jmckinley

I experimented with alanstri's ideal of manually overriding the shift interlock to get the trans in neutral without turning the vehicle on. I seems to work just fine and isn't difficult to do once you ignore the owner's manual which seems to think the override lever is on the passenger side instead of really on the driver's side. This could be because the C Max was orginally produced in England and the Owner's Manual just didn't get fixed. To make it easier to override the interlock, I tied a nylon string to the white lever so I can just pull on it. Later I may drill a hole in the console and lead the string outside the console just above the parking brake. For now, I think I will just lift off the shifter boot plate and yank on the string. If towing a lot, I'll probably secure the string to hold the override lever back full time. My compliments to alanstri for figuring out where the lever was.

I'm in Ohio, between Dayton and Cincinnati. Yesterday's trip was from Dayton to Louisville on I-71. Bad news on the KY part of the journey. Last night on the way back an F-150 4x4 was on my butt up to 90 when I pulled over. Then he slowed back down to 70 which was what I was doing to begin with. And that was just one of them.

After three months now, the harassment and tailgating is getting worse. 350 mile trip yesterday, all interstate, and they were all over me. Didn't matter whether I was driving 65 or 85. I'm seriously thinking about prying off the Hybrid badge.

I don't think so. I'm not happy with my mileage (Consistently 35mpg, every tank for 5000 miles) even though I am driving painfully conservatively. For the extra weight and the extra money, this car is not worth it. And that's not even getting into the worthless NAV system and the mysterious battery problems. Should have bought a CRV.

I installed new bulbs in the outer taillights Plenty of room in there for the socket of your choice. I used 3157 which seemed to fit the best of the ones I looked at. I'm going to install a charge line before next trip. Too much hassle recharging the battery every day and it's too hard on the 12v battery.

I didn't run a charge line to the C Max because I was afraid of weird electrical interactions between the motorhome system and the car. After dragging this thing around for 3,300 miles and having to hook up the battery booster who knows how many times, I'm going to go on and install a charge line. After being run down about 30 times, I'm sure my 12V battery is ruined so i'm going to try to get Ford to replace it, hopefully with the larger version.

I've just about had my fill of the Nav system. It is so incredibly dysfunctional, user unfriendly and inaccurate we have just about quit using it on our continuing trip around the southwest and southeast. So far it has run the whole gamut of malfunctions: 1)Refusing to believe we are actually on the road and not out in a field or in the ocean. 2)Continually whining about "Entering Area of Incomplete Map Data" 3)Inaccurate maps in places like San Antonio on 300 year old streets, not something built last year. 4)Mysteriously sending us up blind alleys or just plain wrong streets on several occasions. 5)Mysteriously changing its mind in mid route and inventing a new route. Cost us 10 miles today. This is related to #1 above. Do not drive your car anywhere near inner city areas depending on the FordNav to get you out. We've seen some scary stuff on this trip in San Antonio, Little Rock, Atlanta and Nashville when we got directed inaccurately. Yesterday, for example, FordNav believed the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library was located in someone's backyard at the end of a pretty shaky dead end street. Fortunately Garmin saved the day and directed us to the right place which in fact wasn't in anybody's back yard. And you don't want to even hear about the route FordNav dreamed up to get us from Senoia, GA (where they film Walking Dead) to Atlanta. Since it never believed we were on the actual road, it kept coming up with weird routes to get us back on pavement. We cannot trust this thing and carry our Garmin so we can be guaranteed a route home. And, by the way I get free map updates 4 times a year on the Garmin. So far on this trip we have never gotten an "Incomplete Map Data" warning on the Garmin despite being in areas FordNav was confused about. This Ford piece of junk is not even close to the capability and user friendliness of the back up Garmin I bought at Target for $80, let alone the more deluxe model I bought for $129. When we get back from this trip, I'm taking it to the dealer and demanding a free map update. It is absolutely ridiculous for this car to be delivered new with outdated maps.This won't, however, fix the accuracy problem which I suspect is the real root of most difficulties with this unit.

Whoops, I just had a really scary thought. If the cooling pump needs to run when being towed, then what happens after the battery pukes after 150 miles. No pump after that. If it's really needed, then my trans is probably already trash since it has been towed probably 1,000 miles with the battery dead.

Wow! Scary thought on the transmission cooling pump needing to run while towing. This needs an experiment. My ScanGuage monitors transmission temperature on my motorhome, so I suspect it will do the same when hooked to the C Max. It also records a max temperature for the day or since reset. So a tow with ignition in accessory position and then a repeat with the manual interlock tripped and ignition off should reveal a possible transmission temperature difference. Now who wants to volunteer to run the experiment? We need someone with a C Max, a motorhome and a ScanGuage and some free time.

Not a bad plan. Hadn't thought of manually getting it into neutral. I think the steering would be unlocked in your scenario so can't see any reason why it wouldn't work. If it does, then with a little ingenuity we should be able to find an easy way to move the little white lever without pulling the shift boot each time. Maybe just a small hole drilled in the right place in the console would allow actuating the lever without taking anything apart. Been towing mine for six weeks now, over 3,000 miles, and the 150 mile limit continues, probably shrinking as the battery gets more distressed from being run down over and over again. I think you did the right thing with the air duct and energy adsorbing panel. I followed Roadmaster's instructions completely and now wish I had of worked on the duct more so it could be left in place and be mostly functional. I hate to pull the big plastic front end off and redo it but I may get to it when I have a free afternoon.

Regarding the Stanley Simple Start, it works great for starting my C-Max after towing behind my motorhome. After two hours towing the the battery is down to 8 volts and nothing works. Usually only takes about 5 minutes charging with Stanley before it will start. The rear outlet in the luggage area, by the way, is the only one that will work to charge when the battery is dead.

Now if we can find the secret code to disable the restrictions on using some Nav functions while moving. It would give DW something to to and help a lot when in unfamiliar territory. People have discovered the trick for some other cars. It's in there somewhere, we just have to find it.

I did post this on IRV2 forum. Only one other guy over there with a C-Max and he is wintering somewhere so isn't towing much. No doubt when he heads north he will experience this phenomenon. Once again, thanks to whoever posted about the Stanley Simple Start. About the size of a hardback book and works like a champ to wake up the electrical system. I have no idea if it would actually start a regular car, but it's just right for the C-Max. Also fits in the rear storage under the floor or in the storage compartments behind the front seats. Don't leave home without one.

Oh yeah, I forgot - I no longer lock the doors while towing. Too much grief digging out the metal key, etc, to unlock the doors when the battery inevitably runs down.

Just an update on towing this thing. Two weeks traveling now, 3 hours seems to be about the limit before the battery gives up. Today, I towed about 2.5 hours and it started fine at a rest stop. Ran the engine a bit to stir up tranny lube and recharge battery. Later, after 1.5 more hours driving, it was dead. Something strange going on here, no doubt. Re previous poster's question, I haven't talked to Lord Motor Company re what fuses to pull. Probably a waste of time trying to track someone down who actually would know what to do.

Towing update - After being on the road a week, it appears that towing more than 3 hours kills the battery and it won't start. Don't really know what to do right now, but I will probably add a simple battery shutoff when I get home in a few weeks. For now, the Stanley Simple Start is worth its weight in gold. Haven't checked the voltage yet, but it appears that the battery isn't all that low. Just a few minutes on the Stanley and all is well so I doubt that the battery is completely drained. Just guessing right now. I'm reluctant to add a charge line from the coach for fear of some kind of weird interaction between the car system and the motor home system. That fear is what led me to install separate bulbs in the tail lights, wired direct to the motorhome instead of the usual diode system. No connection to the coach at all.

Son of a gun! Now you tell me. I just tried that and it works like a charm. Thanks for the tip. Towed again today, no problems when I started it at the end of the drive. Maybe I just left something on the other time.

I've towed mine about 750 miles this week. Tows fine, nothing burned up so far. Mine is an SEL, so I just put it in neutral and push the button to shut it off. But - here's the rest of the story: *Towed 160 miles, unhooked it, it started fine. *Next day, towed another 160 miles, unhooked, started fine the next morning. *Next day, towed 180 miles, stopped for lunch, started it up to circulate fluids, no problem. *Same day, after 160 more miles, unhooked, no start, battery apparently dead. Hooked up Stanley Simple Start and after about 1 minute, it started fine. And, here's a caution note. Battery dead, doors wouldn't open of course, so I pried out the metal key to manually unlock the doors. Problem is, the emergency key doesn't really have a head on it and was impossible for me to turn with my bare hands. Luckily, lots of tools in the motor home so pliers did the trick. By the way, Simple Start was on sale at Menard's for $19.00. Regular $40. Glad I picked one up. Don't leave home without some sort of emergency start gizmo if you drive a C-Max.

No one knows where the jacking points are. It's a secret. You don't get a jack anyway.

"This is a common issue to Nav systems in general." I don't think so. I've had a bunch of Garmins (they use NavTeq maps) and with the exception of the occasional actual brand new street, it never says "area of incomplete map coverage". And, my trusty refurb 2595 ($109) includes lifetime map updates 4 times a year. As others have said, I will be carrying my Garmin with me as backup.

125 watts on the model 9 seems a little low to me. Might not get the job done if temp was in the teens.

My sales person called the other day and asked what I was getting. She had a customer who had heard the rumors and was calling her C-Max customers to see what they were getting. I told her 38 was about as good as it gets for most people. I told her to check Fuelly for more data.

OK, I'm puzzled. Why should my car use more gas with the heater on? With a gasoline engine, heat is free. In fact it is something to get rid of thru the radiator. Why would I use more gas using the engine's waste heat to heat the interior instead of heating the air passing through the radiator?

A few days ago I was about a mile from my destination and the streets started to get confusing. Right when I most needed guidance, the Nav system announced "Entering area of incomplete map coverage"!!. Where was I going? A brand new mall, a new subdivision, some new town as yet unmapped, the wilderness of Alaska? Nope? I was going to the Kentucky State Capital building, completed in 1910!!!!! I guess whoever Lord Motor Company uses for maps needs about 103 years to get "Complete Map Coverage".

As promised, today I drove from Near Dayton, OH to Louisville, KY on I-71, 150 miles. Ambient temp ~32 degrees. Eco cruise set to to 70 mph on the way there, mpg = 35.2. Return trip Eco Cruise set to 65 mph (very scary on 70 mph speed limit road) - mpg = 34.6. Hot damn, almost down to Focus mileage according to Fuelly.