SPL Tech

So the EV+ mode works by lowering the threshold for turning the ICE on when in EV mode. Okay got it. But how does that actually help improve MPG? The problem is that energy is not free. If you drain the battery more this trip, you start with that much less battery next trip which means more ICE time to charge the battery next trip. Either way, the energy has to come from somewhere. So it seems like all EV+ really does is "borrow" energy from your next drive to use on your current drive by running the battery lower than normal, but I dont see how that would ever improve MPG as, again, the ICE will just have to run that much longer on your next drive. The only scenario I can see where this would help is if you use EV+ to climb the last stretch of a very long hill—a hill that is long enough to fully recharge your battery on the way down. Then on your next drive, you spend that much less time wasting regen power because your battery is full. But this is a scenario that does not apply to most, so how does EV+ really help?

How do I know if the oil meets the spec? I went to the auto parts store to find some oil, and I could not find one 5W-20 bottle that has the WSS-M2C945-A spec listed on the back, and I looked at the best of the best: Royal Purple, Castrol, Mobil 1, Ect. Is there a list of all known oils that meet the spec?

Sure, but you can charge the battery and it will perform as designed after charging. If a bad battery was to blame, then replacing it would fix the problem. However, awho has went through the posts on here knows that replacing the battery does not solve the problem, thus the battery is not to blame regardless if it was maintained or not. Also, leaving the battery in a discharged state for a few months wont damage it to such an extend that it’s no longer usable. You would have to completely discharge it many times over a long period to cause so much damage that it’s no longer usable.

What is the specification? I thought you can use any off the shelf 5W-20 you find at Wal-Mart? I see it lists the "specification or part number" as: XO-5W20-QSP (U.S.) Motorcraft SAE 5W-20 Motor Oil Engine oil 5, 6 4.5 quarts (4.3L) XO-5W20-QFS (U.S.) CXO-5W20-LSP12 (Canada) CXO-5W20-LFS12 (Canada) / WSS-M2C945-A with API certification mark But I dont know if those are all part numbers, or if they are special Ford specifications that have to be listed on the bottle. For example, with my VW Diesel Jetta, the oil had to say on the bottle it met VW 504.00 specification, which most oils do not. Can I pull any 5W-20 off the Wal-Mart shelf and buy that, or am I looking for a special Ford standard printed on the bottle?

Cool, so scam. That's what I thought. Thanks for the info.

Which fuse did you replace?

If the car comes with synthetic blend oil, and the blend is required to maintain 10,000k miles, why does it not specify that in the manual? It simply says to use certified 5W20, it does not specify the need for a blend or full synthetic.

Also keep in mind if your LV battery is dying all the time, you are going to seriously shorten its life. Those batteries are not designed to be deep cycled, and deep cycling it could easily shave 500% off its life if you do it all the time. Also, it is not clear how charging a dead battery with the DC/DC converter affects the life of the converter. It's well known that charging a dead battery frequently with an alternator can kill the alternator, and so it stands to reason doing the same with a DC/DC converter could damage the converter. The correct answer is to get the technician to fix the issue. I think we have it fairly narrowed down. Water pump, software update, hot fuse. Those seem to be the three fixes so far, so look into it and fix the issue.

It does not matter if they maintain the battery or not, that's not what is causing the problem. The battery ONLY serves to provide power to troggle the relay on the HVB and power the computers for a split second when you are turning the car on. The second the DC/DC converter comes on, all 12V electricity is provided by the DC/DC converter. You could probably even disconnect the 12v battery while the car is on and it would stay on (dont do it though). The only other time the 12V battery will serve to provide power is if an accessory is drawing 12V power while the car is off, or if the power demands of the car exceed that of the DC/DC converter, which would not happen under normal operation, or when you power down the car and the radio stays on for a second, or the headlights stay on for 20 seconds to help you see, or to power the alarm system. So the problem is clear: something is putting a drain on the battery while the car is off. It's not a battery issue, it's a paracidic drain issue.

The only limitation is you need to be genital while warming the engine up. Dont try to climb a 5,000' hill or haul ass across town when the engine is cold.

Engine is part of powertrain, so you are still in warranty. Powertrain warranty is 60k/ 5 years.

Isint the point of going with a 0W oil that it is thinner and produces less resistance than heavier weight oils? If a blend 5W did better than a full synthetic 0W, it seems like there is especially no reason to switch to 0W, especially considering the 5W would theoretically provide more protection in the heat. I have always seen 0W marketed as either extreme cold oil, or high MPG oil due to it's thinner nature.

You're clearly not a car person...

LOL that is not a legal defense. It does not matter the slightest if it is legal in your state, it's illegal in the state you are visiting. That is all that matters. If your tint is too dark in the state you live in, and the cop actually measures it, it is unlikely you will be able to get out of the ticket. If you want 50-state legal tint, go 70% on the front and 30% on the rear windows. Most of the time when someone gets a tint ticket, it's for violating the tint limitations on the front window. Also, to the guy tho tinted his windshield, tinting your windshield is illegal in all 50 states except for the top 4-6" (width depending on the state).

The EPA has tested nearly every one of those "save 20% on fuel" devices out there. Their report: nearly every device is a scam, and those who do work produce benefits barely even measurable. http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0057-gas-saving-products But I read a few people who claim that the pods work. But has there been any form of formal, peer-reviewed academic study by a third party proving the validity of the claims made by the Gas Pods? Simply put, manufacturers spend millions of dollars to squeeze 1 MPG extra out of their car. So if they could get as much as 10 MPG, as some claim, by putting pods on, why havent they done it? Some claim looks. Have you looked at the Prius? I dont think looks was a factor when Toyota made that car. ;) So, what's the verdict, scam like 100% of the other devices out there, or legit?

Is there a listing of what all the values in ETM mean? Some are obvious, but others are not.

Will 0W-20 provide better fuel economy being thinner? Does this engine have any higher risk of contamination than any other engine, because I see 7,500 - 10,000 changes becoming the norm for most manufacturers?

I dont understand why Ford says it's okay to tow with four wheels on the ground, but it is not okay to tow with two on the ground, even if the two wheels are the back wheels. Any idea why?

That seems unnecessary. Standard Mobil Clean 5000 can go that long. The Castrol Longlife SLX II synthetic oil I used in my VW was rated by the manufacturer for 30,000 miles of highway driving with 10k filter changes, and a minimum of 9,000 miles in severe conditions. Have you sent your oil in for analysis? That will tell you for sure how often you need to change it, although I doubt 5,000 miles on synthetic is much. http://www.edmunds.com/car-care/stop-changing-your-oil.html

The manual on my 2013 CMAX is a bit ambiguous as to when you should actually change the oil. So apparently the vehicle tells me when to change the oil, based on driving conditions, and I need to reset the change interval every time I change the oil, correct? The manual says that otherwise the oil should be changed every 10,000 miles. That seems extreme for conventional oil in a worst-case scenario of 100% highway driving. Most oil manufacturers will not guarantee conventional oil to last that long. The longest I have seen is 5,000 miles (Mobil 1 clean 5000). Usually the use of oil beyond 5,000 miles requires synthetic, which can last 10,000 - 30,000 miles depending on the oil. In any case, I only plan to use synthetic oil as it's superior. However, I am curious why Ford does not explicitly recommend synthetic. In my Ford Excursion with a massive 6.8L V10 I noticed about a 5% gain in MPG with Royal Purple over standard oil. Ford goes to great lengths to make the CMAX max out on MPG, but they are missing one of the easiest ways to gain MPG: switch to synthetic oil. Seems strange. In any case, for 90% highway driving with full synthetic oil, what is an appropriate change interval? Normally I do 10,000 miles, but Ford is saying 10,000 miles is fine for conventional oil (which I find hard to believe), so if true, synthetic should last much longer, no?

I dont understand why the technicians have such a difficult time troubleshooting parasitic drain, unless it's an intermintant problem. I used to troubleshoot this problem all the time and it was not difficult. Basically you put a multimeter in series with the 12V- cable on the battery, and set it to the 10ADC mode to measure amperage. If the value is high, say above 0.2A, then something is killing the battery. The higher the current value, the faster the battery will drain. Anyway, you start pulling out fuses one by one until the value drops. Once it drops, you identified what is causing the drain. Look the fuse up in the manual to see what it connects to. It wont give you an exact identification most of the time, but it can get you quite close.

Old thread, but for what it's worth the C-MAX depreciates extremely fast. I found a 2013 with less than 4000 miles that was going for $10,000 off MSRP. There are tons of CMAXes on the various car websites that are 2013's selling (at retail price, not tradein) for around $16,000 with under 40k miles, some with under 20k.

On a side note, anyone know if KBB retail values ever increase with time? I know right now is the off season, which could explain good deals. But the deals arnt actually that amazing, it's just the KBB retail is really low on the car making for good deals. In the spring, dealers sell way more cars. But would it stand to reason if the retail of the 2013 is say $16,000 for a given mileage now, that in the spring it will be even lower, or does the retail ever increase on the KBB website?

On a VW forum I post on regularly, there is a sticky forum with a national listing of all known alternative VW mechanics. Mechanics that are known to be knowledgeable in the repair of VWs, but who are not associated with a dealer (and therefor charge less and provide superior service). Is there any such list for Fords? I hate going to the stealership, but when I am traveling I dont necessarily have the time to spend hours on Google trying to find an alternative Ford mechanic in whatever town I happen to be in at the time.

Exactly 0 minutes. Start and drive. It's well documented that modern vehicles do not need any warmup.