salman

Thanks. That is helpful - something i did not know and the service manager apparently also did not know. I am going to try to do some reading about this. The converter that charges the 12 volt battery from the high voltage Lithium Ion battery would seem to be one of the first things to check when 12 volts start washing ashore dead.

Yes, one of the questions I have pending in my file at Ford HQ is whether the service personnel have been trained to handle hybrids. My guess is that they must have been trained. Ford has sold hybrids for several years already. But clearly there are flaws in the systems, both the training system and the electrical systems. By the way, I am doing some more searching on the web and it looks to me like the Ford Focus CMAX that has been sold in the UK as a gas & diesel engine model has reports of its 12 volt battery going dead, too. Posters on those UK blogs say that there is a "smart" charging system in the engines ECU. I wonder if there is a clue in that story. Depends on whether the sysytem was changed for the new hybrid models sold in the US.

Update on my CMAX SE: The service manager did not know that the battery gauge on the dashboard is for the high voltage Lithium Ion battery for the hybrid engine and not for the 12 Volt!!!! So all he has done is charge the 12 volt with a plug in charger and declared that he cannot find a problem. I asked him to check the alternator to make sure it is charging the 12 volt battery and to check the electrical system for a power drain or short - I do not think he is doing it. I called Ford corporate customer service again to update my file. Ford's central number is 800-392-3673. They say they will call me back today by 3PM Pacific Time. Please be sure to call Ford directly about any problem with the battery and/or electrical system. Call Ford as well as your dealer. It is Ford's central corporate and manufacturing arm that has to figure out the problem and the solution.

DTorres & Andrewwx I am in Southern California, too. My CMAX was purchased at Buerge Ford in West LA. Where did you get yours? Please call Ford's corporate customer service line at 800-392-3673 to let Ford manufacturing know about the problem. The dealers are slow to call these problems in. My problem is written up on the other thread. Car is still at the dealer. They seem new to handling hybrids - did not know that the dashboard battery gauge is for the lithium ion battery and not the 12V....Houston, we have a problem.

Jeffrey Please call Ford's corporate customer service in addition to going to your dealer. There is obviously a battery and/or electrical flaw in the CMAX and Ford needs to hear about it. So far, Ford has not alerted its dealers & service centers to any issues, and the service centers think each car coming in is a unique case. My car is spending the night at the dealer. The service rep told me the battery tested within specs but was not fully charged. They charged it and want to run the car for a day to see what happens. They have not yet tested the alternator or the rest fo the electrical system to figure out why the battery did not have a full charge, but I have asked them to do so, and also to call Ford Manufacturing's hotline for its service centers.

Ford corporate says a customer service manager will call me back tomorrow. They will check their database for reports of battery/electrical trouble. I did find out that Ford maintains a "hotline" for service departments to call Ford for technical advice. It probably makes sense for anyone with a battery problem to ask their dealer's service department to call this hotline.

I am on the phone with Ford corporate customer service (800-392-3673) telling them about my problem and telling them that I know they sent a service engineer to work on a similar problem in Wilmington NC. The agent has taken my information and has me on hold now while I gather she is talking to someone about it. Please call and write to Ford. Writing is always better because it gives you a paper trail. I have written once already and will write again now that I know they have already heard about the problem enought to send a service engineer to one dealer. I'll post an update when I have more info.

Dear mbedit Would you please (if you feel comfortable doing so) post some more information about your contacts with Ford? For example, the name and contact info for the Service Engineer or anyone else at Ford you think was helpful? Or the name of the dealership you have been using for service? My CMAX SE is at the shop today. On Sunday the 12 volt battery was dead. It was jumped by roadside assistance on Sunday and it started on Monday, Tuesday, and today. I told the service manager what had happened and also told him that at least 15 reports of battery problems have been loggedon forums. His computer shows no service advisories from Ford. Thanks

Bought a CMAX SE last Monday, battery dead Sunday. Jumped by roadside assistance. Still starts tdoday. Bringing it to service on Wednesday. (I have not used the USB or other outlets. I do not have push button start). Having read this and several other threads it is clear that there is a common problem afflicting more than a dozen owners who have posted on the web. How many more cars have exhibited similar problems is impossible to say. This is a common problem. The problem is either defective batteries from a sub-par supplier or, possibly, an electrical malfunction elsewhere that discharges and fries the 12 volt battery. Whatever the root cause is, it is clearly a manufacturer's defect rather than a random problem. It is happening too often. I have written to Ford and all who encounter this problem should also write to Ford about the problem. Go to the dealer for service, too, of course, but letting Ford hear about it should push them toward finding a solution.