ScubaDadMiami

Do they make smaller carriers, something that would just hold the tire? What do you do about getting access to inside the liftgate? Is it a pain to install and remove the carrier (heavy, etc.)?

It takes a while to become better at driving the C-MAX, and fuel economy will improve as the car breaks in. It also depends on terrain and speed, so those factors could be impacting your numbers.

I got my C-MAX at the very end of May. Loving it. Great fuel economy, holds lots of stuff in the back, love the technology. I have a feeling that we will be hearing about your new C-MAX, very soon! ;)

Today and tomorrow are the two busiest days of the year for work. So, I only had the chance to post a blurb about this on Saturday. I had the liftgate update done this past Saturday. (My C-MAX came with 3.5.1 already. Nothing other than the liftgate scheduled, and paperwork reflects only liftgate update performed.) When I left the dealership, there was absolutely a change in the EV characteristics of my MAX. In particular, I was now able to go from stopped to as much as 45 mph in all EV, where I used to have to carefully accelerate to about 15 or 20 in EV, when ICE would typically kick in. I drove my usual route today. There are definitely changes in how my C-MAX works. I am not really seeing any changes in overall FE numbers. (Too soon to tell.) It's just that the algorithm of how to drive the car has shifted. It seems to drive more like a normal car while getting about the same FE. It's almost like it is in EV+ all of the time, allowing acceleration in cases where ICE would already have kicked in, previously. I'll do the regular route a few more times before being fully convinced, but I am not crazy. I am NOT crazy. I AM NOT CRAZY! :headspin: Something's up.

I only wish that there were aftermarket kits available. I'd like to have a sportier look that might improve fuel economy. On the other hand, I am no engineer, and I am not going to go to the point of fabricating components.

I just had this done on Saturday. I have tried about four times, each after several hours of vehicle sleep. Worked 100 percent of the time.

Does the fact that the gear is stowed so far to the rear cause the back of the MAX to sag? Is there a minimalist type of carrier like this that would be suitable for carrying a spare tire? I plan on driving cross-country. So, I wouldn't want the carrier for daily driving, just for when I would want to have a spare. Did it kill your FE? :spend:

I think that Riddley is getting at it. In a lot of ways, it may not make much difference for numbers. However, I think that these changes will enhance the performance of the car for the driver, making the experience better, and the car easier to drive. For some styles of driving, there will also be bigger FE improvements. My guess is that this will happen for people that are "just driving."

I just got the liftgate update. While getting this done, I also had my Synch Specialist session. He said that they are expecting the system to install in about September or so.

We're all awaiting the news. :mail:

:lol: Actually, even singles would love to have this feature. I hate it when the guy at the carwash, or at the dealership, ends out moving the seat waaayyyy back, and changes everything. If the C-MAX had a seat memory feature, I wouldn't sweat so much when I see people getting ready to move my seat. :sad:

Two days ago, a guy passed me in a non-hybrid, and he had them across the top of his roof line. mtb, if you are unsure if they are helping, why do you love them? Is it just for the style? Any pics?

I tried ICE High today. I got up to about 70 mph, charged the battery, and went into Eco Cruise. I tapped down to about 67 mph. When I went to Engage, I could see a little EV going off and on while ICE remained on the entire time. The SOC would mostly show up arrow, though it would switch back to no arrow or down arrow. Would this be it? I wasn't thrilled with the FE I was getting under these conditions. I was watching my Average slowly ticking down over the course of my trip, though it was taking place slowly. To top the day off, I went for my liftgate update, today. When they returned the C-MAX, the air conditioning was set to max, and I had lost about 2 mpg from the tank. To make matters worse, I then sat in the parking lot with my Synch Specialist, running ICE in this 90+F heat, while we had our appointment. I left the house with 50.3 Average, and I returned home with 46.5, and I am now down to the last quarter of the tank. No 700+ Mile Club for You! :nonono:

Just to add to the rumors, I had my Synch Specialist appointment today. He said that they will likely have an update by about October. I would imagine that this is the type of person that would be considered to be in the know about these kinds of things, since that is all he does all day. They must be selling a lot of these units, as he showed me his calendar for the month, and it looked like he had six appointments a day, six days a week.

I just got my liftgate update today. I'll report back with the results. I want to check when there has been a long sleep, before I confirm the fix. Okay, maybe I am crazy, but I think that there has been a change in the way that the hybrid/ICE algorithm is working since getting the update. (I only had the liftgate update, not 3.5.1. My C-MAX came with 3.5.1, but was sent from the factory just days before the liftgate fix.) The electric motor will now stay operating, so long as there is enough charge, for acceleration from stop to the speed limit--at least in the case of city driving. Before, I could coax the speed up to about 15 miles per hour, and then ICE would kick in. Now, it almost acts like EV+. I'll know better after going on my typical route on Monday. Just wanted to give you the latest.

Adair, I sure hope that this is the clue that you have been missing, and that you can finally get your issue fixed!

Wow, sorry to hear about this. I hope I never have to go through something like this. Please let us know how it works out.

The only thing I would consider keeping would be some news and talk stuff, if for the right price. I'll just take a journey back to listening to sound quality of AM radio with bad reception.

I'd go for that, for sure!

I stream through Bluetooth, and the sound is night-and-day superior to Sirius. I've had Sirius--with great quality--on a prior vehicle. Unless they make it almost impossible to resist, no way am I renewing at the end of the free trial. I could be convinced to keep some of the talk and news stuff, for the right price. It will sound like poor quality AM radio, but that could be good enough for long trip sanity.

I will. Sometimes, my smart phone switches formats, without me doing anything. That produces a poor result.

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I think a lot of it is the pumps at the gas stations. Costco seems to maintain their pumps well, and I noticed that the fill, per the pump and per the fuel used according to the C-MAX, were virtually identical. The gas gauge does not track perfectly. I definitely notice that the last part of the tank drains quickly.

I am willing to bet that the capability has always been there; it's just been a matter of testing to make sure that the changes wouldn't fry the batteries, or some equivalent. Probably, they concluded longer range testing, and they can now unleash the full capability of the batteries without damage. Some of the other enhancements are also the result of testing over longer terms, like warm up, etc. Just a guess. I don't know anything special.

With the new upgrade, higher speeds sound like they will get better. BTW, I run air conditioner at all times. So, that will improve with the new upgrade, too.