C-MaxA2

I have some shaking sometimes when I stop - as if ICE continues to run a bit when it tries to go off at a light. Starts up again fine when the stop light changes and ICE engages. Doesn't throw a code so I hesitate to take it to the dealer but it's still under warranty til Oct. so I'd like to have it on the record before the warranty runs out. Esp. when the car has sat for a while (overnight).

My used C-Max was kept outside in VT (from what I could surmise from the debris). A lot of it was White Pine needles (hard to grasp to get out) so I used a yard blower to blow them out. Worked pretty well!

Second time owner here (first a 2016, then 2 years later a 2017 - 'his' & 'hers' situation). Having a back up camera in the 2017 is nice. Power seats, nice. Better Sync, nice. Better radio, nice. The locking gas cap threw me the first time at the gas station!

Given complexity of changing the battery (it's not just open the hood and get at it...it's in the trunk and you have to deal with a lot of different screws to take apart stuff to get to it) and the fact that it's a fairly rare battery (Costco doesn't have it) I'd just say get a dealer or knowledgeable repair shop to replace it. Why risk finding it dead at the wrong time. Is the gamble worth it? Oh - and you have to 'reset' the battery age correctly for it to live a long life. Do you know who to do that? I replaced the battery after I bought our two used C-Maxs. Worth piece of mind.

PM me the VIN and I'll see if I can identify the dealer who sold it and some history so you can start there.

My experience with Ford suggests that there is no 'central repository' of individual car data that can be checked by Ford corporate. If you can find if the Ford dealer regularly serviced it (if that occurred) you might, might get lucky. I'd take the VIN and do some research on that to see if some history emerges (can be a pain since they offer data then want you to pay with no idea if there is anything useful). The warranty on the transmission (and hybrid drive) are done at 100k / 8 years.

This is a common question. I'd recommend you do a query ' 'transmission failures 2013' in the search box in the upper right (in the black area - do a pull down and limit your query to 'this forum'). Good starting point. The 8 year / 100k warranty has run out at 165k so...

Could be the motor mounts - my Focus (and other people's) had that issue and I'm told it's a common Ford problem (Focus Forum). When I first heard mine I thought it was a bad shock or something. If you do the mounts - do both so you don't have to repeat the drill later on the other side.

Great. I didn't think deal #1 was a good one. I bought a 2017 (SE, not an SEL but it's worth mentioning that in 2017 the SEs got back up cameras - required I understand) with 17k miles for $14,500. Fleet leased car - super clean. And latest version of Snyc.

OK - what are the MPG numbers? I have this nagging suspicion they're really, really low. Prove me wrong.

Thanks Plus 3. All the Ford info I had didn't reference the SE vs SEL differences. Nor did my dealer understand either. They wanted $250 to 'investigate' the issue (with no guarantee they could actually fix it) so I downloaded the update on a memory stick and tried to update it myself. Ford on-line could see that I'd tried that but that it failed (repeatedly). They could not explain why and kept asking me to 'try again'. I ultimately decided it was more trouble than it was worth and haven't really needed the higher version of Snyc since then (retired, not working). My 'new' 2017 C-Max has it (well, is supposedly) but I don't know if I'll do much with it. I think the rule of thumb might be that the 2016s (SELs) that had the 'big screens' might be upgradeable while the SEs with the small screens were not. Just my guess. Thanks for the 2016 brochure PDF - new information! I had a manual in my 2016 but it turned out that it didn't really match the car (aftermarket purchase I think by the Toyota dealer I purchased it from).

bookemdano - Yes, I know 2016s are supposed to have Snyc3. Mine was called a '2016' but really isn't from my experiences. Could you tell me when a 2015 in Oct. became a ''2016'? I'd love to know. Sync3: Mine didn't have it and does not upgrade to 3 easily. I tried, the Ford tech on-line folks tried and the dealer tried. So far nothing. The dealer really didn't try as far as I can tell - I think they found they'd have to charge me hundreds to get there and we all decided to end it there. But thanks for the modem issue. Yes, I know you're talking about the Energi and not the hybrid that I have. Yes, it's hard to sort through all the 'noise'.

bookemdano - Thanks! Now I know why I couldn't do anything about Sync2 (downloads, etc.) and Ford technical was of no help. I don't think the Ford chat people knew about the 2G stuff. Now it's clear as day. How stupid of Ford. 2G! Duh. Glad I didn't waste any more time on it. My '2016' was manufactured in Oct. of 2015, so... Everything I had read from Ford said 2016s had Sync3 or could be upgraded to it.

Why not just fold the rear seat down (using the lever near the side rear door)? That would allow you access to the trunk area without opening the rear hatch door. I only have an SE model with a physical key but I understand there's a key inside the fob for those with auto open fobs. Never wanted the fob because of precisely this kind of issue. 'Keep it simple'.

Plus 3: Here's what I saved once from you on the reset process: A couple of thoughts, the old battery may be original and thus 5-6 years old, the charging algorithm wasn't fully charging the new battery, there wasn't sufficient SOC to complete the scheduled maintenance, and you disconnected the battery for 15 minutes. I recall reading that Ford vehicles will default back to transport mode upon attempted powerup after a certain period of time with low / no battery voltage. You can try this procedure to see if transport mode is the issue. to manually disable transport mode: Deactivation Place the ignition in the OFF position. Verify the battery is fully charged. NOTE:On vehicles with Push-Button Start, place a programmed passive key in the PATSbackup starting location. Place the ignition in the ON position. NOTE:Steps 4 and 5 must be carried out within 10 seconds. Press and release the brake pedal 5 times. Press and release the hazard switch 2 times (on, off). NOTE:When exiting Factory mode, the IPCmessage center indicates NORMAL MODE when the procedure has been successfully completed. Place the ignition in the OFF position. A low system voltage or bad battery can put the vehicle back into transport mode as for why the vehicle went in this mode, your local dealer will need to test the battery and charging system and possible to a computer reflash Edited August 29, 2018 by Plus 3 Golfer

Paul - yes, it could be a while (I'm in Michigan). We are now on a 'stay at home' order as of midnight tonight and only 'essential workers' can go to work. It looks (based on Wuhan) that it could take 2-3 months to contain the virus and be able to re-start things. And getting cars rolling out the door could be a month after that. I recently bought a 2017 C-Max (17k miles, for $14,450). You might think about snatching up a used C-Max as an insurance policy. Prices are falling fast. But so is the available pool of used C-Maxs. I had planned to wait until warmer weather to get our second one but after seeing the available used C-Maxs on-line (that I wanted, 2017 or newer, with low miles) shrink from 3-4 pages to 1-2 I pushed the button and sold my 2004 Focus Wagon and bought a used 2017 C-Max the same day. Not a day too soon as everything blew up 24 hours later. If you have cash you can get some good deals now.

Interesting. A friend is talking about getting one for his wife who does a lot of short, urban driving and likes her present Lincoln SUV. He's talked to the local Ford dealer's sales people about the hybrid Corsair. I asked how much it might cost. He said: 'I'm told 'well north' of $50,000'. Ouch. So much for saving on gas costs!

Yes, it's gone apparently. It would be nice if some sort of statement / communication was attempted but I guess that will not happen. At some point this site will likely go 404 on us and that's when we'll know. I have downloaded as much as I can for future reference and thank Plus 3 and Paul Jones for all that they have contributed to help all of us.

I have been running our 2016 C-Max (with the Energy Saving Michelins) at 50 psi. The max is 51 (for a reason). I called and talked to Michelin and they said it was fine if I was OK with the 'ride'. I recently bought a used 2017 (now we have 2 of them) and the selling dealer had to tires at 36-37 psi. My wife and I drove both cars home (50+ miles) at the same speed on the same road. I got 35 mpg. She got 45 mpg. When I got home I pumped the new C-Max to 50 psi and now I'm in the mid 40s mpg. The tire sticker does not know what tires you have on your car. How can it? Just check the sidewall of the tires on your car and trust what the manufacturer of the tires says. The ride at 50 psi is very close to what it feels like at 35 psi in my opinion (see experiment above). My wife doesn't like a rough ride but she's fine with the way things feel on our 50 psi C-Max. Paul - can you chime in there?

Another Stevens here... I'm not happy that you had a flat but now my 'flat kit' of a spare tire, jack, ratch, breaker bar, etc. seems justified. I don't carry it all the time, just long trips (which includes Canada) but wanted to feel comfortable if I did have a flat. I tried the little joke kit under the passenger seat as a drill and it failed miserably. I did the same drill with the jack and spare tire (an odd Kelly tire that was on the used C-Max we bought and I bought a new wheel and matching Michelin and put that on and kept the Kelly as a spare) and it worked out fine (about 14 min.). I already carry a headlamp, gloves, rachet with the right socket. If you look closely you will see a little triangle marking where you should locate the jack and I marked it with white paint so I could see it more easily. The C-Max is certainly a lot heavier than my Focus as you crank up the scissors jack (bought it from a Kiwanis sale - for a Honda but works fine).

I had that experience with Techron (worked but then the code came back a couple of weeks later) and my mechanic suggested I use Lucas Upper Cylinder Lubricant (an injector cleaner) and the CEL disappeared (3 years ago). I put it in my Focus and C-Max now once or twice a year. Give it a try; not expensive.

It would be nice if the owners of this (and other) forum would at least talk to us. Apparently that's too much trouble.

From what I have heard there is NOT room for a full size spare in the 2020 Escape Hybrid. They couldn't do it for the same reason they didn't in the C-Max; not enough room given the battery size. Sadly, it is what it is. What one sees in the gas 2020 Escape is not what is necessarily the same in the hybrid model. For example: the gas model has some seat adjustment in the rear seats. I understand the Hybrid model does NOT have that. Again - there are sacrifices made to make a hybrid and these are some of them. But I'm willing to go with the Escape given the larger cargo area of the 2020 Hybrid vs the C-Max. I won't be in the market (I'm not rich enough) until at least 2024 when there are used 2023s on the market.

Paul - can you link to where I can buy a block heater like yours?