cr08

Given the (inaccurate) info provided so far and the lack of any work order to confirm what they did, I am highly skeptical that they fixed anything but just band-aided it at best. But I will be honestly surprised if they did. Keep in mind this issue also has the habit of not reoccurring for many months up to a year or so at a time for many owners. Now the rest of this post is fully assuming the same audio-related symptoms are occurring (i.e., won't turn off, can't change volume, can't change sources, etc.) when all this takes place. I'm also assuming that once this is temporarily fixed, everything will function normally for a while? If so, it's 100% the ACM and needs the calibration updated if not done already ('Calibration' is Ford's terminology for firmware updates and can only be applied via their own IDS systems or a beta build of Forscan, as noted in my previous post). You say that 'calibration was done' but who knows what that means in this scenario or if it was even done to the correct module. I'm only wary because of the wildly incorrect info given about the TCU module. If you have any further info, like actual work orders/receipts detailing what they did, that will be helpful. To clear the air on a few things and what modules we're talking about in this thread: TCU - The Telematics module or 3G/4G modem. This covers the FordPass/remote access functions like remote start/lock/unlock via your phone ONLY. It also controls the Value Charge and Go Times functions. Disabling/unplugging this module will not affect any normal operation of the vehicle outside of these specific functions. APIM - The Sync module itself. On 8" touch screen equipped vehicles, this sits directly behind and is attached to the screen. This obviously operates the touch screen but also Bluetooth, Nav (if equipped) and USB audio. Think of it as a fancy smartphone. ACM - The AM/FM/CD/Sirius tuner and audio 'router'. This is the big silver box behind the touch screen/APIM where the CD slot sits. This will take commands and audio from the APIM for Bluetooth/Nav/voice prompts and routes everything out to the speakers and and is responsible for source changes/volume control. This is the module that actually acts up in these scenarios/with these symptoms. I don't know what happened for you to lose Bluetooth audio other than possibly your dealer/mechanic pulled Fuse 67 for the TCU which is shared with the APIM (Fuse 79 is for the ACM only). But this would also lose the entire touch screen and possibly all audio in the process. Bare minimum AM/FM/Sirius audio may still work but that's all. To properly get rid of the TCU from the equation without losing other functions, they'd need to disconnect the module itself which is behind the driver side trim panel in the cargo area. Or they could have went AWOL and physically disconnected the APIM or ACM for whatever reason. More detailed info on how the system is functioning currently will help here. IF you have access to a Bluetooth or USB OBD adapter (specifically one with MS-CAN capability) and Forscan either on your phone or on a Windows PC, you can pull the ACM info and what calibration level it is running currently so we can confirm if they actually did the job or not and at least establish a rough timestamp of the firmware in place. No actual updates or complex tasks needed here, we need the basic info that is read when Forscan connects to the vehicle. I've attached a screenshot of the mobile app below and what should be seen under the 'Vehicle' tab. On Windows PC's will be in a similar location but under the Modules tab (screenshot attached as well). This issue certainly isn't cause to look for a new vehicle. It's not a complicated fix. Just your dealer/mechanic need to tackle the right thing instead of chasing red herrings here.

Forscan beta builds with the firmware update function have the option to download available updates right in the app. However due to reasons, the one I used is not available that way but is available directly from Ford at the link below. The link is a bit finicky. First time it may ask for your region/language and drop you back at the portal. Access the link again and it should go to the calibration download page. I'm sure there's better ways to get here. https://www.motorcraftservice.com/diagnostic/Support?channelId=50&categoryId=288 My current calibration and strategy levels per Forscan. This is for a full featured AM/FM/HD/Sirius ACM. If yours is different or has a different base part # (ie: The CM5T-19C107 part. The suffix in this case changed with the new calibration), I wouldn't try to force this one unless you're willing to risk a brick of the unit. I'd start with whatever newer calibration levels Forscan offers and go from there. You'll need both the strategy and calibration files. It should be noted that originally this particular combination was not listed as an available/compatible combination for my ACM. This came about from another owner here with a 16/17 MY C-Max that had the same ACM part # listed but these newer calibration levels. I originally tried updating to the latest available that Forscan had listed but they introduced a new bug where the HD FM stations were WAY louder than the analog counterparts. This newer level sorted that and fixed the original freezing issue. That all said, I'll leave the disclaimer here: I am not responsible for any bricks if you decide to DIY this. You should also have a 12v battery charger hooked up (You can't rely on the EVSE for Energi models for this) with at least 9A/10A capacity if there's any remote chance you're 12v battery is degraded. Forscan basically shuts down the entire car during the process, relying fully on the 12v battery for the duration. The process is not that long or difficult. The flashing process is done under 10 minutes. If you're not comfortable with doing this yourself, go to your dealer. It should just be the cost of labor and if you're lucky they may cut you a deal on it. I've been wanting to put together a tutorial for this particular issue but haven't had the time/energy to get around to it. And with Forscan recently restricting access to the beta builds necessary for firmware updates, most may not be able to or are willing to go that far. But for anyone who is already familiar with it/has access, this should get you going easily enough.

I don't think anything has been fully confirmed as a cause, but one coincidence that has come up numerous times and lines up with your timing there is Sirius updates. They just started a free preview last week which would have sent an activation signal and certainly could have triggered the issue. Ultimately, the actual fix is known and the ACM calibration needs to be updated. TSBs are out for this not only for the C-Max but other Ford models as well. I have updated the factory module in my 2013 to a ~20162020 level calibration and it has been rock solid ever since.

If this continues to be a problem, this is the same old ACM issue that many other owners have run into. Temporary fix is pulling fuse 79 for a minute or so to force it to power cycle. The proper, permanent fix is to get your dealer to get the calibration updated on it. Beyond this, if the car dies pretty quickly or the 12v battery doesn't seem to hold a charge, it will need to be replaced one way or the other. Continuing to let this issue occur without fixing it will continue to drain and wear out the battery prematurely.

Find a new dealer because this is all a bunch of BS putting it frankly. The TCU is just for the FordPass app/remote access stuff and has nothing to do with phone/nav/etc usage. That is all handled solely by the APIM. The old 3G TCU's can no longer be replaced but Ford has 4G replacements available to be installed. That said, the 3G TCU's will still function and should not be causing undue battery drain even though the 3G networks have been shut down. Yours could be failing, but it's not a terribly common occurence. I'd get a second opinion given all of the inaccurate info you were given. The TCU is also not tied to the VIN. A bunch of us have DIY upgraded ours with units pulled working from other vehicles. Zero issues with any VIN/vehicle attachment. Same with the APIM as well. The TCU can be left unplugged without any issue other than you'll lose the Value Charge/Go Times features if you use those. Those are another set of features that are operated by the TCU.

Just adding some data points to this: I follow the main C-Max FB groups and a few 2017/18 owners have chimed in recently having this same transmission issue and getting them replaced under warranty. So we have some confirmed incidents.

Good video. Another recommendation, and this may sound like a broken record here but is always a good, easy, and quick check for these vehicles: Scan for any codes. Get a cheap OBD dongle (one that can read MS-CAN! This is relevant for HVAC stuff) and use Forscan to get all Ford specific codes. These vehicles track and document a ton of stuff even if it doesn't trigger a warning light. This can include any HVAC malfunctions like the blend doors. There's also a number of sanity checks it does for coolant flow/temp stuff that will store trouble codes. Very easy and quick check and can potentially help narrow down the issue before getting into manual diagnostics. Anecdotally a relative of mine recently purchased a 2015 Explorer with vent selection issues being stuck on face vents only. While an obvious cause there, the HVAC module has clearly reported a malfunction with that actuator. And because it is not emissions related, it doesn't produce a CEL or any other warning lights.

No. The hybrid models don't have the same degradation issues as the Energi. Ford unfortunately had poor programming on the Energi models in regards to the thermal protection and when EV use is allowed, allowing owners who just drive it like any other ICE vehicle to add extra wear to the battery. By the nature of how the hybrid models operate, they don't ever get stressed to the same level and can be driven normally without any extra precautions. The batteries should last the life of the vehicle. As for transmission issues, that's a whole confusing mess. Some owners who have been around the C-Max community for a while have recently started considering that the whole transmission failure concern is a bit overblown. That's not to say it can't happen, but it's been so heavily pushed as a major detractor for the early model years even from those who have not experienced it themselves and just parroting the same line (of which I have been one but I've dialed that back a bit). Also there have been some owners of newer model years including 2017 models that have had their transmissions start to exhibit the same failure symptoms so I wouldn't even count those out of the woods yet. On top of that, no one has really been able to narrow down what the true failure causes are. We all know it comes down to an incorrectly installed bearing installed from the factory that holds the transfer gear and can cause it to slip and eat into the transmission case but its unsure what triggers that to happen in the first place. I've made this recommendation elsewhere and gotten heavily criticized for it, but this is a hill I'll die on: I'd honestly recommend to shorten the transmission fluid change intervals on any C-Max vehicles regardless of if it is a hybrid or Energi or whatever model year it is. Ford's recommendation is 150k miles. I'd probably consider 50-75k but that's just pulling numbers out of my ass if I'm being honest. But the premise being to watch what the fluid comes out like and if there's any sign of wear particles that could indicate the start of a failure. eCVTs by their nature don't have any wear components to them so on a healthy unit there shouldn't ever be any metal particles in the fluid. Changing early can give you a bit of a heads up before a more catastrophic failure. Fluid changes on these aren't difficult or expensive so IMHO it's worth doing so more often for peace of mind. If a potential failure can be caught early, the transmission can be pulled and opened up and get the transfer gear/bearing replaced at a fraction of the cost of replacing the entire transmission.

The ICE running or not makes no difference to voltage. As long as the car is on/in 'Ready to Drive' mode, the DC-DC converter is fully active. Full running should be 14+V. There's also a secondary mode not many are aware of (I only found out after digging deep into the workshop manuals) that when the car is 'awake' by opening the door, unlocking, etc. without actually starting, the DC-DC converter does come online in a kind of baseline/failsafe mode (essentially no input from the vehicle what the desired charging voltage is) that puts out around 13v or so.

That will depend on numerous factors like the current battery health/wear, ambient temp, HVAC use, driving style, etc.. Hence the aforementioned battery health test. A lot of people try to use their miles of range as an indicator of battery health which can wildly vary. Getting the actual kwh is the only true way to gauge battery health. But to at least give some answer to your question: The vehicle was originally rated for up to 20 miles of range. Some people have gotten more with weird trickery with constantly changing the drive modes, confusing the range estimator. My 2013 with ~3.5kwh of capacity currently gets about 12-15 miles on a good day.

Yes. All have Lithium batteries even hybrid models. The only Ford vehicles that ever had the older NiMH batteries were the 2005-2012 Escape Hybrid and the first gen 2010-2012 Fusion Hybrids. Everything 2013+ in Ford's lineup are exclusively lithium-ion based. No transmission issues so far knock on wood. Majority of my driving has been city driving.

To clarify, the more accurate way to gauge the battery health of these vehicles is to see the actual kwh used from a full charge. There's no other way. Ford doesn't have any internal data points on these indicating battery health. Don't rely on the 'miles of range' the vehicle gives you as this can vary significantly depending on certain factors and isn't an accurate depiction of battery health. Here's a brief rundown of the test process: 1) Fully charge to 100% 1a) (optional: Reset a trip meter before taking off) 2) Drive the vehicle in EV mode ONLY. Do not drive on the highway or use cabin heat/defrost or anything else that may cause the engine to start. If the engine starts during this test, the numbers are immediately invalidated. 3) Once the battery is depleted and drops to hybrid operation you can either view the kwh used on the trip meter or bring the car to a safe stop, shut it down, and view the trip summary displayed. 5.5kwh is what is considered brand new capacity from the factory. Above 4.0 is still 'good/ok'. Anything less starts getting into solid degradation. Anecdotally: My 2013 with 90k miles is around 3.5kwh or so capacity now. It still drives with no issues and nets me in the range of 12-15 miles on a good day.

I'll say that as long as it's not throwing any codes, it should be fine. These vehicles track a LOT of data points and are pretty picky about emissions related stuff (of which coolant temp will be part of that). But take my info with a grain of salt of course. If you want to do some reading, Ford's got an extensive document about the OBD/emissions related systems including relevant trouble codes and conditions: https://www.fordtechservice.dealerconnection.com/vdirs/diagnostics/pdf/OBDSM1303_HEV.pdf

Retraining TPMS shouldn't be a huge issue. For one, it isn't STRICTLY required. Just means the car will complain at you about no/incorrect readings but it will still be perfectly drivable. Secondly, training isn't that difficult. Personally the fastest/easiest way I've found is while in accessory mode or the car is running, tap the hazard flasher button 5 times and it should initiate the process with clear messages stating what it wants in readable English in the cluster. Individual tires can be trained with a cheap TPMS training tool (Usually you hold these up to the valve stem and press the button for it to trigger) or you can add/remove air from a tire to get it to read (I've often done the deflation option. Remove enough and add back after it is trained). Once a tire is 'trained', the horn honks to let you know and the dash will update to let you know the next tire that needs done. I can't remember off the top of my head which order it goes in.

Actually there is. Many owners of newer model years have confirmed this on the FB C-Max groups. My 2013 didn't have it initially but I was able to add it. Need to go through the BCM Central Config in Forscan and there's a Global Open/Global Close option. It may need to be 'toggled' to get it to work, ie: If it already shows Global Close enabled, switch to something else like disabled or Global Open only, save/write, then go back in and repeat the process with Global Close enabled.

30 degrees F? This is normal behavior especially at lower temps like this and will be exacerbated the higher you have the cabin temp set. These vehicles don't push to get the coolant temp up to the 200-210 temp normally seen on ICE only vehicles. It only brings the coolant temp up to what's needed for cabin heat and will let the ICE cycle accordingly thereafter. In my firsthand experience I've often had it not get off the first notch on the coolant temp gauge when it gets down below freezing out when there's a ton of stop and go driving. But you should be getting heat if the temp gauge is up at least off the bottom of the gauge and it has been able to enter EV operation. If it's dead cold coming out of the vents, you may want to pull codes (with a proper scanner like Forscan with an appropriate adapter with MS-CAN support, not a generic off the shelf scanner) and see if any are reported for stuff like malfunctioning HVAC dampers or if it is seeing an issue with the engine cooling side of things. These vehicles are smart and track a lot of data points for this stuff and will store codes appropriately if something isn't behaving right.

Once the plug-in charge is depleted, it operates like a hybrid only model which still charges/depletes the battery as you drive as part of the hybrid operation. But it won't come up to having a plug-in charge where you can run pure EV mode, hence the 0km range shown.

Any lights on the EVSE? If it is charging ok on L2, you may have an issue with your house wiring or your L1 EVSE. There are lights on it that will blink in a certain fashion for diagnostic purposes.

I've got the OBDLink EX myself and it has been solid. In fact it is on Forscan's recommended list for everything including firmware updates. It's gotten me through a few 2h30m TCU updates with no fuss.

They should, yes. At the very least the charge session screen and notifications will. Features that have been hit or miss for some even on the H units ends up being the EV Trip Data screen mainly. For those that it doesn't work for it will just say there's no trip data in the past 30 days. As far as the 754-02-01 line, I think some of us who have toyed with this haven't seen much of a difference on these. Mine's currently set to 1EA0 but I've also had it on 00E0 in the past. As far as any continued comments on the J units, I'll leave that to others who have tried those. I have not and my info is second hand based on their information. Officially the 21B09 bulletin shows only H units being supplied to applicable vehicles. And those are the only ones known to have the necessary firmware/calibration to allow the Value Charge/Go Times features to function at the very least. This also impacts being able to set those via Sync (though I don't know if Sync 1 has those menus to set?), not just FordPass. Looks like @JoSS had posted their attempts at this a couple pages back.

Only the H TCU's are compatible with the C-Max. The J may work in some capacity, but no guarantees. Others have tried in the past and have been unsuccessful. I think remote start was one of the features found to be inoperative. There may be more. At the very least, it will absolutely not be possible to retain the Value Charge/Go Times features with this. For those features an updated calibration/firmware is needed that's only available for the H models. The AsBuilt looks correct though. Only thing to confirm is what type of Sync system do you have and adjusting that 9842 as necessary. You're indicating this is a Sync 1 equipped vehicle which would be the 4" non-touch version. If it's Sync 3 (the 8" touch version for 2017 model years), that should be a B. Lastly I assume you have done the whole factory mode/activation process?

What was your TCU part #? I'm not aware of any compatible ones from the F-150. If it's not compatible, it is possible some basic status displays still work but other functions do not. Also if you can post your AsBuilt, we can verify everything is set correctly. But if you like, you can view the AsBuilt info others have posted throughout this thread. There's not much to config and just a couple important items such as vehicle architecture and engine type

Got this message in the FordPass app this morning on mine. "Due to software updates to the Fordpass app, preferred Charge Times, Departure Times, and Trip & Charge Logs will no longer be supported on your C-Max. However, you can continue to access and enjoy these features using your in-vehicle display. We regret any inconvenience this may cause." Curious if anyone else, more specifically those with 2014+ model years covered under the 21B09 program, got this message as well? Also if anyone here has a Fusion Energi or Focus BEV has gotten this? Wondering if this just applied to the C-Max, maybe just hits certain model years? Since mine is a 2013 and was never technically inside this program to begin with. Ultimately it means this has basically hit a 'dead end' for me. I have been continuing to look out for newer firmware updates to try and fix the trip logs at least but since they're just eliminating those functions in the app entirely, no further need for me to continue messing with it. The remaining functionality operates fine as it is now. Really sucks though they're further dumbing this down. The only saving grace at this point is they continue to offer this for free (subscription-wise, not counting the hardware cost. At this point I'd implore anyone else who hasn't jumped on this to look for DIY options instead of paying Ford the $400-$500 for the modem for limited functionality.)

Yes, but why not have the option to add a sorely missed feature in this vehicle? May not be up to everyone's skill set, but it's there for those that want to tackle it. Purely informational which is always a welcome thing in this small community. Also you may not use the rear washer regularly to notice. I know I rarely use mine in comparison to the front washer. There may also be some corner cases where you may not have the washer fluid available once it stops working and will be SOL. Think out in the middle of nowhere on a road trip. Another fun little tidbit and makes the actual low fluid level sensor better than relying on the rear washer stopping: The way the washer fluid system is built in our vehicles (as well as many other Ford's with rear washers apparently) is it is a single pump that reverses polarity based on which is used. The reason the rear washer may stop flowing first is due to the longer fluid line (as well as having to run all the way up to the roof line) and needing the entire thing to be primed to have a flow. For the washer fluid level sensor, it sits higher up in the bottle and will give a lot more advance warning when it runs low instead of being when the bottle is completely empty where the pump can no longer do its job. At that point you're relying on what little fluid remains in the lines from the pump to the front washer nozzles. Personally, and why I am posting stuff like this, is I am very much interested in finding ways to add features back in that Ford never bothered to. There's a ton of potential, largely due to being shared with the Focus platform which in some respects (especially overseas) had a lot more going for it. Unfortunately with the community being so small and many owners that are of the older age groups who just treat it as an appliance (no harm in that), that very few people like myself are willing to dive in to this stuff.

We all know that these vehicles sadly never came with a washer fluid level sensor let alone had the option for it in any model year/trim. Doing some research recently, it does appear that it is possible to add it and enable it as if it came that way. In fact the Ford Parts site lists the sensor itself you can order (it lists about $15 for me at my dealer). I've already put in some details over on Cellivar's C-Max repo: https://github.com/Cellivar/ford-c-max/discussions/9#discussioncomment-6202112 The TL;DR/cliffnotes version: Part numbers: Sensor: CV4Z-17B649-A Sealing grommet: CV4Z-16K624-A A new wire needs to be run back to the BCM as it doesn't exist currently. This goes to pin 13 on connector C2280A (this is not confirmed, but wiring diagrams for a '14 Focus bear this out). The other side of the sensor is grounded nearby under the hood. Programming-wise: There's both a setting in the IPC as well as the BCM to enable the low fluid level warning and the sensor itself respectively. The IPC config you can refer to the CyanLabs AsBuilt DB: https://cyanlabs.net/asbuilt-db/ipc-c-max-2012-2019-database/?search=Global%20Clock%20(GC)%2012%2F24%20Hour#database. For the BCM, this will be part of the Central Config in human readable format and easy to find. Accessing the washer fluid bottle requires taking off the passenger side front wheel and taking out the fender liner. The Hybrid and Energi models have different washer fluid bottles and the sensor is located differently. However you can review the diagrams for the bottles on the Ford Parts site as, ironically, they show where the sensor should go even though it doesn't exist from the factory. That said, modification will be necessary as a hole will need to be drilled to fit the sensor. I have not had a chance yet to do this modification myself. Dealing with the tire/fender stuff is going to make that a bit of a pain. At minimum I intend to start by at least verifying the pin on the BCM and software modifications work. I have no reason to believe that they won't, but always good to confirm.