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MaxHeadroom

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  1. MaxHeadroom
    Going by TrueCar.com, which I've found is decent, a base model cheapest possible Ford Escape (new), but add aluminum wheels like the Cmax has, is about identical in price to a CMax. Like within $200 or so, negligible diff. This market really hates Cmax hybrids, man. About zero hybrid premium. Both vehicles about $21k.
  2. MaxHeadroom
    Looks like our CMax's rear spoiler lip may not work well with the vortex generator fins. The lip back there causes a horizontal lateral swirlie, while the vortex gen fins cause longitudinal swirlies. They might not play well together. :cry: So I don't recommend Mitsu Evo vortex gen fins after all. Need wind tunnel. Definitive guide to Mitsu's fins: http://bpi-us.com/papers/vortexgenerators.pdf
  3. MaxHeadroom
    fbov, Nice yarn tuft experiments. Makes me wonder if I can just get my hands on a pressure sensor, place it in the middle of the back window (outside), and see if the GasPods or Mitsubishi Evo-style vortex generators would cause an increase in pressure felt back there (higher the pressure on the back the window, lower the car's drag). About those rear side C-pillar plastic pieces, I guess Ford's wind tunnel concluded they introduced a nice cylindrical vortex to the back window, thereby reducing drag. I noticed today that they put those on the rear hatch glass of Ford Escapes too! Still I wish Ford would have blessed (tested/validated) the use of GasPod-like or Mitsubishi Evo rear roof strakes (vortex generators). I'd bet they do something to push the air down toward the rear liftgate glass OK, reducing drag. Might have to get some for that. Anyway, EcoModder.com seems to be the center of the universe for this subject. Mitsu Evo drivers get all the cool factory rear roof vortex generators (aka, strakes, etc.): I'm thinking about ordering VMS Racing's Universal kit and copying Mitsu Evo's positioning as best as possible (slant angle, how close to hatch, etc.). Closer shape to the Evo's than the GasPods are. Hence may generator vortices better. I remember there was a roof-wing designed for the top of aircraft (737) fuselages which directed flow a bit, should work for us, but too elaborate:
  4. MaxHeadroom
    I don't think anybody makes specific CMax skirts. About how much they might help, its hard to say. I took aerodynamics classes years ago, yet my specialty has always been NVH, controls, software, so I'm just skilled enough in aero to understand it's tricky. For example, most excess drag is caused by creating too many low pressure areas to the rear of the car, which is why those blunt rear ends benefit from vortex generators and spoilers to direct airflow to the liftgate glass. Also, the more turns and swirlies the flow makes as it hits the car, the worse drag is. In the end, there's no substitute for a wind tunnel, or even a very fine mesh computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model to play with.
  5. MaxHeadroom
    ptjones, OK now I see what the tire air deflector plastic parts are that they added. Have you tried to order the rear side-spoilers? Those are the ones Ford might have given 2013 C-Max buyers, although throwing $$ rebates at the EPA MPG problems also did the trick with many. Liking your Lexan wheel skirt idea. Some might say full skirts ruin "styling", but used to be they were all the rage:
  6. MaxHeadroom
    Noticed this summary of MPG improvements to our CMax for the 2014 model year: Does anybody know what they did to "Shorten engine warm-up time by up to 50%??? The "new engine oil" must be referring to switching from 5w-20 to 0w-20, small change, but I guess good. woo-hoo Anybody know what the new "tire deflectors" were???? Not understanding that one. I looked at my 2015 CMax and don't see anything like that. I did notice the stick-on plastic side-spoilers on the rear hatch. They are stick-on, easy to install, so ORDER a pair from your Ford dealer for lower aero drag! .... Ford should have bought-installed those on all the early models after lying to the public about EPA MPG numbers. I think there may have been a re-shaping of the top horizontal lip spoiler back there too. The "A pillar moldings" I think I see on my 2015, a kind of shaped black plastic piece to reduce turbulence near there. Seriously Ford could have decreased drag by going to flatter faced wheels instead of our spoked ones. Also, and maybe too advanced though, Ford could have eliminated the outside side rearview mirrors to lower aero drag, replacing them with sonar traffic proximity warning lights and rear facing small side cameras on each side with LCD screens on each inside door sill, similar to backup cameras common today. (I like the backup camera in my Ford Focus Electric, works fine.) Ford could have covered over the fog lights with a smooth clear plastic piece. It might add turbulence to the flow there. I noticed my Ford Focus Electric, that really must be low-aero-drag because of limited electric range, does not have fog lights there, for a reason.
  7. MaxHeadroom
    What was the fix? Root cause? Sometimes Ford won't tell us, yet have you heard what's different post-2013?
  8. MaxHeadroom
    Yes, it does thin it out to be a 0w-16, as seen by the viscosity at 100 degrees C (aka, "KV100") of 6.1, thin enough to be a 0w-16. (A 0w-20 typically is about 8.0.) What's more, the HTHS of the fuel diluted used oil probably got reduced down to 2.3 too (when it should be 2.7). With no fuel dilution, used oil almost always looks OK after a full usage. See ptjones post above (2nd post) on his Blackstone report, showing about an 8 viscosity, still similar to new oil. However, this is a little complicated since that viscosity is nudged upward slightly by oxidation, and nudged downward by some polymers affecting the viscosity index breaking up chemically over time, so the net effect is you often have the KV100 of used oil to be about the same as new oil, which is good really. Should we use synthetic? Why does Ford Motorcraft use a blend instead of a full-synthetic? you ask... Synthetics are better. Less engine deposits left over in there over time and they do lower wear slightly compared to other oils usually. Ford makes a cheaper product, using some Group II basestocks to cheapen the stew, and hopes nobody notices, since most folks buy Ford Motorcraft oil because "Its for my Ford.". So marketing and consumer ignorance is what they exploit. That said, Ford Motorcaft 0w-20 is adequate, no real problems. If you want better 0w-20 oils, buy dexos1 spec 0w-20 oils out there, that's a more stringent spec to meet, and I doubt Ford Motorcraft 0w-20 could pass all dexos1 specs (performance tests, some might fail). Almost all the full-synthetic 0w-20 oils are dexos1 qualified.
  9. MaxHeadroom
    Corning worked on it in the 70's onward. Popular Science, March 1982 reported: I had some friends at UMR in the early 80's studying/researching Ceramic Engineering, and they had high-temp composite versions of ceramics, yet cost, durability (brittle), lubrication coking from the high heat, the need for exotic fuels, etc., kept hindering efforts. With all that, I wonder what Cummins' experience was with the Army diesel engines??? Bottom line, yes its true if you can use high-temp ceramics and not cool (& insulate) the combustion chamber, then you can get around 68% thermal efficiency, compared to the current 30% or so we get now. .https://www.sof.or.jp/en/activities/pdf/06_07.pdf
  10. MaxHeadroom
    We should have a durable engine in our C-Maxes. Ford has been doing this a long time now (12 years in service, much of it in the biggest proving ground of all, thousands as NYC taxicabs, and they have a good reputation for usually lasting.) .. The old Ford Escape Hybrids are the ancestor of our version engine, almost the same thing, and engine still based on the Mazda L5 engine used in Mazdas and Fords during the 2000's.
  11. MaxHeadroom
    To begin understanding how an engine works, it's good to first study basic thermodyamics (pressure, volume, heat, flow, entropy, etc.). Back in ME school, we used an ancient thing called a "book", although now it's all on the internet for the taking: .https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Engineering_Thermodynamics/Applications
  12. MaxHeadroom
    I should say, if a C-Max owner simply changes their oil and filter according to the Oil Change dashboard warning light, using ANY brand of 0w-20 they find that says "SN" & has the API symbol on it, they'll be fine, under warranty or not. Ford doesn't require the WSS spec, only SN at a minimum. It's only the perfectionists amongst us that look for better oil and filters out there. No guessing is needed. Ford's IOLM, the dashboard "oil change" light alert, tells you with precision. The "I" in IOLM is for Intelligent, and it reads sensor data, feeds it to an oil life algorithm as you drive, and accurately will alert you when to change the oil. All based on real sensor history & conditions like time cold, high speeds, etc., all of which stress oil, hence accuracy is good. It must be reset at every oil change to work right. (The only exception making you go by time/mileage would be if you are driving in a dusty environment a lot, and I'd change at 6 months/6,000 miles if dusty.) That Infineum report was a bit confusing. I guess it wasn't a big thorough fleet report with lots of vehicles and controlled variables, large sample size, etc., which is why we see the weird data at times. They used HTHS=2.0 (low viscosity oil) in the test Camry taxi hybrid, which means they were pushing it thinner than Toyota recommended for the engine already. Any thinner and too much internal metal scraping happens in the engine, causing higher wear rates. HTHS is about proportional to oil film thickness. Some engines can take thinner oil better than others too. Ford says we need HTHS = 2.6 or 2.7 for new oil, but knows fuel dilution in service could thin it down to 2.1 or so. My '07 BMW supposedly needs thick HTHS=3.5 oil, as German cars typically do.
  13. MaxHeadroom
    jackalopetx, Your centiStokes (cSt) kinematic viscosity "KV100" result of 6.1 (due to high-ish fuel dilution) puts the oil squarely in the new SAE "0w-16" category, a new, thinner oil coming out now for some cars, to be more popular in the future for higher fuel economy. (HyperMilers will want to buy 0w-16 and use it currently, since it does save some gas.) Should be enough viscosity margin still left in the oil, but it's cutting it close. I know of one field study by Infineum, the company that designs the oil additive chemicals for Mobil1 & Pennzoil, that used some thin HTHS=2.0 (thin like your KV100=6.1 case) in a hybrid (see "UNDERSTANDING LUBRICANT REQUIREMENTS OF HYBRID-ELECTRIC VEHICLES" for more info). You're right about wear metals (iron, copper) being high in new engines. I changed my oil+filter at 800 miles, then oil-only again at 1,500 miles to flush it out. Also, switching to a Fram Ultra XG3614 means you remove more smaller grit (over 99% under 20 microns, multipass ISO 4548-12) using full synthetic fiber media mats. ..... Then, let your drain plug mop up even tinier Fe particles an oil filter can't get by switching to a goldplug.com or drainplugmagnets.com . I wonder if Ford isn't great at rinsing machining debris when making new engines. I know Hyundai recalled some cars last year when metal debris may not have been fully removed from the crankshaft area during manufacturing at Hyundai's Alabama engine plant. This may happen to lesser degrees off and on at other engine plants. Silicon can be caused by 3 things: 1. Gaskets and seals leach into the oil when new. 2. Sand gets in your air intake past the air filter, or you simply have a bad seal around the air filter. 3. Silicates from coolant leaking into the oil, but your potassium K would be high too, so it's not from that. Notice your moly was only a low 15 ppm. Mazda motor oil from dealerships or Amazon, contains around 600 ppm moly for friction reduction, nice to have. You might see more moly like Mazda has right now, used for boundary lubrication in the future in the thin 0w-16 grades (GF-6B in 3 years).
  14. MaxHeadroom
    Way cool. We've got the Coors plant tour here, actually quite decent, and free fresh beer at the end (match THAT, Moulin Rouge factory tour!) Ah yes, a monument to drinking it is. The Rouge plant is a monument to soberly getting-r-done. They make the 25% aluminum F-150 at Rouge. Imagine if our C-Max had 25% by weight aluminum. Especially for the roof, upper areas, just as strong but lighter, better MPG. In the middle of the night, when no one is looking, transfer some Rouge aluminum to the Wayne plant and stamp them out for our C-Max. Yep. I know I'm NOT on Kamau Bell's side (CNN "United Shades") when he says he hates it when downtowns become livable ("gentrification" term he uses). Weird of Bell to oppose it, but I guess the dude likes crime better.
  15. MaxHeadroom
    Interesting comparison of a Transit Connect SWB with our C Max Hybrid: --- Same length --- Same width --- Same wheelbase ---- Transit is taller (big box) So same footprint as ours. Frequent driving taxis in big cities would love a Transit Hybrid version.
  16. MaxHeadroom
    Transit Connect is an ugly (plain, functional, low-styling) commercial vehicle really. They have tried to dress up a version, but with almost no success selling to soccer moms or practical people. Being a commercial market vehicle, it's even more price sensitive. A flower delivery company buying them would look at the payback time of the extra cost of the sophisticated hybrid powertrain and conclude they are better off going with Ford's cheapo powertrain. Although a Transit Connect Hybrid would make a perfect NY city taxi, with its sliding doors, narrow width, roominess inside. I've actually thought they could put the hybrid powertrain in about every car or pickup truck they make. However, Ford considers their own cost to make it, compared to what consumers will tolerate, and have concluded it's more profitable to offer cheaper, simple powertrains in most cars and trucks. As Li-Ion battery costs have come down recently though (i.e., LG Chem batteries now are $145/kWH, lower than ever), I think you'll see electric cars/trucks with gasoline engine generators in serial hybrid arrangements begin to appear more.
  17. MaxHeadroom
    Actually it may not be as bad as one might think. It's almost similar to "Hythane", a blend of methane (natural gas) and hydrogen to burn in a natural gas engine for cleaner emissions (less CO, NOx, and CO2 in the exhaust). Saw a presentation of it in the Colorado company's small building a few years ago. They also have a diesel fuel system to mix in methane as you drive, but I don't know why hydrogen wouldn't work, unless they simply think methane is easy to get while hydrogen is a pain to get. If interested, see http://edeninnovations.com/ and http://www.edenenergy.com.au/pdfs/20061101%20Hythane%20presentation.pdf ptjones, your insulation system is a little scary, since I'd be concerned about melting something. When BMW tried it, they had some slick "heat-limiting" techniques to keep the running temperature limited to probably 250 deg F or so on the underhood parts we care about. http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1036884_bmw-previews-future-heat-energy-recovery-technology The concept is sound, insulate the engine to keep it and the oil warm when not running.
  18. MaxHeadroom
    No. Just, no. With laughter.
  19. MaxHeadroom
    I put on 215/55-17 snow tires, no problem, in fact I think they "fit" better than 225/50-17 OEMs. Remember variable valve timing can kick our engine into and out of Atkinson (late intake valve closing) at will, although its true efficiency does elevate when Atkinson vs. the usual Otto cycle. Power is down when in Atkinson, but efficiency is higher.
  20. MaxHeadroom
    My C-Max is a perfect complement to my Focus Electric. Built in the same Wayne Michigan plant, on the same platform, the Focus is just a shorter (height) C-Max really. Short trips: Focus Electric; Long trips: C-Max, it's all optimal. Tires alone can change efficiency by 2 MPG, if LRR or not. The grill blocks seem to be the big difference.
  21. MaxHeadroom
    Higher Compression Ratios are the main key to higher efficiency. Our C-Max has 12.3:1, which is quite high. Mazda's Skyactiv engines in the U.S. have been running at 13:1 recently, and they are expected to break into 16:1 in a few years if they can perfect it. (Other cars on the road typically run 10:1 or 11:1.) Some other ways to get higher MPG (hypermiler fans only please!): 1. Fit flexible plastic aero skirts to the lower front and maybe sides. They'll scrape a little, but if they are tough, they'll hang in there. Maybe others, but there is allfitautomotive.com to extend our existing skirts, or just use 3M tape on a strip of vinyl, etc. 2. Use Mazda 0w-20 high-moly (friction reducer) motor oil, and optionally add 1/2 cup SeaFoam (or Gumout MultiSystem, or STP MultiPurpose (you know, a thin one only)) to the oil to thin it just a tad; not too much. Mazda is serious about increasing MPG, and has (at dealerships, amazon, Ebay) an excellent motor oil, full synthetic, which fights internal engine friction to an extra extent. Their moly levels are around 6 times what other 0w-20 motor oils use! It's factory fill in new Mazdas too, and they run their EPA MPG certifications with it. 3. Switch tires to the narrower 215/55-17 size, and run them at 42 psi, to reduce aero drag. All the above should allow 0.5 MPG city gained, and 2 MPG highway gained. ptjones has done some things I wouldn't do, although real hypermilers are serious, and it's their car after all. As in, grill blocks could create underhood hot spots, though the risk is likely low.
  22. MaxHeadroom
    Interesting. Do they let you see much in the Wayne plant? I remember Boeing (Seattle) had a lot of catwalks tour groups could walk on to get great looks at the jet construction operations. Car plants may be more vertically-challenged though. I've got to get up to MI one of these days. I guess maybe advice to avoid downtown Detroit at all costs would be good(?????). Heard too much about that cesspool. I imagine it's like E. St. Louis, Compton, Chicago, etc.
  23. MaxHeadroom
    As an engineer myself, I can tell you that the great minds at BMW have already researched and prototyped about all that can be done with waste heat recovery in a gasoline engine. http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1036884_bmw-previews-future-heat-energy-recovery-technology .... and the gains are somewhat modest there. I'd like to see what more can be done with thermoelectric generators though (electricity from heat).
  24. MaxHeadroom
    Like the current BMW i3 lawsuit, on the sudden & surprising extreme lack of power when you drive an i3 using it's on board scooter tiny engine, many BMW owners are upset about a sudden drop in performance in heavy traffic. Reference: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1104072_bmw-i3-rex-electric-car-lawsuit-range-extender-power-loss-alleged C-Max Eco Mode is not available on 2015 models like mine. The owner's manual does say something about "Eco Cruise" mode (lazy performance when in Cruise Control). I guess low accelertion in cruise control might be OK, I'll try it.
  25. MaxHeadroom
    Great pictures. I'm thinking about starting a new thread with my whole (successful) experience recently with BADFX Products ELM327-OBDII-to-bluetooth, ForScan, & Torque OBDII apps on an Android Samsung Galaxy 5 with a left-side window suction mount. It all works great, confirming. Just to present it all maybe for anyone else doing what Pro 3 Golfer & others have done. Useful, interesting to see grill shutter positions, other cool stuff, and geeky fun too. Yes, surprising it was that easy. I called a couple of service advisers at Ford dealerships, and they insisted I needed to "train" the C-Max's computer, but if we don't care about telling the C-Max which position the tires are in, we still get desired TPMS low pressure warnings which is the goal. TireRack.com customer service thought I HAD to BUY all their expensive-ish accesories to 'train' the C-Max to accept the new TPMS sensors, glad I turned them down (buyer caveat). What rims did you get? I got weird, picked up some wheels on half-off sales at TireRack, different on diff sides of car! Some thought I was nuts, but it works, nobody has noticed. Wrote up at http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/6009-fun-diff-wheels-mounted-left-to-right-who-will-notice/
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