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Showing content with the highest reputation on 07/05/2020 in Posts

  1. I changed my brakes on all four wheels. A year ago when state inspected was told rear brakes were low and I got them to pass it. There was uneven wear on one side so one lining was getting thin but the rotors were pretty bad. I thought it was due to the hybrid braking but looking at videos on the Ford Focus, the deterioration looks similar. I decided to do the fronts too so I did not have to deal with the mechanics not passing something. I probably could have gotten by with just one rotor in the front. Linings were like 60%. I am glad I did it if just for the fact of becoming aware of the stuck on wheel in the front (see #1) (55,500 miles, 2013 C-max, parked outside) Thoughts for people that are considering doing brakes themselves. 1. One of the front wheels was rusted on. (WD40 did not help enough.) I ended up needing to use the new style brake piston compressor as a spreader in aiding to break it off. I pushed off the spokes of the wheel as close as I could get to the center. I am now leaving the essential parts of the piston compressor in the car in case I need to change tire and can't get it off. ( I have a spare.) I did put some silicon grease on the wheel that might help and sanded the rusty areas. ( I did some thinking and some research afterwards. One youtube video showed hitting the rim and tire with a rubber coated sledgehammer. And then mentioned if that doesn't work, with loosened lugs nuts drive in a circle. I like that idea if the spreader didn't work. What usually works for me is kicking the tire. With spreader the kick worked.) 2. Used a brick to break the rotor off. A hammer just wasn't heavy enough. 3. I bought rotors and pads for both wheels off ebay for around $100. 4. I am getting older and I used a written rear brake change plan to make sure I didn't miss something. I probably should have done that for the fronts. (Forgot to put on a clip, needed to take wheel off again. It took me about twice as long as I thought it would. 5. A torque socket T45 is needed. The rest is pretty standard metric sockets, small extension, breaker bar. 6. I used some silicon grease and anti cease to lubricate bolts and pads. It may have been better to get brake lube. I actually did not lub all the pads right. I should have looked at where the pads rub and lubed after that. I did use that rubbery quiet stuff on the rear pads and some of the front ones. (another thing I forgot) 7. I looked at videos on youtube for ford focus to do the rears. 8. I bought a brake piston compressor kit that also turns which was needed for the rear brakes. (around $20) Picture order (front, rear, front wheel that was rusted/corroded stuck) (Note the rust on the front rotor was because I left it out in the rain after I took it off.)
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  2. And since the warranty is 8 yrs / 100k miles, my guess is most owners who had their transmissions replaced under warranty aren't on forums. Only Ford knows the answer to the failure rate. ConsumerReports reports reliability data which is gathered from owners via surveys and maybe helpful. It shows 2013 "transmission major" reliability (transmission rebuild or replacement, torque converter, clutch replacement). as Average, 2014 and 2015 as above average, and 2016 and beyond as excellent. You can draw your own conclusions. CR's ratings are relative to all transmissions whether covered under warranty or not.
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  3. Here are pics of underneath my rear showing the support posts which are missing in your pics. PID = Parameter Identification code. OBD-II PIDs (On-board diagnostics Parameter IDs) are codes used to request data from a vehicle, used as a diagnostic tool. ... Manufacturers also define additional PIDs specific to their vehicles.
    1 point
  4. 2017 C-max is in the Consumer Reports list of the top 10 "Most Reliable 3-Year-Old Cars and SUVs" https://www.consumerreports.org/used-cars/most-reliable-3-year-old-cars-and-suvs/ They report owner satisfaction is high. Price range $13400 to $16325, and owner reported 44 mpg. "The C-Max hybrid packs an impressive amount of room and utility into a small footprint. Outward visibility is great, and it's roomy enough to fit three people in the back seat. On the tech front, the available Sync 3 infotainment touch screen is easy to use. Topping it off is excellent reliability. However, a backup camera was part of an expensive options package and may be hard to find on a used version. Plus, cargo space is somewhat compromised by the large battery pack."
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  5. Sure sounds like you damaged the Pedal Simulator Unit which "always provides pedal feedback to the driver through a consistent pedal force, by using a cam-follower mechanism that is independent of the type of braking being used." The cam-follower appears to be part of the brake pedal assembly ($300+). You can probably look underneath at the assembly and see if you can locate it.
    1 point
  6. Back to Black did not work for me. Looked great then disappeared pretty quickly; like in weeks. The listed durations on the website below pretty much align with my experience and other people I know. I did a search and found this: https://procarreviews.com/best-plastic-restorer/ Going to try TriNova when it's warmer. None of them really last long enough unfortunately. But if I can get a bit more time that's still less work in the long run.
    1 point
  7. fotomoto

    tree debris

    Hey, I didn't say it would be cheap just easy! :) Easy, cheap, fast: you can only pick two. ;)
    1 point
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