What cool hidden feature have you discovered about your C-Max?

[raymondmgeorge]

The door accent lighting turns red when you open it.

[homestead]

I noticed a section in the settings display for wireless connections, so I input my wireless password and

sure enough it was able to connect to my fios router.  So what does the wireless capability do for you?

When I ran diagnostics and uploaded it I think it used my phone rather than the internet.

[Tom]

I'm also waiting for some ideas to put this bracket to use.

I put plastic cards in it such as car wash and park entrance., etc.

[Adair]

If there is a door ajar (my daughter is BAD about not closing all the way) :rant2: or if you got out and forgot to turn the car off, :doh:(yes, I did that once)  when you try to lock the car, it will honk twice to let you know something is amiss! :sos:

[SnowStorm]

Oh yes, it took me awhile to figure out the double beep - hatch needs to be closed firmly.

 

Finally got into the ET (Engineering Test) screens.  The analog gage and all lights on tests are cool.

[pjurek99]

I have already found really annoying the un-cool feature: you have to REALLY slam the doors to have them closed.  :sad:

 

Otherwise the car is really nice. 

[armoredsaint]

I have already found really annoying the un-cool feature: you have to REALLY slam the doors to have them closed.  :sad:

 

Otherwise the car is really nice. 

 

 

really? it seems like the same for all other cars i've owned. what was your previous car?

[pjurek99]

C-Max v.1 TDCi

Golf Plus 

Impala

Malibu

Equinox

[asb]

I've always slammed my car doors.  I find it bizarre that others don't.

[C-Maxgo]

The only door I have to slam is the rear door but I've gotten used to it.

[hybridbear]

I have already found really annoying the un-cool feature: you have to REALLY slam the doors to have them closed.  :sad:

 

Otherwise the car is really nice. 

I've always slammed my car doors.  I find it bizarre that others don't.

 

Have you tried putting some WD-40 on the hinges? I try to do this every few weeks and it makes a big difference on our Fusion and has made a big difference on every car I've owned. Slamming doors is really bad for them and can kill your electronics later on. I'd avoid it as much as possible

[RachelnLa]

It drives me crazy when they slam Rainette's doors. Argh.

[salsaguy]

I had a question on the capless gas tube...

I saw a C-max review where they showed the guy filling up and gas was all over the under of the car because it didnt know when to shut off.

Is this an issue or not?

Cant find the article right now but... had the question

 

 

You need to read your manual. 

 

Funnel is used if you need to put gas in the car from a can.  Needs a special funnel to get by the capless gas tank filler tube.

[salsaguy]

We have FIOS as well.

I was wondering about this as well

I heard the car can act as a mobile hot spot?

is this true?

 

I noticed a section in the settings display for wireless connections, so I input my wireless password and

sure enough it was able to connect to my fios router.  So what does the wireless capability do for you?

When I ran diagnostics and uploaded it I think it used my phone rather than the internet.

[salsaguy]

would you rather have cheap thin Prius wimpy doors that close too easily and buckle on impact, or nice heavy european doors that have more insulation and impact resistance and close with a solid "thunk" and need a little more effort to close?

love the nice heavy doors on my Passat

thunk!

I have already found really annoying the un-cool feature: you have to REALLY slam the doors to have them closed.  :sad:

 

Otherwise the car is really nice. 

Edited May 5, 2013 by salsaguy

[MacGyver]

Armoredsaint, you should not have to SLAM your door to get it to close all the way- depending on your definition of slam- I've noticed it doesn't take much force for it to SOUND like a slam, and have to restrain myself from complaining when the wife closes her door because of that- but your doors may be misaligned enough to prevent easy latching, check with your dealer if you think that may be the case... or there may be a missing plastic shim that is necessary to push the latching mechanism far enough for it to "catch". This was the case with a toyota celica I had, I kept wrapping the metal bar with electrical tape to substitute for the plastic shim that I didn't even know should be there. When I found out, it was a Doh! moment.

 

I have noticed my rear doors require a bit more force than the fronts to securely latch, nowhere near a slam, just a tad more.

 

And there is this very low level squeakiness of my weatherstripping rubbing the frame as the doors flex around when going through a large dip, or transitioning up or down a short "driveway". Annoying, but I am still pondering a solution for this, perhaps a light coating of oil to alleviate the rubber noise? No, that will annoy me if I touch it, maybe talc instead? I just googled the problem, and the answer I like best is a clear teflon tape, I guess I'll have to track that down tomorrow...

 

Re; WD-40 NO NO NO NO NO!!!!  WD-40 is a PENETRANT that acts like ACID, it IS good for one thing, freeing up rusty nuts and bolts (and that one thing ONLY). You can see the effect of WD-40 use over years, smaller gyms will spray it on the chromed guide rails on their weight machines, and after a while, that chrome is GONE, eaten away by the acids in WD-40, leaving a brownish-black pitted metal finish that is more susceptible to rust. Or ask a locksmith or mechanic you trust (the dishonest one will WANT you to use the WD-40 so you will need them sooner) about the effects of WD-40. Or just Google it. 

 

Use a neutral lube instead, lithium or regular grease, or even silicon spray, though that's a little light for that application. 

 

The auto-rain sensors are neat, but yes, you need to turn them off for carwashes, and for driving past refineries so you don't wind up having them triggered such that they smear gooey crud all over your windshield... the on/off is in the left ok/arrow control menus on the left of the steering wheel; (from memory, so I think this is right) Left, down to 2nd menu (driver or car settings?) then right 3x past "light settings" until you reach on/off menu.

 

The clips on the bottom of the center console I put 3 business cards in, which enables one or both to snugly hold the handle(s) of a plastic grocery bag, creating a hidden trash compartment, which can still be used as storage, just push the bag out of the way to reach the ledge, cig power outlet, hidden shelf, etc. My wife much prefers this solution to my old one of having a bag full of trash hanging visible from the back of that center console... and it's easier to remove from those clips than my old method.

 

The A/C vents (literally a cool hidden feature!) under the front seats will be getting the MacGyver treatment; a formed rubber join that will feed a long plastic tube that will help keep my cooler even colder as it winds around the plastic inner liner between that and the outer insulating fabric cover it rests inside ($20 from Target and matches the black upholstery perfectly. Sadly had to retire my old dirty blue plug in cooler as I couldn't stand to have it in the nice new car). This probably seems like a lot of trouble to go to, when it would be easier and more effective to use frozen gel packs to achieve an even lower temp, but it is kind of a hobbyist geek thing, and also a proof of concept that if it works well enough will see a further application when I install it around/invisibly inside the cupholders in the center console, in concert with a re-purposed metal plate from one of those plug-in self-cooling coolers...

 

Frrrrrosty!

Edited May 5, 2013 by MacGyver

[JAZ]

Rather than slam my doors, I keep moderate pressure on them with just two fingers until they are closed, works every time.

[zhackwyatt]

I had a question on the capless gas tube...

I saw a C-max review where they showed the guy filling up and gas was all over the under of the car because it didnt know when to shut off.

Is this an issue or not?

Cant find the article right now but... had the question

I haven't experienced that and noone else on the forum has reported that either.  The capless fuel inlet has been around with Ford for quite some time.

[zhackwyatt]

We have FIOS as well.

I was wondering about this as well

I heard the car can act as a mobile hot spot?

is this true?

Supposedly you can through the bluetooth in your phone or if you have a usb 3G/4g dongle. (I haven't tried this myself.)

 

I have no idea what the purpose of connecting the car to a wifi hotspot is, because it will in effect just turn the car into another wifi hotspot.

[zhackwyatt]

I have already found really annoying the un-cool feature: you have to REALLY slam the doors to have them closed.  :sad:

 

Otherwise the car is really nice. 

I think its just the car is sealed up really good.  Air pressure in the car is making it harder to close the door.  Roll down a window and close it and let me know if you agree.

[pjurek99]

I think its just the car is sealed up really good.  Air pressure in the car is making it harder to close the door.  Roll down a window and close it and let me know if you agree.

Yeah, I know. I TRY to leave the right window very slightly open. And it works. And yes, the car is apparently very well sealed

 

Otherwise I have discovered two nice features that work for me personally:

 

- on AC off - it is still possible to maintain livable conditions inside at up to 70 degrees. The ventilation in general has been efficient so far. WAY better than in my former Chevrolets

 

- in the morning when driving after the combustion engine begins to work I can accelerate effortlessly on EV. This is like a morning reward :) It is until reaching the 1st intersection or full stop in general. Then the driving becomes "normal"

[armoredsaint]

Armoredsaint, you should not have to SLAM your door to get it to close all the way- depending on your definition of slam- I've noticed it doesn't take much force for it to SOUND like a slam, and have to restrain myself from complaining when the wife closes her door because of that- but your doors may be misaligned enough to prevent easy latching, check with your dealer if you think that may be the case... or there may be a missing plastic shim that is necessary to push the latching mechanism far enough for it to "catch". This was the case with a toyota celica I had, I kept wrapping the metal bar with electrical tape to substitute for the plastic shim that I didn't even know should be there. When I found out, it was a Doh! moment.

 

I have noticed my rear doors require a bit more force than the fronts to securely latch, nowhere near a slam, just a tad more.

 

And there is this very low level squeakiness of my weatherstripping rubbing the frame as the doors flex around when going through a large dip, or transitioning up or down a short "driveway". Annoying, but I am still pondering a solution for this, perhaps a light coating of oil to alleviate the rubber noise? No, that will annoy me if I touch it, maybe talc instead? I just googled the problem, and the answer I like best is a clear teflon tape, I guess I'll have to track that down tomorrow...

 

Re; WD-40 NO NO NO NO NO!!!!  WD-40 is a PENETRANT that acts like ACID, it IS good for one thing, freeing up rusty nuts and bolts (and that one thing ONLY). You can see the effect of WD-40 use over years, smaller gyms will spray it on the chromed guide rails on their weight machines, and after a while, that chrome is GONE, eaten away by the acids in WD-40, leaving a brownish-black pitted metal finish that is more susceptible to rust. Or ask a locksmith or mechanic you trust (the dishonest one will WANT you to use the WD-40 so you will need them sooner) about the effects of WD-40. Or just Google it. 

 

Use a neutral lube instead, lithium or regular grease, or even silicon spray, though that's a little light for that application. 

 

The auto-rain sensors are neat, but yes, you need to turn them off for carwashes, and for driving past refineries so you don't wind up having them triggered such that they smear gooey crud all over your windshield... the on/off is in the left ok/arrow control menus on the left of the steering wheel; (from memory, so I think this is right) Left, down to 2nd menu (driver or car settings?) then right 3x past "light settings" until you reach on/off menu.

 

The clips on the bottom of the center console I put 3 business cards in, which enables one or both to snugly hold the handle(s) of a plastic grocery bag, creating a hidden trash compartment, which can still be used as storage, just push the bag out of the way to reach the ledge, cig power outlet, hidden shelf, etc. My wife much prefers this solution to my old one of having a bag full of trash hanging visible from the back of that center console... and it's easier to remove from those clips than my old method.

 

The A/C vents (literally a cool hidden feature!) under the front seats will be getting the MacGyver treatment; a formed rubber join that will feed a long plastic tube that will help keep my cooler even colder as it winds around the plastic inner liner between that and the outer insulating fabric cover it rests inside ($20 from Target and matches the black upholstery perfectly. Sadly had to retire my old dirty blue plug in cooler as I couldn't stand to have it in the nice new car). This probably seems like a lot of trouble to go to, when it would be easier and more effective to use frozen gel packs to achieve an even lower temp, but it is kind of a hobbyist geek thing, and also a proof of concept that if it works well enough will see a further application when I install it around/invisibly inside the cupholders in the center console, in concert with a re-purposed metal plate from one of those plug-in self-cooling coolers...

 

Frrrrrosty!

 

 

who said i slammed my doors brah?

 

:finger:

[fotomoto]

The clips on the bottom of the center console I put 3 business cards in, which enables one or both to snugly hold the handle(s) of a plastic grocery bag, creating a hidden trash compartment, which can still be used as storage, just push the bag out of the way to reach the ledge, cig power outlet, hidden shelf, etc. My wife much prefers this solution to my old one of having a bag full of trash hanging visible from the back of that center console... and it's easier to remove from those clips than my old method.

 

The A/C vents (literally a cool hidden feature!) under the front seats will be getting the MacGyver treatment; 

 

Interesting idea on the trash bag solution.  I'm going to give it a try.  Currently I'm using the door pockets for dry refuse only but would rather have a solution for moist things too.

 

I believe the ducts under the seats are for heat only.  The rear passenger cooling vents are routed through the center console.  I have some spare change in the hidden shelf of the console and it gets very cool to the touch so, yes, those tubes could also benefit from insulation.  

[jmckinley]

Interesting idea on the trash bag solution.  I'm going to give it a try.  Currently I'm using the door pockets for dry refuse only but would rather have a solution for moist things too.

 

I believe the ducts under the seats are for heat only.  The rear passenger cooling vents are routed through the center console.  I have some spare change in the hidden shelf of the console and it gets very cool to the touch so, yes, those tubes could also benefit from insulation.  

 

I've noticed a cool breeze inside the console when fan is running.  I wonder if some creative hole cutting could lead to a refrigerated console like some other cars have?

 

Maybe a small penalty for the rear seat passengers, but we seldom have passengers anyway.

[MacGyver]

I have already found really annoying the un-cool feature: you have to REALLY slam the doors to have them closed.  :sad:

 

Otherwise the car is really nice. 

 

Oh, oops, how'd I manage to confuse you two? I guess when you quoted him. No harm done I hope.

 

Anyways; PJUREK99, you should not have to SLAM your door to get it to close all the way- depending on your definition of slam- I've noticed it doesn't take much force for it to SOUND like a slam, and have to restrain myself from complaining when the wife closes her door because of that- but your doors may be misaligned enough to prevent easy latching, check with your dealer if you think that may be the case... or there may be a missing plastic shim that is necessary to push the latching mechanism far enough for it to "catch". This was the case with a toyota celica I had, I kept wrapping the metal bar with electrical tape to substitute for the plastic shim that I didn't even know should be there. When I found out, it was a Doh! moment.

 

I have noticed my rear doors require a bit more force than the fronts to securely latch, nowhere near a slam, just a tad more.