DaveofDurham

Will do.

We can Skype.

Cool idea. On a related (solar) topic, I would love to have a solar powered ventilator fan that functions to keep the interior of the parked car cooler in summer. The (I hate to say it) Prius has this as an option. On some previous vehicles I have used a small aftermarket solar powered fan that cost about $20. The solar panel was about a two or three inch square. This works the best in cars that have rear windows with straight sides and nice sharp near 90 degree angles at the top corner of the glass. When the vehicle design met these criteria, the fan would keep the interior temp at around the outside temp and the AC ducts contained similar temp air, not superheated air. I will try this on my C-Max when it gets a little hotter here in NC, but I am not too optimistic the rear windows look to have too much of an angle to them.

General B - You provide the best intel.

I would be happy to do an online survey. I suspect you will find many members of this forum willing to do so.

Hmm. I'm in Durham NC and you are not covering travel expenses. What's on the lunch menu? Raclette? Montreal style bagels?

Today's Raleigh News & Observer reprinted a recent Washington Post article on this subject. The Post article, "Web-connected cars bring privacy concerns", is at http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/web-connected-cars-bring-privacy-concerns/2013/03/05/d935d990-80ea-11e2-a350-49866afab584_story.html?wp_login_redirect=0 Also by the same Washington Post writer, "Google is nearing a deal in which it would pay $7 million to resolve investigations with more than 30 state attorneys general over its controversial Street View program, in which it captured data from private WiFi signals while taking street-level images throughout the world, said a person familiar with the looming agreement." Full article at. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/google-nearing-7-million-settlement/2013/03/08/8e212c9e-8832-11e2-9d71-f0feafdd1394_story.html

Very good! Does your Maxwell Smart have a shoe phone?

In North Carolina when you are in an elevator and want to have the elevator stop at the desired floor, you "mash" the button. If you need to ask someone near the control panel for help to specify the eighth floor, you say "Mash eight please."

With electric windows do we still "roll" the windows down? I never thought about this before. I think I might say "put" the window down instead, but I think I still "dial" when I use a push button/touch tone phone.

We got our JD Power survey invite in today's mail for our SEL purchased in December.

Thank you General B. I have noticed that in light daytime rain w wipers and headlights both in auto mode that the green "headlight on" indicator was not illuminated. I will observe this carefully next time we have a rain that triggers continuous running of auto wipers.

What position does your headlight switch need to be on so your headlights will come on automatically when the wipers are in auto mode and running constantly? Does the light switch need to be in the auto position, or can it be in the off position? Also, when your headlights come on automatically when the wipers are in auto mode and running constantly does the green lights on icon light up?

Is there a part number on this part?

Hannah - Way to go! Way to represent the great state of North Carolina!

A fine acronym, but what does it have to do with hybrid cars?

Our salesperson knew a lot about the C-Max. The most amazing thing he did though was to respond to two questions we asked by saying "I don't know and I will find out for you" - and a few hours later he called us back with full, complete and accurate answers. At this point I don't remember what the two questions were, but I am still impressed that he told us that he didn't know and he did the research needed to find the answers.

>>>The EPA's evaluation could result in changes in the labeling that EPA requires on cars' window stickers and in consumer information it offers on its website, said Grundler. One problem, he said, is that the newest hybrids are extra sensitive to driving habits. A hybrid driven aggressively might get far worse gas mileage than its window-sticker rating. "If you drive a hybrid the way you drive your Porsche, you are going to get less (gas mileage) than the national average.">>> Really, as if this is not true about every car. Before our C-Max we had a 2000 Honda Insight for 12+ years - the mpg on that car was hypersensitive to driving style, temperature (both hot and cold), rain and other factors.

Great photo! Maybe you didn't hold the right button down long enough for ignition and blast off.

Are the automatic wipers a standard feature on the SEL? ford.com indicates they are in the list of exterior features. I don't have the "A" on my wiper control. We had a rainy day on Saturday. Before lunch, I had my headlights in autolamps position and I noticed that the green parking lamp/headlamp indicator was not lit when I had the wipers on [both in (a) the lower speed constant on position and (b) the position between off and the lower speed constant on position (i.e., the position that is either intermittent wipers or automatic wipers)]. This was disconcerting because NC state law requires headlights on when wipers are in use. So, I'm not sure if I have automatic wipers and I don't think I have autolamps. I will test more carefully next time it rains.

Now you see it, now I don't. I went to ford.com and got the MPG Savvy line-up of Escape, Fusion/Fusion hybrid, Focus and Fiesta - no photo or mention of the C-Max.

Free ticket to Mammoth! Probably not intended for those of us east of the Rockies.

The leaves are fluff. They don't tell you anything useful and they drop off for reasons beyond our control (e.g., cold start in cold weather and the leaves fall away until car warms up). The coach is flaky too. Cruise at 70mph on a 70mph road and you get a bad cruise score because you are going 70mph.

Photo?

If that's true, then maybe we will be saved by the Elbonians.