plus 3 golfer

Agree with SDM. I believe the original intent of HOV lanes was to reduce the volume of vehicles on the road thus mitigating congestion and reducing emissions. Then, lawmakers thought they could stimulate EV sales by allowing EV in HOV lanes regardless of number of occupants and further reduce emissions. Apparently, based on the study this is not the case now. Evidently, people buy an EV, stop car pooling, and still have access to the HOV lanes. IMO, the simple (but likely unpopular) immediate "patch" would be for lawmakers to eliminate the exception of allowing single occupant EV use of the HOV lanes. Increase tax credits or something similar if one wants to stimulate EV sales but giving special driving preferences (HOV access, special parking and so forth) to mitigate "social" costs is shortsighted to the congestion and emissions issues. IMO, most lawmakers make decisions that benefit them politically (hence short term "patches" vs long term capital intensive "fixes").

Probably not. But, one function of a battery is to "smooth" voltage surges / transients so as not to damage electronics. Hopefully, the jump start battery will do such while connected. Leaving it connected as Paul suggests when connecting the main battery should mitigate potential issues. The fact that the jump start didn't work for one poster with the 12V battery still connected makes me wonder why. If it was because the 12V battery was virtually discharged and had too high of a draw on the system such that the system couldn't maintain the threshold voltage to start the car with the jump start battery, I'd be concerned with in essence short circuiting the positive bus to ground through a discharged battery (likely very large draw from the jump start and converter). It may be okay but I don't know what that draw might be. When normally charging a dead battery, the battery charger limits the charging current and a good charger controls how the battery is charged. This certainly would not be the case for the jump start battery supplying charging current to the 12V battery. I would think that the DC/DC converter limits / controls charging current. But this algorithm would likely be based on the 12 V battery sensing SOC algorithm which given the setup with a jump start connected and the 12 V battery disconnected likely yields erroneous results.

I forgot about Paul's pics. I believe the fuse assembly box with the 150 A fuse is the red colored box that is seen on the side of the battery in the pic. Positive from the battery terminal goes into the red box and there are 2 wires attached to an exit bus from red box. So, it appears that there is no easy access to the 150 A fuse in the box. Just need to carry a 10 mm socket wrench with the jump start. :) Here's a snippet of the battery wiring diagram for reference. Note that when the + connector on the battery is disconnected, the battery monitoring circuit is still in tact although the flow would be zero through the battery. IMO, those with jump starts might want to test their jump start before actually having a dead battery. Also, It may be easier to remove the negative ground cable from it's attachment point at the body instead of the + battery connector. Proceed at your own risk with any testing. :)

There is a Battery Fuse Assembly near the 12 V battery that contains a 150 A fuse but I can't tell exactly where the assembly is without accessing the battery and whether the fuse is a serviceable component of the assembly. IIRC from looking at the 12 V battery prior, there is an assembly attached to the battery cable which I believe it was on the +terminal. So, it may be just as easy to remove the + cable from the battery. Also, from the wiring diagrams, I can't readily determine whether the positive post under the hood is connected before or after the fuse assembly. But the positive post is connected to a bus with multiple positive feeds which leads me to believe the positive post is after the 150 A fuse. So, if the 150 A fuse can be easily located and pulled, one could pull the fuse, clamp a jump start on the posts under the hood and perhaps be able to start the car with the 12 V battery not connected. The problem though with either disconnecting the positive lead or pulling the fuse may be that if the car starts, the DC/DC converter is operating and there will likely be a significant arc and perhaps power surge from the converter as a dead battery will have a high draw. There is a 175 A fuse in the battery box under the hood to protect the DC/DC converter from excessive loads / shorts and this could blow. Also, there is a 12 V battery ground current flow sensor / algorithm that initially sees zero current flowing through the dead 12 V battery. So, we don't know how this might affect the issue when putting the fuse back in / connecting the positive cable with the car now on.

Yep agree with above. One needs the car in park to shut it off. If not in park, a message will pop up about placing it in park if one pushes the off button. One does not need the brake pedal depressed to turn off the car via the "off" button. When I turn off the car, I step on the brake pedal to come to a stop, shift to park and pull up the emergency brake. Then, I release the brake pedal to ensure the car won't roll, turn off the radio, and then turn off the car (push the off button or turn the key / switch in other vehicles). I've never had a dead battery in my C-Max SEL with this procedure. I've done it this way for as long as I can remember - probably since Drivers' Ed in my PA high school. :) - according to WikI, the first high school Drivers' Ed course was started in 1934 in State College, PA.

The battery symbol does not represent the State of Charge (SOC) of the high voltage battery but rather the usable operating range of the HVB. The PCM algorithms appear to limit the SOC between 30% minimum and 70% maximum (for reliability reasons and should extend the HVB life). So, when the battery symbol shows full including the battery symbol tip (which can be achieved by going down a steeper hill for several miles), the SOC is only 70%. I monitor the SOC frequently via the OBDII port and rarely see below 40% SOC (EV+ operation can take the % below 40%) which will look like about 25% or so on the battery symbol. In typical driving, the SOC will vary between about 40% and about 56% which will look like about 75% full on the battery symbol. If one is running at around 56% at high speed and slow down via braking regeneration to a stop the charge may increase up to the 70% level. I'll look for the posts which show the relationship between SOC and the battery symbol. Here's two links. http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/3673-how-to-get-rid-of-this-mix-mode/?do=findComment&comment=41851 http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/1927-interesting-information-on-the-high-voltage-battery/?p=18222

So, you didn't let the dealer look at it? IMO, the battery issue needs to be addressed by the dealer each time it happens. It could be a one-off event and an inconvenience to go to the dealer but given the history of the dead battery issue, IMO a trip to the dealer is worth the inconvenience. If this dead battery issue continues to happen (maybe next week, next month, next year), I would want dealer documentation of the issue for possible use down the road if it becomes a frequent occurrence (lemon law).

This topic has been discussed before. Here's a link to the Motorcraft battery specs. The key is not CCA but Ah capacity / reserve capacity (RC).. Changes in CCA generally track with changes in Ah capacity but it does depend on the battery. Also without knowing the discharge current, it is not possible to estimate the benefit gained by a larger battery. Discharge current affects battery capacity. As an example (not based on actual data), if the discharge current is 5 Amps, the Ah rating might be 100 Ah or in essence the battery can supply 5 A for 20 hours. But if the discharge current is say 10 A, the Ah rating might be 60 Ah for the same battery and the battery can supply 10 A for 6 hours. So even if the battery capacity were larger, the benefit gained by such larger battery may still not cover the drain from whatever is causing the problem. So in the example, doubling the battery capacity might get one 12 hours at a 10 A drain which still may not be sufficient to mitigate the dead battery. I doubt we can find a battery that has twice the Ah capacity as the OE to fit in the C-Max battery space. Bottom line, a larger capacity battery is better than a smaller capacity battery but there's no guarantee that a larger battery will mitigate having dead batteries. As far as fitment, there are attachments on the cable that also need "to fit" in the battery space. I've looked before and there's not a lot of extra room in the battery compartment. The Motorcraft spec shows the 96R battery to be 0.70 inches longer than the 67 R. As I've said before someone needs to "test fit" the 96R battery into the C-Max. Also, I don't know what effect a larger battery might have on the C-Max 12V battery SOC model. Here's a link provided in another thread about battery size (from this the 96R might fit).

Yes, I agree with Wnuk. I may be wrong and Ford could have been clearer but that's how I read the document.. I doubt Ford will make Good Will payments to all owners of the vehicle. The Monroney Sticker and EPA fuel economy rating are required for NEW vehicles and really not applicable for used vehicles. So, the fact that one enters a VIN doesn't mean they get a payment if they are not the original owner. Within the context of the document and question, I believe that only the "original" owners get the payment and that the question raised and answer is for clarification for those that have sold their C-Max. So in that context, the reference to "current" owners means original owners that have not sold their C-Max and previous owner means original owners that have sold their C-Max.

It looks from the diagram that a passive / circulation pump heater should go where hose 22 is located. I'm assuming that the coolant pump 19 is lower than the connection of hose 22 to the engine. With cold coolant (IIRC, the thermostat starts to open at 180 F) the thermostat should be closed and circulation should go starting from top of engine - 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 19, 22, 11. I think a heater with a circulation pump could also be installed at hose 20. If there is room and easy access to hose 22 or 20, it shouldn't be difficult to install a coolant heater. But maybe the oil pan heater is better in that it's easy to install and IMO there will be no warranty issues as one is not altering the cooling system.

Agree. IMO, a "circulating" coolant heater is the way to go for a better solution / performance. But it will likely require understanding the C-Max cooling system so as not to restrict flow, hoses with proper bends, a pump / heater that will last and so forth. There's an outfit (FrostHeater) that provides kits for VWs. If I lived in a very cold climate, I'd probably make a custom system for my C-Max. Here's snippets of the HEV coolant components.

The Ford Warranty covers the hybrid components for 8 yrs / 100 k miles (longer in CA). See below for Hybrid components covered. Major emission systems are covered for 8 /80 k miles (see below). The rest of the Power Train is covered for 5/60. So, if one is buying an extended warranty because of the new hybrid technology, it's already covered for 100 k miles.

I agree. If Ah capacity is the root cause, I'd also think most owners would have had at least one no start in say a year of ownership. Like a Jump Start,.battery charger, or jumper cables, a larger Ah battery just mitigates the risk (inconvenience, $ and so forth) of dealing with a no start. Also, here's something to keep in mind when replacing the battery (red text for emphasis). Don't know what the consequences of inaccurate outputs might be.

Ford ETIS for VIN says it has: Branded ICP/Mini EFP With 9 Radio Speakers Less Cell Phone Interface System Sync II With Navigation Rear View Camera-Fixed

Read this thread. Ford Spec.= WSS-M2C947-A Mobil 1 0W-20 Advanced Fuel Economy synthetic oil meets or exceeds the requirements of: ACEA A1/B1 API SN, SM, SL, SJ ILSAC GF-5 Ford WSS-M2C947-A

Mobil 1 AFE 0W20 Ford filter

A sponge and bucket doesn't remove rock chips though. :) I drive a lot of freeway miles in lots of traffic and believe that spending $500 upfront is better than spending $500+ later repainting the front end and perhaps the hood or more if one has tri-coat paint. I've used a vinyl bra and if you don't mind the looks, mine lasted 5+ years (100 k miles) before the elastic attachments stretched so some of the attachment became somewhat problematic. After that I removed it and lived with the rock chips. I've also used the 3M clear bra on one other car and have it on the C-Max. If you don't mind spending around $500+ or want to do it yourself, IMO, it offers great protection from rocks and bugs come off rather easily (although you still have to scrub some off).

I posted this before.

Not quite. ICE has already charged up the battery and in HPRifleman's example.ICE is not being used to charge the battery further What is happening is like I stated in a prior post (Ford quote from manual and the graph). . MG1 (the generator) and MG2 (the traction motor) and ICE are physically connected via the planetary gear set. To maintain this negative spit mode operation in the example, the conditions need to be "right" - generally flat or slight downhill terrain, high HVB SOC (algorithm will run ICE / MG1 very, very little to charge HVB further) and usually the driver needs to control the throttle (speed / load requirements) to enter this mode, In this mode, the PCM uses MG1 to slow down ICE rpm by operating as a motor (not a generator) and thus speeds up.. Thus, MG1 effectively "bleeds off" rpm from the gear set so ICE can slow down. ICE rpm decreases to a more efficient operating point given the load requirements. MG2 always spins proportionately with the wheels. The PCM then controls MG2 to make up any load requirement differences of ICE supplied power by either generating energy (regeneration) or by using energy (traction motor). Thus, MG2 not ICE makes up minor difference in load like slight speed increase / decrease, like terrain changes (slight up / down hills) and so forth. The reason the instantaneous FE goes up is that is ICE is running very efficiently at lower rpm and virtually all the energy from ICE is propelling the car and not charging the HVB. If one has a manual / DSG transmission in another car, it's similar to up-shifting to a higher gear to decrease ICE rpm from the lower gear. This allows ICE to run more efficiently. The drawback in a conventional car is that there may be very little torque for acceleration (the engine is lugging) in the higher gear In the hybrid, this lack of ICE torque is made up by almost instantaneously by MG2 should one want to accelerate quickly.

It appears that the dry fill capacity of the transmission is 5.4 L. The only way to check that the transmission has the correct level is by the check plug. If you added 5 L initially from the check plug (your post 29 procedure) and you couldn't add anymore fluid at step 6 you are likely at the proper level. But as I said before, The best way is to add more fluid from the top plug than is needed (for example 6 L) and then at step 3 let the excess fluid drain out from the check plug. In this way you know the transmission has the right amount of fluid. I also doubt that even if the transmission is a few 100 ml low it will likely not matter given the transmission holds 5.4 L of fluid and you added 5 L to the transmission that probably had some fluid in it to begin with.

What is highway "sweet spot". I always get better FE by driving 55 mph (high 40s low 50s) than 65 mph (low - mid 40s) round trip. ;) On longer trips my sweet spot is around 4 mph above the speed limit. So, where I drive that means 74 - 79 mph to save time. Some may drive 55 mph on back roads to save $. Some may find that 67 mph yields the best balance between FE and time. IMO, what people see is that one can drive the car in "negative split" mode when the HVB SOC is about 56+ % (not the same as the battery symbol indicator). This has the effect of slowing ICE rpm down (like lugging ICE in a conventional transmission by shifting to a higher gear or remaining in the higher gear and not downshifting thereby improving engine efficiency - low rpm, higher torque generally means a more efficient point on the BSFC). The problem is it is hard to stay in this mode very long as any change in load requirements could trigger EV operation up to 85 mph or increased ICE rpm above an efficient point on the BSFC. Once ICE has reached it's most efficient operating range, any increase in speed adds more drag with likely no additional efficiency gain regardless of operating mode That point is likely around 67 mph on a flat road as running higher than that appears to be where the rate of drop in fuel economy seems to increase for many including myself. Hence, 67 mph may be a good balance between time and FE. As I've said many times if one can anticipate conditions, one can vary their speed (which the eco-cruise algorithm does to some extent) around the 67 mph mark to increase FE even further. Also,a slight downhill can increase the FE significantly in this mode. So, any testing needs to be done in both directions. That presents a problem as the load / speed relationship has changed and it may not be possible to run in this mode in both directions. In various testing / recording of data I've done, a 30 feet per mile of elevation change (which looks flat) can yield 50+ mpg going downhill and below 40 mpg going uphill for an average in the low 40s round trip. Here's a graph from recording real time data that I posted before. The graph shows a stretch of about 4 miles where I set the Eco-cruise to 55 mph where the car was in negative split mode. SOC leveled out to about 58%, rpm fell to just above 1500 rpm, FE averaged about 47 mpg (purple line ending about time stamp 1200) into a sustained 10 mph headwind and about 10 feet / mile elevation increase. I'd probably been in the mid 50s with no headwind and elevation change. I'd love to run all sorts of "controlled" tests and record the data but I don't have a "flat test track" with no other vehicles around and it simply takes to much time to do it correctly. :) .

Yes, that's why I always say in cold weather after warm-up, lower ambient temperature in the winter increases air density and hence FE will drop considerably vs summer. Now add such factors as humidity, driving in rain and wind, "rough" roads, use of HVAC system, driving style, speed, tire pressure, aero and other mods, fuel, weight and so forth, comparing FE with someone else makes little sense and could vary significantly. stratosurfer, If one is using the tips and techniques on this site (assuming that there is nothing preventing all C-Maxes from achieving virtually the same FE under the same conditions), ones FE is what it is. Then, one needs to decide how much time they want to give up to get better FE. I've posted curves in another thread that show the C-Max road horsepower requirements vs speed. Follow the tips and drive slower to reduce power requirements to the extent that extending time is not a burden and your FE will go up. You may find an optimal speed above which your FE begins to fall off dramatically. I don't know whether you've seen the curve below from cleanmpg.com. This is before the software upgrade that raised the EV speed from about 62 mph to 85 mph. So, the back end of the curve above 65 mph might be a little higher. Also, if you want to see what cleanmpg got when they hypermiled in the city scroll down to near the bottom of the above link.

If the battery is "dead", charging at a regulated 13.7 V will take a very long time to recharge the battery. I don't recall what the "maintenance charge" voltage is for a 12 V battery but it is likely around 13.2 V or maybe higher. Older car alternators used to regulate the voltage around 13.8 +V. But in modern cars, the alternator usually regulates around 14.2 V and higher. I've heard as high as 14.6 V. TSB 13-6-23 supposedly did raise the voltage on the DC/DC converter. But I don't believe it was a mandatory update. I don't believe it ever showed up on my C-Max ETIS unless it was included in other updates But in my infrequent monitoring of my voltage, I've never seen 14 V or higher.

Yes, air density is about 15% less at 4500 feet than at sea level. So, the aerodynamic drag force on a car will be about 15 % less at 4500 feet Based on Ford's RLHP coefficients, I estimate that the 15% equates to about 10% reduction in HP required at the wheels at 70 mph at 4500 feet vs around sea level and as much as 10% better FE than those at sea level. Of course not everyone lives near sea level. I would estimate that where I drive in the Valley of the Sun all other things being equal except elevation, that you would get between 3-4% better FE at 70 mph than I do because air is less dense at 4500 feet than in the Phoenix area.

When the car is "ready to drive" whether ICE runs or not, the DC/DC converter is supplying the 12 V load like an alternater does as it puts around 13.8+V on the 12 V system which is above the nominal 12 V battery voltage absent charging You can see this in Engineering Test Mode. With the push button start: 1) Push and hold the "OK" button on the left input pad on the steering wheel 2) DO NOT STEP ON THE BRAKE. Push the start button while still holding the "OK" button. 3) Engineering test mode will come up on the left hand screen. It might be blocked by another message but you can see the letters ET in the upper left. Release the "OK" button and push it again to clear the other message. 4) The Engineering Test Mode screen should be displayed. 5) Push the up or down arrows to scroll through the ETM screens. 6) One screen will show the battery voltage. If the car is still not ready to drive, the voltage will show 12.X V (mine just showed 12.5 V) 7) Now press the brake pedal and hold it while you press the start push button and "read to drive" should show up. 8) Press 'OK" to clear the ready to drive display and the voltage on the ETM should now show around 13.8 V.