RobMax

As mentioned, razor blade and/or goo gone. Also use brake cleaner on certain non-painted parts. I have stockpiles of all in the garage.

Exactly. Poll results could just be mirroring model sales volume and nothing more. I bought a bare-bones SE without any options since it was cheaper, and made up the bulk of what I saw on the lot too.

I googled some other issues and came upon this thread our good Dr started a year ago, and while I don't quite understand it yet, it does have excellent points that I think can answer most (all?) the questions I asked in my last 2 posts. Drdiesel, if there is any other good reading material on what you've been talking about, please give us more links. Thanks! http://fordcmaxenergiforum.com/topic/1645-12-volt-battery-soc/

What do you mean by using a charger to maintain your battery every 3 to 6 months? Are you saying that your vehicles don't adequately charge their batteries, or that you don't drive them often enough to keep them charged? I don't see why a battery charger would be necessary otherwise. What do you mean by your wife's battery "being serviced on a regular basis"? What did that entail? Simple charging with this device? Again, why was that necessary? I take your last comment that the C-Max "requires more frequent charging" means the C-Max isn't charging the battery correctly either? What does the size matter in this case? Why don't you believe the dealer properly charged his battery? Do you mean there's a wrong way to charge the battery? If so, what is that wrong way, and how could it be verified? Or did you mean you don't think they fully recharged his battery? What do you mean by "maintaining a battery"? Do you mean charging it on a charger? Again, it sounds as if you're saying the C-Max isn't charging the battery, or again that there is a constant load. This is the first I've read about either a non-charging issue, or a constant load issue, so I want to ensure I understand you completely.

I must be missing something, but this only makes sense to me if the 12V battery is never recharging at all during vehicle operation. I don't see how that's possible. Are there posts in other threads where this constant load is documented? Please link to it so I can learn more about it. I look at CMax-Traveler's post below and I think it describes what sounds like an intermittent load leading to sudden failure. Is what he describing below not what other threads/posts prove is normally happening to others? Again, please link to those threads/posts so it'll help me understand the issue better. I'm just assuming what he described is typically what's causing the dead battery issues, because his experience is not indicative of a constant load causing a low SoC. Again though, maybe his issue isn't indicative of the problem everyone else sees. I just think it's odd how this constant load is not being caught by Ford's best and brightest, and why it appears so often, and so suddenly. I'm not sure why you state batteries don't fail overnight unless they have a bad cell though -- they can fail any time a load is applied that drains them to that point of failure though right? Much like leaving your headlights on (in an older car, LOL) could make it fail. Or am I not understanding what you meant by failure? What I'd really like to know is if the electrical system has a low-voltage cut-off of some kind where it'll keep the battery from discharging too much. I would think if that system worked correctly then this thread wouldn't exist.

This needs repeated and understood. It's misleading to think that the poll results can provide any useful data, as variables like sales volume by model, and who happened to own which model, and who actually answered the poll questions, create too many unknowns as to make any data gathered useless. This is true if the parasitic load is constant, but it clearly is not constant, as other posters have verified. If the load was constant you would awaken to a dead battery daily. As this is not the case, the load obviously occurs rarely/occasionally and therefore is difficult to track, diagnose, and resolve. It could likely be multiple systems and/or modules that just randomly "bug out" for various unknown reasons, which would make it next to impossible to diagnose and resolve, which sounds exactly like where Ford is in fixing this issue.

I had the same concerns you did before I bought our SE, but I figured most online posts would be from people trying to find more info about their problems, so it skews how reliable any vehicle looks. The # of "complaint posts" is far outnumbered by the # of people satisfied with their purchase who never post anything on any forum. As for the battery issue, and the SE looking more troublesome than the SEL, that poll could be skewed by the SE model possibly selling in higher #s than the SEL. I have no knowledge of which model sells in higher #s, but normally the base version always sells more since it's cheaper, and I would bet the percentage of reported battery issues across the # of both models sold is similar, but because the SE likely sells in higher quantities it just appears to be more troublesome.

LOL, I'll remember that one for next time I'm asked.

It's also a common cause of me getting my foot hung up on it as I attempted to exit the vehicle, like on our 08 escape hybrid. I'd much rather have a hand brake than a foot brake.

I agree. I've read quite a few threads and there's enough anecdotal evidence on the interwebs to suggest upgrades and subsequent interoperability of all these modules sometimes may not work properly, resulting in adverse MPG effects. Either that or some of the updates just happen to change how the vehicles behave under the same driving patterns as before the update. Cars are so complicated these days I'd side on something actually being wrong since that type of MPG difference just doesn't sound like an adaptation to unchanged driving behavior. Here's an odd thread on a Prius forum about the same type of issue: http://priuschat.com/threads/latest-software-update-safety-recall-resulting-in-8mpg-less.139758/#axzz3BWVyytYx I'll bring one thing up after reading that thread though. Are you sure the mileage has actually decreased based on actual fuel usage calculations at the pump, or are you basing that decrease solely on what the digital read-out is telling you? There may simply be a difference in actual MPG and what the car is possibly incorrectly calculating.

I take it the sound is gone then? Like Wab, the first thing I thought was gravel/rock getting stuck between the brake pad and rotor, especially since it sounds like you might likely live on a dirt road, seeing as how you're in Kahlotus, WA (google mapped it), and need to drive to get your mail. :)

Congrats on the purchase. We just bought ours on 8/15 and love it so far. Curious what the problem was with your 08 FEH that required a 2nd visit to the dealer. We just sold our 08 and beyond it being a rattletrap, it was a pretty good vehicle after I replaced the MECS pump and HVB vent door actuator.

I'm now thinking I should've gotten an SEL...

Sounds like we discovered a difference between the SE and SEL regarding start mode and programming the auto features then. Man that is just odd. The video is obviously for the SEL perspective, but I wouldn't expect them to differ so much for the SE. Doc, I assume the NRG has the same push button start feature?

AH-HA! I got it. Watching the vids and seeing the push button start being used, I'd assumed the vehicle needed to be running for these steps to function, especially when the video voice says "Turn the car on" and you hear the dang engine turn on in the background at ~40sec into the video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOxDkTXI7G8 The "Switch the ignition on" written step in the owner's manual also made me think the vehicle had to be "running". This last attempt I merely turned the key to the "ignition on" position but did NOT start the car, aka no "Ready to Drive" icon was visible. This time the steps all functioned properly to disable auto-lock. I then did the same thing to disable auto-unlock and it too worked fine. Apparently our good Doctor was correct, and I was not doing it correctly. Ford did not make it easy to figure this out though, especially with the video indicating the vehicle had to be in running mode to get these steps to work.

Wow, this is crazy. I just got home and decided to try it again. I attempted the same exact steps again but I didn't get the single honk to indicate I was in programming mode this time, which was very odd in itself, since again I was following the same steps as always. I decided to just continue the steps of hitting unlock then lock and lo-and-behold when I did that I got 2 honks to indicate the autolock feature was enabled. Say what? I immediately shut the car off to complete the steps and figured I'd do it again to disable the feature. Again I didn't get the single honk indicating programming but continued through the same steps and again it double-honked to indicate the autolock feature was enabled. I see...I then tried the same steps 1 more time and failed in exactly the same way. I stopped and went inside for a few, then came back out and tried again. This time I was able to get the single honk to indicate I was in programming mode, but once again, just like the initial times I attempted this over the weekend, I could never get the honking to indicate whether I was enabling or disabling the feature when I hit the unlock then the lock buttons. Freaking odd behavior to be sure. It's like the vehicle gets lost during my steps. This entire procedure takes only 15sec or so complete yet NEVER does it completely or correctly.

I noticed ScubaDadMiami said he tinted his windows and has an upper-level SEL. I hadn't noticed until we drove our car home that window tint wasn't installed on our lowly SE. After researching whether there was an option, I discovered there isn't likely because of the "passenger car" classification of the C-Max. Sounds odd, but I'll be getting mine done locally shortly just to keep the interior cooler (and prying eyes out of the back) for less than $250 total. I've always had vehicles that had tinted windows in CA, but looking back they were always minivans or SUVs (even our FEH) where that option was apparently legal in CA. OP, there's no way I'd live in AZ without complete black-out tint on any vehicle. LOL

I'm in what should be programming mode, at least as indicated by the horn doing its single honk. Interesting what you say about not putting my foot on the brake. Might be the way you worded your response, but are you saying I shouldn't be able to fully start the vehicle unless my foot is on the brake? I ask because I can turn the car on fully, as indicated by the green "Ready to Drive" icon, without hitting the brake pedal. However, to shift into gear, as per any normal new car, I must first depress the brake pedal. And just to list some further troubleshooting, I've also attempted to hit the unlock and lock buttons simultaneously after hearing the "programming mode single honk", assuming maybe the vids and/or docs were incorrect. That didn't work either, but figured it was worth a shot. LOL I'll goof with it again when I get home from work tonight but thus far it has me stumped.

That's real helpful there, doc. Care to expand on that assumption? Not sure how I'm doing it wrong if I can get to programming mode but then can't get any verification after hitting the unlock then lock buttons within the 30sec limit.

Well this is odd. Brand new 2014 bought a week ago, manufactured in May... I don't like the auto-lock and auto-unlock features on my car, and have no young kids to worry about anyway, so I'm trying to disable both the auto-lock and auto-unlock features using the Ford videos and various posts found via googling. I can get the car into programming mode (verified by single horn chirp) but then once I hit the unlock then lock buttons (or reverse for auto-unlock feature) I get no confirmation beeps at all. Mind you this is well within the 30sec time frame too. I've seen the steps multiple times and believe me, there is no way I'm screwing this up. I get the feeling a have an incorrect module or something disallowing the enabling and disabling of these auto features. My foot is not on the brake either, as was alluded to in another thread about why programming features weren't working for someone else. I need to take the car into the dealer to have the 2nd key programmed that the dealer lost before I bought it, so I'll have them correct this issue, but just wondering if anyone else recently has seen/heard of this problem and knew how to correct it. Thanks all!

Wow, that's excellent. We're still on our first tank and jut put on 330 miles with half a tank left. My drive last night in 65* weather got me just under 45mpg @ 67mph according to the readout. Man, I'm loving this quiet, solid, car. If my wife can keep her foot out of it we might be able to hit 600 miles on the tank.

I walked outside my office yesterday and saw a black Max parked in our lot. Walked up to the driver and he said it was a company car, and that he worked for Pepsi.

Bit of an old thread, but I wonder if your Max has one or more of those "partial" module updates I've read about in other threads. Maybe having the dealership reflash all other modules will fix that particular module, that is if that module itself isn't still the cause of the delay in updating. Worth a shot anyway...

LIKE: How engaging and challenging the car is. DISLIKE: A tad bit on the small side, especially compared to our FEH. Still though, a >30% increase in mileage compared to it, so I'm willing to give up some space to save more gas @ $4/gallon.

Just to confirm what someone else said earlier, Ford recommends transmission fluid change at 150,000, according to page 423 of the 2014 owners manual. That being said, does anyone know who makes the CVT in these cars? I would assume it's still Aisin, the Japanese company that made the CVT in my FEH, but that transmission apparently had no fluid change needed, according to both the owner AND service manuals I read. If still Aisin, I wonder why the difference in maintenance... EDIT: And.... answered my own question. Funny I searched for answers on this before I bought my car and don't remember seeing this article: http://wardsauto.com/vehicles-amp-technology/ford-says-homegrown-cvt-key-speed-fuel-economy-new-hybrids