raadsel

These two websites (one, two) both provide some explanation of how it all works. While the websites are technically for the Prius, the Ford Hybrid systems basically work the same way (Ford and Toyota cross-license a number of patents).

It sounds like Ford is giving us a choice, have it work as normal or choose to have it in a more Prius-like mode, to get max mpg.

But it is more fun to say it my way! :P Yes, you are largely correct that it is the car that has issues. Though there are some cases where it is the person who has the issue (why can't I drive my C-Max 75 mph and get 50 mpg? It's broken!!!), and not the car. ;)

I think that my mind has been blown. I followed some of his links, after I didn't quite understand MG1 turning backwards at some speeds, when it seemed like it should be going forward. It turns out there are different ideas, but I have now been introduced to "heretical mode." It is very interesting to understand just how the power train works.

I wondered the same thing. It seemed like that might be an option, other than the huge amount of fuel economy, horsepower, and torque the vehicle would lose. I've seen reports since, though, that suggest that they actually rigged the tests. It seems the way they did it rigs the cars to pretend to run cleaner but they can't keep it clean over a longer period, possibly even making it so that it only runs "clean" at specific rpms that are part of the typical emissions testing

This does appear to be a feature only on the 2013 C-Max, it appears the rear door sensors were removed starting with the 2014 C-Max. I do agree, though, they are nice to have. I drove a 2014 C-Max for a weekend and, like stevedebi, I made sure I had locked the car by using the rear door handles. Since I purchased my 2013, I merely make sure I can see the light on the center console that shows the doors are locked.

This one interests me because this weekend I had to adjust the driver's seat and, when it started moving, I heard a popping type sound. It worried me for a moment but the seat still worked fine after the noise, so I wasn't too concerned. It is good to see this, however, as it appears that I may be covered if the seat does have an issue.

One thing to remember with forums like this, they attract people who have issues. People come to forums like these to vent and look for help, to see if others are having similar issues; because of this, pretty much every car forum makes that car look like it has a lot of problems. The biggest issue I've seen are those that have had battery issues; though that largely effected the C-Max SE, for cars that do not have MyFord Touch. Additionally, the recent recall with software update seems to have helped. As such, with an SEL, you are unlikely to have issues. Beyond this, most who have owned the C-Max here have found it very reliable. Get the recalls performed and then otherwise just properly maintain the vehicle and it should be a great car.

I thought this was interesting. The Fast Lane Car people got a 2011 Jetta TDI and hooked it up to a four wheel drive Dyno. Using the dyno in 4 wheel drive mode allowed them to emulate highway conditions, so the car wouldn't realize it was being tested, and tested the torque and horsepower the car put out. They then disabled 4 wheel drive mode, to make the car believe it was being emissions tested and checked torque and horsepower. Their findings is that the Jetta lost about 15 horsepower and 30 ft. lbs. of torque. It becomes even more interesting if those losses still don't make the car compliant with EPA Clean Air standards.

As mentioned, several sellers on eBay offer them for as low as $25, though new, unopened seem to start about $40. The A6 includes maps for the US and Canada. Although it won't work for the OP, you can also buy the B6 maps which has the same US maps but, instead of Canada, it includes the maps for Mexico and Central America.

I'm wondering if this is a difference between model years. I've been noticing that there are times, even when the auto wipers are wiping continuously, my headlights (at least per the light on the dash) are not on. It appears on my 2013 that the lights only turn on when it is dim enough, even when the auto wipers are working.

As I understood it, he was talking only about the current body style. The body style for our C-Max debuted in 2010, and it was replaced in Europe by the 3rd Generation C-Max for the 2015 model year.

Have you ever lived someplace that has 90 plus degree temperatures, combined with high humidity (3 out of 4 days have over 92% humidity in July), every day for more than 3 months? Having lived in an area with a climate similar to Vancouver, I can understand why you wouldn't think it is an issue.

So far as I can tell, it is the same at owner.ford.com. You don't need to sign in, or even have an account, to find the recall information. As an example, I just went to a local ford dealer's website and found a C-Max they have for sale and checked what recalls need to be done on owner.ford.com. Using a web browser I don't typically use and not being signed into the owner.ford.com website, it shows the vehicle requires: VIN: 1FADP5AU6FL116943FSA Title: 2015 MODEL YEAR ESCAPE, FOCUS, AND C-MAX BODY CONTROL MODULE REPROGRAMMINGField Service Action Number: 15C06

Your charging times are a bit off, at least in the per hour range, from what I understand. The Tesla S, on a fast charger, will go up to 70% in 40 minutes or less -- or at least that is the claim. On a slow charger it is obviously going to be much slower, but you should still be able to get to 70% in a few hours. The issue, and most of the time spent, is to top off the last 25-30% of the battery.

What you don't see is the government regulation benefits. The C-Max helps Ford meet the MPG standards for their fleet of cars. Additionally, with gas prices so low, they are not pushing hybrids or EVs because people just aren't interested. I do think the low sales have contributed to the lack of a redesign, they really should have changed the body style this year to match the changes to the European C-Max.

The idea is that you turn it off early to allow the condenser to dry out before you turn off the car. The problem with that is that you either burn up the last few minutes, when you have 90+ degree heat or the car runs an extra 10 minutes after you get to your destination, which doesn't help your fuel efficiency on the C-Max. The idea is that mold grows on the condenser, being damp and dark it is an ideal condition for mold to grow -- drying it out before turning off the car helps prevent the moisture that the mold needs to grow. The idea of the Lysol is that spraying a disinfectant through the system on a regular basis (every couple of months or more when you run the A/C) kills the mold and keeps the condenser "clean", but without burning up as you drive or hurting your fuel efficiency.

Thanks for the offer but I tried the Lysol trick earlier today, I suspect that will fix it. If not, I'll get in touch with you. Thanks!

To find out about any recalls that need to be done, go to owner.ford.com, select the "Service & Maintenance" tab and, underneath it select "Recalls". You can either create an account or you can just enter the VIN of your car, and it will show you the recalls that still need to be performed. The link above should take you directly to the Recalls page.

I dug up this thread recently as I noticed a smell coming from my vents -- oddly I only seem to really notice it when I turn the A/C off. In any case, I checked YouTube for recommendations, as well. One of the ones, by Scotty Kilmer suggests just using Lysol -- he claims that it works as well as any of the specialty items he's used as a mechanic.

Personally, I'd likely buy the Model S 85D, with 270 miles of range. At 70 mph, that is just under 4 hours of driving. At that point, I can stop and get some lunch and the car will be ready to go when I'm done. Additionally, it is safer and makes for a more pleasant trip to actually spend some time out of the car. Of course, after lunch the charge level is only about 75%, so I only have about 3 hours before the next charging stop. OTOH, it will also encourage me to stop at scenic points, go see some of the attractions along the way, etc. I'll agree that it isn't as good if you are trying to get someplace as quickly as possible but, if I need to do that, I'm going to be flying. As long as you are driving, taking the time to enjoy the drive is not just less tiring, that also makes it safer.

Fall seems to be hitting here this weekend, highs will only be around 80 and the lows are dropping into the 60s. Oddly, when I lived in Germany, that was summer (not sure about Detroit, or Rochester).

Looks like the Escape has about 10 cu ft extra cargo space, about 15 extra with the rear seats folded down.

Actually, depending on where you are, this is a good time of year for mileage, since it isn't cold yet but is no longer hot; much like Spring. Of course, for Houston, we are about to the end of summer. Then we'll get a couple of months of Fall, followed by a week of Winter and a couple of months of Spring. ;)

To be honest, I would be interested to see if we could make fuel cell technology affordable and prevalent -- in many ways this sounds like the best future technology.