No questions, but also wanted to throw out a comment about how entertaining and educational this video was! Plenty of people wouldn't give away all those tips for free so it's greatly appreciated.
As a 2015 owner with 80,000 miles, I was very happy to hear about the known problems as well as the "don't worry abouts". Extremely valuable service. Thanks for joining RUclips and sharing your wisdom.
@@clearlyexpediting Generally, the airbag light and system require a fancy scan tool to reset or otherwise work on. However, the light will be on if there is a problem with the connectors for either seat, or if the seat has been removed. The passenger seat has 3 connectors, maybe one of your got unplugged. As to the sliding door, you have to kind of play around with the sensor to get it to align, but otherwise it should be pretty straightforward. If all else fails, disconnecting the battery might force it to relearn the door sensor. Hard to say.
Love watching your videos and imagine my excitement to find out your shop is only like 45 minutes from me!!! I recently purchased a 2021 promaster and I was definitely a little apprehensive about my choice. Hope I don’t have any problems but if I do I’ll look you up!
2018 1500 has served me well except for that tire pressure idiot light. Just came up on 57k and brake light popped on. Your brake video was very informative. Thanks!
I have appreciated your videos. I went through a crazy learning curve when I was into Sprinters. Going to Promaster because of you,my friend. I'm a few hours away. Might swing in one day and bring you some GOOD coffee!
Kip, what a great video. I’ve been waiting to buy a new promaster for a van conversion but the shortage is killin’ me! I’ll likely need to buy a used one and this video is exactly what I needed. Thanks for the great content!
If you want to really save money, don't be afraid of the ultra high miles or broken vans. As a reference, a replacement engine is 4000-5000 all in at my shop (and other shops too). A transmission replacement or rebuild can be around 3000. All of it sounds like big bucks, until you compare it to the price of a low miles van vs a high miles van. Then it's a friggin' bargain.
I bought my 2014 136wb, hightop, 3L diesel, 2500 for 10k a couple years ago with a salvage title cuz it was wrecked in the back. 5k later it was on the road. I bought it to convert, but wrecked my work van first so put it into commission as my new work truck. Best work truck I've ever had, been very reliable and sips diesel. I never really noticed fuel consumption b4, but its obvious this thing gets better mileage than anything I ever used b4 except for the mini van I outgrew a long time ago.
This guy is the best and this channel is greatly appreciated, as a new used promaster owner. The thing is beat and needs every problem solved that you mentioned... And ones you didnt. I'm going to give you a ring from Ontario.
Dont be afraid of the high miles ones. If you find one where someone has replaced the rocker arms, replaced the oil cooler, or replaced the transmission, that's one to get serious about. The basic motors run to 500k no sweat.
Your channel is so helpful!!! I only buy used vehicles and will be replacing my 1997 GMC Savana with a cargo van soon. Because I research the shit out of everything I have been bouncing between the transit and the promaster with a preference toward the PM but having concerns. Your experience has put me on target for the PM. As a northeast skier the front wheel drive is a win over rear wheel drive, the all wheel drive vans are not in my budget range and there is more to go wrong. Good snow rated tires and chains if needed combined with a lifetime of winter driving experience should get me home every time. Thanks again!!!!
@@faceinthecrowd5810 Monsters in snow. No contest. Best advice, rent both for a day before you buy. Some complain about the promaster seating position, and its fairly hard to change if you dont like it.
You are a lifesaver! Going to look at a used pro master now, it’s a 2018 with 4000 miles. Apparently the guy was doing a camper conversion and stopped halfway and it was sold at auction. Clean title no damage no accidents reported. I appreciate your insight!
Vehicles that sit for long periods tend to have different problems than ones with a billion miles. I would expect, yes expect, minor coolant leaks and hose issues and that sort of thing. What I recommend you do is go to any auto parts store and buy a little bottle of UV dye, and put that into the coolant bottle under the hood. When it leaks, you'll find it in seconds with a $10 UV flashlight (amazon). With so few miles, I might expect the brake rotors to be rusted, and I would expect that you'll want to change the oil and transmission fluid. But otherwise, it's basically a brand new van. Nice.
@@promastersonly1419 Thank you, sir. I have a very slow leak and will do that before taking it in to the gougers. Wish I was in Ohio, but I'm in Ontario!
Outstanding information. Looking to buy one next yr and take a trip to OH if I run into any issues. Need more knowledgeable people like you PROMASTER YEAH.
I wrote off the pro master for two reason. The non tilting steering wheel and front wheel drive (I want to do long distance road trips while hauling a dirtbike and camping) I’ve been trying to find a fairly priced Ford Transit medium roof for a year now and its impossible. Your channel just gave me the confidence to start looking at Pro masters. They are much more affordable. I hear nothing but bad about the pentastar v6 but you give me hope. I wish you were located in Houston Texas because I’d definitely buy a pro master and bring it to you!
You'll find nothing but bad about ANY vehicle on the internet, as only the bad gets reported. The truth is the PM and Transit are comparable in terms of overall reliability. If the seating position is a big deal to you, I'd suggest you rent a PM for a couple days and see if you can live with it. Hauling and towing specs are comparable to the Transit.
16 Promaster. 81,000 miles. In the shop. $6,000 worth of engine repairs. Never missed any schedule maintenance. Cams, lifters, valve, piston. Thanks Ram. Never again will I purchase your product.
This was incredible. Thank you for sharing and when I get my Promaster and come through OH, I'm coming to your shop. Also, thanks Linnea. You could've kept this gem to yourself, but chose to share. May you both stay safe and be prosperous. 🧡🩵
With that power steering reservoir cap, we've noticed on several vans that are missing the plastic cover that water from the less than excellent windshield-sill will pool on top of the cap, where the breather (tiny hole with a knobbildy-bit in it) will allow water into it.
Interesting. We haven't seen any missing covers, but a while back I bought a used van and the cover was missing, and the res was filled with washer fluid. Obviously, someone though that was the washer res!
Thank you very very much for your great educational videos. I own a 2017 Promaster and have learned a lot from you.I already had to rebuild my Transmission and swap engine at around 250k.Leaking steering rack was also replaced a many other things.Now i am working on Head Gasket replacment but didn't really find a video on that job.If there is one please give me the link.Thanks
@@mirnesk2011 type “motorcity mechanic pentastar cylinder head” and you’ll find a great video. Applies to the front head, the rear is engine out in my opinion.
Great video! Fun and to the point! I'm at 120k and very happy with the reliability. A couple of things to add that I've noticed; e-brake system can jam up and I've had an idler pulley blow apart (though it did give me notice by making a whirring sound for a while first). I chock both of those issues to spending a lot of time on the gulf coast in it's warm salty air...
If feels like people either have a great experience, or a perpetual bad experience. Parking brake cables have been known to ice up and snap - not the case if you are beach bumming it on the gulf coast. Idler pulley failing is pretty rare - in fact I've never seen it happen but I have seen them getting ready to seize. Cheap date, easy fix if it happens.
Whitney Bishop 1 second ago This has taught me so much. I’m currently getting an inspection done for a 2014 Promaster 3500 conversion for van life. The owner I am buying it from bought it from people who were very well versed in Promasters and did all maintenance theirselves. The new owner however didn’t do regular maintenances and let the coolant leak so much it blew up the entire engine. Now there is a new engine in it and 10k maintenance later, he has it back on the market. Im skeptical due to the new engine and the new owners last 4 months of ownership / not taking care of it, but these videos have been so helpful. I would love to call you guys after I get the report back and get any feedback. My family is from Cincinnati and I would absolutely love to eventually bring it to you if I end up getting it to get regular maintenances with you.
I should add; other than a few things they are finicky about, these engines can take a pretty good amount of abuse, and generally will get to 500-600k before they need replaced. Something to keep in mind.
Oh my goodness!! I was born in Barberton, Ohio! I am 50 yo and this is only the 2nd time I have ever heard anyone who has even heard of Barberton 😊 Thank you for sharing your wisdom, and posting this video. A few months ago I was turning from a gravel road onto the highway here in the Ozarks and the passenger wheel went into a pothole in the gravel and popped the ball joint out and my friend who is a master mechanic, was not able to get it back Into place until it was towed home and he had his tools. Question, is that indicative of a deeper problem?
Barbertucky is greatly changed from your youth. It's quasi hip now, if you can believe that. Ball joints wear, like anything, but we haven't seen any weird issues with them. And I assume it went back together ok, so I wouldn't worry about it.
Really enjoy your videos .Really like how down to earth you are. FYI I have a 2018 3500 just got a #2 cylinder code misfire.They changed the plugs and coil but that didn't fix problem . Brought it back they found some coolant in the cylinder. Have you seen this happen ?
@@jerryvrbanac6023 i have a video on the two very rare problems that affect cyl 2, but what you describe can only be a head gasket or a cracked block. If you told me this van overheated, I would be pretty confident it’s the gasket/warped head.
Thanks for making a making a really great video, I learned a few things . May I suggest that when buying a used Pro Master that you look and see in the heads of the bolts that hold the intake manifold on are there. Mainly the 3 or 4 that are recessed in what looks like a tube. On my 2014 these "tubes" had filled up with water and over time rusted the heads of the bolts completely off. When I had to change the spark plugs, removing the manifold was royal pain.
I have a video on exactly that on my channel, and we are working on a solution for that the prevents the problem AND makes getting those bolts out easier. Watch for it in the next few weeks.
Best of luck kip you may have me as a customer someday!. BTW if you get a chance I would love to see you do a video tour of your town. You do a great job as video host. Just take your Promaster and it fits fine with ProMasters only channel!
Good day, looking at a used 1500 pmaster 2017, 3.6l with 202,000 kms which isn,t too bad. Unfortunately it has quite the rough idle, starts good, accelerating well just running a bit rough. No tick I can hear. Engine light is on but not sure of the codes at the moment. Being sold as is and the price seems quite fair depending on the repair. Any advice is greatly appreciated and keep the awesome vids coming...Very helpful as i,m a owner operator myself.
Super rough idle usually indicates a vac leak. I’d want to know the codes before I’d pull the trigger, because it suggests the guy was chasing a misfire, and may have had the intake off multiple times. You are RIGHT at the mileage the pentastar tick/misfire shows up, and that’s around a $1500 repair. One thing you could do if the seller lets you - cut open the oil filter and look for metal. That would confirm the tick.
Changing the oil filter looks easy-peasy, but the clearance with the air inlet is deceptively close. In my first filter change with a standard 24mm socket and wrench, after a turn or two I had to use a fair amount of force to twist the wrench out between the filter cover and the inlet. I suspect that this causes some of the problems with cracked oil filter housings and failed o-rings. Since that incident I use the low-profile Chrysler socket and a skinny old Stanley ratchet wrench.
True, it’s at an odd angle and many tools dont fit right. We use a long handled swivel headed ratchet. I dont think the cap contributes to the housing leaks, though maybe it does. All the pentastars have that problem, including the rear wheel drive ones where the cap is easy to get to.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your video is telling me that high mileage vans are not to be avoided just because of the number of miles accrued. High mileage could mean the owner of the van has been paying attention to maintenance requirements.
Thanks for sharing the knowledge. Funny to learn the scalloping is caused by the shocks going bad, as I had noticed the scalloping before we noticed our shocks were bad, and haven't seen it since now that I think of it. We have had the transmission solenoids changed (far before needing a rebuild), and the oil cooler leak as well. You definitely know what you're talking about! We're at 168k miles and hope to get many more.
Scalloping or cupping is common on all FWD vehicles. In ultra high mileage applications I usually recommend not to rotate the tires because the rears last forever, 200k+ often. So often the scalloping goes unaddressed. I’ve seen your channel. Something tells me that mechanics in more remote areas are probably MORE competent, rather than less when compared to mechanics in the states. They would have to be. And probably more honest, too.
Telling me more on your thoughts regarding tire rotation. I am used to doing tire rotations every 5 to 10 thousand miles. Now that we have a new 2021 Ram Promaster 3500, what do you recommend on tire rotation? Side note: No differences between a 1500 and a 3500? If so, I could have saved lots of money!
@@gregc5684 Totally personal preference. I don't rotate because generally my vans go 10k per month, and that's a lot of time. Instead, I just run the fronts till they need replacing. The rears tend to last 150k-200k no sweat. FWD is easy on rear tires.
Hello, I was so happy to see your channel!!!! Thank you for sharing such good information. : ) I am a senior woman, who is ready for a new travel challenge so am in the process of looking for a promaster to convert to a camper van. From what I have seen in options, I have been leaning towards the Promaster. Learned a lot from your information. Need to learn a lot more. I look forward to checking out more. If I have a question, is there another format to use in asking a question? again Thanks!!
Wow! Thankful for your knowledge! I'm about to go look at a 2015 Promaster Ecodiesel and I've only read HORROR stories online. The carfax is very clean with recent upgrades and a meticulous maintanence schedule followed. 87k on it. Should I completely avoid...?
Hate to say it, but yes - run screaming. The diesels are finicky, orphaned, poorly supported, impossible to fix, impossible to get parts for, and above all expensive...all to get 4mpg better on fuel that costs $1 gallon more. Do NOT buy. It's a shame - I love diesel, but not THIS diesel.
I guess what I should have asked is can you disable the speed limiter for me if I buy a former fleet van? If so I’ll be planning a trip to Ohio for sure 😁👍🏻
We just bought a used 2023 2500 high roof 159. Great vehicle! Regarding the OAT antifreeze we noticed the reservoir is low so we bought some of this at AutoZone PEAK Original Equipment Technology North American Vehicles Orange Antifreeze and Coolant Ready-To-Use It says organic ACID technology but not organic ADDITIVE technology like in our manual. Safe to use? Or return it and go buy at a Ram dealer instead?
Realistically comforting. Our Promaster 1500 high roof RV conversion has 17K miles on it so we've only just begun, but since so many Promasters are built into RVs I'd love it if you covered some of the things found in RVs, such as the underhood generator for Promasters made by Nations Alternator, the Sumo Springs used to improve handling, LED headlight conversions for Promasters (I installed the one from OpenGlass that makes it possible to run LED bulbs with heat sinks and fans using an adapter to the Promaster's H7 sockets for hiigh and low beams)--things like that.
I steer clear of the motor home side of things, only because I'm no expert and there are RV people who are. But I have short videos on dual alternators and LED upgrades. We use the Oxilam H7 that you find on amazon. Drop in, no muss, work great, cheap.
Hopefully you can help me with my problem. I recently just purchased a 2020 2500 159 inch wheelbase with a high roof and the date and time keep flashing and my radio control buttons do not work. It is stuck on pair phone mode only, hope you read this. Thank you.
My 2014 PM only has 52K miles, but has been very reliable. Change the oil every 4-6k etc. The only pending issue is the oil sensor failure which is a known issue. A 30min fix on a Jeep, but 3 hours on a PM because of placement.
I bought a 2017 brand new ordered from dealer. I was happy with it for 2 years and everything was fine. At 71k cylinder head #2, at 91k cylinder head #6. Finally at 101k transmission went. So long Promaster, they just dont hold up well. Its the exact same motor and transmission and flywheel as a Chrysler Town & Country. Weak motor transmission combo for sure. Now Im on to a Sprinter bought new and 33k so far no issues. Fingers crossed.
Just stumbled upon your channel. 2014 3500 gas owner purchased brand new. My PM is very coolant thirsty & has been consuming more & more of late. Can't find any leaks, no white smoke out the exhaust & no engine misfiring. At the around the 7:50 mark you mention something about a radiator recall on the 2014's. Do you have the recall information? Thanx for your invaluable information...
My 2014 ProMaster van falls within the build dates for TSB 07-006-15 (coolant loss), however I’m being told by Chrysler & my local dealership that because my van has exceeded the warranty date that it is not longer valid & I therefore have to pay outta pocket. @@promastersonly1419
@@jeremyshima2888 not that I know of. Your trip odometers will record run time. But if they get reset, then that’s lost. I suppose you could run one 10,000 miles, then extrapolate.
Great video! Im looking at used 2023 Promaster 2500 high roof vans so your tips are really appreciated. One question. Most of the vans I’m finding are former rentals or fleet and they have a speed limiter installed. I think that limits me to 77mph but not sure. Have you run across these being a problem?
The speed limiter is a setting in the computer. My non-factory scan tool will turn it off and on, so I'm confident any shop can do that for you. Certainly a dealer can, and it should be warranty covered.
Hi brother new subscriber,customer I didn’t know you have a channel but I did talk to you about a month ago Ray from Corndog Caravan highly recommended you I’m planning on being at your shop in a couple weeks for a complete transmission cleanup pm,my radiator reservoir is also leaking no big deal what is a big deal unfortunately after watching this video is I have the camshaft tick although it’s going to hurt my wallet 😂thanks it’s better than a blown engine I’ll be talking to ya in a couple weeks have a great weekend 🙏👍
Corndog Caravan - it’s just fun to say, isnt it. Trans service we can do on the fly, but anything bigger we’re going to have to schedule, and we’re pretty booked through November. But the tick is a long term problem, and until you get a code for a single cylinder misfire you dont really have to do anything immediately.
@@promastersonly1419 Thanks for the reply I’ll see you in a couple weeks for the tranny if it’s the camshaft maybe we could schedule it for May of 23 when I come back from AZ I’m glad that your business is booming we need knowledgeable people like you instead of being forced to a dealership thanks again 👍
Big topic. It boils down to opinion, but mine is that the engine is just a big lump of metal and doesn't know or care if or how long you are idling. In my opinion (see my recent pentastar tick video) idling is NOT the cause of the tick, nor does it affect it. Idle all you want.
Love your style! I have a 2018 with an annoying issue. The TPMS module went off-line from the master module. The TPMS light is on and the odometer flashes constantly as part of the alert. Dealer said it would take 2 days to fix!! Jeez - it's a computer. Can't they just reboot it like any computer? Software upgrade? Firmware upgrade. I'm flummoxed and annoyed. Doesn't help that I don't like or trust that dealer.
That's not uncommon. The flashing odometer is indeed a sort of check engine light for the body computer, and it's telling you it's lost coms with the TPMS module. My feeling on anything TPMS is not to panic - our ancestors lived their whole lives by identifying flat tires because they were flat on the bottom. That still works!
the oil dipstick tube broke at the bolt mount and was wondering if you ever replaced one with the engine in. looks like its going to be diffcult to get to the bolt
There's 1 10mm bolt that holds it to the side of the block. That's actually pretty easy from the bottom. But the dipstick tube is a bitch to get out from the block because it's got an o-ring that seals it. You have two approaches: one is to get on it with a vice grip, and then hammer on the vice grip, kind of like a slide hammer deal. I hate to recommend this, but often we use a little propane torch to try to get that o-ring soft WITHOUT lighting all your oil on fire!! If that, combined with a skinny screwdriver prying up on the tube's flange doesn't work, there is a backup. It sucks, but pull the small oil pan and you'll be able to hammer out the remains of the old dipstick tube. That tube is available at dealers for under $30. It's unique to the Promaster, it's longer than a minivan or journey tube and it matches your dipstick. P/N 68160278AC
I was looking for a van for a while, I was getting discouraged. People here snatch ford vans up quick, when I would find one, it already had a deposit put down on it. Then, when I was about to give up, I found a 2018 promaster 1500 hightop with 57k miles. 34 grand. Quiet ride, smooth acceleration, ice cold a/c, no rear end noises. Much better deal than the beat up, slightly rusted ford transits that they've shipped from up north with 196k to 226 miles for $28k and up that I was seeing. People were scrambling for them anyway. I feel that I found gold. I use it for delivering medicine, it may carry 600 lbs max for 16 miles to my first stop, after that its down to 200 lbs of weight. Definitely not being overloaded, and definitely being babied. I had a radiator leak at 71k miles. What can you recommend for improved fuel milage? I used to use a little over a quarter tank for my route ( run the same route everyday) to just under a half tank a day. Other than keeping it at 65, cant really run that on the highway, do you have any suggestions? I use supreme fuel.
From my experiments, premium improves power a tad but not mileage. Zero harm in going back to 87 octane. The long wheelbase vans tend to get slightly better mileage than the short vans like yours. For big vans, the sweet spot for mpg seems to be 63mph. The only thing you can really do to improve mpg is overinflate the tires slightly. For a 2018, I believe the door sticker will call out 72 front, 80 rear. Use that. Another thing is alignment - if your fronts are wearing funny you are giving up a bit of mpg. Otherwise, the engine will code if there is something actually wrong with it. Sounds like you are down south, but in the north in winter expect a 2mpg drop because cold air is denser and harder to push through. Summertime, you should be seeing 19s in a short van if you keep it under 65mph. Multiply by 24 gallon tank to figure your range.
True, but for the most part even if the small boot falls entirely off, it won't really affect how the thing runs or drives. But yeah, lots of them are loose or cocked from brand new.
I had 272k miles on my 17 when I sold it and it ran like a top sinse day one. No tick, no struts,no breaks , no break downs. I changed belt coils and plugs.I did start to have a problem with heat , must been blower door...oh forgot changed wheel bearing driver side b4 I sold it
2016 1500 owner. Coming up on 80k. Missing and the P0 something. Plan this week is to do the coil packs and plugs (a little early). Oil change and off on my way. Breaks are still like new. Everything. Headlights are a pain. Don’t know how many times I’ve replaced them.
Tips: check that you DON'T have the pentastar tick by cutting open a used oil filter and looking for metal. For headlights, type Oxilam H7 LED into Amazon and use those, they are direct drop ins for the stock bulbs and because they are LED they never blow and are WAY brighter and better.
@@promastersonly1419 Thanks for the fast reply! Engine is quite (3.6) and runs good on the road. Rough idle. Sometimes it seems to clear up (idle)? I assume it’s the coil pack from the internet (it must be true 😆. Appreciate any help you can pass along. I’m in SWFl and a DAV in my 60s. Bought the van 2nd owner with 20K. Love it. Saw a vid that claimed a P03 is the injector? I will cut open the filter (this weekend). I forget what Chrysler did on the last recall. It was a cooler, think it was transmission, not sure. Last thing I got out of them after the cut the engine warranty down (POS). If you were closer I be by for sure
@@promastersonly1419 found the LED headlights!!! Last question (for now, thanks ) the last time I did one. One of the little plastic clips broke on one end. It is holding . Next time I don’t know. I hate to have to replace the whole assembly
@@christopherrasmussen8718 Code will be something like P0301 where the last digit indicates which cylinder is misfiring. If you have a global misfire P0300 your problem likely isn't the pentastar tick. If it's Cyl #2 that's a special case. I have a guy Melbourne if you are close.
@@christopherrasmussen8718 You are refering to the little level/locking tab, I assume. Shouldn't make a difference as the bulbs go in on slides that are pretty grippy. The bulb also is retained under the little allen screw, so even if it comes loose it can't fall out and will likely still work.
You are fabulous dude, make me wish I was 30 years younger 😅. Okay so Mr. Burly, when it comes to used is there any year that's better than any other year? Is there any manufacturing plant that's better than another? And lastly I'm a senior lady but still have the long legs I always had. I'm just under 5'9. My concern is the front seat. I need leg room. I prefer to sit up straight. I'm getting through the process of illimination and really want a promaster, which is crazy because I've always been a Ford gal in the past. I'm gonna want to sleep across right above the Wheel well if there's room. I am going to do my own insulation and no-build, build, with modular components, so I can play with it. My background of travel and design is nagging at me. I've been shanghied to Senior hell, and am too young for bingo! So you sound like the shop for me! I'm in Hawaii, and wanting to return to the mainland. I've had no idea where to purchase to make this happen? Right now I'm "pimping my credit" lol😂 and selling off my stuff. I'm not in a super hurry, I'd like to do this post election, so it's all about prepping myself. Traveresed the country a number of times so no fear. Also used to own a cab company, so having an excellent mechanic or "Vehicle Maintenance Guru" is a must! I have missions to go on all over the country so coming to meet you could be number one. Okay last question how much would it take to add a push bar to the front of one of these and could it handle it? I have a near perfect driving record and want to keep it that way. I take it easy. It's other drivers that, (well I'm a lady and can't express that here) make me nervous. Aloha😊
Aloha! I’ve been to Kona and it is excellent. Hope to return someday and stay forever. I’m happy to help. Step one, go rent one in HI and live with it a few days. You’ll either love the seating position or hate it. It can be changed a little, but not much so testing it is important. Sleeping crosswise is the same story, but at 5’9” you should be ok. To me, the best layout is to put your bed platform high all the way in the back, which forms a “garage” under the bed that you get to from the rear doors. Because you’ll be more or less homeless, I’d look at the whole thing as a continuous build, or a build on the move. What can be built in the Home Depot parking lot, kind of thinking. As expediters (truckers in vans) we have much experience with this, starting with nothing more than a $60 cot from Walmart and a sleeping bag. There’s tricks to it, like a Planet Fitness membership which solves your shower, place to sleep, place to poop problem nationally all for $22/mo. One tip: I wouldnt worry about the single lady/security issue at all. In 10 years of doing this full time, nobody has ever broken into or hassled a van. It turns out to be a non-issue. For the promaster, all vans are identical year to year, all built in the same plants. 2014-2021 are all identical, 22-up all identical. Avoid the rare diesel version, and otherwise the 22-up got a revised engine and revised transmission. Go newer if you can afford it. Happy to answer any other questions you have.
![[SFM] Risky Recital](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RzNkY1_Nk3o/mqdefault.jpg)
No questions, but also wanted to throw out a comment about how entertaining and educational this video was! Plenty of people wouldn't give away all those tips for free so it's greatly appreciated.
There should be a channel like this for every model of car, every model of THING. That there isn't bothers me. I'm happy to do it.
@@promastersonly1419
I also agree I do appreciate your humor and general knowledge of Promaster!!!
@ thanks! Edjutainment!
Great tips and honest delivery. I wish I lived closer to this guy. A mech like this is a treasure.
As a 2015 owner with 80,000 miles, I was very happy to hear about the known problems as well as the "don't worry abouts". Extremely valuable service. Thanks for joining RUclips and sharing your wisdom.
Thanks!
@@promastersonly1419 do you have any advice on resetting the airbag light and sliding door sensor
@@clearlyexpediting Generally, the airbag light and system require a fancy scan tool to reset or otherwise work on. However, the light will be on if there is a problem with the connectors for either seat, or if the seat has been removed. The passenger seat has 3 connectors, maybe one of your got unplugged. As to the sliding door, you have to kind of play around with the sensor to get it to align, but otherwise it should be pretty straightforward. If all else fails, disconnecting the battery might force it to relearn the door sensor. Hard to say.
Promaster 2500 My Immediate Dream
"Right Heaaar" cracking me up man. Also thank you for sharing your knowledge!
one of the best videos about promasters. everything he said is 100% legit
Fantastic. Why can’t all RUclips videos be this short and informative?!
Because all youtubers don't love you as much as I do!
The things I don't to need to look for in a pro master, love it, an impressive long list. 10:47
really wish you guys were in LA. I need you guys right now
Love watching your videos and imagine my excitement to find out your shop is only like 45 minutes from me!!! I recently purchased a 2021 promaster and I was definitely a little apprehensive about my choice. Hope I don’t have any problems but if I do I’ll look you up!
2018 1500 has served me well except for that tire pressure idiot light. Just came up on 57k and brake light popped on. Your brake video was very informative. Thanks!
LOL I love you!! I am learning a lot but am also just amused listening to you describe all these moving parts. Thank you!!
Many of my parts dont move like they used to!
I have appreciated your videos. I went through a crazy learning curve when I was into Sprinters.
Going to Promaster because of you,my friend.
I'm a few hours away. Might swing in one day and bring you some GOOD coffee!
Feel free. I like good AND bad coffee.
Shopping for one of these, thank you so much for the breakdown.
Kip, what a great video. I’ve been waiting to buy a new promaster for a van conversion but the shortage is killin’ me! I’ll likely need to buy a used one and this video is exactly what I needed. Thanks for the great content!
If you want to really save money, don't be afraid of the ultra high miles or broken vans. As a reference, a replacement engine is 4000-5000 all in at my shop (and other shops too). A transmission replacement or rebuild can be around 3000. All of it sounds like big bucks, until you compare it to the price of a low miles van vs a high miles van. Then it's a friggin' bargain.
I bought my 2014 136wb, hightop, 3L diesel, 2500 for 10k a couple years ago with a salvage title cuz it was wrecked in the back.
5k later it was on the road.
I bought it to convert, but wrecked my work van first so put it into commission as my new work truck. Best work truck I've ever had, been very reliable and sips diesel. I never really noticed fuel consumption b4, but its obvious this thing gets better mileage than anything I ever used b4 except for the mini van I outgrew a long time ago.
This guy is the best and this channel is greatly appreciated, as a new used promaster owner. The thing is beat and needs every problem solved that you mentioned... And ones you didnt. I'm going to give you a ring from Ontario.
Email is best. Promastersonly@gmail.com
Crazy helpful! I’m in the market for one now for a pressure washing build. Thanks man!
Dont be afraid of the high miles ones. If you find one where someone has replaced the rocker arms, replaced the oil cooler, or replaced the transmission, that's one to get serious about. The basic motors run to 500k no sweat.
Thank you very much for the valuable information! I wish I was in OH if only to have you assess whatever Promaster I find! Good luck with the shop!
It's rare, but occassionally people declare "I need to go to Ohio!" If that day comes for you, stop by.
Rocker arm … now I’m really concern !! Thanks for the advice
Awesome video! Great talking points and good job keeping it entertaining. This is a great video to watch if your thinking about buying a promaster.
Thanks, kid. I aim to please.
Great video- knowledge is power, especially when it comes to cars.
That was great advice! Thanks
Your channel is so helpful!!! I only buy used vehicles and will be replacing my 1997 GMC Savana with a cargo van soon. Because I research the shit out of everything I have been bouncing between the transit and the promaster with a preference toward the PM but having concerns. Your experience has put me on target for the PM. As a northeast skier the front wheel drive is a win over rear wheel drive, the all wheel drive vans are not in my budget range and there is more to go wrong. Good snow rated tires and chains if needed combined with a lifetime of winter driving experience should get me home every time. Thanks again!!!!
@@faceinthecrowd5810 Monsters in snow. No contest.
Best advice, rent both for a day before you buy. Some complain about the promaster seating position, and its fairly hard to change if you dont like it.
You are a lifesaver! Going to look at a used pro master now, it’s a 2018 with 4000 miles. Apparently the guy was doing a camper conversion and stopped halfway and it was sold at auction. Clean title no damage no accidents reported. I appreciate your insight!
Vehicles that sit for long periods tend to have different problems than ones with a billion miles. I would expect, yes expect, minor coolant leaks and hose issues and that sort of thing. What I recommend you do is go to any auto parts store and buy a little bottle of UV dye, and put that into the coolant bottle under the hood. When it leaks, you'll find it in seconds with a $10 UV flashlight (amazon). With so few miles, I might expect the brake rotors to be rusted, and I would expect that you'll want to change the oil and transmission fluid. But otherwise, it's basically a brand new van. Nice.
@@promastersonly1419 you are such a gem! Thank you for your thoughtful reply.
@@promastersonly1419 Thank you, sir. I have a very slow leak and will do that before taking it in to the gougers. Wish I was in Ohio, but I'm in Ontario!
A mechanic who uses the words remain, knows his way around and as funny as quite the gem! Thank you!
just drove one home yesterday so pumped to find your videos. I like to know
That’s why I’m here.
I'm about to purchase an RV on a Promaster 3500. I'm happy to know that you are around.
It’s good to be around!
Outstanding information. Looking to buy one next yr and take a trip to OH if I run into any issues. Need more knowledgeable people like you PROMASTER YEAH.
Stop by!
Just bought a 2015 Promaster with 76k miles. Glad a came across your page Sir
Happy to help.
Kip, thank you, I greatly appreciate your insights and help.
Anytime. You are welcome.
Thank you sir! I am a promaster (2020)
van life DIY guy who is happy to find your channel.
Subed
Enjoy the van-centric shenanigans!
I wrote off the pro master for two reason. The non tilting steering wheel and front wheel drive (I want to do long distance road trips while hauling a dirtbike and camping)
I’ve been trying to find a fairly priced Ford Transit medium roof for a year now and its impossible. Your channel just gave me the confidence to start looking at Pro masters. They are much more affordable. I hear nothing but bad about the pentastar v6 but you give me hope. I wish you were located in Houston Texas because I’d definitely buy a pro master and bring it to you!
You'll find nothing but bad about ANY vehicle on the internet, as only the bad gets reported. The truth is the PM and Transit are comparable in terms of overall reliability. If the seating position is a big deal to you, I'd suggest you rent a PM for a couple days and see if you can live with it. Hauling and towing specs are comparable to the Transit.
@@promastersonly1419 Thanks. I’m 6’1 with long legs and arms. I’ll definitely rent a PM and try it out.
Run from the Promaster……run fast. Don’t look back.
@@chiefjoseph8154 Yeah I’m thinking about a regular Chevy express and just carry my dortbike on a hitch carrier
16 Promaster. 81,000 miles. In the shop. $6,000 worth of engine repairs. Never missed any schedule maintenance. Cams, lifters, valve, piston. Thanks Ram. Never again will I purchase your product.
I feel your pain.
Thank you for this informative video. I was looking for videos on promaster tachometer issues and stumbled on this gem of a video.
Interesting. I have yet to encounter any kind of tach issue. Details?
This was incredible. Thank you for sharing and when I get my Promaster and come through OH, I'm coming to your shop. Also, thanks Linnea. You could've kept this gem to yourself, but chose to share. May you both stay safe and be prosperous. 🧡🩵
Van-tastic!
Excellent sir. You have great video skills. Every single issue you mentioned...I have had or currently have with my 2014 promaster
Thanks. Glad you like it.
With that power steering reservoir cap, we've noticed on several vans that are missing the plastic cover that water from the less than excellent windshield-sill will pool on top of the cap, where the breather (tiny hole with a knobbildy-bit in it) will allow water into it.
Interesting. We haven't seen any missing covers, but a while back I bought a used van and the cover was missing, and the res was filled with washer fluid. Obviously, someone though that was the washer res!
Awesome
Hope you open one shop soon in California, I am having a nightmare with the clearence lights
Have a good day
Yes!!!! This is awesome!!!! I love watching your video’s👍🏼Very informative and if I’m ever in Ohio I will definitely stop by!!!!
Stop by anytime!
Thank you very very much for your great educational videos. I own a 2017 Promaster and have learned a lot from you.I already had to rebuild my Transmission and swap engine at around 250k.Leaking steering rack was also replaced a many other things.Now i am working on Head Gasket replacment but didn't really find a video on that job.If there is one please give me the link.Thanks
@@mirnesk2011 type “motorcity mechanic pentastar cylinder head” and you’ll find a great video. Applies to the front head, the rear is engine out in my opinion.
This is pure gold. Thanks!
Great video! Fun and to the point! I'm at 120k and very happy with the reliability. A couple of things to add that I've noticed; e-brake system can jam up and I've had an idler pulley blow apart (though it did give me notice by making a whirring sound for a while first). I chock both of those issues to spending a lot of time on the gulf coast in it's warm salty air...
If feels like people either have a great experience, or a perpetual bad experience. Parking brake cables have been known to ice up and snap - not the case if you are beach bumming it on the gulf coast. Idler pulley failing is pretty rare - in fact I've never seen it happen but I have seen them getting ready to seize. Cheap date, easy fix if it happens.
Love your videos ! They are very informative !!!! Could you please do a video on cargo led ceiling lights failed ( fuse location ect )
Good idea. I'll put it on the list!
World of information! Thank you my friend! Like to see you soon
Whitney Bishop
1 second ago
This has taught me so much. I’m currently getting an inspection done for a 2014 Promaster 3500 conversion for van life. The owner I am buying it from bought it from people who were very well versed in Promasters and did all maintenance theirselves. The new owner however didn’t do regular maintenances and let the coolant leak so much it blew up the entire engine. Now there is a new engine in it and 10k maintenance later, he has it back on the market. Im skeptical due to the new engine and the new owners last 4 months of ownership / not taking care of it, but these videos have been so helpful. I would love to call you guys after I get the report back and get any feedback. My family is from Cincinnati and I would absolutely love to eventually bring it to you if I end up getting it to get regular maintenances with you.
Sure. Happy to help. Best bet is to email me at promastersonly@gmail.com
I should add; other than a few things they are finicky about, these engines can take a pretty good amount of abuse, and generally will get to 500-600k before they need replaced. Something to keep in mind.
Best Promaster video out there. Definitely popping in if I'm ever in OH
Pop away!
Oh my goodness!! I was born in Barberton, Ohio! I am 50 yo and this is only the 2nd time I have ever heard anyone who has even heard of Barberton 😊
Thank you for sharing your wisdom, and posting this video. A few months ago I was turning from a gravel road onto the highway here in the Ozarks and the passenger wheel went into a pothole in the gravel and popped the ball joint out and my friend who is a master mechanic, was not able to get it back Into place until it was towed home and he had his tools.
Question, is that indicative of a deeper problem?
Barbertucky is greatly changed from your youth. It's quasi hip now, if you can believe that. Ball joints wear, like anything, but we haven't seen any weird issues with them. And I assume it went back together ok, so I wouldn't worry about it.
Excellent video and information. On second Promaster, wish had them both and Good Day! Thank you. Sub and 👍
Awesome video. We'll be following. Thanks so much for all your help!
WISH YOU WERE CLOSER TO NJ
Thanks. Hate to say it, but I’m pretty happy with how far I am from New Jersey! Ha!
I own a 2015 promaster 117k in the shop currently getting a new oil cooler
Really enjoy your videos .Really like how down to earth you are. FYI I have a 2018 3500 just got a #2 cylinder code misfire.They changed the plugs and coil but that didn't fix problem . Brought it back they found some coolant in the cylinder. Have you seen this happen ?
@@jerryvrbanac6023 i have a video on the two very rare problems that affect cyl 2, but what you describe can only be a head gasket or a cracked block. If you told me this van overheated, I would be pretty confident it’s the gasket/warped head.
Thanks for making a making a really great video, I learned a few things . May I suggest that when buying a used Pro Master that you look and see in the heads of the bolts that hold the intake manifold on are there. Mainly the 3 or 4 that are recessed in what looks like a tube. On my 2014 these "tubes" had filled up with water and over time rusted the heads of the bolts completely off. When I had to change the spark plugs, removing the manifold was royal pain.
I have a video on exactly that on my channel, and we are working on a solution for that the prevents the problem AND makes getting those bolts out easier. Watch for it in the next few weeks.
Best of luck kip you may have me as a customer someday!. BTW if you get a chance I would love to see you do a video tour of your town. You do a great job as video host. Just take your Promaster and it fits fine with ProMasters only channel!
Thanks! Barberton is a weird place, with a weird history. But it might be a fun history.
Good day, looking at a used 1500 pmaster 2017, 3.6l with 202,000 kms which isn,t too bad. Unfortunately it has quite the rough idle, starts good, accelerating well just running a bit rough. No tick I can hear. Engine light is on but not sure of the codes at the moment. Being sold as is and the price seems quite fair depending on the repair. Any advice is greatly appreciated and keep the awesome vids coming...Very helpful as i,m a owner operator myself.
Super rough idle usually indicates a vac leak. I’d want to know the codes before I’d pull the trigger, because it suggests the guy was chasing a misfire, and may have had the intake off multiple times. You are RIGHT at the mileage the pentastar tick/misfire shows up, and that’s around a $1500 repair. One thing you could do if the seller lets you - cut open the oil filter and look for metal. That would confirm the tick.
Im taking my van to you when we pass by!
I'll be here!
Fantastic video!!! You covered a lot of good information fast and real easy to grasp. Thank you again 🖖
That's what I do!
Changing the oil filter looks easy-peasy, but the clearance with the air inlet is deceptively close. In my first filter change with a standard 24mm socket and wrench, after a turn or two I had to use a fair amount of force to twist the wrench out between the filter cover and the inlet. I suspect that this causes some of the problems with cracked oil filter housings and failed o-rings. Since that incident I use the low-profile Chrysler socket and a skinny old Stanley ratchet wrench.
True, it’s at an odd angle and many tools dont fit right. We use a long handled swivel headed ratchet.
I dont think the cap contributes to the housing leaks, though maybe it does. All the pentastars have that problem, including the rear wheel drive ones where the cap is easy to get to.
Cool video dude. Thank you!
Guy’s a genius 👍
I think so too!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your video is telling me that high mileage vans are not to be avoided just because of the number of miles accrued. High mileage could mean the owner of the van has been paying attention to maintenance requirements.
Correct. And big picture, you can do a LOT of repairs for the price difference between high and low mileage vans.
Great video
Thanks for sharing the knowledge. Funny to learn the scalloping is caused by the shocks going bad, as I had noticed the scalloping before we noticed our shocks were bad, and haven't seen it since now that I think of it. We have had the transmission solenoids changed (far before needing a rebuild), and the oil cooler leak as well. You definitely know what you're talking about! We're at 168k miles and hope to get many more.
Scalloping or cupping is common on all FWD vehicles. In ultra high mileage applications I usually recommend not to rotate the tires because the rears last forever, 200k+ often. So often the scalloping goes unaddressed.
I’ve seen your channel. Something tells me that mechanics in more remote areas are probably MORE competent, rather than less when compared to mechanics in the states. They would have to be. And probably more honest, too.
Telling me more on your thoughts regarding tire rotation. I am used to doing tire rotations every 5 to 10 thousand miles. Now that we have a new 2021 Ram Promaster 3500, what do you recommend on tire rotation?
Side note: No differences between a 1500 and a 3500? If so, I could have saved lots of money!
@@gregc5684 Totally personal preference. I don't rotate because generally my vans go 10k per month, and that's a lot of time. Instead, I just run the fronts till they need replacing. The rears tend to last 150k-200k no sweat. FWD is easy on rear tires.
They're Spring Dampers. Shock absorber is a misnomer. Failed dampers allow the spring to oscillate after a bump causing tires to bounce and cup.
Hello, I was so happy to see your channel!!!! Thank you for sharing such good information. : ) I am a senior woman, who is ready for a new travel challenge so am in the process of looking for a promaster to convert to a camper van. From what I have seen in options, I have been leaning towards the Promaster. Learned a lot from your information. Need to learn a lot more. I look forward to checking out more. If I have a question, is there another format to use in asking a question? again Thanks!!
2in on any dipstick... thank you. I've been trying to figure out the easiest way to check it.
2" when it fully hot. If it's just idlling in neutral at normal warmup it's more like 1.5". The truth is anywhere in that range will be fine.
Thank you sir! Valuable info!
Wow! Thankful for your knowledge! I'm about to go look at a 2015 Promaster Ecodiesel and I've only read HORROR stories online. The carfax is very clean with recent upgrades and a meticulous maintanence schedule followed. 87k on it. Should I completely avoid...?
Hate to say it, but yes - run screaming. The diesels are finicky, orphaned, poorly supported, impossible to fix, impossible to get parts for, and above all expensive...all to get 4mpg better on fuel that costs $1 gallon more. Do NOT buy. It's a shame - I love diesel, but not THIS diesel.
@promastersonly1419 you're a saint, thank you! I will be avoiding it!
@ you have saved yourself a world of pain, I assure you.
I guess what I should have asked is can you disable the speed limiter for me if I buy a former fleet van? If so I’ll be planning a trip to Ohio for sure 😁👍🏻
We just bought a used 2023 2500 high roof 159.
Great vehicle!
Regarding the OAT antifreeze we noticed the reservoir is low so we bought some of this at AutoZone
PEAK Original Equipment Technology North American Vehicles Orange Antifreeze and Coolant
Ready-To-Use
It says organic ACID technology but not organic ADDITIVE technology like in our manual.
Safe to use? Or return it and go buy at a Ram dealer instead?
Same thing. Should be fine.
Realistically comforting. Our Promaster 1500 high roof RV conversion has 17K miles on it so we've only just begun, but since so many Promasters are built into RVs I'd love it if you covered some of the things found in RVs, such as the underhood generator for Promasters made by Nations Alternator, the Sumo Springs used to improve handling, LED headlight conversions for Promasters (I installed the one from OpenGlass that makes it possible to run LED bulbs with heat sinks and fans using an adapter to the Promaster's H7 sockets for hiigh and low beams)--things like that.
I steer clear of the motor home side of things, only because I'm no expert and there are RV people who are. But I have short videos on dual alternators and LED upgrades. We use the Oxilam H7 that you find on amazon. Drop in, no muss, work great, cheap.
I need a promaster doctor! you know your stuff! after this video, I'm thinking about driving to you from Texas, No coffee for me though :)
Email me. Maybe it’s something simple we can solve without having to drive 1000 miles.
Hopefully you can help me with my problem. I recently just purchased a 2020 2500 159 inch wheelbase with a high roof and the date and time keep flashing and my radio control buttons do not work. It is stuck on pair phone mode only, hope you read this. Thank you.
My 2014 PM only has 52K miles, but has been very reliable. Change the oil every 4-6k etc. The only pending issue is the oil sensor failure which is a known issue. A 30min fix on a Jeep, but 3 hours on a PM because of placement.
That would be P0520 or P0522. You can ignore that forever, if you like. But it's a cheap easy fix if you're handy.
I bought a 2017 brand new ordered from dealer. I was happy with it for 2 years and everything was fine. At 71k cylinder head #2, at 91k cylinder head #6. Finally at 101k transmission went. So long Promaster, they just dont hold up well. Its the exact same motor and transmission and flywheel as a Chrysler Town & Country. Weak motor transmission combo for sure. Now Im on to a Sprinter bought new and 33k so far no issues. Fingers crossed.
I feel for your bad luck. Good luck with the Sprinter.
GOOD DAY SIR!
I. SAID. GOOD. DAY. Sir!
Fun every time I say it.
Just stumbled upon your channel. 2014 3500 gas owner purchased brand new. My PM is very coolant thirsty & has been consuming more & more of late. Can't find any leaks, no white smoke out the exhaust & no engine misfiring. At the around the 7:50 mark you mention something about a radiator recall on the 2014's. Do you have the recall information? Thanx for your invaluable information...
That’s just a call to the dealer. You should be due a free radiator. That, and cracked coolant bottles are the most common leak points.
2014 still under warranty for this issue???@@promastersonly1419
My 2014 ProMaster van falls within the build dates for TSB 07-006-15 (coolant loss), however I’m being told by Chrysler & my local dealership that because my van has exceeded the warranty date that it is not longer valid & I therefore have to pay outta pocket. @@promastersonly1419
Hey great swag. and thx for tips
Thank you for the video. Is there a way to check the engine hours on a 2021 Promaster?
@@jeremyshima2888 not that I know of. Your trip odometers will record run time. But if they get reset, then that’s lost. I suppose you could run one 10,000 miles, then extrapolate.
You are a lifesaver! Thank you so much for making this video. You have helped me immensely!
Glad to be of service.
Super helpful thanks.
Great video! Im looking at used 2023 Promaster 2500 high roof vans so your tips are really appreciated. One question. Most of the vans I’m finding are former rentals or fleet and they have a speed limiter installed. I think that limits me to 77mph but not sure. Have you run across these being a problem?
The speed limiter is a setting in the computer. My non-factory scan tool will turn it off and on, so I'm confident any shop can do that for you. Certainly a dealer can, and it should be warranty covered.
@@promastersonly1419 Thanks. I suspected that was true but now I’m relieved it really is.
You're so informative! Great video! Air filter...big as your head lol. Love it. Thank you.
Thanks. Stay tuned for more fascinating videos and tidbits.
You should look up the dealers promaster repair film from the 50's & 60's. 😮😮
@@RAINBOWINTHEDARK107 I think I’m living in that film.
Informative, helpful, thank you.
@@namaste9112 edju-tainment!
Great video. Thanks for the information
Hi brother new subscriber,customer I didn’t know you have a channel but I did talk to you about a month ago Ray from Corndog Caravan highly recommended you I’m planning on being at your shop in a couple weeks for a complete transmission cleanup pm,my radiator reservoir is also leaking no big deal what is a big deal unfortunately after watching this video is I have the camshaft tick although it’s going to hurt my wallet 😂thanks it’s better than a blown engine I’ll be talking to ya in a couple weeks have a great weekend 🙏👍
Corndog Caravan - it’s just fun to say, isnt it.
Trans service we can do on the fly, but anything bigger we’re going to have to schedule, and we’re pretty booked through November. But the tick is a long term problem, and until you get a code for a single cylinder misfire you dont really have to do anything immediately.
@@promastersonly1419 Thanks for the reply I’ll see you in a couple weeks for the tranny if it’s the camshaft maybe we could schedule it for May of 23 when I come back from AZ I’m glad that your business is booming we need knowledgeable people like you instead of being forced to a dealership thanks again 👍
I love learning here like i just did. Thank you. Is it safe to say that if you idle alot that ticking will start sooner then later? Respect from Avon
Big topic. It boils down to opinion, but mine is that the engine is just a big lump of metal and doesn't know or care if or how long you are idling. In my opinion (see my recent pentastar tick video) idling is NOT the cause of the tick, nor does it affect it. Idle all you want.
Thanks so much! Happy New Year!
To you as well.
Love your style! I have a 2018 with an annoying issue. The TPMS module went off-line from the master module. The TPMS light is on and the odometer flashes constantly as part of the alert. Dealer said it would take 2 days to fix!! Jeez - it's a computer. Can't they just reboot it like any computer? Software upgrade? Firmware upgrade. I'm flummoxed and annoyed. Doesn't help that I don't like or trust that dealer.
That's not uncommon. The flashing odometer is indeed a sort of check engine light for the body computer, and it's telling you it's lost coms with the TPMS module. My feeling on anything TPMS is not to panic - our ancestors lived their whole lives by identifying flat tires because they were flat on the bottom. That still works!
the oil dipstick tube broke at the bolt mount and was wondering if you ever replaced one with the engine in. looks like its going to be diffcult to get to the bolt
There's 1 10mm bolt that holds it to the side of the block. That's actually pretty easy from the bottom. But the dipstick tube is a bitch to get out from the block because it's got an o-ring that seals it. You have two approaches: one is to get on it with a vice grip, and then hammer on the vice grip, kind of like a slide hammer deal. I hate to recommend this, but often we use a little propane torch to try to get that o-ring soft WITHOUT lighting all your oil on fire!! If that, combined with a skinny screwdriver prying up on the tube's flange doesn't work, there is a backup. It sucks, but pull the small oil pan and you'll be able to hammer out the remains of the old dipstick tube. That tube is available at dealers for under $30. It's unique to the Promaster, it's longer than a minivan or journey tube and it matches your dipstick. P/N 68160278AC
Thank you very much.
I was looking for a van for a while, I was getting discouraged. People here snatch ford vans up quick, when I would find one, it already had a deposit put down on it. Then, when I was about to give up, I found a 2018 promaster 1500 hightop with 57k miles. 34 grand. Quiet ride, smooth acceleration, ice cold a/c, no rear end noises. Much better deal than the beat up, slightly rusted ford transits that they've shipped from up north with 196k to 226 miles for $28k and up that I was seeing. People were scrambling for them anyway. I feel that I found gold. I use it for delivering medicine, it may carry 600 lbs max for 16 miles to my first stop, after that its down to 200 lbs of weight. Definitely not being overloaded, and definitely being babied. I had a radiator leak at 71k miles. What can you recommend for improved fuel milage? I used to use a little over a quarter tank for my route ( run the same route everyday) to just under a half tank a day. Other than keeping it at 65, cant really run that on the highway, do you have any suggestions? I use supreme fuel.
From my experiments, premium improves power a tad but not mileage. Zero harm in going back to 87 octane. The long wheelbase vans tend to get slightly better mileage than the short vans like yours. For big vans, the sweet spot for mpg seems to be 63mph. The only thing you can really do to improve mpg is overinflate the tires slightly. For a 2018, I believe the door sticker will call out 72 front, 80 rear. Use that. Another thing is alignment - if your fronts are wearing funny you are giving up a bit of mpg. Otherwise, the engine will code if there is something actually wrong with it. Sounds like you are down south, but in the north in winter expect a 2mpg drop because cold air is denser and harder to push through. Summertime, you should be seeing 19s in a short van if you keep it under 65mph. Multiply by 24 gallon tank to figure your range.
You should make a video 📷📸 on the 3 liter i4 diesel
I dont have any experience with them. Rare, expensive, orphaned, and problematic.
Look for your air intake boot coming off! Lots of people had issues with those coming off. There are videos out there
True, but for the most part even if the small boot falls entirely off, it won't really affect how the thing runs or drives. But yeah, lots of them are loose or cocked from brand new.
Great video very informative, keep up the good work...
Thanks!
Wow, thanks so much for that...!!! 2018 Roadtrek
Happy to help.
I had 272k miles on my 17 when I sold it and it ran like a top sinse day one. No tick, no struts,no breaks , no break downs. I changed belt coils and plugs.I did start to have a problem with heat , must been blower door...oh forgot changed wheel bearing driver side b4 I sold it
You are/were the poster boy of what I'm trying to do here - help people have positive van ownership experiences.
2016 1500 owner. Coming up on 80k. Missing and the P0 something. Plan this week is to do the coil packs and plugs (a little early). Oil change and off on my way. Breaks are still like new. Everything. Headlights are a pain. Don’t know how many times I’ve replaced them.
Tips: check that you DON'T have the pentastar tick by cutting open a used oil filter and looking for metal. For headlights, type Oxilam H7 LED into Amazon and use those, they are direct drop ins for the stock bulbs and because they are LED they never blow and are WAY brighter and better.
@@promastersonly1419 Thanks for the fast reply! Engine is quite (3.6) and runs good on the road. Rough idle. Sometimes it seems to clear up (idle)? I assume it’s the coil pack from the internet (it must be true 😆. Appreciate any help you can pass along. I’m in SWFl and a DAV in my 60s. Bought the van 2nd owner with 20K. Love it. Saw a vid that claimed a P03 is the injector? I will cut open the filter (this weekend). I forget what Chrysler did on the last recall. It was a cooler, think it was transmission, not sure. Last thing I got out of them after the cut the engine warranty down (POS). If you were closer I be by for sure
@@promastersonly1419 found the LED headlights!!! Last question (for now, thanks ) the last time I did one. One of the little plastic clips broke on one end. It is holding . Next time I don’t know. I hate to have to replace the whole assembly
@@christopherrasmussen8718 Code will be something like P0301 where the last digit indicates which cylinder is misfiring. If you have a global misfire P0300 your problem likely isn't the pentastar tick. If it's Cyl #2 that's a special case. I have a guy Melbourne if you are close.
@@christopherrasmussen8718 You are refering to the little level/locking tab, I assume. Shouldn't make a difference as the bulbs go in on slides that are pretty grippy. The bulb also is retained under the little allen screw, so even if it comes loose it can't fall out and will likely still work.
You know your the man!! Thank you so much
You are fabulous dude, make me wish I was 30 years younger 😅. Okay so Mr. Burly, when it comes to used is there any year that's better than any other year? Is there any manufacturing plant that's better than another? And lastly I'm a senior lady but still have the long legs I always had. I'm just under 5'9. My concern is the front seat. I need leg room. I prefer to sit up straight. I'm getting through the process of illimination and really want a promaster, which is crazy because I've always been a Ford gal in the past. I'm gonna want to sleep across right above the Wheel well if there's room. I am going to do my own insulation and no-build, build, with modular components, so I can play with it. My background of travel and design is nagging at me. I've been shanghied to Senior hell, and am too young for bingo! So you sound like the shop for me! I'm in Hawaii, and wanting to return to the mainland. I've had no idea where to purchase to make this happen? Right now I'm "pimping my credit" lol😂 and selling off my stuff. I'm not in a super hurry, I'd like to do this post election, so it's all about prepping myself. Traveresed the country a number of times so no fear. Also used to own a cab company, so having an excellent mechanic or "Vehicle Maintenance Guru" is a must! I have missions to go on all over the country so coming to meet you could be number one. Okay last question how much would it take to add a push bar to the front of one of these and could it handle it? I have a near perfect driving record and want to keep it that way. I take it easy. It's other drivers that, (well I'm a lady and can't express that here) make me nervous. Aloha😊
Aloha! I’ve been to Kona and it is excellent. Hope to return someday and stay forever.
I’m happy to help. Step one, go rent one in HI and live with it a few days. You’ll either love the seating position or hate it. It can be changed a little, but not much so testing it is important. Sleeping crosswise is the same story, but at 5’9” you should be ok. To me, the best layout is to put your bed platform high all the way in the back, which forms a “garage” under the bed that you get to from the rear doors.
Because you’ll be more or less homeless, I’d look at the whole thing as a continuous build, or a build on the move. What can be built in the Home Depot parking lot, kind of thinking. As expediters (truckers in vans) we have much experience with this, starting with nothing more than a $60 cot from Walmart and a sleeping bag. There’s tricks to it, like a Planet Fitness membership which solves your shower, place to sleep, place to poop problem nationally all for $22/mo.
One tip: I wouldnt worry about the single lady/security issue at all. In 10 years of doing this full time, nobody has ever broken into or hassled a van. It turns out to be a non-issue.
For the promaster, all vans are identical year to year, all built in the same plants. 2014-2021 are all identical, 22-up all identical. Avoid the rare diesel version, and otherwise the 22-up got a revised engine and revised transmission. Go newer if you can afford it.
Happy to answer any other questions you have.
Great info!!
Awesome. Thank you for sharing.