for the recycling station at ISI – where the Bæringene take their rubbish. If you come with a van full of unsorted rubbish, it can take a long time at the station. It therefore pays to sort at home in your own garage before setting off.

The "neighbor's" Transit Connect was only a little more than half full after I had loaded up. Choosing the long version has no negative consequences for the driving characteristics. On the contrary. It can still fit in normal parking spaces, although with a towbar it barely exceeds the 5 meter mark. I think the cargo space is impressively large for a small van.

3 seats

The seating arrangement is 1 + 2, i.e. a 3-seater, given that the third person is a bit sporty. The decor gave me flashbacks to the old Transit mk1 and D series. Good memories of simple and functional commercial vehicles. The new Transit Connect joins this range. I feel comfortable behind the wheel. It feels airy. The windshield is huge, like a bus. The dashboard follows Ford's theme with a large central button cluster. More practical than elegant. The 2018 models have received an upgrade to the infotainment part of the dashboard.

1,5 TDCI with Powershift

The engine is 1,5 TDCI which produces 120 HP and torque 270 Nm between 1750 and 2600 revolutions. It is quiet and performs like a 2-litre did a couple of years ago. Ford was early in downsizing its engines. If you take care to stay within the favorable rpm interval, I think it is possible to drive very economically with this car. The cash register does an excellent job in this respect. Powershift is Ford's dualclutch solution. Compared to Volkswagen's DSG, it seems that the first gear in Ford's 6-speed gearbox is somewhat higher than in the 7-speed gearboxes from VW/Audi. The automatic clutch engages a little harder when starting up. I also noted that you can feel on the gear lever that a gear is engaged, just like a manual gear lever. The DSG gear lever is, by comparison, completely dead.

Ford cars are fun to drive. The Transit Connect sits well and steadily on the road and the steering is direct, for a van. The drivetrain is made for a car like this. The engine was barely audible. At low speed, you cannot escape a "boomy" sound that is typical of vans. In road traffic it gradually disappeared. This is a car that thrives on country roads and motorways. Up the E16 on the last hill, in the 90-zone towards ISI, Powershift held sixth gear effortlessly while the revs were below 2000. Then I felt like taking the car on a proper long trip, – over Sollihøgda and all the way to the west country, or thereabouts.

- But that will have to be another time.

The Ford Transit Connect with 1,5 Tdci and Powershift is a great combination for all distribution tasks.

Powershift is Ford's double clutch solution. The shifts were well programmed to the turbo diesel's torque curve.

The infotainment display has been upgraded in the 2018 models. This is the display in the 2016 model. Fortunately with DAB radio.

The instrument panel seems a little cramped, but has everything you need.

Facts Ford Transit Connect

Available in 2 lengths L1 and L2. L1 loads 2,93 cubic metres, L2 loads 3,63 cubic metres. Both can take 2 European pallets.

Guide prices (Feb. 2018):
254 L000 1 TDCI 1,5 HP Trend
279 L000 1 TDCI 1,5 HP Powershift Trend
266 L000 2 TDCI 1,5 HP Trend
291 L000 2 TDCI 1,5 HP Powershift Trend

Outer dimensions (Length/width/height in cm):
L1: 441/183/186 cm
L2: 481/183/186 cm

Source: www.ford.no

See

Ford Transit Connect L1

Drivetrain from Ford Focus and practical van solutions from Transit make Transit Connect a Columbi egg for those who need a van without sacrificing driving pleasure. But I didn't choose it for fun. See more

Ford Transit Custom
Peugeot Partners.
Nissan e-NV200 40 Kwt

Automobile Catalog: Torque curve 1,5 TDCI 120 HP
Euro NCAP: Good results in safety tests - 2013

Posted in: Artikkel | Tagged: Ford Connect, Ford PowerShift, powershift, Test Transit Connect, Transit Connect | Leave a comment

Automatic or manual transmission?

Posted 03/08/2013 by Terje Bjørnstad

If you considered buying a new car with an automatic transmission ten years ago, you would have been told that you could never expect to get anything back from the automatic transmission surcharge when trading in. This has changed a lot. Demand for automatic transmission cars has increased - not least on the second-hand market.

There are the following 3 main types of automatic transmission. All automatically shift for you, but still behave quite differently:

Conventional automatic transmission (hydraulics with torque converter)

Continuously variable transmissions (CVT)

Robotic gear change

Conventional automatic transmission shifts when the engine revs rise. The transmission between engine and gear takes place via hydraulic oil and not directly connected as in a manual gearbox. The result is increased comfort because fewer movements propagate from gears and axles into the passenger compartment. The disadvantage is that the solution steals power from the engine on its way out to the wheels. This means that you have to count on higher fuel consumption compared to other solutions. CO2 emissions also increase - and with it the one-off tax and your purchase price. Conventional automatic transmission is an expensive solution in Norway.

Continuously variable transmissions (CVT) transmits the power between the engine and drive shafts via a metal belt that adjusts the ratio steplessly. This means that you don't get any jerks when changing gears and that the engine can be kept in its most optimal rev range at all times. There is almost no energy loss with this gear solution. It can be a little unusual to drive a car with a completely stepless gear change. Although the technology is admittedly different, the CVT solution works in principle in the same way as gearless scooters and chainsaws! Most CVT gearboxes have the option to shift manually. Pre-set, fixed ratios along the belt path are then selected.

Robotic gear change is the solution that has seen the most growth in recent years. The solution is based on the fact that there is a robot that clutches and changes gears for you based on electronic analysis of the engine, the car's inclination and the driver's use of the pedals etc. When the gear is engaged, the transmission between the engine and drive shafts works just like on a manual gearbox. The disadvantage of this solution is that the robot changes too slowly, but there have been major improvements here, e.g. with a so-called double clutch solution that can prepare the next gear change before you need it. The advantage is that the electronics can calculate optimal gear changes and thus reduce both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to manual transmission.

Hill start, snow and queuing

Conventional automatic transmission holds the car so that it does not roll backwards at all when starting on a hill. An inexperienced driver need not fear that the car will roll backwards. Other automatic transmission solutions are combined with a "hillholder" function to ensure problem-free hill starts. The cars I've driven with robotic gear changes keep the car on the ground for about 3 seconds. This is enough time to move your right leg from the brake pedal to the gas pedal. "Hill holder" is supplied as standard/additional equipment on many cars today, so that this handy function is also available on manual cars.

You should be aware that some of the most primitive robotic gearshift solutions lack the ability to lock the gearbox to a single gear, which can cause problems when driving in extremely difficult conditions with ice and snow.

You are going up a steep hill full of snow. You drive with a primitive robotic gearbox. You accelerate so that the car shifts up into first, second... oops! … third! At the steepest point, the cash register must downshift to second gear. The time this takes means you lose speed and grip in the snow.

In traffic jams with frequent start-stops, automatic transmissions have major advantages over manual cars. Instead of "filing" the clutch, you hold the car with the brake. On manual cars, a lot of driving in traffic jams causes a lot of wear on the clutch. Please note that robotic transmission solutions use the clutch almost as much as if you had driven with a manual transmission. It is admittedly easier and more comfortable to drive in a queue, but the wear on the clutch is therefore almost the same. I say "almost" because such solutions often have many gears (7-8) and it also often includes one or two gears that are lower than the first gear on a manual gearbox. This allows the car to drive at extremely low speeds without wearing out the clutch.

My choice

My choice falls on a robotic gear change from one of the major car manufacturers. It offers the most advantages and provides the best driving pleasure. Some car manufacturers supply both robotic gear changes and CVT solutions (e.g. Audi and Toyota). Then I would choose a drive unit with a robotic solution rather than a CVT. I am convinced that it will hold its best in the future. Incidentally, there are only two reasons for me to choose a conventional automatic transmission solution. Either because I have chosen an extremely powerful motor at the absolute top of the price scale, or because I am looking for something very cheap, - at the very bottom of the price scale.

Here are some of the solutions today:

Make

System

Type

Audi

S tronic or Multitronic

Robotized (S tronic), CVT (Multitronic)

BMW

-

Conventional

Chevrolet (Korea)

-

Conventional

Citroën

EMG

Robotized

Ford (DE)

PowerShift or conventional

Robotized (Powershift)

Mazda

-

Conventional

Mitsubishi

INVECS-III

CVT

Nissan

xtronic

CVT

Opel

-

Conventional

Peugeot

EMG

Robotized

Renault

EDC

Robotized

Seat

DSG

Robotized

Skoda

DSG

Robotized

Toyota

MMT or Multidrive

Robotized (MMT), CVT (Multidrive)

Volkswagen

DSG

Robotized

Volvo

Geartronic or conventional

Robotized (Geartronic)

Posted in: Artikkel | Tagged: automatic transmission, ground start, cvt, DSG, edc, emg, geartronic, hill holder, invecs, lock-up, pays off, Multitronic, powershift, robotized, sensotronic, snow, xtronic

Make	System	Type
Audi	S tronic or Multitronic	Robotized (S tronic), CVT (Multitronic)
BMW	-	Conventional
Chevrolet (Korea)	-	Conventional
Citroën	EMG	Robotized
Ford (DE)	PowerShift or conventional	Robotized (Powershift)
Mazda	-	Conventional
Mitsubishi	INVECS-III	CVT
Nissan	xtronic	CVT
Opel	-	Conventional
Peugeot	EMG	Robotized
Renault	EDC	Robotized
Seat	DSG	Robotized
Skoda	DSG	Robotized
Toyota	MMT or Multidrive	Robotized (MMT), CVT (Multidrive)
Volkswagen	DSG	Robotized
Volvo	Geartronic or conventional	Robotized (Geartronic)