SnowStorm

So could I just measure the pH? When it starts dropping change the oil. What kind of pH meter would it take? I've been using 5W-20 Mobil-1 and the Change Oil warning just popped up. Could be a fun experiment.

As I understand it the compressor is variable speed so doesn't need to cycle on and off. "Everything" is going with variable speed compressors - its just more efficient. Since the C-Max needs an electric powered compressor, its "easy" to have variable speed. If you set MyView to show Climate power you can see what it is doing. For low power draw I always use Recirculate, temperature at 77F, fan cranked up as far as I can stand the noise and all unused vents closed. When A/C is first turned on the Climate power can go to 3 or 4 bars (supposedly 3000 to 4000 watts) but after the system stabilizes it drops to about 300 watts. With temperatures over 90F and fan up pretty far it might be 500 watts. Amazing! Its by far the best automotive A/C I've every had.

But when its running its doing "double duty" driving the car and charging the HVB at the same time. But it should come out to less wear overall, and I agree, synthetic should be good for more than 10,000 miles. At least I hope so! I always go over, sometimes quite a bit. ;)

Or use the "reciprocal" equation (assuming distances are the same!) where: Average MPG = 2 / [(1 / MPG1) + (1 / MPG2)] = 2 / [1/400 + 1/25] = 47 If distances aren't the same, find total gallons and total miles and compute as done above. Or move to Canada and use L/100km which can be averaged "normally" (same distances) without any mathematical gymnastics.

My 2013 SE (no MFT or PTS) occasionally changes mysteriously as well. I normally have temp gauge on right and either Tach or Climate/Acc power on left. Today I drove for a good while with Climate on left (watching my A/C power), stopped (car off) for a few minutes, started back up and left had switched to Tach. I just switch it back to what I want and assume its some stupid "bug". No idea if there is any pattern.

I would love an NRG but I've driven plenty of scenarios where a smart hill algorithm would avoid a lot of friction brake waste in my "Non-Plugin-NRG"! The algorithm would use altitude data and may also benefit from "real world" speed data for each curve (not speed limits). I would venture to say that the 0.5 kWh "available capacity" in the "hybrid" is enough to eliminate present friction brake usage on most hills/mountains if the SOC was managed properly. Or have a "No Charge From ICE" button that would stop the ICE from charging the HVB until you started descending or started braking a lot. It would be distinctly different from EV+. With a bit of experience you would know when to hit the button on the way up. However, as I've noted before, I doubt all these improvements would make hardly any difference in overall MPG (for most folks anyway) - but it would be "neat".

Has any unrelated feature changed with all that re-programming - like the Lifetime MPG/EV Miles screen on power down being removed? Did they test your 12V battery and if so, what was the result? As I experiencd recently, the "problem" can be happening without you knowing it if the voltage is still high enough to "start" the car. In my case the battery was down to 8.x volts but it still started. I only knew it was so low because my voltage alarm was going off. Of course these deep discharges are hard on the battery.

Life would be so simple - with a pure BEV!

Here's the EV+ patent. Read away to your heart's content! No more questions need be asked!

"welcome to the asylum" :lol: Hey, I'd rather be a "crazy" C-Maxer than a "sane" (a.k.a brain-dead!) ICE-ager! :lol2: When I 1st saw the "EV ICE Warn-Up" happening I thought something was wrong! SOC kept dropping to almost "zero" (didn't know about display versus actual back then) with a down arrow. This was a long time ago - don't know that it was associated with any upgrade. Now I think it is a fantastic feature - keep load off the ICE when it first starts (cold) in order to let everything get oiled up before the load hits. I've always heard stuff about how most engine wear happens on cold starts and how you should drive real easy at first, etc. Now our cars do it for us! Should go a long way to extend engine life. Thank you Ford!

You should be able to if the serial numbers don't match! As to phone calls, mine average about 25 cents. 10 cents a minute. $8.33 a month.

Very nice! Does your car sit outside overnight or is it garaged?

Welcome and some more comments: As mentioned, don't worry about acceleration - let ICE run. I like using ECO Cruise acceleration where, once a cruising speed has been set, you can accelerate manually to 20+ mph, tap Resume and let the car accelerate smoothly back to speed. It will do so at "2 bars" on the gauge. The rate is descent and its probably about as efficient as you can get. Totally agree that many of us would like some manual control in certain terrain. However, the car is so far ahead of conventional ICE that we shouldn't get frustrated when we know more than the car does. Practice makes perfect. I often go over a mountain - 3 miles up, 5 miles down. If I don't have a low SOC at the top, there won't be room for the excess energy going down. At first I tried dropping back to EV too early - car would slow too much, would have to speed back up with ICE, SOC goes back up, etc - got quite frustrated with the whole thing. Eventually learned to wait to almost the top - it only takes a few tenths of a mile to burn off the excess SOC by riding the EV limit - car slows down some - then burn a bit more SOC getting back up to speed as I start down. Can now do it fairly well (traffic permitting). You may be able to develop the techniques to get to the top of that hill with low SOC. Smart algorithms to leverage elevation data shouldn't cost "thousands". The car already has a GPS receiver (even without "navigation" option). All it needs is a "map" of altitude data and some programming. A complete stand-alone GPS with receiver, processor, maps, even a display doesn't cost $100. In the end though, the improvement in overall MPG would be very small. But I agree, a "Drain HVB" button would be nice. The mode could drop out automatically with the right algorithm.

Well I must say, "good show"! Another example of the C-Max hitting 47 mpg in real world driving. I'm wondering: How fast were you going when getting 50 mpg with constant high SOC? I've only been able to do this at 55 mph where I get about 52-55 mpg (hard to read on that dinky little bar graph). Our car has never been where there is a really flat interstate for many miles. What were the posted limits? Supposedly they are 70 mph in the east, 75 in LA, 85 in TX. For those speeds, 47 mpg is very impressive. I guess those 2014 aero mods really do help!Let us know what you get on the return trip.

Our "Important Service Notice" (15B04 CSP) arrived today for our 2013 SE built mid April 2013. I've been wondering though - we had no problem for 16 months during which time I didn't have Bluetooth turned on in my phone. Then it got turned on for some reason and the car would go blabbing away about it it every time I got in. Since I rarely use the phone I turned bluetooth back off. But it was during this short period of time that it was on that the battery went "dead". Does anyone have any evidence that the problem is related to having an active bluetooth connection when the car is turned off? Just a crazy theory.

Maybe not C-Maxes but there were hybrids long before then! And no transmission problems either! (But I won't comment on the unsprung weight!)

If you folks had settled for the "lowly" SE (without MFT!), you would have this great storage area right up-front-center! Holds our GPS receiver, glasses, wallet, phone, and occasional pen - even "pocket change" (in a change purse). Amazingly, it stays clean as we rarely leave stuff up there. This "poor mans" dash was one of the reasons we wanted the SE. Saved us the $12.59 plus about $3,000 for SEL! Must admit though that the "FORD ESCAPE KUGA ARMREST SECONDARY STORAGE BOX PALLET CENTER CONSOLE" does look nice but may take a stab at making one from a piece of polished walnut - gotta get some real wood in this car somehow!

I have some hope the 15B04 CSP is a real fix at last. The frustrating part of this problem is that there can be such a long time between failures. We went 16 months between problems. I wouldn't assume though, that the problem is directly related to the car being a hybrid - more likely because it was a new model with lots of new stuff (more chance for problems). Hope your dealer update goes well and congratulations on the "silver".

Well, that sounds like a salesman. As great as it is, the C-Max is not an SUV like the Escape. It can haul stuff but still needs: Higher ground clearance Towing ability All wheel drive option Spare tireI hope Ford comes up with several options for the new hybrid(s). Perhaps a small "highest mileage" hatchback, a sedan (e.g. Fusion), something like the C-Max and a "true" SUV. All should have the battery integrated under the floor so you get full cargo space. There should be two or three battery size options and all should be "plug-in" (why not?). Then there would be a real reason to use EV+!

So is there any way to tell when the "fix" was implemented? There's only 34k miles left on my warranty - I don't want to replace a transmission on the way to 250k miles! Paul, did your paperwork break out labor cost versus parts?

If you get a used 2014, make sure its VIN is on the list to have the 15B04 CSP (Consumer Satisfaction Program) update done. That is the latest fix for dead batteries. We have an SE (liked the dash better and didn't want all the MFT stuff) and the Pano roof which we love. You mentioned an aftermarket roof so I'm assuming you want one that opens (I didn't, so the Pano was perfect). I haven't heard of anyone putting one one in so don't know what might be involved. Check out the Ford extended warranty options (but shop around). If you don't plan on going past 100k miles you can easily have everything covered the whole time. I guess I would be leaning toward new so you get all the latest upgrades and can easily get options and warranty the way you want.

Notes from my experience: Have had the "cupping" problem on both our Honda Fit and now the C-Max (but tires are at 65k+ miles). Normal rotation where backs swap with fronts can help but it takes thousnads of miles after you rotate for significant improvement. May sound worse initially after rotation. My tire dealer says that the undriven tires are subject to cupping and tires should be rotated every 5000 miles to prevent it. (I seriously doubt there is any "problem" with our tires.) My tires are noisy enough that one passenger asked if I was running snow tires! My tires are also wearing more on the inside edges - and this is where you see the cupping. After my recent alignment I have decided that installing adjustable upper rear control arms are needed to reduce the camber (not adjustable now). Tires appear to tip in too much at top (although technically within spec) which creates wear on inside edge. Have read that Focus owners have had a similar problem. I suspect that this excesive camber (?) is agrevating the cupping issue. I can have them reverse mounted for $60 but would rather not have the problem at all. (I am not a tire expert!)Has anyone had experience installing any adjustable control arms - C-Max or Focus? Any suggestions?

I have noticed the EV- mode (continue running on HVB for a short time after ICE starts) for quite a while. When I first noticed it I thought something was wrong. It seems like a great way to start an ICE & extend its life - keep torque low until everything is well lubricated.

Not a waste of time! Had our third "dead" battery problem this morning but, thanks to the alarm, it was only down to 8.1 volts instead of 2 or 3. Heard the beeper going off when I got up. Door unlocked OK but there were no dash/display lights and outside/courtesy lights were dim. Car started OK and I let it run to charge battery. We had driven 4+ hours the day before and without rain. A few short trips today were no problem and seems to be holding OK at 12.4 volts. This instance highlights again how you can have "the problem" without knowing it because the battery is still high enough to "start" the car. But 8 volts is beyond "fully discharged". Last dead battery was 16 months ago! 15B04 - here we come!

Respond? Over my dead body! :lol: The C-Max has 4 big pluses: Gas mileage Performance/handling "Inside the car" experience - build quality & technology SUV like body - higher seating, easy entry, room to haul stuffYou can get two or three of the above items in lots of vehicles but what else gives all 4 like the C-Max? Now there are plenty of reasons us "older" folks like all 4 above items: We went through the "gas crisis" (and seem more attuned to saving money) We were teenagers through the 60s - big V-8s, 4 barrel carb's, 4-on-the-floor, birth of the pony cars, etc. Sure, "everybody" likes performance but when you grew up with it all around you, it just seems "right" (even if you didn't have it at the time!). We may have a bit more money for this stuff. The C-Max is the most expensive car we've ever purchased - 50x my first car. Less mobility. Do lots of projects that require hauling stuff around. Youngsters are too content with video games and social media.