MomsHugs

Met with Marianna Barbrey, Digital Marketing & Media Manager, at Athens Ford. Discussed the proposal to launch a C-Max Club for the South Atlantic Region by sponsoring a fun rally out of Athens to Lake Russell & back (100 mile round trip MPG challenge). I made it clear that such a club is clearly in the best interests of Ford HQ/PR & C-Max Division for marketing purposes. I also made clear that it would be best if there is a Ford Dealership coordinating it as well. She asked for the link to this forum & will get back to me after she takes it up with Ford HQ & Athens Ford management. 

Btw... Athens Ford recently completed renovations & now has a beautiful service area for gathering us all when they're closed on Sunday.

Please post here if you are interested & if your local dealer is interested in joining the effort.

Best to you all ~ Moms Hugs aka Eve

Meeting today with Athens Ford in response to my written proposal. Will post whatever comes out of it here. 

Thank you Steve!  I've not been lurking on this forum since posting that question & appreciate you taking the time to reply. Had an oil change at a little over 3000 miles so will take this up with the service dept. separately.

25 degrees in Georgia! Glad I no longer live in upper Midwest where it's 10 degrees plus snow. My heart goes out to old friends raising cattle in Nebraska, who are really suffering with -2 degrees... breaking up ice so their cattle can get water or they'll die. The Blizzard of 1949 began like this early in November of 1948 & by January 1949 the Army's WWII bombers were used to drop bales of hay. My parents lost their entire herd that winter - frozen where they stood in 4 ft. of iced snow. So I am very thankful for what I have, including a car that gets 40 MPG on average in this cold.

Paul ~ Thank you for recommending just using the heated seats when needed until I can afford to add Grill Covers. Glad I can choose when to go out now that I'm retired & living in Georgia or I would have no choice but to buy the Block & Oil Pan Heater, too.

Kelly ~ Like you, I am finding that driving a bit slower is more pleasant by a long shot. I still get to my destination on time & no longer worry about a 'sting operation' like the one that nailed me for $158 last spring. Still hurts to think about that fine! <ouch>

C-MaxSea ~ I've found a huge difference in MPG when driving north vs south... accelerating due to even slight degrees of rise. Old railroad engineers would know all about that 3 degrees of slope they had to account for in laying routes. It doesn't seem like much, but makes a huge difference in fuel use, especially when pulling unit trains full of coal. Any railroad buffs here?

Hey, A2Gemini, way to go! I finally was able to replicate the 81 MPG I got awhile back the other day on a short trip & wasn't even trying. I reset Trip 1 every time I leave the house. Most of the time I get 43-50 MPG now on my 2nd tank, trying to achieve 600 Miles on it now that the engine is broken in.

However... temps dropped to low 30's the other day causing me to turn on the heat. The flowchart said the heater requires the gas engine to run. Anyone here know why?

Hey BoomerGer ~ You need to move to Nebraska where you needn't worry about the next Big One. Of course, you will need sheepskin-lined coat, hat & boots to survive, but they don't weigh much nor take any gas to wear. No need to chopshop your C-Max. There is that one little threat that occurs once in awhile... a supercell tornado... but just hit the ditch & hover there for a few minutes while it passes overhead. Since Nebraska is relatively flat & traffic quite light, your MPG will be much higher than in So Cal.

Help please! I was told because my build date was early June of this year, my C-Max SEL qualifies for the MPG refund, which would be mailed out the end of September. No check, no letter, no email... nothing. So where do I start to process my claim? Thank you!

Cheers ~ MomsHugs/Eve

Bro Jus may be right... this forum SHOULD be a good place for gathering interested folks.

Bro PJ has a good point that was true on the West Coast - all talk, no action. Texans call that "all hat, no cattle" . Let us know how meetup.com works.

I'm going to revise the proposal for next year's Spring/Summer times & hand it off to Athens Ford. Let's see if they're willing to spearhead this effort. After reading Ford's email, I'm inclined to let them organize this at Ford's HQ level if they want to sell more C-Max cars.

Otherwise, let's just enjoy the friendship found on this forum & whoever can, meet up next summer. Hugs ~ Moms/Eve

You already know why I can't make it the 11th. Can't go anywhere... not even Lowes... with Silki's staph/ear infection & constant scratching. Hope she's better by the 18th, but won't know until we see the vet on the 15th. 

No one else from the South Atlantic region posted a reply. Hmmm... 

Did anyone else get an email from Ford showcasing some of the social things HQ is sponsoring... like soapbox races?

Ford didn't need a government bailout like GM & overpaid taxes to boot, the refund of which the government refuses to pay interest. Hummmm... makes me wonder if GM underpaid taxes & had to pay interest on taxes owed. Also makes me wonder if Congressional oversight committee needs another investigation of the IRS. Fishy doesn't even begin to describe this kettle of fish!

Wow... just WOW ~ I'm jus striving to make 600 as a  :noobie: 

SOoooo... take a DEEP BOW, Brother Jus!!   :worship:  

You just set the 'pace car' bar rather high & we all love you for it!!   :love_shower:  :love_shower:  :love_shower:  :love_shower: 

Hope it's okay that I copied your post to a Word doc to add to the C-Max Club Proposal (see my post in the South Atlantic Region). Putting my thinking cap on how to get you here for a Tips, Tricks & Technical presentation/demonstration & MPG Challenge Rally ~ probably next Spring.

Brother Jus ~ Can you PM me a summary of stats for each 600, 700 & 800 Clubs? I would like to add it to my Proposal to Organize a C-Max Club. Thank you, Bro! ~~ Moms/Eve

Brother Gus... errr, Jus ~ You crack me up!! ~~ "Keep on Maxing" sounds like one of the 60s' songs about surfing. Hey, maybe we're really "surfing" our pedals.... :rockon:   ~ We need Kelleytoons to write a song & animate it. Where is that boy who shivers in mildly cold weather?  :arrive_alive: 

Hmmm... owner going through burned out car, taking out articles. Wonder if that was before or after the insurance adjuster was there.

Wnuk ~ I agree. There is more to this story than meets the eye.

I posted the C-Max Club - So. Atlantic Region Proposal. Please read it over & post your suggestions/changes, etc.

I plan on sending this to the Athens Ford salesman who is taking it up with their manager at the end of the day. I already gave him the route for an MPG Rally to/from Russell Park (maps & elevations). 

I can't upload Word docs, but I will gladly email the Proposal & Rally docs to make clean printed copies to anyone who PM's their personal email address to me. 

I.        PROPOSAL

          Owners of Ford C-Max automobiles have indicated a strong interest in forming a Ford C-Max Club – through posts in Ford C-Max Hybrid & Energi Forums.

          Enthusiasm during 2013 began to wane when C-Max Hybrid owners confronted 12V battery problems & lower MPG than was initially claimed by Ford. However, there were those steadfast Ford C-Max Hybrid owners that consistently achieved higher-than-expected MPG, who began challenging other owners to do the same through posting their tips & tricks. They posted C-Max Hybrid 600, 700 & 800 Mile Clubs – giving recognition to those who were able to drive 600+ miles on a tank of gas.

          These are the die-hard enthusiasts in “automobile show-offs” – maxing MPG! They want to share that enthusiasm & enjoyment of their C-Max Hybrid cars with other owners of these unique Fords – much like original Mustang owners did in 1966.

          Organizing a Ford C-Max Club requires not only C-Max owners’ effort and enthusiasm; it requires the financial and public relations support of FORD itself. C-Max owners interested in forming a Ford C-Max Club need the sponsorship and support of Ford dealerships and the Ford Motor Company C-Max Division itself.

          Therefore, a number of C-Max Hybrid owners in the Southeast Region are willing to launch a Ford C-Max Club - in partnership with a few Ford Dealerships, which stand to gain a marketing advantage by doing so.  The Dealership Sponsors would provide meeting facilities, food, public relations, financial support and communication with Ford Motor Company’s C-Max Division and Public Relations Dept.

          The first C-Max Club Meet-up & Rally would take place in the Atlanta-Athens Metro Area on a weekend in March or April of 2015.  The Meet-up would include:

• Engineering of Hybrid vs Electric Presentation
• MPG Tips, Tricks & Techniques Presentation
• “Hybrid Hummers” – Animated Owner Stories
• MPG Rally – Team Challenge – 50 mi/Route – From Athens to Russell State Park
   

II.      ORGANIZATION

A.   Core Planning Group:

1.  Representative Owners from the Ford C-Max Hybrid Forum
2.  Representatives from Georgia Ford Dealerships
3.  Representatives from Ford Motor Company HQ

B.   Meeting:

1.  Place – Whichever Georgia Dealership offers to host it:

       a) Athens Ford - 4260 Atlanta Hwy, Bogart (Athens), GA
                 Located 1 mile west of Athens Hwy 10 Loop/Perimeter.
       b) Sandy Springs Ford - 7555 Roswell Rd., Sandy Springs, GA
                       Located 2 miles north of Atlanta - I-285/Perimeter.

2.  Time – October 24 (Sandy Springs) or November 1 (Athens) in 2014

C.   Sponsors:

1.    Georgia Dealership?

  a) Athens Ford - 4260 Atlanta Hwy, Bogart (Athens), GA
  b) Sandy Springs Ford - 7555 Roswell Rd., Sandy Springs, GA

2.    Florida Dealership?

3.    South Carolina Dealership?

4.    North Carolina Dealership?

5.    Virginia Dealership?

6.    West Virginia Dealership?

7.    Maryland Dealership?

8.    Washington DC Dealership?

NOTE:
Pontiac Vibe Supermeets were held at Joseph Pontiac dealership in Fenton, Michigan (2004 and 2005) and Fishers, Indiana (2010). Pontiac sent the Vibe development team leader to the 2003 and 2004 meets, and two Vibe concept/show cars to the meets.  http://www.GenVibe.com
Prius Owners had their second annual 'To Go Before' meet in Massachusetts in September 2014.
 http://www.togobefore.com/priuschat/Ford C-Max Club

Hey, Paul ~ A meet-up at Sandy Springs Ford would be great way to start. We could begin planning a Spring gathering, which takes a lot of effort & participation by other Ford dealerships in the South Atlantic states, not to mention sponsorship by Ford's PR dept., too.

Kelleytoons ~ Don't fret about the weather cause it's beautiful around here. From Oct. 24 to Nov. 8 the temps range between 55-75 with some light-to-moderate rain about 1/2 the time. Colder temps below 50 don't really start until mid-December. You can always borrow a jacket from Paul, but you might have to buy a pair of cargo pants with legs that zip off.

Okay! Last call for ideas! I'll be writing a proposal this weekend & will include them. The proposal will be submitted early next week. 

PTJones/Paul ~ Did you contact a dealership near you & what response did you get?

Fazzman ~ Did you get a date set for your trip to Augusta?

Thanks everyone! ~ MomsHugs aka Eve

I compared Publix to Kroger item-by-item since I buy the same stuff over & over again. Publix is no more nor less than Kroger over time. I like Publix better mainly because their aisles are wider & cleaner (don't pack stuff in aisles). Kroger is crowded & hard to get through. I like Publix's frozen fish with each filet individually wrapped in a package. I also like their produce layout. Then there's the fact that Publix is employee owned & by George, their employees care about the customers as a result... IMHO. That's my 2 cents worth.

It might have been vandals tossing a homemade bomb. Could be evidence in an attempted murder of someone targeted in a love triangle or a foreigner that looks Middle Eastern. Could be evidence the owner simply wanted insurance proceeds to replace it with a Ford C-Max! In case you haven't looked real close at my avatar... it represents thinking creatively inside the box.

I have found it very hard to max SOC at all & in/out of EV has returned higher MPG. But I'm still a newbie in hybrid school.  :noobie:

It's far easier to jump in and out of EV mode than it is to constantly keep the battery in it's max SOC. Couple that and the fact that if you're using EV mode there is less wear and tear on the engine, it makes a pretty strong case that using your electricity intelligently makes a good deal of sense.

 

The C-Max is great because you can use both methods to get 43-47 mpg (in reasonable weather). 

 

I really like the design of my 2014 C-Max SEL as it is. IMHO, the sole improvement would be a rubber gasket to keep dirt/dust from accumulating on the rear bumper. Okay... maybe a little nip & tuck in front would be nice for aerodynamic improvement of MPG. However, I'm willing to wait 5 yr. for a redesign. Meanwhile, my '14 is getting a lot of attention for its looks & questions about how it drives from people who are curious or don't care for the Prius. Anyone who asks gets my standard reply - "I LOVE this C-Max!"

I bought the extended b-2-b warranty (7Y-84k) for $1800 because it extended the PowerTrain by 2 yr to match the hybrid battery & CVT. It then covers everything else by 4 yr. I looked at it as paying expensive repairs upfront rather than later after inflation is factored in. I also bought Dings & Dents, as well as PPlate Exterior/Interior, warranty in case I want to sell & get the latest hybrid/tech car available in 5 yr. Having said that, however, I do understand that it is expensive insurance after all.

Thanks for the 3M brochure, Rob. Now to ask the dealer who is the best installer around here. The salesman said they come out to my place to install. Is that best?

Wow ~ Thanks everyone for sorting through this topic & providing good info & links as well as photos. Really appreciate your advice because my state is very hot & I usually have Silki with me in back so tinting is imperative. I'll return & post photos when it's done.

Hugs ~ Moms/Eve