SnowStorm

Why is the "expected life" only 4 years? It has a 36 month free replacement and 100 month pro-rated warranty. If you don't have the "dead battery" problem and you normally just jump in and turn on the car, the 12V battery gets used very little and should have no problem going 8+ years.

Sparky, what were the symptoms? Any abnormal sounds? Could you tell it was failing yourself or was some test done by the dealer? My build date is mid April 2014 and I'm at 72k miles with a lot of (slower) highway driving so I'm concerned.

And maybe a copy of the letter to the BBB?

FordService, We love our C-Max, "talk it up" any chance we get and will continue to do so but this repair issue is ridiculous. Can't you take the following simple steps (remembering that CSP stands for Customer Satisfaction Program): Get an instrument cluster from a wrecking yard Install it in vancemi's car (call it a troubleshooting step if need be!) When the new one comes in, install that one in the car Give the used one to vancemi so it can be sold on ebay (or whatever)Forget the "policies" - put the customer first. (Just my 2c.)

Went with adjustable arms that were installed today and the wheels look so much better sitting up nice and straight. Camber is now about -0.7 (right near the limit) instead of, like, 3 times that amount. Bought the arms from Massive Speed System, made in USA, purple anodized aluminum (other colors available!) - a shame they're under the car where you can't see them! BTW, web site may say they don't fit the C-Max but they do - they're on my car right now. Go get your own set for just over $200. (No, I have no association with Massive - just delighted to find stuff made in America.) ey Now I just need to keep up with tire rotations! No more "snow tires" in summer! EDIT 2019-03-01 No longer happy with this product! Had to remove these arms because too much play had developed - wouldn't be able to pass inspection. Put the old ones back in! Not willing to throw more money away on a car with 175k+ miles. I'll just have to put up with any increase in edge wear (or reverse mount the tires half way through their life).

With 71k miles, lifetime mileage on The Enterprise inched up a tenth this summer to 48.3. Sorry Paul, got you beat! But isn't it great just rolling right past the original 47/47/47 figures and still we got those goodwill mileage checks! Lifetime EV is 29100 miles for about 41% ICE OFF. When I bought the car I never would have thought it would be that high and I'm sure some of you are way above that figure.

Are they ever! Sure is nice having a really quiet car again. We can hear the very faint purr of regen as you come to a stop. My wife mentioned how she hadn't heard that sound for months - maybe years! For rotation, I'll follow my tire dealers recommendation of 5k miles. I too don't think 10k is often enough. You should have seen the old tire - not quite down to the wear bars on one side but cupped on opposite side to the point of having a little spot of belt showing. Bad, bad, bad - went to far. They were rotated a number of times but certainly not enough! With new adjustable control arms on the rear and proper rotations I'm going after Matt's 90k record!

What a timely post. I just had my originals replaced today at 71k miles. I too have the inside adge wear problem and a lot of noise from cupping. Without the wear problem and more rotations I'm sure I could have hit 80k. The main part of the tread was still a bit above the "indicators". I have purchased adjustable upper control arms for the rear but won't be able to have them installed before next week. I really want to get ride of that abnormal wear.

4 months waiting? Can't they get the instruments from a wrecking yard? I bought a used wheel a year ago from NC and a tail light a few weeks ago here in VA - there should be no problem getting a used instrument cluster (or maybe you'll have to get it and take it in). Wish we knew how they burned it up so others don't make the same mistake.

I'm running Forscan on a Windows 7 laptop. Tire pressures are in the BDYCM with names: TPM_PRESS_LF (left front)TPM_PRESS_LRO (left rear outer)TPM_PRESS_RF (right front)TPM_PRESS_RRO (right rear outer)Hmmm - "rear outer"? They must be allowing for "inner" as well. There must be a dually C-Max on the way! Now wouldn't that be a beast!

Our C-Max replaced a Fit (which we still have) so here's a few thoughts. The Fit is a great small car with excellent space utilization and flexibility but it doesn't come close to comparing to the C-Max. Why? The C-Max has that feeling of effortless power that is totally lacking in cars like the Fit with their small engines and endlessly downshifting auto transmissions. Even moderate Interstate grades cause it to at least kick out of lock-up and really big hills send the tranny on an all out "tour of the gears" while the engine screams for mercy. Call that hyperbole if you like but I can't describe how much I've enjoyed the "no-shift" eCVT in the C-Max and (baring all-out flooring it) the near total lack of engine noise. It eats "big hills" for breakfast. I had no idea the car would have this kind of "driveability". I would buy the C-Max for this feature alone. The C-Max is simply more comfortable. After 100k+ miles in the Fit I got to where I pretty much refused to take it on longer trips. Maybe it needs new shocks or maybe I'm just getting more "mature" ( :lol:) in my search for comfort but the C-Max was a welcome improvement. Certain dimensions may be similar but instead of the "small car" feel of the Fit, the C-Max is more of a "touring sport sedan". The interior is a lot nicer. Better mileage of course.So back to the HRV, I would certainly buy it over a Fit (I like crossovers), but over a C-Max? For me, no way.

So that's what's in the plastic bag! Mine has the ball inflater plus a red plastic nozzle for, I assume, floats and such. Don't see how that brings it to $280. ;)

Great mileage and a nice comparison! We know there were some changes made to 2014s to improve mileage - can't recall hearing about any specific 2015 changes. Some questions for curiosity sake: Did the 2013 ever have the "mileage upgrade" performed (came out in Aug 2013)? Are the numbers from the dash readouts or figured from pump gallons? Any A/C use?My son and I hiked Mt Washington some years back - stayed overnight at Lakes of the Clouds Hut. What an incredible experience! Would love to do it again but its hard to juggle work schedules, reservations and, oh yes, the weather!

IMO you are much better off with a separate can of sealant you can buy anywhere at low cost. I, like a dummy, mixed up the hoses first time I used it and shot sealant into a bicycle tire. :rant2: And of course 12V tire pumps are cheap enough. I do like the TMK's pump though - it has worked well so far (for other things!).

We should all just switch to the following units: SPEED Furlongs/Fortnight (60 mph = 161,280 fpf) :shift: FUEL ECONOMY Furlongs/Firkin (47 mpg = 4061 fpf) :drool: Oh dear, abbreviations are the same but who cares - no more confusing than what we have now! ;)

Finally checked transmission cooling line temperatures (using all the great info here). Conditions had been about 1.5 hours driving at 65 mph and 80F+/- ambient with some hills so in/out of EV regularly. Stopped and felt the lines. "Hot" one was quite warm but could keep my finger on it - other was much cooler, perhaps almost ambient. Wild guess of 30F difference at least. No OBDII data this time.

Thanks for the pictures but why do you say that? The text under the picture says "The transmission fluid pump is turned by the input shaft and circulates transmission fluid through the transmission for lubrication and through an oil-to-air cooler ... for transmission cooling. The transmission fluid pump only operates when the engine is running." (emphisis added). Sounds like the engine needs to run for lubrication.

And the price? One guy "wrapped" his whole car in duct tape - I'm sure it was much cheaper (not sure about color choices though)! That Ikon stuff does give you some options. Solid chrome might be cool but I'd probably go for a wood grain! Let's see, walnut burl, quarter sawn oak, zebrawood, - could be a tough decision.

No, I'm not concerned for several reasons: I expect to run it until the resale value is "negligible" anyway Another "gas crisis" could double the resale value "overnight". (Of course I hope it doesn't happen - I lived through it 40 years ago and it wasn't fun.) I don't expect significant battery failures - see below.I don't mean to belittle the concern but this whole thing about hybrid (and BEV) batteries wearing out or failing and leaving the car worthless has taken on the nature of an urban legend. Some items to consider: Ford has published a graph projecting a 20% capacity reduction after 300k miles. The battery is hardly "worn out" with 80% capacity remaining. In fact, in a hybrid, I doubt you could tell the difference - might loose 1 mpg or so. In a BEV you would loose 20% of your possible range, it is true. But why is the car "worthless"? If your 250 mile Tesla now only goes 200 on a charge, I'll be glad to come pick it up! Give you $1000 to boot! (Even if the above number is only 150k miles, its still not a concern.) There should be no reason that most "failed" batteries can't be repaired. If the HV contactor goes bad, one cell goes open circuit, etc, just get it repaired. No need to replace the whole thing. People have been repairing the packs in the "original" Honda Insight for years. If your ICE blows a head gasket, you don't drop in a new engine - you replace the gasket. As time goes on there will, sadly, be more and more good battery packs available from wrecking yards. It is in a very protected location and should survive well. Obviously, cost will be much less then new.My expectation is that hybrids will reach "end of life" mostly for reasons similar to conventional cars - as opposed to battery specific issues. (P.S. Was just about to "Post" when raadsel beat me - sorry for any repetition.)

55 mph - back to the "National" speed limit! Boy, was that a drag. I drive a lot of 55 mph roads but not all. But it would help the MPGs! So why not switch to synthetic ATF and forget about temp? Also, should we always force an ICE start first thing to get the tranny lubricated? Must the ICE run to thoroughly lubricate the transmission or just to pump fluid through the cooler? As to "theories", was the change from 62 to 85 mph EV linked to the improved bearing (or whatever it was)?

Hardly, we're past 68k with the original (IIRC!). Don't know what it looks like - can't see it! Changed the engine filter awhile back and it was so clean even the dealer said I should put it back in! Of course for the cabin I mostly use "Recirc" - there's not much air outside of The Enterprise!

Oh yes, the transmission. I'm a bit concerned there as I'll be out of warranty in a year, I assume my car pre-dates the fix, I expect to go 250k and certainly don't want to pay for a new tranny. A transmission fluid analysis just might be worth it.

Yes, but I'd like a way to do it myself on an ongoing basis at low cost (after any initial equipment purchase). The full lab reports give lots of information but for the price, I could buy synthetic oil and a "good" filter and just go ahead and change.

I was assuming you would need to take out a sample. Perhaps check when its new and then start checking every month or so after you reach 10k. This article describes how it was done in a lab using a solvent that makes a reading possible. (Solvent is Isopropyl Alcohol, Toluene, & Water.) We don't need accurate lab analysis, just something consistent enough to show a trend. I certainly don't think you would need a fancy "titrator". Any amount of data would be better than the zero amount we have now. We don't change tires that way - go X miles and change, no matter what! We measure the tread - real data.

Well, well, learn something new everyday! There have been times when I started off in EV with high SOC and after a short time the ICE started when I was SURE I hadn't topped out the blue bar. Considering my route, it is easy to see hitting 34 mph at that point. Thanks, Paul.