For those who have had 12v Battery problems

[plus 3 golfer]

Recent information indicates that Ford engineering thinks the dead battery problem is related to the 4.2" LCD display in the center of the dashboard. 

 

Perhaps the survey could add the questions:  4.2" center LCD display and 8" center LCD display

 

I believe the option packages take care of that.  I believe the 8" comes with package 202a and 203a on the SE.  The SEL and Energi have the 8".  I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. :)

Edited March 22, 2013 by Plus 3 Golfer

[Temp61]

From Ohio

 

More progress.... normal amperage draw from the battery while in sleep mode should be around 18 - 20 milliamps per Service Mgr.   My car is at the dealership hooked up to a Fluke meter where they are measuring a 350 milliamps load after it sits overnight.    This car has all the software updates which corporate thought is the fix.  They are doing a good job and communicating with corporate Ford constantly.   The clicking sound I recorded on my cell phone is under the hood and has been traced  to  a relay which is trying to energize the ABS system that has  a high current load on the battery.   Local dealership is sticking with it and determined to find the cause.  Ford is sending in an engineer to analyse the issue early next week. 

 

At least they have a problem they can see and work on instead of just dead batteries.   Something is waking up one of the computers....perhaps a signal from our new rover on Mars...

[BobJustBob]

Well, today I suffered my second dead battery in less than a week.  My battery was dead when I left work to go home.  So I called Ford Roadside Assistance, and the same guy who jumped me last week showed up.

 

I am charging my battery right now in my garage.  I hope it is fully charged by morning.

 

At the top of my "To do" list for tomorrow:  Call the Service Department at the dealership where I bought my car and demand some answers.  Second:  buy a small, portable jump starter to keep in the car.  Ford has a real problem on its hands and better come up with an effective solution soon.

[Laurel]

Oh boy these dead battery issues are sure discouraging to read about.  I am wondering if the Canadian dealers are keeping a hands off approach until the problems are resolved i.e. not ordering any stock?  There are so few around and no newspaper ads for them at all.  I have tried googling to see if Ford Canada is taking note in any blogs, but so far haven't turned anything up. My fingers are crossed for all of you having the problems!

[erwhitham]

Can't find any CMaxes in our Chicago ads either. Really mystifying. How about other parts of the country? I'm very curious if this is due to a select population ordering the car or problems under examination by Ford. What do others think?

[Laurel]

I scan the major Canadian newspaper Ford ads daily, and have yet to see one ad for the C-Max.  We ordered from a large dealership in October and we are the first and only sold C-Max from that dealership.  So we are nearly 5 months into having the C-Max and have yet to spot another one on the road.  I think that Ford is examining the C-Max problems and hasn't found solutions yet--thus no advertising.  I guess that Ford isn't commenting due to lack of solutions? 

[dalebunker]

I've not seen any ads here in Northern California (SF Bay Area) either

[Edsel]

I live in Texas and have Dish Network.  It seems like I can't turn on the TV without seeing a C-Max commercial.

[erwhitham]

I live in Texas and have Dish Network.  It seems like I can't turn on the TV without seeing a C-Max commercial.

We also have many tv commercials for the CMax but no print ads. Doesn't make sense unless so many are on back order?

[Ryan McEachern]

Laurel,

 

I hear on Jack FM that the DJ's are going to be driving around in a C - Max this week or next week as a promotion for the Vancouver auto show, and I hear the Ford electric vehicles will be putting on a big display at the Vancouver car show.

 

Remember Ford is a lot more that just the C - Max, and it can be a real dogfight between divisions over who gets the promotions.

 

Imagine how you would feel if you were in charge of selling and marketing Escapes? It would be pretty frustrating to see The new kids on the block getting all the attention.

 

I think that the popularity will grow, and the dealers will bring more I s as people ask for them. It's kind of a catch -22.

 

I think the maple Ridge Ford dealer has sold about 10 regular C - Max, but I have the only energi from them so far. They sold their white display model a couple weeks ago, and brought in a nice red one to display in the meanwhile.

 

Traditionally we live in a very poor market for Ford passenger cars. This is generally a decent market for domestic SUV's and Trucks, a strong market for import cars (Toyota, vw, etc). And I super strong market for minivans, both domestic and import.

[Laurel]

Thanks Ryan!  You are easing my paranoia about the situation.  Maybe Spring will change things.  Glad to hear the DJ's will be out in them as this should improve the visibility.  Hubby and I have had the flu so maybe I am in funk.  Sure would be nice to bump (not literally) into another C-Max.  Temperature is supposed to be 20C on the weekend!   And C-Max Seattle is going to be visiting BC in a couple of weeks so I hope to catch a glimpse as they pass by on Hwy.99 LOL.  I could hang a banner on the over pass if I knew when they were passing through White Rock.

Edited March 27, 2013 by Laurel

[oxnard]

The dealership where they were working two dead C-max's have them in their daily newspaper ad every day.

Can't find any CMaxes in our Chicago ads either. Really mystifying. How about other parts of the country? I'm very curious if this is due to a select population ordering the car or problems under examination by Ford. What do others think?

[OhioEnergi1]

I had a problem with dead battery on my C max Energi 2 nights ago. Ford Customer Service was quite responsive. This is what I've learned:

 

My problem was likely due to short distance driving, all in EV. 

The headlights do go off automatically (I thought I had left them on and discharged the batter).

The hybrid mode charges the 12V battery faster, but the EV mode does charge.

Ford is aware of the problem and will be coming up with a new update soon that will cause faster charging of the 12V battery

If you leave on accesesory mode, accessories connected (e.g. cell phone, GPS, etc), this will discharge the 12V.

 

I have been driving all short distances over the last week or more (only 8 mile round trip commute), and the Engine enabled mode for system health hasn't come on much if at all during this time. Then I had headlights on and probably left them on leaving the car. That could have tipped it over the edge.

 

Now I've enabled MyFord Mobile to text, email me notifications if the 12V battery voltage is low.

 

I'm also going to get one of those jump starters, but want to buy one locally, as they are Hazmat (?) items, and you can't return them by mail. There apparently have been reports that someone got a defective one and couldn't return it. even through Amazon.

[dtorres]

They've put some effort into Southern California. I've seen TV ads, heard radio commercials and have seen several on the road here.

[C-MAXER]

Reading other hybrid car forums, I've seen that the Chevy Volt has had a few reported cases of DBS (dead battery syndrome) too.  Seems as turning the car off while on a phone conversation and then exiting the car while continuing the call with the phone causes the bluetooth in the car to remain active.  It continues searching for the phone until the small 12v battery dies.  Running down a lead acid battery is bad for longevity.

[Firsttimefordowner]

Hi all, 

Woke up this AM to a dead car again!  Cmax hybrid SE

Joined because this is the 2nd time our battery went dead overnight since we purchased it in 

December 2012.. they replaced the battery 3 weeks after we bought it.. thought it was taken care of till this AM.. Happy easter!  Drove it last night < 2 mile to get a pizza, no radio on, nothing plugged in, no heat on, no seat heaters on, doors closed... NOTHING!   

 

Planning on taking a trip to visit family 3+ hours away... a bit nervous.  

 

Has anyone wrote down all the things the dealers should be checking?  

 

We are calling tomorrow to get it towed... 

thanks, 

good luck to all of you! 

 

 

 

[madonnica]

No foot on the brake when I power off, nothing plugged in overnight, no lights left on...although I realize these are all arbitrary, anyway.

 

Woke up this morning to my third dead battery in a little over a month. Each time, it was towed to the dealership. First time they charged it, second time they replaced it, third time...I am ready to get a different car. Despite loving the car, I have lost my patience.

 

It's not fair to spend my hard earned money on a new car, then have to purchase a portable charger on top of that. I wont do it.

 

This was my first brand new vehicle, and first hybrid. I originally wanted the Escape hybrid, but they discontinued them.

 

The service manager at my dealership told me that the Zone Rep he needs to talk to regarding a "buy back" is not in until Wednesday. I was also instructed to call the 1-800 Customer Relations number, which I did and told them what happened. They assigned me a case number and said I would be contacted by someone within 2 days.

 

I have a loaner car for now. And a lawyer of course.

 

Can anyone recommend a vehicle that's hybrid and can haul band equipment?

[BobJustBob]

Ford has a really serious problem on its hands.  It had better come up with an effective solution soon, or this situation is going to be a public relations disaster, given how much they were touting the C-Max to be superior to the Toyota Prius.

[Triple Ford Owner]

to C-maxer---  My service rep casually said same thing to me about bluetooth and ending conversation.  If so, this needs to be fixed.

[ebarczak]

Just got our C-Max SE (the most basic model, using an actual key) last Saturday 3/31.  Drove it all over town, fell in love with it, and on Thursday took it for a short getaway (about 5 hours driving each way). Returned yesterday (Sunday) afternoon, parked the car in the garage, and got up to a dead battery this morning.  A dead battery on the 8th day of owning a car is not what you could call starting off on the right foot.  Called Ford Roadside Assistance -- excellent service, by the way -- and they arrived within 30 minutes to jump it.  The technician told my husband that he jumps hybrid batteries all the time and on all makes of cars -- Toyotas, Hondas, all the big names.  He said this was actually the first time he's jumped a Ford hybrid.  All we can do is try to make sure we follow some of the tips I've seen on the forum today, make sure we have one of those nifty jumper things, and hope for the best. 

[Max Power]

I got my software update on Friday.  If I plug my multimeter in while driving, the voltage reads consistently at 14.4 while the highest I was getting before was 13.8

 

THE NEW SOFTWARE THAT BOOSTS THE ENERGY THAT COMES OUT OF THE CONVERTER APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN RELEASED QUIETLY.  

 

 

My voltage after shutdown is 12.6 which is equivalent to a full charge.  Before I was reading 12.2ish.

 

PROBLEM SOLVED?

Edited April 9, 2013 by Max Power

[PWBarrett]

How did you get it?  Was it posted on SyncMyRide, or did you go to the dealer?

[Max Power]

Went to the dealer for my canistor purge valve and had them check on TSB 12-11-8.

 

EDIT: verified the number.

 

Thanks to those that pointed me in the right direction on this forum.

Edited April 9, 2013 by Max Power

[Johno]

I've had my C-Max abaout 2 weeks and have about 500 miles on it. I went out to the garage this morning and the battery was flat. I should have measured its voltage at that time. I charged it for about 30 minutes and the car started normally, although it took a while for all the programs to reset. I'll call the dealer and let them know of the battery problem.  I'm scared that I'll get somewhere and not be able to get home. I hope Ford comes up with a fix real soon. Bummer!

[Max Power]

I've had my C-Max abaout 2 weeks and have about 500 miles on it. I went out to the garage this morning and the battery was flat. I should have measured its voltage at that time. I charged it for about 30 minutes and the car started normally, although it took a while for all the programs to reset. I'll call the dealer and let them know of the battery problem.  I'm scared that I'll get somewhere and not be able to get home. I hope Ford comes up with a fix real soon. Bummer!

 

I would follow the advice of Mbedit, who has been in contact with the Ford engineers after they bought his car back, and go to your dealer and tell them you want the FCDIM software updated.  Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 12-11-8 should be enough to get their attention. 

 

There are like 5 different battery threads to read through on this site, and the consensus that people are coming to is that the software has been fixed, you just need to go ask for it.