Sparky

The C-Max is my wife's daily driver.   I'm 73 and drive a Suburban diesel.

My C-Max, built March 2013, was diagnosed with a failing transmission June 1st, 2015.

The trans was replaced under warranty with 44,000 miles.  Mostly highway driving.

My C-Max, built March 2013, has been diagnosed with a failing transmission.  I am now waiting for a new one to be delivered next Monday.  The Energi has 44,000 miles.

The Ford mechanic diagnosed the problem by driving around the lot.  The sound, in my experience, is that of a failing roller or ball bearing.  The sound is similar to a bad axle bearing. I have never checked the trans. temperature.

I live in the Sierra foothills at 2,000 feet elevation, near I-80.  A typical day for the car starts by driving a mile at 30 mph to the freeway, then down hill to Sacramento at 65-70 mph.  The first 25 miles are with the ICE off, never starting.  I can go 25 miles because it is mostly down hill.  Sacramento is about sea level.  The engine remains cold.    In the winter mornings are at or below freezing.  

I believe my failure was caused by lack of lubrication due to low temperature ATF.  

I do not understand the purpose of the fluid pump used on the Energi.  Is it to provide oil delivery to the gears and bearings, or to provide flow thru the ATF cooling radiator?  

What has been done to the later transmissions to fix the problem?

After my repairs are complete, I will replace the fluid with full syntetic ATF.  I hope it will provide better lubrication at both high and low extremes of temperature.

I have the "Check Engine" light on with DTC: P0D80.  I can not find this code on any list.  Anyone know this one?

The nook works fine with a WiFi adapter. 

... I am having trouble entering the custom OBD formulas in the postings above.

I think the free version is not customizable.  I paid the  $5 and all is good.   Well worth the price.

On this tank about 30 miles (9.2 kw) came from plug-in battery power, otherwise it was in the hybrid mode.  The trip was mostly highway and included stop and go traffic in Los Angeles. I hope the Energi is allowed in this club, while operating in the hybrid mode.

Deleted. Wrong thread.

My lawn tractor shuts down if I get off the seat.

Anybody know or have any info why Ford went with a CCA biased battery instead of a deep cycle?

 

Maybe they couldn't find one small or light enough?

 

 

Check out this post: http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/361-battery-dead/?p=12237

Bob999: "... the 96R ...  is listed as the replacement battery in the specifications page of the owners manual (page 350).  In fact the only batteries listed in the owners manual have larger capacities than the battery Ford is installing in the car at the factory.  The listed batteries are: BXT-96R-500 / BXT-96R-590"

Torque doesn't have parameter information for HV battery level; I would have tracked that if it did.

Here are some PIDs for Torque:

Description                              Display               PID           Min         Max       Scale     Unit       Equation

HV Battery state of charge      SoC                     224801        0.0          100.0     x1          %           ((((A*256)+B)*(1/5))/100)

HV Battery temperature            HV Temp            224800        0.0          150.0     x1          DegF     ((A*18)-580)/100

HV Battery current in Amps     HV Amps             22480b      -200           200       x1          Amps     ((((Signed(A)*256)+B)/5)/10)*-1

HV Battery Voltage                   HV Volts             22480d        0.0          400.0     x1          Volts       (((A*256)+B)/100)

Temperature inside car           Inside Temp        22dd04         0.0          160.0     x1          DegF     ((A*18)-400)/10

See my post: http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/2757-obd2-%E2%80%93-elm-327-%E2%80%93-torque/?hl=obd2

Bruce,

 

I do not have that graphic.  What am I missing?

Try this link:

http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/974-hybrid-car-acronyms/?hl=acronyms

  Do you think we'll see diesel hybrids in the near future?

 

Nick

The Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid is the first diesel plug-in hybrid vehicle.

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1083037_volvo-v60-plug-in-diesel-hybrid-quick-drive-of-ny-auto-show-debut

Driving in hills forces you to pulse and glide (P&G).  At your altitude there is less wind drag and the engine will develop less horsepower.  All this contributes to better mpg.

Can you make a quick list of the PIDs/Sensors you are using?

Here is what I have so far:

Description                              Display               PID           Min         Max       Scale     Unit       Equation

HV Battery state of charge      SoC                     224801        0.0          100.0     x1          %           ((((A*256)+B)*(1/5))/100)

HV Battery temperature            HV Temp            224800        0.0          150.0     x1          DegF     ((A*18)-580)/100

HV Battery current in Amps     HV Amps             22480b      -200           200       x1          Amps     ((((Signed(A)*256)+B)/5)/10)*-1

HV Battery Voltage                   HV Volts             22480d        0.0          400.0     x1          Volts       (((A*256)+B)/100)

Temperature inside car           Inside Temp        22dd04         0.0          160.0     x1          DegF     ((A*18)-400)/10

Although the CMax dash display provides lots of information in the left side, I always want more.  I had considered a “Scangauge 2” but being a frugal senior citizen, I went the $40 route.

My first purchase was a “ELM 327" Wi-Fi OBD2 ( OBDII ) adapter from Amazon, $15.  I chose Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth because I had planned to use my Android phone and the Nook tablet has no Bluetooth.  The phone can not connect to the car’s hands free and a Bluetooth OBD2 adapter at the same time. 

Next I purchased “Torque Pro” from Google Play for $5.  I think this is not available for Apple iOS.

For a display I used an old B&N Nook Color 7” tablet my wife had abandoned in favor of an iPad.  I used “AndroidForNook” from Amazon for $20.  This allows dual-boot, Nook or Android.  Torque requires the Android operating system. 

The seven inch display allows me to setup 17 displays on the screen.

All 17 displays update at an acceptable rate (within seconds).

Most of the displays are included with Torque Pro.  The CMax specific PIDs/Sensors were found on this forum and others.  I am still working on the custom PIDs.  The “HV Amps” display in the top row has an error in the equation.  It shows the correct amps during discharge but shows bad info while charging or regen.  The “HV Amps” in the middle row seems to work better.  This equation shows a negative number during regen but requires more testing for accuracy. 

This photo was taken while parked with the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) running.  “SoC” is state of charge of the lithium battery.  I am not sure about “Absolute Load” and “Load”.  Cat B1S1 is the temperature of the catalytic converter.  I will be using “Timing Adv”ance to compare the performance of Regular v. Premium gas.

I bought a temporary spare and jack from the local wrecking yard.  $20 for both.  This tire has no permanent home in the car.  It could be in the back seat, the luggage area or in the garage.  After searching eBay and Amazon and not finding a suitable cover, I decided to cut down an old sleeping bag to 26" x 26".  I re-installed the zipper around 3 sides and added a carry strap.   

The TSBs 13-5-1 and 13-6-23 are very similar and address the same problem:  Low voltage condition of the 12v battery.
Compare the TSBs.

This is the Action stated in TSB 13-5-1:

ACTION:
Reprogram the Direct Current/Direct Current (DC/DC) Converter Control Module to the latest calibration using
IDS release 84.02 and higher. Basic part no. 14B227
Copyright 2013 Ford Motor Company Online Publication Date May 2, 2013


This is the Action stated in TSB 13-6-23:

The article supersedes TSB 13-5-1 to update the Title, Issue Statement and Service Procedure.
ACTION:
Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition.
1. Does the concern occur only when the ambient temperature is below 0 °C (32 °F)?
       1. Yes - proceed to Step 2.
       2. No - this article does not apply. Refer to Workshop Manual, Section 414-01 for normal diagnosis.
2. Reprogram the Direct Current/Direct Current (DC/DC) Converter Control Module to the latest calibration using
IDS release 84.02 and higher.  Basic part no. 14B227
Copyright 2013 Ford Motor Company Online Publication Date June 24, 2013

The only difference in the "ISSUE" is the following added text:
...and then left unattended for several hours during cold weather temperatures, less than 0 degrees Celcius (32 degrees Fahrenheit).

Comparing the TSBs, it appears if you had a problem when the temp was below freezing, Ford will apply the fix. 

If your battery was dead in warmer weather, "No - this article does not apply."

I recently took my Energi to the dealer and told them although my battery was never dead,  I was experiencing low battery voltage (11.9v) after sitting overnight.  I gave the service adviser copies of both TSBs.  

My invoice shows TSB 13-6-23 was installed but 13-5-1 was not.  I can only assume because 13-5-1 is superseded.

My question is:  Where can I see the software version of the DC-DC installed in my car.  Is there an online history of maintenance on my car?   Yes, my voltage is higher in the morning.  My C-Max Energi 300a was built March 1, 2013 and Sync/MFM ver. 3.5.1 was installed when I took delivery May 26th.

guy: Did you get the upgrade? And the more miles?

 

me: Yeah, I got it, and we've been debating whether you guys did something to improve the mpgs

What is this "upgrade" of which you speak?

It is generally better to coast longer and regen less if you are truly looking for the best FE possible. There are exceptions to that rule, but in general, coasting is far better than running farther up to a stop, then regenning more.

 

Matt

When you say "coasting" do you mean coasting with the transmission in neutral (N) or coasting in drive (D)?  Coasting in drive (without any brakes) is using regen and charging the battery.   This condition also causes the car to decelerate more than coasting in neutral. 

I live near a 3 mile section of freeway that is a slight downgrade.  In drive I must apply slight power to maintain the speed limit.  In neutral the car will coast at the speed limit for the entire 3 miles. 

Using high octane gas does nothing for better mileage unless you have a high compression engine.

The C-Max has very high compression compared to similar cars.  The high CR allows more power and better economy if the ignition timing is optimal.

Since the timing is computer controlled, I think it would be.  The CR listed in the owners manual, page 345, is 12.3 to 1.

I think engaging hill descent mode also increases the regen rate similar to lightly applying the brakes - right?

No, Grade Assist only prevents you from increasing speed while going down hills.  As you coast to a stop, Grade Assist has no effect.  Regen is from coasting, braking or "low gear".

In order to test if the car is locked, pull the handle with your thumb and fore-finger above and below the black locking square.  Do not put your fingers inside the handle, that is what unlocks the car.

  It will make the noise every 5 minutes or so for about 5 seconds (roughly).

 

I think it may be that electric driven vacuum pump for braking. Perhaps it is cycling to create the correct pressure/vacuum and then switching off.  Whatever it is, it is loud and sounds like something is dying. 

 

Next time someone changes their oil, just lay under the car with the under shield/tray off and listen to where the sound comes from.  Or I'll do it in about 9000 miles. 

I suspect a vacuum leak.  The car should be able hold vacuum overnight.  This is easily checked by connecting a vacuum gauge and watching for a drop over time.

The C-Max has a 12v electric motor driven vacuum pump.  The vacuum may be used for climate controls (duct diverter doors) or power brakes.  The a/c compressor is powered by the high voltage lithium battery.  The a/c compressor is similar to what is used in a home air-conditioner.  It is not belt-driven.

The link below shows some of the features:

http://media.ford.com/images/10031/2013_CMAXHybrid_Hero.pdf