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Service manual

61K views 62 replies 25 participants last post by  Shawn_K 
#1 ·
Anyone know of a downloadable copy of the Ford factory service manual for the Transit? Alternately, who has the best price on a printed copy?

Thanks!
 
#4 · (Edited)
I just received my 2015 service manual dvd from www.diyrepairmanuals.com. Shipping time and customer service was excellent.
But... I have to say I am underwhelmed by the information that is made available on the disk. That is not the fault of the retailer.
The one item I really wanted to be clear about... the flex disk coupler (giubo) is only mentioned as an afterthought for when you might want to remove the driveshaft.
It cannot be found even in the itemized index, which lists every part on the van.
Will I get my money back by being able to do repairs I might not otherwise have been able to do? Yes.
Do I recommend the dvd? What can I say... it is the official Ford document that all of the service techs use. But they use it in conjunction with OASIS. A DIY like myself does not have access to that.

Good luck.
 
#6 · (Edited)
I'm not offended, Budsky. I know the flex disk is not just a matter of removing and replacing 6 bolts. There are more components fitted to the part that work to stabilize it and the driveshaft. In my opinion, the manual should include that info. And that is what my post is about. I believe taking things in context is important.

But I digress... I'm glad my post amused you.

I've been repairing my vehicles for over 35 years. I'm confident in my skills as a DIY.

Good luck to you if you choose to replace one based on the information you have.
 
#7 ·
#8 ·
#13 ·
I purchased the service manual dvd from my local Ford dealer. Now a really basic question: does anyone know how to read this dvd on a mac? Do I need to install VMWare Fusion, or will CrossOver Mac work, or is there another simpler option, given that my shop and desktop computers are both Macs?
 
#14 ·
Don't know about mac but they are a PITA even on windows- they require some ancient almost unobtainable version of Adobe Acrobat to run.
I could never even get mine Transit one to work right on windows 10- had to resurrect an old laptop on windows 7 to use it....

The software appears the same as it was when I bought my first Ford service manual on CD IIRC back about 1998!
 
#15 ·
Sounds about right. Domestic Car Companies are SOOOOOOOOO far behind regarding technology. They don't HAVE to be, they could always hire some high school kid with average high school kid computer abilities to revamp their website and the service manual and any other digital domain thing to be current with modern technology. But they don't. Maybe it's one of those anti-education, anti-science things popular with certain segments of the American population?
 
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#18 ·
Alldatadiy manual option

I don't think this has been reported in the forum previously; Today I discovered that there is now an online subscription for a 2015 Ford Transit Service manual available on the Alldatadiy dot com website. This is the 2015 service manual only. Not sure how it compares to what is available online at helm dot com. It does have the wiring diagrams, which I could never get to work from my Helm 2015 Transit service manual CD.

The regular Alldata cost for this is 24.95 per year or I think it was 44.95 for a three year subscription. I've had Alldata subscriptions for other owned vehicles previously and received an email today from Alldata announcing an offering that I add a vehicle or extend a vehicle subscription for $12.95, via entering the code "END2017" in the coupon code box on the cart check-out screen. Said code good only through end of 2017. Not sure if this discount code will work at check out for entirely new subscribers at Alldata, but worth a try.
 
#22 ·
The manual (and every other file I've worked with for the last few years) runs fine on Sumatra PDF. I can't use any version of Acrobat reader after 7 or 8 (don't remember) as the newer versions have memory issues with large files like the BEMM. So far I have seen ZERO reason to have Acrobat reader installed on a computer. It's a crap program and there are plenty of better ones which are also free and actually work.
 
#23 ·
Thanks for this link. I got the 72 hour access working, and there is a fair amount of useful information. Is this the same information as contained on the DVD? If so, would be worth purchasing the DVD.

The search function works, and shows detailed results for specific search terms. As long as I'm running internet explorer and allowing active x controls to run, the SVG viewer installed and works to show the wiring diagrams.

Of course, the specific detailed information I'm looking for on programming the alternator to charge a lead acid instead of AGM battery is not available. I made the mistake of adding the AGM battery option to my purchase, but the charging voltage with that configuration is too low to top off my Lithium house bank using a battery combiner.
 

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#24 · (Edited)
Is this the same information as contained on the DVD? If so, would be worth purchasing the DVD.

The search function works, and shows detailed results for specific search terms.
Looks nearly identical to the CD service manual. It's not a DVD which tips you off on how much info is in it. Schematics on the CD aren't in color which makes the online version a little easier to use.

CD service manual doesn't have a search function that I can find. That's a pretty big omission.
 
#36 ·
I signed up for 72 hours at the Ford website in preparation for my brake job coming up. While I was there I did a print to PDF all the brake procedures for my Transit and F150. Not a bad price for covering 2 vehicles. And VIN specific.
 
#39 ·
Well, with that large increase in access price, someone is going to copy all of it and offer it for sale illegally for $100 and make themselves several thousand dollars. When prices are reasonable people just pay them, like 99 cents per song, instead of seeking illegal copies and downloads.
 
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#46 ·
A manual on CD doesn't always equal a pdf.

Some manufactures like to use web based manuals on CD, meaning they are viewed using a web browser section by section to prevent printing entire manual easily. I'm not sure if Ford uses this system or not.
 
#48 · (Edited)
Exactly- Ford's Service Manual is running ancient software and requires Acrobat 5. Yes, that is correct, 5.
Their manual is not fully searchable and is frankly a PITA to use- but it is all we got!

You really want to see screwed up IT go to parts.ford.com their official parts website- pitiful.

I've been trying to track down a part that was changed for 2019- according to Ford Parts the VIN I'm using does not exist in their database. The van was built something like 7 weeks ago in their own plant, but they don't know it.

Somehow I picture someone sitting in front of an old card punch machine entering their data- stuff I worked on back in the 70's!:nerd:
 
#49 ·
You really want to see screwed up IT go to parts.ford.com their official parts website- pitiful.

Budsky you are spot on. Ordering parts for most other vehicles is like ordering parts for an appliance. You find the category, there’s an exploded diagram, you zoom in and find your part. Take your pick from 100 vendors with the same part availability. Ford is in the dark ages. You guess at what the image is supposed to be and hope you have the correct part number. Ridiculous.
 
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