Noah Harbinger

Also, what is your general process for figuring out PIDs - is there something to start with? Edit: I'm guessing you're using these ScanTool inputs: http://fordcmaxenergiforum.com/topic/1293-scangauge-x-gauges-programming-c-max-ffh/ With this conversion procedure: http://www.tundratalk.net/forums/off-topic-discussion/116111-guide-converting-scangauge-codes-torque-pro-pids.html ?

I don't suppose you ever tried it? I don't see any indication that it supports logging and exporting data, which is I believe the most important feature for such an app.

Me either - I tried searching the manual and couldn't find anything that seemed related.

Definitely, I'm glad it's fixed! It sucks that they wouldn't do it without you pulling in the government to strong-arm them.

I don't suppose you want to upload the spreadsheet? It would be interesting to play with the numbers, and I haven't yet bought a device to capture my own :)

Don't worry, you're safe - the number of the beast is actually 616: http://www.wnd.com/2005/05/30211/

I wonder how much it would cost to trade in a '13 for a '14…

Well! I think none of us will ever have any doubt about who you are if we see you out driving, will we :-D

I think sometimes I drive more aggressively than I would have in my old car, because I don't want "them" to have an opportunity to be smug.

I have a very, very difficult time imagining that either of the components of your proposed theory could be true, particularly on the C-Max and Fusion that use Ford's Gen-II hybrid system (which uses an in-house built transmission, larger motors, and is powered by a higher-current capable lithium-ion battery). Secondly, I find it ridiculous for someone to delude themselves into believing BOTH that this firmware is apparently so hard to change that Ford hasn't touched it IN TEN YEARS, and that independent tuner could poke in the dark and tweak it to magically discover huge fuel economy gains. I'll be the first to eat my words if someone actually gets out there and does it. Heck, it could be a fun bit of work… But color me skeptical.

I'm going to try this tomorrow. I have a hard time believing it would maintain separate adaptive learning curves when it doesn't even remember different seat positions :)

The last station I went to was the closest I've seen (1.5% off) - I'm going to try going there consistently and see what happens.

I've had that happen probably 3 times.

I hate to speak for someone else but forgetting the car is on could only be an issue if you also a) forgot to put it in park and b) forgot the parking brake. And I'd have a hard time believing the fake torque-converter creep could cause $9000 in damages.

Well since everyone else is posting theirs: Short but sweet. I usually get about 44MPG.

mtb, just offhand, do you know what kind of fuel economy your previous car got?

Well, I would say if you want to feel the difference first hand, find a long steady downhill, and turn on Grade Assist (that little lever on the shifter). If I understand correctly, it should rev up right away if the battery is full. When I did it, it revved up to 4500 RPM. A normal car cruising at a steady speed on flat land would probably run 1500-2500RPM, depending on the speed and how the car is designed. Going uphill is a different story. Because of the CVT, the RPMs and loudness of the engine could wind up anywhere, based on what the computer thinks it should do. But even still I don't think I've seen the RPMs above 3500RPM even under the heaviest of loads. Also, I wonder if the unusual engine type makes it sound "wheezy", which makes it sound like it's working harder than it is.

I think it's partly a matter of calibrating expectations. First, I'll say I have not yet gotten the powertrain update. On my daily commute, I spend most of my time on a 45MPH-limited road, but which includes a dip into a 400-foot deep valley (with one direction including an uphill freeway onramp), and I usually get lower-middle 40s (42-46MPG). Most of my driving around town happens at 35-45MPH as well, and that's where I get considerably better - 50MPG. On the freeway I have found that the rolling hills around here make it hard to stay in negative-split mode so I gave up on that and get 40MPG. My best fuel economy comes if I leave work early and get stuck in traffic - creeping along at a steady, slow pace, I've gotten some 60MPG trips, but that's incredibly rare. Between all that, my lifetime average is 42.7 (a little lower than my Fuelly average because it includes an extra tank). Those who are getting spectacular milage have gone to great lengths to change how they drive - but that doesn't mean just "accelerate slow, drive slow". It means driving different routes where you know the road conditions allow you to adapt your driving technique to the vehicle's strengths. It means figuring out when to accelerate slower to stay in EV mode, and other times when you want to hit the gas to save battery. If you want to hypermile, some of the people here have pointed out some fantastic techniques to do so. You might consider describing in detail your driving techniques and get some feedback. But that involves a lot of effort. Frankly, I don't think it's worth it most of the time. Getting in the 40s is pretty darn good already. On my previous car (a small sedan), I was averaging 25MPG, so I'm already using 42% less fuel. Speaking of calibrating improvements: I think part of the problem of people being disappointed with their fuel economy is that most people did not track their mileage in a detailed way on their previous car. So they are often comparing the CMax's real economy with the highway number from their previous car (forgetting that regular cars do much worse in city driving than on the highway). It's also important to remember that in terms of fuel cost savings, 55MPG vs 45MPG is an 18% savings, but it's a 18% savings over an already much smaller fuel bill. It works out to a difference of 2 cents per mile. Compared to the other costs of driving (depreciation, maintenance, insurance), that's negligible.

I highlighted the button that brings up the status display on a picture which shows that display running. If you don't have that button, that means your car never got upgraded to MyFordTouch version 3.5.1:

And just in case you're curious: An Internal Combustion Engine is one where the fuel (gasoline) is burned in a closed space so that the burning fuel itself creates the pressure to drive the engine. The phrase is in contrast to an "external combustion engine", where the fuel is burned outside of some closed space - think of an old steam engine train, where you would burn coal in regular pressures underneath the boiler to boil steam and make it expand.

That's CAFE MPG, though: Firstly, it's based on the fuel economy tests developed in the 80s, so for example the C-Max would dial in at something like 60MPG. Secondly, credits are available for E85-capable vehicles. Between those two, 55MPG is pretty achievable. Ford's at 35MPG for cars already. Secondly, the CAFE now has a built-in adjustment for fuel economy vs. vehicle footprint size - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CAFE_Fuel_Economy_vs_Model_Year_and_Footprint_with_2017-2022_Proposals.png - so Ford won't be particularly adversely affected by the standards just because it manufactures better trucks than Toyota.

By definition, paranoia can only be based on misunderstanding. The difference is what compels a person to hold a particular misunderstanding.

MyFordMobile is a special case. Such vehicles are equipped with GSM (cell phone) modules to talk to Ford's central forums. You'll notice that only Energi models have this feature available - it is because those GSM modules are not installed in other vehicles. So that information is not available for other vehicles.

You are an avowed hypermiler, though. Not everyone can or wants to be a hypermiler, and you shouldn't have to be to reach the EPA rating. With the revised ratings, you won't have to. And anyone who does want to hypermile can do better with a Prius. They just have to accept that they'll be driving a much inferior car to do so. :-D

The ability for the car to know where it is is completely unrelated to its ability to receive or transmit that information. The vehicle has no way of either knowing if anyone wants to track you, or transmitting that information elsewhere without placing an explicit call on your cellphone. Claiming the car's GPS could be used against you in that way is paranoid BS.