fbov

Well, the baseline period is the first couple months, before any car mods, or the PCM upgrade. My take was that a subtle change in driver operation was the biggest source of better mileage. - Baseline is done with a 2-bar limit as long as HVB is charging. - The other data uses a lower burn for longer time, so the HVB charges deeper and lasts longer while running ICE closer to optimum. You still can't fool Mother Nature! Frank

Here's some data regarding temperature dependence of mileage. Tank average over a couple years form Fuelly. Note that Jan-Mar 2014 was all highway driving, averaging about 30 MPG. In 2015, I took a lower speed route. I wasn't as warm (heat ran the engine, so I was a bit chilly), but the car got 35 MPG. Note that 50 MPG wasn't hard to get once things warmed up. Here's some long term data on a standard commuting route. It compares snow tires (Xice 3) vs. OEM summer tires (no difference ) and shows a very wide range of temperature. You'll have no worries come June... that's when I got my 700 mile tank. Just block grills, use the OEM tires, and at 45-50 psi. Have fun, Frank

It's in the owner's manual, under keys. I also found it easiest to start with the narrow, split-ring end.

Took a while to find your 7.9 sec.... it was an Energi. Scroll down and you'll get to the C-Max road test test data, from 2013, showing 0-60 time of 8.8 sec. I'd like to see more on the testing that gave the 7.9 number, like what was 0-100? 1/4 mile? Frank

Another RAV4-like system...

Paul, we all know you're not normal, and after a year in a Niro, you'd probably modify and adapt to it as well as you have to the C-Max. I'd be interested to see what you think of the Sonata Hybrid, a more-comparable 2l drive train that will beat our 0-60 times. Frank

It's not reasonable to compare a stationary engine to a geared one, nor a high RPM motor with a low RPM one. Look at the motor specs for Hyundai's hybrids, and you'll see one very odd thing... lots of torque but no HP - 43HP, 125 lb-ft torque for Niro. Our Sonata is the same; 51HP and 151 lb-ft. The reason is simple; it's a low RPM motor - 51 HP at 1770-2000 RPM. The C-Max motor is rated 118HP@6000 RPM with 177 lb-ft torque. (...Likely peaking at 1500-2000 RPM, as all EV motor outputs are current limited at low RPM.) The difference between "Eco" and "Sport" modes in our Sonata is all in transmission shift points; Eco mode just short shifts until 4th, and a true surge in speed. Engine speed is always changing with road speed and gear shifts. It's a very conventional approach, with an electric motor filling the hole in low RPM torque that results from a small Atkinson-cycle ICE. "Sweet spot" RPM can be selected... by changing speed, just like every other geared vehicle. They're nothing like C-Max. HAve fun, Frank

Appearances can be deceiving... The power split system was patented by TRW in May, 1973 US3732751. Ford and Toyota did cross-license patents, but that's very common, and this wasn't one of them. It expired in 1990. No practical motors or HVBs existed at the time; a great idea in need of parallel technologies. It's also easy to forget two things... Hyundai's hybrid driving experience is very similar to a conventional drive train, so there's less need for driver accommodation to a constant engine speed. Integrating the motor into the transmission may have cost or production advantages, enabling engine options, or control system commonality across models. They're not dummies, neither is Ford. HAve fun, Frank, whose wife got a Sonata Hybrid.

Waiting in line (or in traffic) is a favorite thing to do in the C-Max... OK, maybe it's that no car has been better at it that the C-Max! Frank

GDI and resulting increased compression will do that... Ford was introducing GDI in conventional engines when C-Max came out, so I'd expect to see it in the next generation. Frank

As I recall, this one initially applied to southern cars, then was extended to all of us. They're managing limited parts availability (2M vehicles) or high cost based on a temperature sensitivity. Cars in hot environments are more likely to fail. The northeast may be last to get fixed... Frank

Maybe, maybe not. Remember, he's in Montreal, where it's a good deal colder than on this side of the Great Lakes. I had tanks on the 30 range, with grill blocks and LRR tires, during a cold winter of highway driving. Mileage got better the following winter, driving back roads at lower speed. Note that I didn't see any change in mileage switching from EOM to Michelin snows. However the snows are "extended load" with a 99 load rating, much greater than the 93 rating required by Ford. If his snows are similarly reinforced, they may also have lower than expected RR. Still, it's not bad advice... Frank

Welcome to the forum and congrats on the purchase. You may want to do a forum search for wheel threads. There have been several. The chassis is substantially Focus-based, so wheels are common. I put 215/60 snows on 16x6.5" steel wheels, but they were Ford steel wheels. Using a wider wheel should not affect rolling resistance, but this rim is outside the OEM Michelin tire's rim spec range. You'd also need greater offset if you want to retain tire position in the wheel well, and I'd be certain to match the center hole diameter, and the lug nuts shouldn't be carrying the load. Any chance you have the factory block heater? HAve fun, Frank

https://www.etis.ford.com/ Click the Vehicle tab at the top, enter the VIN, and you'll get a full list of open recalls and basic options. Click Show Details and you'll get a list of all available options, showing which are on that car. Frank

I think WD-40 would keep them from working...

Shaay, please update with a valid link. This one returns: The page you're looking for can't be found or has moved. It could be that the link is outdated or something was typed incorrectly. Please try one of the links below, or enter a keyword(s) in the search field above. Frank

Paul at 50K, my rear brakes had worn out, and my front brakes had rusted out. There's a down side to regenerative braking if you drive regularly on salt-treat roads. I've seen this in rear brakes that had hung-up; rust gets under the contact surface of the rotor and the whole surface chips off the remaining core. As for rear brakes... search EBFD. Don't leave home without them. Frank

Remember, this was 2013, before the 13B07 PCM update that allowed EV above 63 MPH. Real easy to do if you keep your foot into it uphill, then exceed 65 downhill, where the C-Max greater cross-sectional area insures the drag inequity is maximized. Not exactly the Ford's sweet spot. Not sure how to help... Frank

Many, but not all... our 10/2012 produced vehicle remains quiet at 50K miles. OK, the tranny's quiet. Rear brakes were another matter. Frank

Grill blocks are a two-way winner; independent of ICE operation, they reduce aerodynamic drag in a meaningful way. It's a top item when making hypermiling mods. I applaud Paul's efforts on our behalf to make something for those of us not DIY-inclined. Frank

Ask again in 8 months. It's winter, and she has the heat set in the 80's, with defrost on full time. Frank

I just used a jigsaw with a coarse blade and patience. And a sampler of screw-less fasteners. This replaced a bladder-based system (bicycle inner tube). Have fun, Frank

Hyundai's hybrid system drives best like a standard drive train, which it is, in many ways. This makes sense. I find no indication when EV is available, negating our strategies. Dropping throttle does not access EV, necessarily. I agree Ford did a better display, save for Hyundai's real-time braking feedback (akin to our ICE threshold when EV'ing). Have fun, Frank

No, most folks don't understand the distinction, and no marketing department is going to muddy the waters. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

The Hybrid Game!