Question regarding Driving Modes

[John webbo]

Hi all.
On the ford web site it suggests the Transit Custom gets 5 driving modes:
https://www.ford.co.uk/vans-and-pickups ... experience

Selectable Drive Modes allows you to tailor your Transit’s performance by choosing from five available drive modes: Normal, Slippery, Mud/Rut, Tow, and for maximum efficiency, EcoMode. The system adjusts various settings to optimise performance for the conditions. These include throttle response and steering feel, as well as gear-change behaviour on vehicles with automatic transmission.

I have asked 4 dealers now, and all of them say they have only ever seen EcoMode and Normal.
Looking at the spec sheet it suggests the driving modes are from the base vehicle up. There isnt an option to specify them.
I assume the Tow only appears if you have a trailer attached / plugged in, and maybe enabled.

Do any of you have a van with these modes ?
Maybe these are only on newer vans, or autos, or something else ?

Cheers,
John.

[apollogary]

Hi

I haven't posted on here before, but I thought I'd reply to this. I have just ordered a new custom LWB, with quite a few extras. Like you I have seen in brochures and read about the 5 selectable drive modes. But it's not in the list of options anywhere. The salesman I have dealt with wasn't sure and said he would find out. In the meantime he went off sick and I ended up placing the order with his boss. I actually had a bit of an argument with him about this. He insisted I was wrong and I must have looked at a US website, or I was looking at the Transit AWD and not the custom. He was adamant that there were only 2 modes. I even contacted Ford themselves but they were hopeless and referred me back to the dealer.
In the end I sent the original salesman the link to UK Transit Custom showing 5 drive modes. He did some more digging and found this

drive modes.jpg

Finally makes sense, the brochure is wrong. It definitely says it's for the Custom

What also confused me was some models had the switches under the drivers air vent, (and I assumed these were the models with 5 modes) and some had nothing. Well apparently, all the latest models come with the switches for the 2 modes, where previously you had to go into settings to change from one to the other

Hope this helps

Gary

[John webbo]

Thanks for the reply, and the information.
Yes, very annoying, and confusing.

Picked my new van up yesterday and definitely only got the two modes.
Regarding the switches, the slightly earlier vans (I assume 6.1 vs 6.2 ?) had 1 maybe 2 buttons. The new one has 3 (traction control on/off, eco mode on/off, and something else I can't remember )
One of the dealers told me this was how they easily identified between a 170 and 185.