MADCMAX Posted May 19, 2013 Report Share Posted May 19, 2013 I'm not sure how many of your have experienced this, but now FORD says this is normal. When you are at a stop and remove your foot from the brake, without applying the throttle, we get a small bouncing going as we move slowly forward, until we apply the throttle. Could be in gas or electric modes. And it looks and feels pretty strange. After multiple trips to the local Ford dealer they just now confirmed this is NORMAL and is called CREEP MODE. Yes, I'm serious they said this is normal behavior and was intended to prevent you from accidentally leaving it in drive and getting out of the car. When I asked why it does it in gas mode too, they just referred to the CREEP MODE again. And this is now covered in a tech video that the techs supposedly watch. If CREEP MODE was intended to be for those times when you might accidentally exit without putting the car in park, then it shouldn't happen when the gas engine is running. Otherwise every Ford car would do this for this very reason, right? Do you have this happen, the bouncing up and down when you take your foot off the brake and haven't applied the throttle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotomoto Posted May 19, 2013 Report Share Posted May 19, 2013 Sounds like a communications problem between you and the dealership. Can they replicate it or is there an error code? Does it do this bounce effect every time it creeps? Creep mode is real and without it you'd go crazy in stop/go traffic. It's on every car with an automatic transmission (there are a few exceptions). Hybrids in EV mode actually have the electric motor provide the creep via software. Maybe yours has a bug. <shruggs> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MADCMAX Posted May 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2013 The creeping part I get, that you move slowly forward when you take your foot off the brake. The part I'm not comfortable with is the bouncing. Happens most times but not 100% of the time. They say it bounces so you know it is moving since it is a hybrid. BUT when I said that it does it with gas engine running too, they have no answer. Ford supposedly told the dealer to review tech videos to see it is normal. Sadly they all don't do it but Ford claims they do. My perception is that the idle speed should be turned up a tick or so, so it moves without bouncing. Seems to me that is the issue. But the dealer is following the same nonsense that Ford tells them. Never owned a car that bounces during these slow moving forward times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill-N Posted May 19, 2013 Report Share Posted May 19, 2013 Creep mode is real (and something which particularly dislike, hence my desire to be able to shift from drive to neutral without having to pull the "trigger"). However, bouncing, IMO, is absolutely abnormal. I can't imagine Ford claiming otherwise. Is this training video available online? I'd love to watch it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MADCMAX Posted May 19, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2013 Yeah, I know. The "documentation" they provided was a piece of paper in which the tech says he cannot duplicate the concern, and then the reply from the factory saying it is "normal".....the service department is calling it "creep mode".......thus the bouncing low rider (the cmax does sit low to the ground). I should say it is more noticeable on small inclines vs. straight flat start. I'd buy the whole thing if it wasn't happening on gas mode, which is obvious is on because you hear the gas engine. Seems the Ford dealers here don't want to deal with issues....they'd rather say "Cannot duplicate concern" and close the ticket. Which is odd because Ford pays them for service they perform.......we have a 2012 Escape with a very rough transmission when it is cold.....once warmed, smooth as could be. But same thing, they say this is normal. I had a 2009 Escape, same transmission, the tore it apart and fixed it. This one they won't do. Maybe Ford is cheaping out on getting stuff fixed? To do it again, I'd have kept my Mini Countryman despite the 25 mpg......never anything wrong and it was a nice car to drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnOhio Posted May 19, 2013 Report Share Posted May 19, 2013 Never heard of it. If I leave my car on and open the door a chine goes off. If you shut the door the horn sounds, so why would they have a cheap mode? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoBro2 Posted May 19, 2013 Report Share Posted May 19, 2013 For over 35 years I drove nothing but manual transmission-equipped vehicles. That streak ended with the C-Max mainly because I thought the operation of the CVT transmission was much less annoying than automatics with fixed ratios. I'm very attuned to anything this transmission does because it's all very new to me. I've never experienced any "bouncing" of any kind when releasing the brake pedal from a stop while in drive. The only vertical motion is the slow subtle rise of the front end as the weight shifts toward the back as the car slowly takes off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MADCMAX Posted May 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 After pressing the issue with the dealer on the bouncing issue, they decided to take another look. They said one of the factory new units bounces as mine does, and the other one doesn't. So they are working with Ford factory. We'll see if the noise is really gone when I get it back, hopefully tomorrow. They are checking to see if a computer flash is needed to get it to stop doing this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adair Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 Ok..........gotta ask...........don't anybody laugh................what's a computer flash? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScubaDadMiami Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 It's like a software re-installation or update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viajero Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 Ok..........gotta ask...........don't anybody laugh................what's a computer flash? The software is stored in flash memory, similar to the flash cards used for storing photos from a digital camera. You'll sometimes hear this kind of software referred to as "firmware". It's somewhere between hardware and software - software that's a permanent part of the hardware, and doesn't disappear when the computer is turned off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill-N Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 (edited) Ok..........gotta ask...........don't anybody laugh................what's a computer flash? Removed. Edited May 23, 2013 by Bill-N Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtb9153 Posted May 23, 2013 Report Share Posted May 23, 2013 Well I have to say since getting into my CMax for the first time last September, I've never noticed any bouncing. About all I can say is if I let up on the brake pedal slightly while in "D" the car creeps forward as it should because I'm in gear and the batteries are running. The torque of the electric motor pushes the car forward as I let up on my foot pressure to the gas pedal. But as it starts moving forward in EV mode from a stop there isn't any bouncing, or at least not that I've noticed. Hope you get to the bottom of this. I will be interested to hear what it takes to get you past this problem. Thanks for sharing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MADCMAX Posted May 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2013 Okay, the dealer fixed the creaking noises (a strut and strut plate). But they agree there is a shuddering or bouncing (or both) that goes on when you take your foot off the brake and before you give it the accelerator. Ford says it isn't true or a problem. Buy my dealer replicated it on one new one and not on another new one. Since now they have experienced it and found another one (new) that does it and yet one more new one that does NOT do it, they understand there is something different. I think they programmed the chip with an upgrade but that hasn't resolved the issue. What the advisor told me is that Ford won't acknowledge anything is wrong until they have a fix for it......bad business in my mind but I guess they don't want to appear to be inept in terms of knowing what is wrong and how to fix things. Truth is, I'd feel better if they said they had a problem and would work to resolve it. This is going to be an open issue for some time, I can just sense it. You'll find it is more apparent on small inclines, if you are looking to experience it. We found out some will do it and some won't. But you won't miss it if it is doing it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. E Posted May 24, 2013 Report Share Posted May 24, 2013 Never heard of this happening. Most likely it is a powertrain issue. It could be a loose motor mount. They engines do flex a significant amount under load. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MADCMAX Posted May 26, 2013 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2013 I noticed since I got the Cmax back, that the idle when the gas engine is running is about 1100rpm. This is higher than it used to be. Of course you don't have RPM's on electric but in both cases when I let my foot off the brake, the car moves forward on its own with more ooomph than it did before. So this results in the bouncing being diminished unless going up more of an incline. Before this, it would not move as much/as fast but the bounce was very pronounced. It is a fix, not ideal, but a fix for many of the times the bouncing would occur. The dealer says he'll follow this with Ford - he also said Ford doesn't admit to problems until they have a fix for things. He also said this was the case and point with the Ford Focus and Fiesta - the transmissions are a major problem. They are a manual transmission with an automatic shifter and the clutches are wearing out prematurely. Ford says clutches are a wear item so they won't cover it. But the user cannot control the clutch actions so they don't understand why this is happening. And while the dealer says they can help with this, Ford hasn't really come out to say there was a "problem" but there are lots of search results with this topic. I'll keep you all posted as any updates become available..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armoredsaint Posted June 10, 2013 Report Share Posted June 10, 2013 Hill Assist is faulty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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