Hybrid dude

Not sure about the glue or tape, as it was not listed on the receipt.

The creaking is gone! The dealer replaced the following parts. The interior door panels were not replaced. AM5Z 5820555 A door moulding outside AM5Z 5820554 A door moulding outside AM5Z 58255A35 A moulding AM5Z 58255A34 A moulding AM5Z 58255A35 B moulding door window frame AM5Z 58255A34 B moulding door window frame AM5Z 5825767 B run door glass AM5Z 5825766 A weatherstrip door belt AM5Z 5821597 A run door glass AM5Z 5821596 B weatherstrip door glass Just for fun, I added all the parts to the online Ford parts store: Item Description Fulfillment Price Per Item Quantity Subtotal WEATHERSTRIP - DOOR GLASS CHANPart #: AM5Z5821596B Pack Qty: 1 Shippable $148.88 Update Remove $148.88 RUN - DOOR GLASS Part #: AM5Z5821597A Pack Qty: 1 Shippable $125.75 Update Remove $125.75 WEATHERSTRIP - DOOR BELT Part #: AM5Z5825766A Pack Qty: 1 Pick-up Only $133.72 Update Remove $133.72 RUN - DOOR GLASS Part #: AM5Z5825767B Pack Qty: 1 Shippable $116.18 Update Remove $116.18 MOULDING - DOOR WINDOW FRAME Part #: AM5Z58255A34B Pack Qty: 1 Shippable $60.83 Update Remove $60.83 MOULDING - DOOR WINDOW FRAME Part #: AM5Z58255A35B Pack Qty: 1 Shippable $61.07 Update Remove $61.07 MOULDING Part #: AM5Z58255A34A Pack Qty: 1 Shippable $64.40 Update Remove $64.40 MOULDING Part #: AM5Z58255A35A Pack Qty: 1 Shippable $64.40 Update Remove $64.40 MOULDING - DOOR OUTSIDE Part #: AM5Z5820554A Pack Qty: 1 Shippable $65.58 Update Remove $65.58 MOULDING - DOOR OUTSIDE Part #: AM5Z5820555A Pack Qty: 1 Shippable $65.58 Update Remove $65.58 Apply Parts Subtotal: $906.39 Total: $906.39

No worries about doubt, but yes, everything was dead ... door locks, lights, ignition, etc. A further piece of evidence is the service advisor said the car was actually still dead when it arrived at the dealer and was tagged into their system by the person who does that job. When the technician went to try, it had come back to life. I don't doubt the dealer but think my theory of a jarred connector is wrong. Are the connector something I can inspect myself? I have yet to pursue the lemon law but I think I may have too many miles already and too long an ownership.

Thanks for all the info. In addition to the vehicle starting normally when it arrived at the dealer, the service advisor told me there were no codes reported. Thus, they will not dig into the coolant pump and/or connectors unless I pay for it, which I won't. Is it possible some connector or other component may have been jarred enough on the tow truck ride to return the system to normal operation ... just a thought. They have assured me, however, that they replaced enough parts to eliminate the creaking like an old ship, which I and others have detailed in another subject. I'll check it out this afternoon. I'll begin researching another vehicle, as the unreliability is unacceptable. It's too bad because I really like the way it handled and the ability to 'go electric' on various trips.

The service advisor told me today that my vehicle started normally on the first attempt. So, unless the tow truck driver jumped it upon arriving at the dealer, which I can't imagine he would, my electrical problems are random. I'll suggest tomorrow they check the electrical connectors. Should they check all of them or specifically the ones at the coolant pump?

It was jump started the previous several times and then on one of those occasions they did find fault with the 12V battery, which they replaced. I read and was advised to have it arrive dead the next time. Yes, each time has been after an overnight stay and yes, EV+ was the mode when it was parked. Yes, a problem of this nature which in my case rarely occurs must be annoying to the dealer techs as well.

Yes, the second tow truck was an old school one, which did the job. This is the first time I've been able to get the car to the dealer in dead condition. I don't know what they will check or not, but advised them as best I could to check with the higher ups. What good it will do, I do not know. I'm well beyond the Mass. lemon law period, so is this vehicle worth anything in trade, anywhere other than a Ford dealer? I really love the handling and electric mod of the car, but need it to start reliably.

It has no options, plane Jane

As the one who created this post, I can safely report I finally had my third dead vehicle incident just now, same scenario, parked overnight, nothing left on or plugged in, yada yada yada. It's been a while, I think more than a year. I was able this time to get the car towed in its dead condition to the dealer, but not after being treated rather rudely by the first Ford tow truck person, who came with a flatbed and said I would have to pay $45 in order for him to winch the car up onto the flatbed. I refused, of course, and he wished me a good day. A normal tow truck showed up a while later and hauled it away. When the first driver said he couldn't tow it in Park, I looked in the manual and there actually is an emergency override method to engage neutral, but after remove the one fastener from the right side console, I gave up, not wanting to destroy the plastic material. Has anyone ever successfully removed this panel without damage? Anyway, I did my best to plead my case with the service advisor, telling her I'd recommend calling in Ford engineers, etc. before jumping it. She was confident they had to jump it to enable code reading, so there's nothing else I can do. I suggested using a voltmeter but that probably did go over too well. Just to note, I've had every TSB, recall, etc. done to the vehicle but as you all know, that's not the fix. A bit over 25,000 miles and annoyed.

I too am now experiencing the creaking. It's so weird, like driving an old ship. I have found that while driving slowly, if I open the driver's door an inch or so, it seems to dissipate, so it must relate to the door seals, yes? The dealer did lube them but it made no difference, and of course, I noticed no creak when test driving a new Energi on their lot. I may be lucky enough to meet with an engineer in a few weeks, in which case I'll go over my lengthy list of suggestions.

20,000 miles 36.2 MPG Headlights/tailights on all the time Delivered Oct. 1, 2012

Thanks for the additional insight. I did forget to mention the charging function of the ICE.

This is my first hybrid but even with all my various issues, dead battery, etc., I can still go further on a gallon of gas than on my previous vehicle. My question: At the end of a recent trip, if one subtracts the number of EV miles from the number of total miles, then divides by the number of gallons used, the result is the true miles per gallon. So, on a ~500 mile trip, mostly highway and a few hills, my MPG was about 24. Could Ford have used a more efficient gasoline engine (ICE) in the C-Max, as 24 was my overall MPG on my previous vehicle and from looking at window stickers, several non-hybrid Ford models get better MPG. If Ford sales thought there was demand for an even more efficient C-Max in exchange for a loss of performance/acceleration, could they use the engine from the Fiesta, for example or an even more efficient one? I do get a good feeling when the engine shuts off when stopped and from my many short electric-only trips, however.

I just left the car at the dealer for the day. Other than the door/body seal issue, I compared the seat belt height adjuster to a new C-Max in the showroom. It seems they didn't reinstall it correctly, which causes the seat belt not to retract smoothly or quickly and sometimes not at all. The plastic cover on which you depress the button to raise or lower the belt anchorage point is supposed to move in sync with the seat belt anchor point itself. Mine does not move in this fashion, thus the problem. I really get annoyed by return trips to the dealer which they themselves caused but since I'm their C-Max Guinea pig, that's the way it is.

I've seen these combination DRL/Foglight housings on various sites. My yet unproven theory is that the foglight grill on the European spec focus would simply need to be rotated 180º and voila, it would fit a C-Max. However, I've not had one in hand to test the theory and no one has answered my question posted on European C-Max forums. I also didn't want to order from Europe and have it not work but if the Amazon seller is in the US, a return shouldn't be a problem. It's interesting that the third product photo on the site is upside down.

Thanks for the photos of the DIY tape option. I'm still using a mitten placed over the sensor, as I want the mod to be easily removable, so if and when I have electrical issues, I can put the car back as delivered with no sticky residue. I thought about using gaffer's tape, which leaves no residue or a custom plastic cover but haven't yet done so.

I had both the headliner impact and reprogramming done the other day. Car was there from 9-5 but not sure how much of that time was spent actually doing it. The next day I noticed the black rubber seal which goes around the passenger entrance section of the body (attached to the body of the car along the B-pillar, entrance sill, etc) is now loose, almost made it impossible to shut the passenger door. It's funny whenever I pick up the car after service, they make sure to say "give us nothing less than an excellent rating if you get a survey". I usually just don't complete the surveys.

Both my cover pieces broke off within the first month but the dealer did recently replace them under warranty.

Yes, thanks for the weight limit advice. I think we're ok as three of the people are kids.

I bought all three Thule components separately, finding the best deal on each one. It was much less expensive than buying the entire kit from one source. The installation page by CNCGeek is very useful but I was able to do it all myself. I encountered a slight problem determining when it was screwed on tight enough. The wrenches have built-in indicators but they are not that precise. However, the recommended torque is so low, I knew when to stop. I had a Thule/Volvo roof box remaining from my Volvo days, which attached perfectly. I may be the only C-Max driver with a box emblazoned with 'Volvo' letters on each side ... but maybe not. It did effect my mileage on a 220 mile mostly highway trip, managing about 32MPG. However, I also had the Torklift trailer hitch with an Allen four-bike rack, five total people and luggage.

This just in, which I asssume will apply to our C-Max hybrid models: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2013/07/16/us/16reuters-autos-ford-hybrids.html?hp I assume this post will get into the Ford Super News Ticker but for now, here it is. By REUTERS Published: July 16, 2013 at 4:40 PM ET DEARBORN, Michigan — Ford Motor Co will offer free updates to its hybrid vehicles to improve their fuel economy, a company executive said Tuesday. Among the improvements, Ford plans to increase the maximum all-electric speed on those vehicles from 62 miles per hour to 85, according to Raj Nair, vice president of global product development. Owners of about 77,000 Ford hybrid vehicles in the United States and Canada will be offered the upgrades free of charge. (Reporting by Deepa Seetharaman in Dearborn, Michigan; Editing by Gary Hill)

I have no affiliation with this company but the hotspot device sold by Freedompop and used by me works great in the Boston area and has no monthly charges if you select the free plan, 500MB/month. Leave it plugged in the C-Max or keep it in your pocket and it works great for email, occasional web use. The free plan really does mean no monthly charges, just the cost of the device, which was recently only $38 but now is a bit more. And yes, to avoid monthly data charges, I carry three devices: 1. dumbphone 2. iPhone I use on wifi only and occasionally for not as reliable VoIP 3. freedompop hotspot

I had my dealer install TSBs 13-5-13 and 13-5-1 as a preventive measure last Friday, took about four hours. I haven't had the dead battery issue since the two occurrences last fall. Thanks for keeping us aware of the TSBs.

No problem, it brought about the removal discussion, which was useful. Good luck with the DRLs and let us know if you're successful.

mtb9153, would you be interested in trading your grill covers and lights for my blank grills? The lights can simply be unplugged at the bulb.