Louder North

My guess is you need a new battery.  If it's the original, nearly 6 years is a long time on the original battery.  

We had the same issue as mtb9153 but with a new battery - just do the fuse pull and reboot the system.  That solved our problem. 

Do the fuse pull and reboot the audio system - otherwise it will run down the battery - at least that was our experience.  

I have a 2013 SE. No battery issues other than replacing the original in early 2017.

 

I always turn off headlights, radio, fan, etc.

 

Drove normally to work today. At lunch (5 hours sitting) the key fob would not unlock the doors. Used key to get in, turned key, and nothing. Until about 3 seconds later, everything lit up and acted normal. Drove normally for 15 minutes.

 

The trip information had been reset to 0 as if something had died/cleared out. Now, key fob works fine and car acts normally. Anyone have an experience like this?

 

Very strange. The car has never ‘acted dead’ initially and then been fine. Thanks for any info!

We had a similar experience with our 2013 SEL.  Only 'clue' (if it was a clue), was that the radio would not turn on just prior to the apparent dead (but only a few months old) battery.  Put it on a charger (6A) for a few hours and it has been good ever since... and the radio starting working normally as well. 

I have a 2013 SEL that was manufactured May 2012, recently paid @ $200 total (parts, labor and tax) to replace original 12V OEM battery from factory with a new 12V battery at local Ford Service.  Ford service folks kept testing battery and saying it was fine but my keyless entry wouldn't unlock doors.  After battery replaced problem seems to have gone away.  It wouldn't surprise me if the original 12V are starting to go, this winter was kind of harsh too which probably helped it along.

 

The SEL never seemed to have the 12V parasitic drain that the SE did, I'm pretty mine was just due to age.  If you haven't already you might also want to ask the dealer to take care of all of the items under the 12V battery satisfaction program as Ford did a few things to try to solve that problem, especially if you have an SE.

We also recently replaced the 12V battery in our 2013 SEL and still had a weird electrical issue a few months later, It appears we had a random parasitic draw and it drew down the battery enough that it wouldn't respond to the FOB and there was nothing on the display when I got the door open with the metal key.  Charging it through the posts under the hood for about 5 hours (6A charge) brought it back to normal and we have had no problems since.

12.1 volts is plenty of voltage.  You don't need a fully charged battery at 12.6 to 12.8 volts.  In fact, the car should "start" with a "discharged" 12 volt battery at 10.5 volts.  Your FOB battery may be the one that is dying.  My radio has also died (was intermittent for a while) but I'm having no battery trouble.

Yes, normally 12.1 v should be plenty, but it wasn't in my case. After opening the car with the metal key, there was no display, nothing on the dash. 

FOB battery is 6 months old. It's weird.  After charging the battery again, the radio started working again as normal.

My battery was replaced once.  It doesn't make a difference since the 12V draining is random.

We just had the 12v battery replaced by Ford recently in our 2013.  Then, randomly, we noticed the radio would not turn on.  After parking it for a few days, it wouldn't unlock/open with the fob (first clue that the battery is dead - now wondering if the radio not turning on was the hint of a random electrical drain). Opened the door with the metal key in the fob, opened the hood, and checked the voltage with my meter.  Only 12.1 v (should be at least 12.6 -12.8 v).  Hooked up the posts to my battery charger and left it that way for 5 hours (6 A charge).  All good since then but will be checking voltage with my meter periodically. 

Wow, thank you all for the quick replies. 

 

I really hate the thought of buying a car that has a transmission that I will worry about all the time.  The price is really good on the car, but still, the last thing I want to deal with is rebuilding a transmission.  Perhaps the better move is to keep searching for a later model.  It seems like 2015 and up are more reliable. 

 

I'd still like to hear from anyone else who has a 2013 or has any other information regarding the transmission issues.  The more info I can gather, the better decision I'll be able to make.  I really do appreciate a good active forum like this one.  Happy I joined.  

Hey bsinboston, I also have a 2013 SEL.  Have had it for 2 years now and running just fine with about 45000 kilometers on it.

The original 12v battery died recently and had to be replaced (from Ford dealer), otherwise no issues.  I've changed the fob batteries as well.

Before getting this car I had Subarus as well (three of them since early 90's).  I'm loving the CMax and this is a great forum for getting tips and other information on your car.  Enjoy!

Just replaced the battery on our 2013 C Max SEL on the weekend (needed a boost to get it started). It was still the original; we have 45,000 km on the car.

Replacement was the BXT 67R ($170 CAN) at the local Ford dealer.

Change the batteries in the key FOBs.  Look in the owner's manual or on YouTube.  You can also take your FOBs to a Battery Plus store and have them change the batteries.

Youtube is your friend.  Easy to do yourself. 

2.5 years for me on a 2013 bought when it was 18 months old.  41k miles currently.

Not as problem free as yours:

rear brake rotors scored - pads were replaced and rotors turned before I bought it (so within 18 months from new)

loud droning noise in cold weather at medium engine load - likely the noise cancellation system malfunctioning; fixed by a routine firmware update

   (no indication from Ford this was supposed to fix the problem - but it fixed it)

mystery 12v battery drain so no start - also fixed by firmware.  original 12v battery still fine.

thumpetty noise over low speed bumps - dealer replaced front sway bar links under warranty.  helped.

thumpetty noise over low speed bumps from rear - dealer replaced rear shocks under warranty, apparently unneeded. Not great diagnosis by Ford.

  After warranty expired, I replaced rear sway bar links myself, immediately fixed noise. 

Left front wheel well liner ripped out last winter by driving over a snow-concealed curb.  Car is very low and the liner has a lip that hangs down in front of wheel wheel well.

   Not repaired yet.

Ford says it needs new tires at 41k. 

   I get "The Works" oil change at Ford dealer, which claims to include checking the engine and cabin air filters, but it seems they never check them.

     They want $15 extra to use 0 weight oil.

 

Drives well.  Fun to drive.  My first hybrid - love the hybrid drive train.  Like the comfy cabin. 

Has been lousy on snow with OEM tires - it gets new Michelin X-ice tires this winter.

The wipers (mostly) disappear under the hood - this space gets full of ice and frozen snow whether wipers are down there or left in service position.

On cold winter days I wish it had a plug-in cabin heater along with the plug-in block heater.

All in all, probably a better warm climate car than a cold climate car.

We get LOTS of snow here in the winter and good winter tires make all the difference (plus all the electronic traction control stuff).  No complaints here for my winter driving experience.

I have a 2013 C-Max Hybrid SEL and the entire audio system wouldn't turn on. The oddest thing was that the last radio station I listened to remained ON at low volume whether the engine was on or not. No entertainment buttons worked at all. I read thru the postings here. This happened at night and luckily had a flashlight on me. I pulled out fuse 79 from the box under the glove compartment. After checking that the inside wire wasn't broken, I put it back in and that fixed the problem. My device was still synched and I didn't have to reset anything. Nothing out of my ordinary daily driving routine had changed. Weird.

We had this issue (radio would not turn off) on Friday night; pulling a couple of fuses (66 and 79 I think) did the trick!

I've had a similar experience and also wondered about 12V health.  I think I'll have the 12V battery replaced before winter sets in.

 

Also, fwiw, I think there's an illustration in the owners manual that show how to use the fob as a handle for the physical key and thus gain some leverage.  But point taken re WD-40;  I'll oil the locks soon.  A dead battery would be bad enough without the added grief of a key broken off in the lock.

 

Hope you and yours stay dry and safe.

When you remove the key from it's hiding place in the fob, there is a little slot in the fob cavity that fits the tab at the end of the physical key - you can use that to make it easier to turn the key.

For me a main attraction of the C-max was the high level of ingenious technology, coupled with a comfortable and useful body shape.  Regular drive trains just seem dumb.  The things I would like in my next vehicle are bigger battery, an electric cabin pre-heater operated off the same plug-in as the engine block heater, and, most important, AWD. 

 

Regarding Ford engine control software updates:  it seems likely that these would be aimed at reliability improvements, if possible, rather than mpg.  A slight mpg increase will hardly be noticed in the noise - and doesn't do anything for Ford.  A failed transmission will be noticed all around and can easily cost Ford quite a bit.

The only thing I would want in my next vehicle would be the ability to tow something. AWD is overrated if you have good tires and ETC.

A key fob for a non auto start CMAX is a little different, to release the FORD cover on side you push in on either side  at the top of fob. This lifts up the cover and you can use a finger nail to lift cover off. This exposes the key. :)

 

Paul

... and there is a corresponding slot in the key cavity to fit the tab at the end of the 'key' so that you can actually turn it.

I also changed batteries in my two fobs without problem (there was a good video how to do this on youtube).

I have a couple of questions about the Intelligent Access Key (IAK) and the relationship to 'MyKey': 

Is a 'MyKey' just a IAK fob but with some restrictions or is it an entirely different fob?

To get a MyKey for my daughter, do I have to get another fob and have it programmed for my car and then I can add the restrictions I want?

thanks

Check your link... brings me back to this page. 

Sorry about that.  It works now.  

Just saw this and thought it would warrant a look for those in this class....

Nissan Rogue hybrid.

There is about a US$1,200 difference between the 2017 Nissan Rogue SL gasoline model and the 2017 Nissan Rogue Hybrid SL model

Adaptive cruise control and available AWD.  Not sure about towing capacity. EDIT:  Yup, you can get a towing package as an option.

I drove behind one today for the first time and what came to mind was it's low profile.  It is not in the same class as the C-Max and reminded me more of the Lexus CT200h from the back (not a real cross-over in my opinion).  Agree with all said about the great value the C-Max represents and am loving the 'head space'.

Take it to a dealer and tell them it squeaks when shitting down. If it's that new that it should be replaced under warranty

Hmmmm, not sure how serious the dealer will be with this complaint....

This has already been thoroughly debated - no one seems to have actually tried towing anything substantial (or if they have, it hasn't been reported here).

My comment deleted (didn't see previous comments).

I'm working on a YouTube video how to drive a CMAX the way Engineers designed it to be driven to get great MPG's. :) It would be interesting to see if I could help a member to improve their MPG's using my tips. PM me if anyone is interested. I hope to have video ready soon. :) I'm currently averaging between 52-55mpg on the FWY. 

 

Paul

Great idea!  I have been hoping someone would share their tips with a 'how to' video.  Looking forward to it.

Just took a look at Tire Rack... It's a $5/tire price difference, Ecopia EP422 vs. OEM replacement after a $70 Michelin rebate. Numerical ratings are similar to a smidgen better for Michelin, but the reviews tell a story of real difference in customer satisfaction, given both have poor snow traction. I'm very bothered one guy's holed three sidewalls?

 

Were I to change tires, it would be for perfomance reasons, like winter performance becoming important (as it is with my wife's Sonata Hybrid... OEM Kumho TA31's are horrible tires in snow). 

 

HAve fun,

Frank

 

 

Were those Kumho tires winter tires Frank? I have the Kumho KW31's and they are just fine in the snow. 

 

I'd say it is likely a defective sending unit in the gas tank (a stuck or partially stuck float).  The other possibility is a poor ground contact which is easier to check/fix but would result in more intermittent and random fuel level readings. 

That's what YouTube is for. :)  I use a sharp knife and pry the case open starting on a side where the key ring attaches (narrowest part of case).  You have to be somewhate careful and work down around the sides of the case until it pops off.  Snap the case back on starting at the bottom (widest part of fob).

 

If you don't want to DIY, go to a Batteries Plus store and they will probably charge double the cost for a battery (IIRC CR2032) at Walmart but replace it for you at "no charge".  

YouTube is your friend.  Other Fords use the same FOB so there easy to follow videos out there.