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Per the EPA: "1 gallon of E85 has 73% to 83% of the energy of one gallon gasoline (variation due to ethanol content in E85). 1 gallon of E10 has 96.7% if the energy of one gallon of gasoline. [2] You should see a difference!

Family is like that...

Especially from this perspective... On the other hand, I can't think of a single endearing or funny name for a whale shark... and it's a poor fit in a goldfish bowl. HAve fun, Frank

Where do you think the western-hemisphere British lived at the time? Elizabeth II is still on the currency...

Doc, we we have to explain what Phil meant by ".....to each their own."? You don't seem to get it... Have fun, Frank

I don't think so. The traction motor, MT is connected to the wheels. It only goes in reverse when you select R. It generates in re-gen mode, drives when requested, but always in the same direction in D. I don't see how you can see it otherwise. Looking at the simulation, one side (traction) only turns in one direction, consistent with connection to drive wheels. I'm sure you're aware that a turning rotor in the traction motor can apply driving and braking forces by changing only electrical inputs to the device, and that it can freewheel with no force imparted as well. I can also see the power split system allowing torque to pass into and out of the ICE/GEN pair, but I don't see all the stuff you do... To me, the specific rations don't matter, it's the understanding conveyed ignoring the axis labels, save for the 0 points. I'll also note that a lot of your experience with small-scale motors may not scale up linearly. - You can magnetize small magnets far stronger than large ones. - You're not trying for 900HP electric motors (4 lb/hp for your cars?) Beyond that, I'm not an RC hobbyist; you have a far better grasp of the details in that arena. I'm just asking if you think everything transfers (lots sure does... much of what you say is reasonable, I just think you're off in this respect.) HAve fun, Frank

http://ecomodder.com/forum/fuel-economy-mpg-modifications.php#c2 Smooth wheel covers are first on Ecomodder's list of "aero mods - fabrication" from pizza pans. Improved aero goes directly to the car's FE weakness (high-speed). The edge holes make me wonder if Ford is doing a functional test of brake cooling with improved passive aero, something that benefits all drivers... of course cheesy and cheap are hallmarks of the DIY hypermiler. Sure it wasn't a customer car? Oddly enough, I just ordered 4 pans to fit the snow tires/steel wheels I'll be putting on sometime next month. I'll post pics when I get them on the car. Have fun, Frank

There's a way around temperature change effects when making an update. Record mileage along with temperature over consistent routes for several weeks before the update. You'll get a natural change in temperature this time of year, and the before/aftrer ranges will overlap. Plot the data, MPG vs. Temp. My curves look like this since Labor Day (month 2 with the car). These are two commuting routes, one 15 miles at 35-45 mph speed limits with 6 stop signs and 11 stop lights, the other 20 miles at 55-65 speed limits, with a couple lights at each end. One route is to the C-Max's advantage - lots of regen and mild hills - the other more typically "American" freeway driving. EPA ratings and the historical MPG from the previous driver, first 8K miles. If I were to make a change, like the PCM update we're getting, and it had no effect, the data would overlap on days the temperature was the same as prior days, and the trend would have similar characteristics (linearity, slope/intercept). All from logging what the car tells you at the end of consistent round-trips. Granted, I've also had a great string of dry weather, making the data well behaved. Have fun, Frank

Ford is just funnin' us...

What the owners manual says... When ENGINE OIL CHANGE DUE or OIL CHANGE REQUIRED appears in the information display, it’s time for an oil change; the oil change must be done within two weeks or 500 miles (800 kilometers) of the ENGINE OIL CHANGE DUE or OIL CHANGE REQUIRED message appearing. The oil life monitoring system must be reset after each oil change. and shop manual... What I'm not finding is what happens after the DUE message turns to REQUIRED... I seem to remember something draconian, not due to actual lubrication but rather software. The car goes into a limp mode of some sort as I recall. If only for that, it's important to know the oil change reset procedure: http://oilreset.com/blog/2013-ford-c-max-maintenance-light-reset-service/# Have fun, Frank

Good to have folks participating that have the tools/need to know what's "under the hood." Given your photo ends with "please place the label in the appropriate position," one wonders what might be the "appropriate position" or is Ford just funnin' us? Have fun, Frank

Why? Electric motors are marvelous devices, capable of performing diametrically opposed operations with a simple change in connections. Motors can run forward and backward (or clockwise/counterclockwise). A set of coils around a magnet can make the magnet move, or turn magnet motion into electricity. Calling both units "MGs" in the Toyota-based series/parallel design is a bit of a misnomer as only one is attached to the drive wheels, and it simplifies the explanation. C-max has a generator (GEN, aka MG1) and a motor/generator (MG aka MG2). MG is attached to the drive wheels, so it always turns in the direction of car motion (D or R). GEN can turn both ways (neat sim), and can generate power with equal efficiency in either direction. The only thing that changes going from CW to CCW is output voltage polarity, which will not challenge the power control unit (may even be switched in the GEN). There is no systematic energy loss, per se, in the GEN step, as you seem to imply. As to Newton's Laws, it's only in space that we see his theory's shortcomings... Newton got us to the Moon just fine, but gravity as a force does not exist. Space-time is curved. Einstein got it completely right, as best we can tell. Have fun, Frank

I'd reverse the order... Diameter changes have trivial consequences compared with insufficent load rating (blow-outs, roll-overs, etc.) Stock load is 1433 lb. @ 51 psi, so you're good. HAve fun, Frank

This is the Recall 13B07: The Guinea Pig thread... just page 22. Frank

I believe Canadian owners got more money due to the higher cost of fuel...

More reason to crank the tunes!

Ironically, a quiet car is a far nicer place for turning up the volume... on properly dynamic recordings. Classical listeners even moreso. HAve fun, Frank

You do realize that the big rubber thing next to the stopper is the hood seal, one of the things Ford says they changed in the 2014... you may be on to something. Your photos show that the seal stops at the edge of the uppermost grille while it could continue over closer to the headlight and give a better seal. As long as the seal is actually sealed, and air flow is small, the gap should have little effect, akin to the grille louvres being behind the visible grill. HAve fun, Frank

You got just the lighting just right in this shot. - the subtle shading across the hood showing the contours to direct airflow and the sharp edge leading up to the A-pillar - the clear outline of a frame around the headlight nacelle, starting in the hood edge and continuing into the bumper and around the light. - the mating of the nacelle with the fender following - the little crease above the fog (in an SEL) - wheel arches (not a personal favorite) - body side creases and ridges And finally, the right perspective; high enough the front end isn't bulubous, with a short focla length lens that the back fades into the distance looking anything but stubby or short, and the right color - really makes Ice Storm look GREEN. Nice job, Frank

I can't speak to unsold inventory on dealer lots (maybe 47MPG hangover, real or imagined (the latter reducing advertising in fear of backlash, etc.), but... Hybrids use some fairly advanced materials technology, and there may be limits on the supply/cost of some of those materials. Specifically, I design and build loudspeakers. Lots of new drivers appeared on the market a few years ago using a new, high-strength magnets made with Neodymium. Great reductions in size and weight, without reduction in magnetic field strength. Fast forward a few years to the era when the major producer of neodymium (China) increases their domestic industrial needs, reducing export allocations. Sudden price increases follow. Ford manages their critical commodities very closely, matching production plans to delivery schedules like any JIT factory. They may not be playing-up the C-Max because they can only make so many (dealer inventory notwithstanding). Have fun, Frnak PS, per the link... "The electric motors of each Toyota Prius require 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of neodymium..."

Well, this route (Denver to St. Louis via Nebraska) is about a 1 mile drop over 1000 mile run, an average 0.1% grade. Purely from an energy standpoint... 1 mile or altitude is "worth" ~26 megajoules of energy @ 0.016MJ/meter. That's about what we get out of 2/3 gal. of gas at 30% efficiency to the wheels. Altitude has an effect, but the problem is finding a 10 mile drop (1% grade for 1000 miles). Conversely, good driving practice, terrain and managing parasitic losses over the 1000 miles is likely a stronger driver than net altitude change. Have fun, Frank

Surprised if this works... It didn't, but I have a backup! Backup's not good either... data without headers is worthless, so I include minimal data! Sorry... P225/50R17 803 Here is the Revs Per Mile specs for the stock tires *Michelin Energy Saver A/S". That's the tire spec you want to match when considering +/- size wheels or alternate sizes on the same wheel. It's based on loaded radius, a smaller number than you get using section width and aspect ratio and considers tire pressures as well. Here's the data for the 16" Xi3. 215/60R16 796 803 vs. 796 is >1%... did I read that someone found the C-Max odo read 1% low? This should correct it. 205/60-16's are 810 vs. 803 rev/mile, so another good choice that will read 1% lower on the odo. Note that the one really important tire spec is load rating, and it's a non-issue when talking snow tires for a C-Max. The Michelin Energy Saver A/S is rated fairly low for a tire it's size, and all the snows I've looked at have exceeded sotck load ratings. Have fun, Frank

Well it's getting to be that time of year again. The C-Max is in everyone's systems now, and I believe 215/60-16 is still the best recommendation for snow tires on dedicated wheels. Here's why. There are two main snow performance advantages to a -1 wheel with a narrower, taller tire for equal rolling diameter - narrower section width (215 vs 225)mm) means you push less snow aside in the deep stuff - the narrower section also means a longer contact patch, which biases tire grip to straight-line acceleration - starting and stopping and one non-performance "advantage"... - 215/60-16s are a lot cheaper than 17" options on steel wheels. Based on Tire Rack's tests and reviews, the Michelin Xi3 looks like the best combination of low rolling resistance and good snow/ice performance. (I've also had X-ice "1's" before.) There will be a small rolling resistance hit with 16's due to a longer contact patch, but I expect it's small compared with moving to a snow tire in the first place, the Xi3's LRR status not withstanding. 4 215/60-16 tires, 16" steel wheels, tpms sensors mounted and delivered are ~$1K, but with $170 in mastercard rebates at Tire Rack. Mine are ordered, even if they wait a month or two to get dirty. Have fun, Frank

We looked everywhere on-line - granted 2 months ago at this point - and found nothing on used C-Max prices. Absolutely nothing. Things are different now... HAve fun, Frank

With all due respect, I didn't see 500 mile tanks as any sort of stretch, beyond the fear of running out of gas. The sucky lifetime average says I make it with 25 miles to spare, and both fill-ups have have exceeded 500 handlily. You'll hear from me on the 600 mile thread if I ever get a long enough stretch of surface driving. It's a month's worth of commuting... the weather will turn first, I bet! HAve fun, Frank