cr08

As the others have alluded to, the recommended option by most is doing a Sync 3 upgrade. If your C-Max already has the 8" touch screen, it makes such an upgrade super easy. You can look around on the usual sources like Ebay and Amazon and such. Many sell pre-programmed kits with everything you need and it is 99% plug and play and retains all factory features. Depending on whether you get factory nav or not (the built in factory nav is NOT required for using CarPlay or AA with their own nav apps like Waze/Google Maps/etc) will affect the price but you can expect numbers around $500-$700 on average. Sync 3 is a lot more stable and performant than Sync 2/MyFord Touch and you get the bonus of CarPlay and Android Auto. If yours has the smaller 4" non-touch unit, it'll be a bit more involved as a different wiring harness and dash components are needed to start. I'm not familiar enough with this particular upgrade path to give you specifics and those selling Sync 3 upgrade kits don't usually offer the extra parts needed to do a 4" to 8" upgrade.

This. Forscan will show you basically anything you'd ever want when it comes to Ford vehicles including their own proprietary DTCs/trouble codes that generic handheld readers will often miss. One thing to keep in mind is there are multiple CAN buses in these vehicles. Most cheap Bluetooth adapters will only read the HS-CAN bus which will at least cover the important stuff the engine, transmission, hybrid system, HVB, etc.. Other less critical systems like drivers/passenger door modules, parking aid system, climate control, etc. will be on the MS-CAN bus. For your needs this is probably not an issue, but this is merely an FYI. Forscan will still work just fine with these Bluetooth OBD2 adapters for basic diagnostics. In fact I keep one of those cheap low profile HS-CAN only adapters in my car at all times if I need to diagnose anything on the spot. I then leave my OBDLink EX for more 'heavy lifting' like firmware updates.

If the car was left to sit for 3 months untouched, you likely need a new battery at this stage. Being sufficiently drained for that long probably damaged it in addition to its age so it won't hold much of a charge on its own.

Interesting. Just reviewed the workshop manual for the listed official process for latch replacement and it does involve removing/replacing the actual door handle mechanism so it wouldn't be farfetched at all that they would miss the touch sensor connector that they would have had to remove. Definitely worth it to be aware of if anyone gets this or related work done and the sensors 'suddenly' fail. Just for documentation purposes, I have posted Ford's TSB on this where they recommend to disassemble the handle and clean and use some coating on it. In my case this didn't fix it but if anyone else wants to try it. Here's the stuff I bought as referenced per the TSB: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01L1UFJ9E 14-0078.pdf

Since I've seen this post referenced in a few places elsewhere and this is a VERY old post with some inaccurate information, here's some corrections hopefully for anyone coming across this thread: An actual full on screen freeze where the entire system is unresponsive and stays on with the vehicle off is a rarity nowadays. IF this continues to happen, ENSURE your Sync system is fully up to date! Old versions of MyFord Touch/Sync 2 were problematic and most of the bugs have been sorted with later versions which you can download to USB on Ford's site and install yourself. Or worse you can work with your dealer. In the interim the proper fuse 67 (not 69) is the one to pull to power reset the APIM/touch screen. There's another fuse, #79 which is for the ACM which is another issue that's already been well documented (touch screen works but you can't change AM/FM/Sirius stations, change audio sources, etc..). As far as the comment about turning on the engine/ICE, this is -completely- unnecessary not only for this but just about any other electronic fix/workaround on these vehicles unless it is an engine/drivetrain specific issue that calls for this step. As far as the electronics go including the infotainment system, the car is on and operational when in 'Ready to Drive' mode. Whether the ICE is running or not, it doesn't care. Also the multi step process of starting the car, waiting, turning off, replacing the fuse, etc. is also unwarranted. Replacing the fuse whether the car is on or off can be done in one go without cycling the ignition. Leave the fuse out for a minute just to be safe and let the module drain off any stored power and reinsert the fuse.

Can't comment on it continuing to try and connect, though I think there's something in the AsBuilt about a retry count so it may give up after some tries? This is PURELY a guess. The module will still pull 12v power regardless. It is still used for the operation of the Value Charge and Go Times functions even with no active 3G service.

Someone had brought this up on the C-Max subreddit and I posted a long wall of text essentially detailing my own process when I tried to sort out the lock/unlock sensor in the drivers door handle in my Energi. Thought it might be worth reposting here as well just for documentation purposes since even Ford's own workshop manual doesn't go into the FULL detail that I feel is really needed after I had gone through this. As an FYI for those without the 'Intelligent Access' feature and no sensors in the door handles, the door handle replacement is a TON easier. Same process as laid out below, but ignore the warnings about the wiring since none of that is there. Sadly I don't have any pictures of the process, but I feel like I am acutely familiar with this now so feel free to toss any questions this way and I can try to answer them.

Having messed with this a bit in my recent inverter setup, I can say the big negative battery lead going from the battery to the bolt on the body middle-ish of the car back there is probably around 4ga. Visibly it's about the same gauge as the wire I used which is also 4ga. Can't say for the positive side since that one's not as straightforward. The main battery fuse/junction on the positive terminal of the battery actually splits right there between the DC-DC converter and vehicle electronic feeds. There's also plenty of resources/tables around the net detailing correct wire gauge sizing based on load and wire length. Nothing special needed for a hybrid vehicle here, the same concept applies. That said, if this was my own vehicle I'd focus on trying to fix the actual cause of your issues than a bandaid such as this. But that's me. Most of the common causes of issues like random battery drains or fob detection issues are well known and have solutions.

And here's the inverter side of things and the final hookup. All working smoothly. Couldn't test at its full rated power as I didn't have anything handy that could pull that amount. But tested with my gaming laptop and a crockpot pulling about 480-500w total and no issues. DC-DC converter was showing about a 50-60A load on the LV side and only around 3-4A from the HVB. Didn't even look like the 'Other' gauge on the IPC moved much. Also the voltage drop must be just about nonexistent which is a good sign. Inverter was reading the same voltage as what I read at the battery posts around 14.8v at the time. Cables remained cool under an extended test with the above half load. All in all a very clean setup and easy to store away keeping cables out of sight when not in use which is especially nice with cargo space at a premium already with the Energi. The original 'potential' use for this is coming up this weekend. Will need to see if the park we're going to and setting up at has working outlets. If not, it'll be this setup's time to shine and I'll definitely report back how that went. (Also realized the backwards posts on the inverter. The actual wires are correct, I was just dumb and put the plastic covers on backwards. It's since been fixed.)

For the most part, it seems the large majority of C-Max's (especially Energi models) were keyless entry/start equipped. Later model years Ford started to dumb things down and equipped them with traditional keyed ignitions on the base trims. 2017 was possibly the tipping point here. I'm sure earlier model years had some keyed ignition models but they were probably fleet/barebones models.

Sadly from what I've seen in the C-Max FB groups, it's not unheard of for people picking these things up used to either get mismatched keys/fobs, no physical backup keys, or incorrect backup keys. The dealers/sellers probably don't due their due diligence simply enough as long as the vehicle starts. So probably a good thing for anyone looking to buy a used C-Max to check on this straight away. I was also dumb and didn't check mine right away when I bought the car. I do have two backup keys and they are keyed correctly, however one doesn't have enough thickness filed off so it wont fit in the lock. Still haven't gotten it sorted mainly because the few local locksmiths I've checked won't mess with these style keys. Couldn't tell you why. ? Another potential thing that I've seen come up on those FB groups though I haven't had anyone 100% confirm the outcome: But the potential is there to be given a simple 3 button fob (lock/unlock/trunk) but have the vehicle equipped with remote start. A quick and easy check for new owners is using the vehicle settings menu in the left screen of the IPC/gauge cluster and there will be remote start settings there. If they are not greyed out and can be adjusted, your vehicle should be equipped. If you don't have a fob with the remote start button on it, bug the dealer/seller you bought it from to get the correct fob.

One caveat I will note is when attempting to use the big negative lug on the frame, you should still disconnect the negative right at the battery. The bolt used to go into the frame is very snug and long and relying on this to be your main method of a battery disconnect will lead to intermittent connections and sparking as you try to unbolt it (as I stupidly attempted to do the first time around). Disconnecting right at the neg battery post is cleaner and quicker. THEN you can unbolt frame lug. It was tempting to go that route especially being an Energi with all the ducts in the way. Even with those removed per Ford's workshop manual, the bolt on the neg terminal was still a pain to get to but was doable with an open ended wrench.

Got around to doing the most tasking part of this: Getting the actual vehicle-side wiring done. My original plan was to do a 'belt and suspenders' setup with a 150 amp fuse (included with the inverter I purchased) right off the battery and then a smaller 100 amp circuit breaker in an accessible location behind the rear fuse panel on the driver side as both protection and an easy to access switch to turn on/off power as needed. However I had a heck of a time trying to sort out how to mount the CB back there even though there are two bolt holes in the body (one is being used as a grounding point for some circuit). I changed it up to make it a little easier to get wired and I'm just running the 100 amp CB right off the battery. SLIGHTLY more difficult to access but not by much. It can still be accessed via the small plastic panel covering the battery (on the Energi this is the one that holds the fuel funnel) so just need to empty out the cubby to get to it. No tools needed or bolts/screws removed. I've attached photos of the wiring and routing below. Grounding point was easy. Factory, Ford has a big beefy (looks to be about 4awg based on my own wiring which is also 4awg) ground cable going from the battery to the body. This is also the ONLY ground connection from the battery to the rest of the vehicle it looks like. I ran the ground for my inverter circuit here and placed the lug on TOP of the existing factory lug just to ensure it still maintains solid contact to the body. The positive wire I had to figure out how I wanted to run this and hopefully keep the rest of the vehicle happy. One of my main concerns after reviewing wiring diagrams is there's a 150 amp maxi-fuse that sits between the battery positive and the leads to not only the DC-DC converter but the rest of the vehicle electronics. In the one picture below, this is buried inside the big red plastic cover on the battery. Since I already essentially have fused protection with the CB, I connected it before the factory 150a fuse so it is able to pull surge power if it needs to straight from the battery without risking blowing the factory fuse (which seems to be hard to find and not sure if it is a standard off the shelf fuse type). Same as the ground lug, I kept this above the existing mating surfaces so the factory mating and thus current handling capability should be maintained. This is all ran via 4awg wire over to the driver side and up in the cavity where the rear fuse panel is located. Wired into a beefy Anderson style quick disconnect (which comes with a cover that is tethered to it to keep things safe when not in use). Right now the CB is just floating there and not secured, though I'm probably going to find some heavy duty velcro and just secure it to the top of the battery. I tried and spent probably a good hour or two trying to locate a more secure mounting solution that still remained accessible but had no luck. There's ample room behind all of the plastic trim panels. None of the wiring is interfering or has a chance of being pinched or rubbing through other parts. Even the cavity behind the driver side trim panel with the rear fuse box has lots of space. The picture showing that looks messy but that was a rough 'shove it in there to button up the car' deal but I can easily slide the QD and wires out of the way of the fuse box. I do plan to get some corrugated wire conduit like Ford already uses on much of the wires back here for extra physical protection. Next up is to wire the other side of the QD to the inverter and test. I'll report back when I get to that stage.

I doubt this will work out as you want it to. There's a LOT of electronics and programming involved that expect a given battery capacity and voltage. Also charging is an issue with cell balancing involved. The vehicle would need to be made aware of the second pack that it needs to manage. Even moreso, expecting to push more 'voltage' into the drive motor is out as that is all on the inverters and vehicle programming. Short of being able to reverse engineer and reprogram that (and likely replacing some electrical components in the inverter), you aren't getting anywhere on this one. Not to say I'm dissuading you from trying, but these systems are a LOT more complex than you're implying.

This doesn't work because the C-Max doesn't have an SCCM. It has an SASM which is completely different and does not hold information about the turn signal functionality. In our vehicles (and same with early Focus/Escape's as they share the same platform) it is handled in the BCM which is not well documented. We do have a 'Central Configuration' option for that which has plain English configuration options but there's nothing there to adjust the turn signal blinks. One thing to keep in mind when looking up this information is not all Ford vehicles share the same architectures and even if they have similar modules, the AsBuilt bits may not be the same. The F-150's (which is the info you pulled from) have been VERY well documented due to a large community there. However outside of something that is HIGHLY universal like the APIM, very little of that is going to apply to us.

Not that I've found and a few other ownsers who have been digging into this stuff haven't had luck either. This is definitely something I've been wanting to figure out on mine but there's nothing documented for our vehicles unfortunately on this stuff. Other Ford vehicles can do this with AsBuilt changes in ForScan and I have no doubt the C-Max would be able to as well, but the bits are likely going to be different than you'll find for other vehicles like the F-150 for example (which has WELL documented AsBuilt information). The only thing I can tell you is it will be blink based instead of seconds. Default it should be 3 blinks and on all other vehicles with this documented the changes are all to the blink count.

Take it as you will. I'm not saying anyone absolutely SHOULD follow these guidelines. Heck, my '13 is still on the original fluid at 85k miles and I'm probably going to hold off doing that drain/fill until around the 100k mark when I have the other big scheduled maintenance tasks done. But there's ZERO harm in doing so earlier if one wishes to do so. And I stand by the idea that doing so earlier on 13-15 models is probably a smart bet to try and catch signs of bearing wear early. And in this case @jestevens just confirmed they are ripe for this with a 2013 hybrid. To @jestevens: A flush is not necessary on these, just a simple drain and fill as you noted. In fact it's a very simple process if you wish to DIY it as well. But yes, there's no harm in doing the changes basically at any mileage as far as the original inferred concern goes that the dealer warned you against. There's no normal friction wear parts that most people worry about with traditional automatic transmissions.

On the contrary, I'd sooner trust his word over Ford engineers any day. Granted most of his work these days tends to be F-150's and a lot of 5.4L work therein. I've watched just about all of his videos and his advice is very trustworthy and based on common sense and experience, not just blindly accepting Ford's word on things. On top of that, why not change the transmission fluid earlier than called for? It's a VERY easy process on the C-Max and the fluid is cheap. And to go back to my earlier comment: 2013-2015 models with the potential transfer bearing issues would do better to change out early if just to check the fluid condition for any metal particles.

Yes, keeping the key (especially if yours is keyless) near the car in any way is a bad idea. It will not only cause increased consistent drain on the keyfob battery but also the car's own battery as systems remain awake when it sees the key nearby. You could possibly find a 'faraday cage' box for it. They exist. I know CarMax uses them pretty heavily as they keep the keys attached to the vehicle in one of these locked boxes. But I'd still recommend against it. As far as the liftgate goes, you'll just have to try the different positions. If you haven't had any modifications to the rear bumper or an added hitch receiver, it should work just about anywhere. IF you've added a hitch for example, that will change things. In my experience with my '13 with a hitch added, I need to specifically stick the toe of my foot up in the bumper cavity just to the right of the hitch receiver for it to trigger. But it has been very consistent and reliable doing this. This may be worth a shot even if you don't have a hitch installed.

The dealer's probably thinking along the lines of it being a traditional automatic with a torque converter, clutch packs, etc.. Usually when these are left so long without having regular fluid changes, the clutch packs wear and the fine particles in the fluid can 'fill in' places to make up for lost friction. So doing a flush or drain-and-fill it loses this and can get much worse. This is not how the eCVT is designed. There's no friction/wear components. In terms of what the fluid does, it's no different than a manual transmission vehicle. It's simply there for lubrication and cooling. So there shouldn't be any concerns about doing a drain and fill so late in its life. That said, a lot of people do recommend doing them at much earlier intervals. I think I've seen between 50-75k miles. Even FordTechMakuloco on Youtube who exclusively runs a Ford shop did this on an old Escape Hybrid using basically the same transmission (just an older version/model) I think recommended a 50k interval. What model year C-Max? And is this an Energi or Hybrid? If 2013-2015 and/or a hybrid model, it couldn't hurt getting it done if only to get an idea if there's any metal particles in the fluid. This could indicate issues with the transfer bearing that is a concern to worry about in those early years.

The recent 'bushing' recall is for a bushing connecting the gear shift linkage to the transmission that could fail and cause the transmission to not actually be in the gear indicated by the dash/gear shift. A worst case scenario would be thinking you have it in Park but the transmission could be in another gear and roll away (if you do not use the parking brake, which should be a habit to always use for anyone and any vehicle). The control arm bushing is completely separate and part of the suspension components and thus would not be part of this recall. I can't comment on the pricing beyond that.

Dumb question, but did you do this update yourself and do you know what version it was upgraded from? The only other possibility I can think of down this line is there was a certain point in the Sync 2 version history where a dealer needed to be involved to do a low level update that can't be done via the normal USB flash drive process to move forward. It was my original understanding that you couldn't even do those USB flash drive updates without that dealer step but that may be wrong. If it is possible to do one without the other there's a likely chance, much like module calibration levels, that the low level dealer update adds these specific functions that the main software/OS needs for them to work. That's all I can think of right now. To the best of my current knowledge these two features (GPS clock sync and that 'i' icon at the bottom of the screen) are not a vehicle specific thing. The 'i' icon if memory serves had some vehicle agnostic stuff like access to the old vehicle health report function and some other non-hybrid/plug-in related stuff. I did manage to find an old photo I had taken from mine back in 2018 when I still had Sync 2/MFT installed. This would have been with the 3.10 release as well.

Could also be the rear washer fluid line leaking which does run along that side if memory serves. The A pillar covering should be easy to pull off and you can verify from there.

Nope. That should be universal across Ford models. And best I can tell with numerous screenshots I'm seeing, it's there on vehicles like the non-HEV Escapes and F-150's just on the ones I'm immediately seeing. Can either of you confirm the version numbers you have listed on your System Information screen? I've also double checked Cyanlabs' AsBuilt DB for Sync 2 and don't see anything that could possibly cause this to not be displayed there. Reason I mention this is I have seen this brought up a number of times on other forums/groups concerning the C-Max where people were missing some key features like the power flow and/or Value Charge/Go Times screens and the telltale signs were missing either the leaf icon or that 'i' icon at the bottom and were all confirmed to have ancient versions of Sync that were never updated.

You may need to update to get that. Looks like yours is out of date. Newer versions should have a little 'i' icon in the bottom center row of buttons.