jestevens

To be fair this was a big topic when it came to the old Escape hybrids and it seemed to boil down to Ford being very conservative for the US market when it comes to towing capacity. The vehicle could easily handle small <1000lb loads with ease as far as pulling but the main concern was control and braking especially on hills. Engine braking sans regen has a lot less 'stopping' power compared to traditional ICE vehicles and you don't want to be riding friction brakes on a long downhill.

Page 248 of my 2013 C-Max owners manual states: "WARNING: Never tow a trailer with this vehicle. Your vehicle is not equipped to tow. No towing packages are available through an authorized dealer."  So, unless it is a small motorcycle trailer, etc, I would not use CMax to tow.

The attached study on recent wet tire tests confirms what I have always experienced as tire wear especially approaching the wear bars and is why I always replace tires well before 2/32” tread depth usually just below the 4/32” depth. Just look at finding 2 below. The wet stopping distance and lateral acceleration have significantly worsened from new at 4/32”. Dry traction and handling generally improve as tires wear but not so under wet conditions. The data is best case data as the tires were worn down using Michelin test equipment but the tires were not aged (which would further degrade the test results of worn tires.
 
https://www.aaa.com/AAA/common/AAR/files/Tire-Study-Report.pdf#page6
 
“Key Findings:
1. On average, new high-priced tires did not perform significantly better than new low-priced tires in terms of stopping distance on a wet road surface, maximum lateral acceleration on a wet road surface and NVH characteristics.
2. Compared to new tires, tires worn to a tread depth of 4/32” exhibit:
a. An increased stopping distance of 42 percent for the Toyota Camry and 44 percent for the
Ford F-150. When decelerating from 60 mph, worn tires are still traveling at 39 mph and 37 mph at the average stopping point of new tires for the Toyota Camry and F-150, respectively.
b. A decreased maximum lateral acceleration on a wet road surface of 33 percent for the Toyota Camry and 28 percent for the Ford F-150.
3. A set of four higher priced tires cost, on average, $247.52 more for the Toyota Camry and $203.80 for the Ford F-150.”

Not quite, if the brake pedal is pushed far enough, the brake booster push rod is forced into the master cylinder and conventional friction braking occurs.  
 
Brake by wire is a necessity for EVs, PHEVs, and HEVs for regenerative braking purposes.  But, I doubt there is any brake by wire system that does not have a mechanical link from the brake pedal to the master cylinder for safety.  One can look up the NHTSA Standards and Rules that apply to braking and see what is required.
 
Here's a snip on the how this is implemented in the C-Max.

They were drafting. LOL   Some people are just followers, I have seen this driving on State Routes with 55 mph speed limits and I would speed up to 50 mph and EV down to 35 mph which you would think would be very irritating yet people would follow you, strange. :headscratch:
 
Paul  

Maybe Ford reserved the "E" just to annoy Elon Musk - now he only makes S_XY cars..

Maybe Ford reserved the "E" just to annoy Elon Musk - now he only makes S_XY cars..

C-Max EPA combined rating was 40 mpg, same as 2019 RAV4 hybrid.  I would think Ford will try very hard to meet the RAV4 competition which means 40 mpg again, just like the C-Max.  We'll see.  Don't think I like the concave sides either but it sure wouldn't stop me from buying one.
 
C-Max hybrid is 1.4 kW-hr but we know the "active range" is more like half that amount.  I expect with further engineering and field experience with the C-Max Ford decided that 1.1 kW-hr is adequate - and I could easily believe it.  OTOH, the plug-in Escape is said to be 14.1 versus 7.6 kW-hr on C-Max Energi, almost double.
 
Storage behind rear seats is way up, 34.4 (Escape hybrids) versus 24.5 cu-ft. (C-Max hybrid) and 19.2 (C-Max Energi).  I consider that increase a real plus.
 
OH-NO:  Just noticed that Car and Driver says "In nonhybrid models, the rear seat now slides fore and aft...".  So where is it set on hybrids?  All the way forward to make room for batteries?  So much for having more rear leg room than a Suburban!

Some of the folks I've talked to with new cars say that pairing the phone with the car now is a requirement if you want nav, etc. so I don't know if it's actually using software on the phone to do the nav or it's just using the phone's data connection but it does seem manufacturers are moving in that direction.
 
I have to say that other than being sooo sloooow Sync 2 has mostly worked on my vehicle.  I think I maybe made a mistake by doing the very last upgrade as the previous software seemed more stable but for the most part it does work..they should have spec'd a faster processor for the hardware. 

Back story:
 
Ok, so I purchased my cmax with the intent on using it to move the family around in a nice quiet environment. It was all fine and dandy with just me in the car but as soon as I had a passenger it would randomly have horrible resonant frequencies that would drive me/us nuts. Well, eventually I figured out this was a known issue that plagues many of these cars, I verified it was indeed the ANC by tapping on the microphone when the annoying note was blaring in the car and it momentarily shut up. My first thought was to find the fuse for it and pull it. Sure enough there is a fuse in the trunk that is labeled ANC in the owners manual. I pulled it and it did absolutely nothing, the active noise cancellation was just as cranky as ever so I started my quest to figure out how to disable it. 
 
Anyways, I was able to access the ford online database (thank you coworker who shall not be named) and checked out the wiring diagram for all the interior body stuff and figured out where all the microphone leads should go into the big module that controls all the audio integration. Found the plug, unplugged it and went for a spin! No more horrible noise! Completely defeats it with literally no other affected areas.
 
This procedure is absolutely critical if you ever decide to add a subwoofer onto your stock system as it'll play ANC tones through it at massive volumes if you do not  :lol:
 
Onward to the actual how to:
 
Step 1:
 
Open your passenger door and put the passenger seat all the way back, you will be on the floor under the dash.
 
 
Step 2:
 
Stick your head under the glove box (leave it shut) and notice there is a thin fuzzy panel that is retained by two black clips that go over yellow posts. Remove the clips and pull down on the panel so you can see behind it. You should see a fuse block, some wiring, a floor light, a floor vent, and some various other stuff. 

 
Step 3: 
 
Locate the gray 6 pin plug that I show in the image, all the primary wire colors are blue or brown as shown. If you need the supplementary wire colors for some reason just ask and I'll catalog them but it's the only plug that has this color combination in this direct area. Unclip it! If you are worried for some reason, you can wrap the end in electrical tape or something but they are heavily recessed and should never have any issues with touching anything. 


 
Step 4:
 
Put the furry panel back into place and stick the clips back over their posts to hold everything together. You know, the whole reassemble in reverse order thing.
 
Step 5: 
 
Enjoy your lack of Skrillex inspired wobwobwob! 
 
 

I prefer using the in dash nav because my phone inevitable loses reception, falls on the floor, screen is locked, battery runs down, etc. while I am driving but I do wish that ETAK or whoever is providing the maps would at least make the upgrade price competitive with the price of a new GPS unit - I can buy three standalone whole GPS systems with lifetime free map upgrades for the price of one "official" upgrade.  I wonder if the software in SYNC 2 GPS will be affected by the GPS Time reset that is going to happen in April?  I guess we'll find out.

Hill Start uses the brakes as described in the Service Manual.  Every car I've owned for quite some time has had this feature.  The ABS uses the stability sensor messages from the Restraints Contol Module. When the ABS determines the vehicle is on about a 3% grade or more, it enables the Hill Start function.  If the ABS determines there is insufficient torque once the brake is released and the accelerator pedal is pressed to move the vehicle, it will continue to hold the vehicle in place beyond the normal hold time. The Hill Start function works in both forward (D) or reverse ® if backing up a hill.
 
From the Owner's Manual:
 
The system makes it easier to pull awaywhen your vehicle is on a slope without theneed to use the parking brake.When the system is active, your vehicle willremain stationary on the slope for two tothree seconds after you release the brakepedal. This allows you time to move yourfoot from the brake to the acceleratorpedal. The brakes are releasedautomatically once the engine hasdeveloped sufficient drive to prevent yourvehicle from rolling down the slope. Thisis an advantage when pulling away on aslope, (for example from a car park ramp,traffic lights or when reversing uphill intoa parking space).The system will activate automatically onany slope that will cause significant vehiclerollback.Using Hill Start Assist1. Press the brake pedal to bring yourvehicle to a complete standstill. Keepthe brake pedal pressed.2. If the sensors detect that your vehicleis on a slope, the system will activateautomatically.3. When you remove your foot from thebrake pedal, your vehicle will remainon the slope without rolling away forabout two or three seconds. This holdtime will automatically be extended ifyou are in the process of driving off.4. Drive off in the normal manner. Thebrakes will release automatically.

I once ONCE did this.  I went a San Jose Sharks hockey game in the spring soon after I got the car and was not use to the double honk sound.  It was before dusk.  I walked away and went to the game.  When I came back I said to myself why are the headlights on.  The car was running the whole time but it did not kick the engine on till the sun went down and the auto headlights came on.  Needless to say very embarassing and I am sure glad it still had power.

It sounds like normal operation to me - the AC compressor is variable speed, powered directly off the HVB similar to a Prius so in extremely hot weather it is going to draw down the battery quite a lot. Your engine should start more frequently to charge up the battery to compensate.
 
Right now I am experiencing the reverse in PA, as it is 30 degrees or below the engine runs more to generate cabin heat, the battery gets all of the energy it can handle.  The Energi has a bigger battery so they are able to use that for cabin heat but I have only the standard hybrid.  Still, the stock MPG in winter is around 31 which better than I could ever do with my HHR even on a good day.
 
The 12V battery must have enough charge to run the computers, which close the relay on the HVB battery pack and command energy to be used from the HVB to spin the generator, which spins the crankshaft, which starts the engine.  Sort of like a Model T, but a lot more complicated.  This is the best way to go if you are constantly starting and stopping the engine vs. using a traditional starter or coil pack I'd guess.

The speedo doesn't max out at 88. The speedo is a 3 digit. We have had 4 gen 2 and many friends with them. The gen 2 can also change to kmph with a touch of a button,so 88 kmph would be nothing. Maybe something was wrong with your gen 2?

My understanding is all Hybrids, and even EVs, operate this way; with the HV battery being electronically disconnected. The major reason is safety (and I believe there may be laws requiring this) for the protection of first responders.

Everyone knows about the Mustang but wasn't the Turino Ford's line of late 60's early 70's muscle cars?  Not that the C-MAX is muscle car but I have to admit I was surprised - I really thought those three digit numbers were just for decoration.
 
For the most part it was fine, road was dry and no sharp turns.  Knowing issues with transmission bearing, etc. and I would like to keep car as long as possible I slowed back down, didn't really want to push it any more than that..plus there was still some other traffic on road, etc.  It took a little while to ease it back down.  I guess if I lived out West with miles of "flat" highway maybe different story.

Essentially you have to adjust your way of thinking in reverse. To save on processing resources, it is easier for the system to work backwards and narrow down address possibilities. Start with the city and state and ask for the street name. It will assume to only search the input street name in the selected city and state. Once the street name is confirmed, ask for the street number which will then assume to look just at that previously set street name, city, and state.
 
The other option is to simply input the address by voice which will naturally work in the forward direction. Not too difficult once you know what it is looking for too. Starting from the home screen  I generally just go "Navigation. Destination. Street Address." in one phrase and clear brief pauses between commands. It'll then do the shpiel of asking for the address. Then as simple as "1. 2. 3. Main St. Columbus." as an example. Doesn't allow for "one twenty three" or "one hundred twenty three" but specifically wants "one two three".

IN THis video the CITY is chosen first cuz its BOLD in GREEN. 

Just like the Toyota I believe this car has a set of relays that are commanded to close by 12V modules when you start the car up, by default when the car is off the relays are open and the HV wiring is not energized as a safety measure.  I believe HV is only used for the traction motors, AC compressor (and the heater if you happen to have an Energi). I would concur with battery fluctuations due to temperature.  Also, EV+ will allow the car to run down the SoC even more than usual if you drive to the same place many times.
 
I guess it's possible that a particular HVB could be starting to go bad but I have yet to hear of it on any of these forums, without hard data can't tell.

Everyone knows about the Mustang but wasn't the Turino Ford's line of late 60's early 70's muscle cars?  Not that the C-MAX is muscle car but I have to admit I was surprised - I really thought those three digit numbers were just for decoration.
 
For the most part it was fine, road was dry and no sharp turns.  Knowing issues with transmission bearing, etc. and I would like to keep car as long as possible I slowed back down, didn't really want to push it any more than that..plus there was still some other traffic on road, etc.  It took a little while to ease it back down.  I guess if I lived out West with miles of "flat" highway maybe different story.

Just like the Toyota I believe this car has a set of relays that are commanded to close by 12V modules when you start the car up, by default when the car is off the relays are open and the HV wiring is not energized as a safety measure.  I believe HV is only used for the traction motors, AC compressor (and the heater if you happen to have an Energi). I would concur with battery fluctuations due to temperature.  Also, EV+ will allow the car to run down the SoC even more than usual if you drive to the same place many times.
 
I guess it's possible that a particular HVB could be starting to go bad but I have yet to hear of it on any of these forums, without hard data can't tell.

I see changes all the time in SOC from overnight shutdown to morning startup.  I've attached a thumbnail of a graph by NREL based on curve fit of actual testing of a Li Ion battery. Note how much the Ah capacity changes with temperature of the battery.  I've also attached the actual SOC (as determined by the C-Max algorithms) of the HVB compared to the displayed SOC (battery symbol on dash display).  I believe one could easily see a 10C (18F) drop in HVB temperature overnight.  Assume the drop corresponds to a 4% drop in maximum capacity.
 
Assume when you shut down the car in the evening, your battery symbol was at 50% which corresponds to an actual SOC = 45%.  In the morningy assuming you lost 4% of maximum SOC, your actual SOC would be offset 4% or at  41% on the X axis of the graph.  That 41% will be displayed on the battery symbol as about 38% capacity left in the battery.  So based on the battery symbol, it appears that the HVB has lost about 12% when it only lost 4%.  
 
Now, assume a 20 C drop in HVB temperature and your display showed about 40% SOC when shutdown in the evening.  Going through the same as above the display will likely show less than 20% of the battery symbol filled in the morning.  It looks like you've lost over 20% SOC when you only lost about 8 of actual SOC.  
 
Having said the above, it doesn't take much EV operation to heat the HVB up and SOC to rise due to temperature effect.  :)
 
Bottom line is that you can't tell much simply watching the Battery Symbol.  My suggestion -- get ForScan and record relevant HVB data at shutdown and startup and analyze what is going on. You should be able to see how HVB temperature affects SOC and look for any anomolies.  Also, HVB discharge current affects SOC.  The higher the discharge current, the lower the SOC.  What is discharge current when you arrive at home (likely very low) and what is discharge current when started and first driven (likely higher than when arriving home).  
 

No need to test battery.  Took it out and the "eye" on the battery was red.  Went and picked up a new one and all is right for now.

Change your fob battery and get your 12v battery tested.