SPL Tech Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 (edited) Daytime running lights came enabled from the factory on my CMAX. Apparently if you pay $40 they will enable it at the factory as an option.... Anyway, how can I disable DRL? The Ford stealershit wanted $100. Edited January 13, 2015 by SPL Tech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdiesel1 Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Any scan tool that is capable will do it, just don't ask me which one will. I use the IDS on Ford's, so I have no ideaabout what aftermarket tool will do it. If it's that big of a deal, pay the Stealer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPL Tech Posted January 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 I dont know why ford cannot incorporate all this stuff into ETM. There is no reason why every option that can be changed with a scan tool cant be integrated into the ETM to be changed as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugblndr Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 I dont know why ford cannot incorporate all this stuff into ETM. There is no reason why every option that can be changed with a scan tool cant be integrated into the ETM to be changed as well.In some jurisdictions that the car is sold, DRL's are mandatory. If they were to do that, then they'd have to have different builds for different regions, or at least load different software into the car for different regions. Much simpler and cheaper to make it the same everywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian_L Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 Can we struggle on without using the term "stealershit"? There are Ford representatives on this forum. I'm sure there are other Ford forums where an absence of good manners is encouraged. kostby, shinytop and kblast523 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotomoto Posted January 14, 2015 Report Share Posted January 14, 2015 How ironic as there are several multi-page threads about getting DRL's activated, aftermarket units added, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdiesel1 Posted January 15, 2015 Report Share Posted January 15, 2015 How ironic as there are several multi-page threads about getting DRL's activated, aftermarket units added, etc. Searching isn't popular :lol2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPL Tech Posted January 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2015 (edited) Can we struggle on without using the term "stealershit"? There are Ford representatives on this forum. I'm sure there are other Ford forums where an absence of good manners is encouraged.No we cant. While you might not like my word choices, I dont like your censorship. So feel free not to read my posts if they bother you. I dont give a damn if there are Ford reps on this forum or not. I dont like stealerships that take advantage of people in hard places by charging them $14,000 for a transmission job that takes $2,000 to complete. You think my language is bad, apparently you dont get out much. My language should be the least of your concerns. Dealerships of every brand have a VERY LONG history of completely screwing people over, taking them for a ride, doing everything possible to squeeze every possible dime out of a customer with absolute zero regard for anything but money. Edited January 17, 2015 by SPL Tech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kostby Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 (edited) I have reported you to the moderators, and I urge every participant here who is bothered by your repeated use of abusive language to do the same! Edited January 19, 2015 by kostby shinytop and Adrian_L 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian_L Posted January 19, 2015 Report Share Posted January 19, 2015 You're right--if we are on the street corner and you are swearing in front of my 7 year old. You have no right to listen to my objection, and clearly you don't care that you're offending me. The difference is that we're on a moderated forum and we have rules. So if you want to stay on this forum, clean up your language. shinytop 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestevens Posted February 12, 2015 Report Share Posted February 12, 2015 My 2013 CMAX was a fleet vehicle, which means that when I bought it the windows were un-tinted and the headlights are forced on to comply with DRL. It worked like a motorcycle, if the car was on, the headlights were on (might as well not even have a headlamp switch on the dash). Based on some posts I read here I got the dealer service department to use IDS to reprogram one of the modules to turn the DRL feature "off". Since I had just bought the car they were willing to do this service for $35. Far as I can tell there are no actual independent DRL lights so I am much happier with the DRLs "off". You can manually control the headlights/parking lights with the switch instead of the headlights being forced on all the time while I am idling. If I see that there is a lot of glare on the road or whatever, I just reach down and turn the switch so the lights are on. Ford does have daylight sensors in the car, so I'm not exactly sure why they couldn't program the DRL routine to switch the headlight control to manual when it is dark outside. I guess they must've figured that if it is dark outside you'l lwant to use the headlights anyway but I hated it when I come home at 11PM and my headlights were shining directly on the neighbor's bedroom window with no way to override. I have the SEL model, so no battery problems to date,DRLwas the only issue I had with the car and they were able to fix that so I am pretty happy. I used to drive a prius sedan, which could routinely get 45-50MPG and I had an HHR, but I got tired of having two cars and the C-MAX is sort of the best of both. I love the light from the panoramic roof in the winter time. I tried the Prius V and it was like they took the regular prius drivetrain and added on another 2,000lbs - terribly slow unlike the C-MAX. I was able to get a four bin ROLA MOVE cargo carrier off of Amazon that works perfectly in the back of the C-MAX (http://amzn.com/B000E81VN8) so the groceries don't roll around. I used to try to carry them in the flip up portion of the load floor but sometimes I had too many bags. kblast523 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian_L Posted February 12, 2015 Report Share Posted February 12, 2015 Maybe I'm missing something, but aren't DRL pretty well an international requirement these days? Up here in Canada it's the law. I think everyone had their headlights on during the day in England when I was there in October. Even if it isn't the law, doesn't it make sense to be more visible, especially in overcast or wet weather? We like our SEL too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdiesel1 Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 DRL's run at a reduced voltage. The headlamps are not on @ 100% intensity.The auto headlamps are controlled by a light sensor on US vehicles. kblast523 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jestevens Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 (edited) In the dark even "reduced intensity" still seems bright, I was glad to be able to switch them off while I was parked with the engine idling.. The houses here are fairly close together so it's nice not to annoy the neighbors when I warm the car up early in the morning before leaving for work. With DRLs "enabled", at least on the US model it seems you can't switch headlights off...might as well not even have a headlamp switch on the dash. Of course that is pretty much my only complaint about the car, and they were able to fix it by reprogramming with IDS. I should say that the reprogramming also reset some of the driver controlled settings, I had to re-do "MyView" and a few of the other menu settings but overall I am very happy with the response. It was worth $35 for the dealer's time. I guess it could be a safety issue but I just got in the habit of turning the lights on if there is a lot of glare on the road, which is what I think DRLs are supposed to help with. I'm not sure about the legality, I assume that if it was a problem then they wouldn't sell stock C-MAX without the DRLs enabled in the US Market. I still do see some cars that have no DRLs on here. This shouldn't be that hard of a programming fix to make it work "right" - where it would honor something like "parking lights only" at night depending on the position of the switch on the dash and the input from the daylight sensor.. It seems like the rental car company basically said, "For insurance purposes we would like these to be on all the time when the car is running." and Ford said, "Okay". Edited February 13, 2015 by jestevens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdiesel1 Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 The auto headlamps turn on @ dusk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugblndr Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Starting your car with the emergency brake on will typically make the DRL's not turn on. This is pretty much a standard on any car I've had, whether it's Ford, GM, Toyota or Honda. kblast523 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Smith Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 jest... i was like you I had 2 hhr's then went to the prius. and then stumbled upon the ford... I have the sel with DRL's but its has a switch for the DRL on, head light on parking lights on or headlights auto. I just keep mine switched to the auto setting... and if I feel its not enough during inclement weather...reach down and turn it on.. SLP... dealerships are a business. they're primary function is to...Gasp....make money for their owners. They do this by selling cars and working on cars. Yes there are some that are better than others and nicer to their customers, and others that are troublesome. If you want cheap service, take the car down to billy-bob on the corner and let him twist wrenches. When an Authorized ford dealership is working on your vehicle they are obligated under contract to sell ford parts, at set prices. Yes they can sell the parts at higher prices but the other variable is Labor rate... and even then they are pretty similar from dealer to dealer. I went on ALLDATA (not the bible of auto repair, but pretty close). a new transmission is $4000 plus 13 hours in labor... which puts you near $6000 not counting taxes or other disposal/shop fees. If a dealerhsip is quoting you $14000 just walk away and find someone else.... Keep in mind that using a dealer for such a job would keep your warranty in force, where as billy bob not so much. Its not the dealership's fault you are in a "hard place" I'm sure they hear all kinds of Sob stories like being on fixed income, just lost a job, ect. if they gave out discounts to every tom dick and harry, they would be out of business. Most business models are to make money, not do work for free. I used to own a service(not automotive) business and the amount of people that would ask for or expect free stuff was mind boggling. On average in a service type job. Every dollar you bill you make about 25 cents.. So I now need to recoup my 75cents in overhead to break even. which means I need to bill 3 dollars just to break even. So I give away $1, and I bill another $3. At this point in time I have broken even and not made any profit...on that $4 This in turn means higher prices for everyone else if the dealer expects to maintain their profitability. From time to time I would quote jobs at a price that was much higher that what would be considered "normal price" my reasons...1. The job is a pain in the butt. Ie not something i really wanted to tackle. but at a higher price point it makes it worth wile.2. The job is an unknown. Ie hidden conditions or not really sure how long its going to take, so I price high.3. Customer is a a known problem. IE continuously complains, asks for change orders, slow pay, likes to talk, ect4. Mis-bid. When I bid the job I brain farted and just bid it too high. made a mistake on I would imagine that with the original $14000 estimate one of the 4 reasons above is probably to blame... And I do agree with the other that your use of the salty language is not really appropriate here. the 4th paragraph of the TOS you agreed to use this forum is quoted below with the appropriate part highlighted. You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use this bulletin board to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise violate any law. kblast523, Adrian_L and kostby 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPL Tech Posted February 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 (edited) a Edited February 18, 2015 by SPL Tech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPL Tech Posted February 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 (edited) This reminds me of a HVAC issue I had. I needed to get my heater repaired. The HVAC guys were wanting $6000 to do it. I laughed them out of my house, did a few days of research on the net and ended up doing it myself for $1000 and a day's labor. If they would have charged a much more reasonable and still profitable $2k, I would have given them my business. But they wanted to take me for a ride and they lost their time giving me an estimate and made $0 doing it. You cannot charge more than someone is willing to pay, regardless of what the excuses are. There is nothing wrong with making money as a business. There IS something wrong with trying to completely rip someone off. I NEVER expect something for free, but I ALWAYS demand a deal that is both reasonable for the seller and the buyer, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Look, the consumer has the upper hand in just about every industry other than healthcare. There are a million alternatives to the dealer. With the modern invention of YouTube and digital shop manuals, anyone who is mechanically inclined has some shot of being able to do a full engine or tranny swap himself. Truth be told, many dealers operate like they think they are providing ER service to a gunshot wound victim or something. But they are wrong, there are a million alternatives to a dealer (like any of the other 5000 dealers for starters). The person with the money has the power, and that's the consumer. There are a million shops willing to take my business, you tell me why I should let you have my business. Edited February 18, 2015 by SPL Tech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Smith Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 SLP I think you are delusional if you think people can do a tranny swap in their garage with the assistance of you tube and some digital shop manuals.. Brakes, oil changes, fluid changes water pump, plugs yeah sure...basic maintenance When I raced my 94 Impala SS I did trans swaps 2x a year and rebuilt my own GM 4L60 E (in my home garage on jack stands no lift) I even owned a a second transmission. I'm not an auto worker (landscaper by trade) but I am very mechanically inclined. It was no picnic and it was a day long job with air tools...but it was a hobby as well.. I don't see the average person even mechanical inclined going out renting an engine lift and any other tools they may need and tackling a job like a trans swap. in their garage. they woudl need to take time off work, rent a vehicle, ect, ect.. its pretty overwhelming... In regards to shops that charge higher prices. it's not a rip-off if the customer agrees to the price/conditions. Some folks are really attached to their vehicle and put a premium on getting it serviced/fixed. If they want a rush service, then they pay a rush price. Yes the customer has many more options to them in regards the ability to research prospective shops so they know what they are getting into. Over time the shops that charge the higher prices or have poor customer service will be found out. HVAC, Plumbing, electricians its a bit of a racket but they to have high overhead as they spend much their day driving from job to job...IE unbillable time... As a landscaper going from job to job we spend 25% of our time looking at the windshield. Someone has to pay for it... essentially it does come down to being an informed consumer... and much of the stuff that people call plumbers, electricians, ect for can be done by themselves. but some are willing to pay the premium to have someone else do it.. kostby 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian_L Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 Excellent points. There's also a confidence factor. I'd consider myself somewhat mechanical---I can repair an (older) car, install appliances and do my own plumbing and electrical, but some folks simply aren't comfortable working on 115 volt electrics ("what if I burn the house down?") let alone swapping a transmission. There are bolt tightening tolerances to consider, etc. and stuff that is second nature to a good mechanic. It is simply not everyone's cup of tea, and Youtube or Hanes don't cover everything. And besides, taking anything to a specialist gives the consumer the peace of mind that it gets fixed or installed and they don't have to worry. I'm pretty sure the wrecking yard windshield I just glued into my '85 GMC van is not going to leak........but.......... Adrian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drdiesel1 Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 This reminds me of a HVAC issue I had. I needed to get my heater repaired. The HVAC guys were wanting $6000 to do it. I laughed them out of my house, did a few days of research on the net and ended up doing it myself for $1000 and a day's labor. If they would have charged a much more reasonable and still profitable $2k, I would have given them my business. But they wanted to take me for a ride and they lost their time giving me an estimate and made $0 doing it. You cannot charge more than someone is willing to pay, regardless of what the excuses are. There is nothing wrong with making money as a business. There IS something wrong with trying to completely rip someone off. I NEVER expect something for free, but I ALWAYS demand a deal that is both reasonable for the seller and the buyer, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Look, the consumer has the upper hand in just about every industry other than healthcare. There are a million alternatives to the dealer. With the modern invention of YouTube and digital shop manuals, anyone who is mechanically inclined has some shot of being able to do a full engine or tranny swap himself. Truth be told, many dealers operate like they think they are providing ER service to a gunshot wound victim or something. But they are wrong, there are a million alternatives to a dealer (like any of the other 5000 dealers for starters). The person with the money has the power, and that's the consumer. There are a million shops willing to take my business, you tell me why I should let you have my business.Wait until your tranny swap needs to be programmed :lol2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPL Tech Posted February 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 (edited) HVAC, Plumbing, electricians its a bit of a racket but they to have high overhead as they spend much their day driving from job to job...IE unbillable time... As a landscaper going from job to job we spend 25% of our time looking at the windshield. Someone has to pay for it... That's not really the consumer's problem. The customer is not going to accept you charging $100 an hour to do something they can do themselves just because you have to drive around a lot. Here is another way to think of it. When a customer agrees to a contractor, whether it be HVAC, auto repair, or otherwise, the customer is the one funding the project, which means he is the boss man. In essence, he is hiring that shop to do the work—he is the HR dude. With that said, imagine if you walked into an interview for, say, a mechanic position, the HR dude offers you $15 an hour and you say you will only accept $50 an hour because you have to drive one hour each way to work while not getting paid, food is expensive, housing is expensive, ect, ect. The HR dude is going to laugh you out of the shop and tell you good luck. The same concept applies here. You get paid what your worth, regardless of outside influences and expenses. essentially it does come down to being an informed consumer... and much of the stuff that people call plumbers, electricians, ect for can be done by themselves. but some are willing to pay the premium to have someone else do it.. That I agree with. Like I said, those who get ripped off do so because they have too much money, are lazy or are dumb. I would file this under lazy. As with anything, the more research on a topic you do, the better off you are going to become. Edited February 19, 2015 by SPL Tech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPL Tech Posted February 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 (edited) And besides, taking anything to a specialist gives the consumer the peace of mind that it gets fixed or installed and they don't have to worry. ha! I hope you're joking about this one. You did read the battery thread, right? The one where hundreds of people have brought their car in more times than they can count and they are still having problems? This is another separate but worthwhile point to mention as well. Not only do some companies charge Ferrari prices, but they do it for Honda-level service. They charge hundreds of dollars per hour, but don't even do the job right. Edited February 19, 2015 by SPL Tech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Smith Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 SLP I agree that the customer has the final say on who gets the job... yes if you feel comfortable doing the work yourself and are technically savy and mechanical inclined (something many of the new generations are not) you are much better off. Ie you can spot when you are getting jacked around. The newer generations have the mindset to do the research on a project, but don't have the basic skills to tackle the job. For a lot of the stuff we are talking about isn't not like you can get a free estimate. HVAC, plumbing, electricians and auto repair shops generally don't do free estimates. so as a consumer you should do your research before you call a contractor or take you car somewhere so you know what you are getting yourself into. As they Say... the more you know the better off you are. As a landscaper when I bid a job I know exactly what my overhead is... taxes, fuel, office space, insurance ect.. The problem with my industry is that there are no real barriers to entering the industry. Ie any joe with a mower and pickup can claim to be a landscaper. Yes I do get under bid by these guys and when a customer shows me the bid I'm not surprised. But I do get call backs to fix the work of the low bidders. Car repair, hvac, plumber, electricians all have a higher barrier to enter the workforce. specialized trianing, tools, licensing, ect. so they can generally justify their higher rates. Around here an electrican will charge you $100 for the first 1/2 hour on site (since this includes travel time from shop to your address) and then $100 per hour. Electrician generally earn $25-40 an hour take home pay. so from a business standpoint I'm loosing 25-40% of my my billing just to employee pay. I still have to pay for a service truck/van, fuel, insurance, truck needs to be stocked with many parts and tools, employees need to be kep tup to date on current codes(training) ect. Staff on call for 24hr coverage And yes Many consumers WILL pay that $100 an hour for that piece of mind...Otherwise these companies woudl not be in business. The average consumer does understand why some service fields do have such a high hourly rate they are not total idiots... One of my neighbors paid a plumber 100 bucks to install a new toilet... I was like "dude, a couple beers and thirty minutes and I could have installed it and shown you how to do it..." Some people would rather not mess around with it... I'm getting to a point in my life that I don't like cleaning gutters or painting rooms...so I pay someone...Different people have different thresholds of where they want to save money VS DIY As a landscaper I can bill out anywhere from 40-60 an hour...I just usually do flat rate pricing X job for $X Yes if the consumer is smart they can do the math and realize that I'm charging them $40 to cut their grass and I'm spending 15 minutes on site with three employees. its easy math. In the end it really comes down to two things.. knowledge and convenience. If you have the knowledge and the time then DIY is the way to go. If you don't have the knowledge or the time then you are going to pay for it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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