obob
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Posts posted by obob
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There is some additional height available but I am not sure how much. I recall a member using cable chains in the snow driving to a ski mountain without a problem. There might be something in the manual about this. I vaguely remember cable chains are OK but full height chains are not. I personally own a set of cable chains but have not needed them. (Though I did install them on one tire to see how hard it was going to be.)
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On 7/8/2021 at 7:43 PM, grege said:
Car finally back after one week (and sketchy service and "lost" parts). Car bought new and now has ~32,000 miles. Surprised to see one inspection item report rear brakes AOK while front brake pads are 4/32" and recommend replacing. With regen braking and only 32,000 miles, front brakes have worn quicker than any other new vehicle I've owned? Will need to visually check that in a few days, but disconcerting to read that while at the same time dealer reports all pads and rotors should be replaced due to rust. Um, if rotor surfaces are rusted, then there's obviously not much pad contact and pads should not be worn much, right?
Greg
If you can check your lifetime braking stats that would be a good indicator of whether the 4/32 is deserved. If the stats are good then the car mostly uses the back brakes just for 5 to 0 mph.
At around 50K my brake stat was something like 95% and the back linings where getting low though still legal and the fronts where looking really good. The rotors were looking grooved like SnowStorm mentioned. I ended up replacing the linings and rotors myself. Parts were cheap off of ebay.
My mechanic doesn't get picky about the grooves though I can see how that could be a problem with some places and I was concerned he eventually would. Actually the contact is still somewhat full because the linings have similar grooves that fit to the rotor.
The cupping of the rear tires has been very frustrating and "evening the wear" through rotation has been noisy and irritating to me. My latest tire purchase I decided to just not rotate the tires and see how that works out. I haven't driven enough to say whether it was a good idea. I kind of assumed the newer C-Max would have less tilt on the back wheels because it seems like a big design defect.
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Dry the area really well. (perhaps put a fan in there and let car run with heater on). Lay down paper or cardboard or something that will allow better detection of the way of entry. Perhaps stuff paper towels in places the water could come down to also detect source. You might consider changing shoes on rainy or snowy days to control your putting water in there.
It probably is a good idea to dry it well for once mildew gets started it is hard get rid of the smell.
I left my windows open and had a lot of water come into the car. The compartment on the back seat floor had an inch of water and the seats were soaked. I left 2 fans and a dehumidifier in there for 3 days to dry it out. ( I am hardly driving these days. )
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I changed my brakes on all four wheels. A year ago when state inspected was told rear brakes were low and I got them to pass it. There was uneven wear on one side so one lining was getting thin but the rotors were pretty bad. I thought it was due to the hybrid braking but looking at videos on the Ford Focus, the deterioration looks similar. I decided to do the fronts too so I did not have to deal with the mechanics not passing something. I probably could have gotten by with just one rotor in the front. Linings were like 60%. I am glad I did it if just for the fact of becoming aware of the stuck on wheel in the front (see #1) (55,500 miles, 2013 C-max, parked outside)
Thoughts for people that are considering doing brakes themselves.
1. One of the front wheels was rusted on. (WD40 did not help enough.) I ended up needing to use the new style brake piston compressor as a spreader in aiding to break it off. I pushed off the spokes of the wheel as close as I could get to the center. I am now leaving the essential parts of the piston compressor in the car in case I need to change tire and can't get it off. ( I have a spare.) I did put some silicon grease on the wheel that might help and sanded the rusty areas.
( I did some thinking and some research afterwards. One youtube video showed hitting the rim and tire with a rubber coated sledgehammer. And then mentioned if that doesn't work, with loosened lugs nuts drive in a circle. I like that idea if the spreader didn't work. What usually works for me is kicking the tire. With spreader the kick worked.)
2. Used a brick to break the rotor off. A hammer just wasn't heavy enough.
3. I bought rotors and pads for both wheels off ebay for around $100.
4. I am getting older and I used a written rear brake change plan to make sure I didn't miss something. I probably should have done that for the fronts. (Forgot to put on a clip, needed to take wheel off again. It took me about twice as long as I thought it would.
5. A torque socket T45 is needed. The rest is pretty standard metric sockets, small extension, breaker bar.
6. I used some silicon grease and anti cease to lubricate bolts and pads. It may have been better to get brake lube. I actually did not lub all the pads right. I should have looked at where the pads rub and lubed after that. I did use that rubbery quiet stuff on the rear pads and some of the front ones. (another thing I forgot)
7. I looked at videos on youtube for ford focus to do the rears.
8. I bought a brake piston compressor kit that also turns which was needed for the rear brakes. (around $20)
Picture order (front, rear, front wheel that was rusted/corroded stuck)
(Note the rust on the front rotor was because I left it out in the rain after I took it off.)
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Not sure if this is the part but it might be. Maybe this will help you in your decision though I do realize that labor is expensive.
This listing says the part is compatible with 2013-2016
This listing which is less expensive says it is only compatible with 2014 but to me it might be worth an email to verify this for the above one is compatible with 3 years.
I am curious how many miles you have on your car ?
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My cmax SE only has 15k miles. On local interstate highway at about 60 mph there's a loud roaring noise from the rear tires. New to hybrids and first cmax. Has anyone else experienced this issue?
More information would be better ?
When did the sound start and how did it progress.
Sound at other speeds ? Metallic roar or more like a vibration - more understanding of "roar?"
If you look at the tires, is the inside of the tires worn more than the rest of the tires, a sign of cupping.
Have you rotated the tires, and if so how often and how recently ? And how does the sound change with the rotation ?
One common problem, cupping, with earlier C-Maxes that produces sound can be found here.
http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/4109-tire-noise/page-4
I would think cupping of tires is most likely given your low mileage.
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I suppose because of the cyber monday many cards available at $92.
Conoco, BP, Exxon/Mobil, Phillips, Chevron/Texaco, Sunoco, Speedway
Limit 3 - I just got three Sunoco cards
My experience with svmgiftcards, the seller, has been very good and they have 99.7% positive feedback. Be sure this is the seller.
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What does turino mean in this usage?
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My sense is the engineers of this motor/transmission did a great job in a lot of respects as well as other aspects of the design. ( and had a few major bugs that took a little while to iron out, transmission, dead battery, cupping rear tires (which I hope was fixed in later cars but not sure).
I assume the car was still feeling under control at 105.
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deleted ( I just repeated post 28 )
I have had bad brakes and rotors in another car and the brakes actually don't stop as well - they stop like drum brakes in a car going over 95 mph but not as bad (need to press harder). I suspect your car still stops really well.
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"Check out the reliability ... some years tend to be better than others."
2013s tend to have a bad trans that could total your car after 8 years or 100,000 miles from when first sold (as I recall)
2014s and 2015s tend have a better trans but not perfect yet.
2016 and later have a good sound system rather than weird one that as I recall Consumer Report complained about also.
If I were risking my reputation or recommending to a friend, get a 2016 or better.
Get a 2013 only if it is a REALLY REALLY low price or the trans has been replaced.
Get a 2014 or 2015 if it is a very good price.
( Not sure if the cupping problem was lessened in later than 2013 models. I suspect it was for that is some real mis-engineering in my opinion. )
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mine just showed up this morning after a 300km trip yesterday (which i got almost 40mpg on).. i just had my engine oil changed 5000km ago , synthetic , it was in late june.. huh ? i should get at least another 1000 km .. i was planning on doing it soon , but still... the warning never appeared before, i left the oil in from december to june and drove about 9000km (VERY COLD winter), im finding this strange.
If you got the oil changed at a dealer, they should have reset it though sometimes that can get left undone. Not having it reset did happen to me once from a dealer oil change. If you got it done at a non-Ford dealer I wouldn't bet that it was reset but there may be a sticker on the windshield or door indicating when the oil change was done and at what mileage. My understanding is that the oil indicator comes on to allow the oil to be changed once a year or every 10000 MILES or less if a lot of stop and go driving.
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Thanks to all for the advice and thoughts. I’m exploring the idea of finding a used transmission. Got a quote of around $1800. It’s tougher and more expensive to find the VIN C tranny for a 2013. And of course, there’s the challenge of finding a capable mechanic to do the install.
What is the VIN C trans ? I suspect it is a trans that has all the fixes, like the ones in the later 2015's and 2016+.
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... It happened to me with a Toyota trans and with a friend of mine with a Saturn engine.
I may be in a similar position with my 2013 but because of warranty time rather than miles. I did get the extended warranty for the maximum time but it is not that long.
I thought of one other time it happened. My Father's 2000 Honda Accord. That model had known transmission problems. His car was out of warranty, I called Honda for him and told them he was old and 3000-3400 was too much money. After as I recall was more than one call, they offered to pay about half with him paying the labor and I accepted immediately. It might be worth a call to Ford though don't get your hopes up.
I called Toyota to try to do the same thing on my 1999 Sienna but they would not talk to me saying take it to the dealer and the dealer was not helpful though took my money to look at it. Though a rebuilt trans was only going to cost me like 3200 as I recall.
It might also be worth calling Ford to see if they have any rebuilt transmissions or use that they do not have rebuilt transmission as leverage to get Ford to pay some of it. And as other have mentioned, ebay sells used transmissions but getting installation may be challenging. Installing a C-Max trans is a big deal and I would not want someone to do it that hasn't done it before.
- kyledamron1 and ptjones
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This really sucks! A 2013 car with only $107K on it!
Agree. Ford made a costly mistake. It was too expensive to do a recall so they figured it better to just fix the problems that came up within the warranty period knowing that it would likely end the life of a car for the cars with the problem out of the warranty period. By the way, Ford is not the only car company to do this. It happened to me with a Toyota trans and with a friend of mine with a Saturn engine.
I may be in a similar position with my 2013 but because of warranty time rather than miles. I did get the extended warranty for the maximum time but it is not that long.
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For those that don't understand how a Power Split transmission works go to this link and set the sliders in the animation as I describe below for examples of how positive, negative, EV, reverse, and stationary modes work. The rpms shown are based on the Prius transmission. The C-Max rpms will be different but the same principles apply. Also, this diargam is for rpm only and not torque as the motors can supply positive or negative torque irrespective of rotational direction.
Stationary Mode: vehicle is not moving. 1) set the traction motor slider (MG2) to zero mph. 2) move ICE slider up and down. 3) the generator rpm will be positive and the control algorithms will determine whether to charge the HVB by applying the appropriate three phase voltages and frequency to generator (MG1) so that current will flow from the generator to the inverter and then to the HVB. The rotation of MG1 is deemed positive.
Reverse Mode: vehicle is moving in reverse. 1) set the traction motor slider (MG2) to -10 mph. 2) move ICE slider to zero. 3) the generator rpm (MG1) will be positive. The traction motor (MG2) will supply torque to the wheels so the vehicle moves in reverse (negative rpm).
EV Mode: ICE is off and vehicle is being propelled by the traction motor (MG2). 1) set ICE to zero rpm. 2) move MG2 slider up and down above zero rpm. 3) the generator rpm (MG1) will be negative. For the C-Max, the gearing is such that rpm is almost a -1:1 ratio of MG1:MG2 rpm. The control algorithms will use the energy from the HVB to operate MG2.
Positive Split Mode: ICE is on and vehicle is moving. HVB being charged. 1) set ICE rpm slider and traction motor rpm slider (MG2) so that the generator rpm (MG1) is greater than zero. This is positive split mode where the control algoritms determine how much ICE torque is applied to the generator to charge the HVB.
Negative Split Mode: ICE is on, HVB SOC is high (control algorithms won't allow any more charge), and vehicle cruising at higher speed. 1) Set MG2 rpm high (say above 65 mph) to simulate that EV mode would not likely be used. 2) set ICE slider so that MG1 rpm is about zero. 3) now slide ICE rpm lower simulating constant torque but at reduced rpm (more efficient operating point on the BSFC map of ICE). MG1 rpm is negative (physical rotation has changed from positive split mode. The control algorithms will operate MG1 as a motor applying torque to slow down ICE. The traction motor rpm remains constant but may act as a generator to utilize the combined torque of ICE and MG1 or motor if additional torque is required in both cases to maintain speed.
As one can see from my graph in a previous post and the linked demo (despite what Redshift continues to say), the algorithms will switch the physical direction of rotation of the generator extremely quickly via electronics and seamless to the driver for the benefit of operating most efficiently.
I really appreciate this post and the included link. It really takes the mystery out of what is going on. Thanks.
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Since there is no reverses gear, the electric motor DOES reverse. It does not reverse when going down the highway. That would put way too much stress on the electric motors. Notice how Ford stresses in the owner's manual to be at a full stop when switching into reverses or you could damage the tranny.
As I recall someone posted they that accidentally put the transmission in reverse when it was moving forward and nothing happened. The logic is smart enough not to actually do what the driver is trying to do.
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Recently got back from a trip (about 600 miles) of all highway miles, my cmax is only getting 35-38 mpg on a half highway at 70 mph. The tires are aired up to 40 psi all around, just one person in the car, synthetic oil, and I run fuel injector cleaner every few tanks just for the heck of it. I set eco cruise to 70-72 and drive for hours. I am due to change the spark plugs. I hope that helps! Is there anything I can do? Or anything that might be wrong??
Air Conditioner set on recirculate ???
Temp set on highest bearable temp ???
Center grill covers helps to keep the motor at a more optimal temperature.
I set my tires to 50 psi.
It has been a while since I checked the but the last time I used eco-cruise (so no coasting or drafting) on the highway with speed set at 70 using regular gas, as I recall I got 41 mpg.
- ptjones and Tennesseecmax
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Thanks for the tip. I suspect my wife has been babying the throttle to save gas. I guess I can't complain about a $500 repair bill that has been the only one in 4 years.
Did it eliminate the vibration ?
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My father who used to be an auto mechanic would take a car on the road and floor it to blow the carbon out, especially if he knew the customer was really gentle with the car. I have recently started to do something similar. On a trip I make about once a week, toward the end (so the car is already warmed up) there is a long steep hill. I stop at the bottom and then accelerate with about 3.75 bars (before the gauge goes yellow). I use the hill because otherwise I would be going too fast.
I also have been using a fuel injector cleaner twice a year.
It is possible with the way I try to get good mileage carbon does build up. I have posted once about giving the car the gas to make a light before it turns red that smoke comes out the exhaust. That may be releasing carbon build up (though because it is white smoke I suspect it is just a huge fuel to air ratio.
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The Focus Active Hybrid, when it hits next year, should be a better vehicle than the C-max. Word is it should have mpg's in the mid fifties.
Needing a lot of headroom, I did find the Focus an acceptable compromise as far as sedans go(6 years ago). But it did not sit like the C-Max which is more like a mini-van to me sitting-wise - back straight,
nosmaller compromise[left foot position] (my last two "cars" where mini-vans). I suspect the mileage would be similar to the Fusion hybrid but a bit better because it is a probably a lighter car and other improvements. Focus does have a hatchback version which would give the car some of the big box carrying capabilities of the C-Max though probably less depending on where Ford puts the HVB. I would suspect the HVB would still be in the back because the car is already front heavy.Here's an article on the Active (not hybrid)
https://www.motor1.com/news/240665/2020-ford-focus-active-detailed/
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I have a 2014 CMax SEL with about 75000 Kilometers (about 45k miles) on it. I decided to buy out my lease and the car is the best one I have ever owned... far better than Mercedes and the rest. Get about 5.1 Litres per 100 kilometers on it.
1. Anyway, the brake pads all have a significant amount left on them but the rear discs seem to be in worse shape than the front ones which are almost perfect. There is no warping, but on the rears, there seems to be identical score marks on both the left and right discs in the same spot on the radius. I am thinking that perhaps a rivet is coming through?
The only symptom I have is a rotation noise from the rear of one side. I thought it might be a trapped stone, but what are the odds of the same score marks on both sides? No stopping problems and I usually have a brake score of around 95... so it isn't my driving. There is no rotational vibration or any apparent warping on front or rear.
It seems strange to me to require a possible brake job with pads still showing significant life in them.
Any ideas?
2. The second issue is that I will likely need new tires. The only complaint I have about the car is a rather hard suspension when travelling over speed bumps. it could very well be that the 40 PSI that the OE Michelin tires require are tuned for fuel economy and not comfort... like a Tour de France Bike. Secondly, this car seems to have been designed on a Focus platform but with the additional substantial weight of the Hybrid battery without a corresponding adjustment to the suspension which makes it feel like it can bottom out over a speed bump, and, when turning at speed on an overpass, one can feel that all 4 tires are working very hard...
So I am thinking about possibly beefing up the tires when I replace them. As it is they slip on wet surface when I accelerate moderately from a stop due to the electric torque. Can anyone recommend a replacement tire that they have found deals with the above better than the originals without a significant lost of fuel economy?
I would like: slightly softer/ better traction on corners/better wet surface control.
tks for any help!
My advice: don't worry about the rotors. My rear rotors had that scoring after 4000 miles. It may have something to do with the rear brakes mostly being used to brake from 5 mph to 0 mph due to the regenerative braking.
This has been discussed a lot if you feel like looking in other brake threads on this site. There may even be some pictures.
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Parts are around $25/ea side. Actual time to jack up the car, remove wheel, remove 2 bolts, reverse: I agree, easily done in a home garage. Except, for me, at 64, expecting my FIRST hip replacement in 3 weeks, no can do. IIRC, dealership wants .5 hour per corner. WAY too much, IMHO.
Thanks for the advice. I'll let it porpoise for a bit longer!!!
I would be curious how the worn parts look. It would be great if you could access the old parts and take a picture.
Hope your hip operation really works out well for you.
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From viewing the video: Jack both sides up on the unibody. C-max may be different from focus but often there is overlap.
Reading some of the comments from the video, people were buying the Moog stabilizer over cheaper ones on ebay and over Ford OEM. Apparently Moog has a good reputation.
2013 Cmax Energi battery drain due to a pump that stays on(Sounds like Coolant pump)
in General Discussion
Posted
Not sure if this is the same thing but here is a comment of Bill-N about a noise after the engine was off.
From:
I and several others have noticed this. I'm guessing it's the C-Max performing fuel system evaporation leak test(s). These apparently need to be done after the car sits awhile so there is no pressure inside the fuel system. There's some mention of these tests here (http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/491-check-engine-light/page-4) that may help.