Generalbeluga

I would have them check out your fuse box under the hood. Several have reported that some of the lug nuts melted and shorted out. This was causing strange battery discharges and other unexplained electrical happenings. Search the forum for shorted fuse block and I think you will find the string.

First, let me say that I love my C Max even though I would like to see the MPG closer to the EPA numbers! The great styling, technology, quiet and responsive ride, high quality fit and finish and added interior passenger room and comfort, made the sale for me! Having said that, I doubt that any of the current hybrids on the market today can truly be cost justified. Beyond their higher initial purchase cost, there remain a number of relatively unknown costs, i.e, battery replacement and the hidden cost of a lower re-sale value. A good analogy is buying a $150,000 Class A RV. You can surely rent one for the 15 days a year camping or stay in hotels for a lot less. For those that choose this life style, they have a difficult time explaining their purchase from purely a financial point of view. They refer to a life style, camaraderie, and the like. Buying a Hybrid is a similar experience. You have to love the technology and the challenge of hyper-miling, just for the fun of it. How much will an eight or nine year old hybrid be worth in the resale/trade-in market is still shaking down as the first generation Prius's are hitting the resale market. But, MPG is not everything and to me, cars are not merely transportation. I want a vehicle that has styling, comfort, safety and efficiency and I think that my C Max strikes a perfect balance between all four.

The above are all great ideas but, yesterday I asked this forum why Ford used incandescent bulbs over today's LED technology in the C Max's exterior lighting, and the answer was COST! I can't imagine Ford adopting any of your good fuel saving ideas if they can't see any cost advantage of using LEDs, can you?

I agree, but who in their right mind would drive a car in this fashion over the long haul? Sure it's a novelty for a while but, after a week or two, it becomes a pain in the a-- and you go back to your old driving patterns and your mileage drops to 39 mpg, if you are lucky!

Automatic wipers are way cool! Just push up one click on the right hand side wiper wand to activate the automatic mode. The second click is intermittent mode and so on,,,

Just wondering, for as technologically advanced as the C Max is, I am surprised that Ford still chose to use the old power hungry incandescent bulbs in the turn, stop and running lights. Anyone know why?

There is also a buzzing sound coming from under the hood area when the car is first started. I thought this was a sound added so sight impaired people would be able to hear the car. I believe Toyota had to add something similar to the Prius a few years back after some run-over accidents.

I thought this was a sound added so sight impaired people would be able to hear the car. I believe Toyota had to add something similar to the Prius a few years back after some run-over accidents.

MikeB, From your statement above, can I assume the air conditioning system in the C Max is of the heat pump type and if not, do your conclusions still apply?

Here in Southern California, we don't use an E15 or Alcohol winter blend, so I am assuming that any increase in MPG that I might get due to warmer weather will be more than offset by the necessity of using air-conditioning in the summer months? Thoughts anyone?

Now THAT"S FUNNY!! :hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical:

Jus A-CMax I suppose I should have put a couple of "happy faces" after my post but, couldn't pass up the opportunity for a friendly "jerk of your chain," just a little! ;) We cover much of the same So.Cal turf and I enjoy your posts :happy feet: I LUV my C Max too!

Buy an iPhone and I'll be impressed! :)

I can't hold it any longer! :yahoo: Come on people, read your owner's manual once or maybe even twice before you get all pissed off at your new C Max or post a question on this forum. I can't tell you how many posts I have read about "problems with my C Max" where the issue is clearly addressed/explained in the owner's manual. OK, we all get a little lazy at times but, let's at least try to learn the basics about the workings of our new car before getting all upset! The C Max is one of the most technologically advanced cars on the market today, so understandably it will take a little extra time and effort on our part to get it but, that's no excuse for not even turning a page or two in the manual to see if it is covered. I'm not trying to invite any flaming here but, just the application of a little home work. Ok, I've said it, now I feel better! :)

Was your car running at the time you attempted to open the rear door? I believe there is a safety switch in the rear door that prevents it from opening if the engine is turned on.

In my opinion, this is not an accurate measurement of your MPG. Going down hill half of the trip and then using a fully charged battery to travel EV the rest of he trip on flat land, doesn't prove much, except that your car coasts down hill nicely! You need to make the return trip back up the hill to get a real world round trip MPG average. Any one of us exceed the EPA mileage if we all measured only the down hill portion of our trip!

I've lived and driven in Southern California all of my life and I hate to say it, but that might invite some threatening behavior against you or your car. I hear what you are saying but, I find myself keeping a low profile and not trying to become a freeway "ballistic" statistic. So. Cal drivers can be rude and aggressive usually driving 15-20 mph over the speed limit. The only way to avoid their ire is to stay in the right lane and go at least 60 mph! That limits my ability to practice some of the hyper-miling tricks , but, I still love driving tis car! :)

I bought my C Max at Galpin Ford in North Hills (aka Sepulveda) California. I got a good deal ($29,000 OTD) for an SEL model. Took it back for a tire replacement that the local Simi Valley Ford dealership refused to take care of. Galpin replaced it with no questions asked. So far, I have been very satisfied with my experience at Galpin Ford!

Thanks John and yes, you did address my question. I was trying to encourage some others to throw in their two cents as well so I could see the consensus of opinion. Thanks again for your input and response! John

Sorry that the above link did not work properly. See if this one is better: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/news/4199963

Check out this link and let me know what you think. http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/news/4199963

The question was not can I charge a C Max battery but, can I use the jump start lugs under the hood to safely do it?

Probably not enough to compensate for the premature tire wear you will get on a set of $800 tires!

"One of the myths surrounding synthetic oils is that new engines require a break-in period with conventional oil." I agree that most, if not all, new engines are broken in at the factory but, that is done on an engine rack and not in real world driving conditions with stop & go and FWY driving under load conditions. Therefore, I have always given a new engine about 10K miles of real world driving before switching to full synthetic Mobile 1, 5-20 oil. Beside, I would expect Mobil to encourage use of their products as soon as possible; after all, they are in business to make money! I see no down side to waiting for 10K miles and a possible down side if you don't, so I choose to wait. Some choose to change oil at ridiculously low mileage intervals, 3K of 5K, which we all know is not necessary with today's engines and oil technology. I typically follow the manufacturer's/car's computer recommendations. By doing so, I save money, the environment and can afford to pay to have someone else crawl under my car and change the oil! At my age, it is not fun any more and I always tear up my hands.

The manual talks about jump starting the 12v battery by hooking up jumper cables to the two terminals located under the hood on the drivers side of the engine compartment. It then talks about charging the battery by hooking up the charger to the battery located at the rear of the car in the cargo area. This is a very inconvenient location to find and access so I am wondering why you couldn't use the jump start terminals under the hood to charge the battery? Opinions anyone, please?