db22 Posted June 1 Report Share Posted June 1 I happened to be driving my 18-year-old Toyota jalopy down a nearby county road when I spotted a maroon Ford compact for sale in a yard. Thinking it was a little Fiesta I might be able to afford, I stopped to check it out. The seller stepped out to talk about it: "2015 C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid, flexible on price" (OMG -- only nine years old, might as well be brand-new!). By the end of the next day, I was cautiously pressing the accelerator to silently drive it home. By now, I have discovered many of the little surprises that come with a used car -- one missing fob (the seller promises he's looking for it), mysterious warning lights that come on inconsistently, the rear hatch latch that occasionally won't open, and a weird howl from the nearly-new General radial tires. But hey, I'm drivin' hybrid-style, going all of 15 miles on pure electrons before the ICE kicks in and starts burning dinosaur juice (didja catch that use of "ICE" to refer to the piston engine? Yes, I've been reading the forum while I waited for membership approval). So, I am extremely happy to have found this place to humbly (and occasionally stupidly) ask questions of the much more experienced C-Max drivers here. I have a few already waiting to be researched and/or written up. Thank you to all here who offer their knowledge and experience to newbies like me. Mike G 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nogoodbum Posted June 1 Report Share Posted June 1 Welcome to the forum. Tire noise: C-Max is so quiet you hear/notice noises you don't usually do on ICE vehicles. They should quieten down as they settle in or you get use to the noise, Inconsistent warning lights, rear hatch: possible weak 12v battery or weak battery in key fob. As an owner of a 2013, it's NOT maroon, it's called Ruby Red. Sounds more regal & expensive, don't you think? db22 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill-N Posted June 2 Report Share Posted June 2 Nothing good happens with a weak 12V battery. Try charging it (battery recharge posts under hood on drivers side) to see if that helps. But be prepared for a replacement. Also, search the forum for lots more 12v info. Cheers, and welcome. db22 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
db22 Posted June 4 Author Report Share Posted June 4 On 6/2/2024 at 10:50 AM, Bill-N said: Nothing good happens with a weak 12V battery. Try charging it (battery recharge posts under hood on drivers side) to see if that helps. But be prepared for a replacement. Also, search the forum for lots more 12v info. Cheers, and welcome. Thank you, will do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
db22 Posted June 4 Author Report Share Posted June 4 On 6/2/2024 at 10:50 AM, Bill-N said: Nothing good happens with a weak 12V battery. Try charging it (battery recharge posts under hood on drivers side) to see if that helps. But be prepared for a replacement. Also, search the forum for lots more 12v info. Cheers, and welcome. I tried to charge the 12v battery . . . the positive post is easy to find, but the owner's manual isn't clear as to where the negative post might be. There is nothing in the area pointed out in the manual that looks like a post to attach the negative lead. And -- where is the 12v battery located? I'll have to dig deeper into the manual. It's more like trying to get a new computer up and running than operating a car. Welcome to the 21st century, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cr08 Posted June 4 Report Share Posted June 4 (edited) 39 minutes ago, db22 said: I tried to charge the 12v battery . . . the positive post is easy to find, but the owner's manual isn't clear as to where the negative post might be. There is nothing in the area pointed out in the manual that looks like a post to attach the negative lead. And -- where is the 12v battery located? I'll have to dig deeper into the manual. It's more like trying to get a new computer up and running than operating a car. Welcome to the 21st century, I guess. Attached some images. There's a long post sticking up in the engine bay for the negative connection and sits closer to the front frame. Although you can use any other metal spot in the engine bay of course. Just make sure it is actual metal, not painted. Also a photo of the 12v battery location which is in the rear. Same whether a hybrid of Energi model (Mine's an Energi in this pic). Some trim disassembly is required to get access. Edited June 4 by cr08 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
db22 Posted June 5 Author Report Share Posted June 5 22 hours ago, cr08 said: Attached some images. There's a long post sticking up in the engine bay for the negative connection and sits closer to the front frame. Although you can use any other metal spot in the engine bay of course. Just make sure it is actual metal, not painted. Also a photo of the 12v battery location which is in the rear. Same whether a hybrid of Energi model (Mine's an Energi in this pic). Some trim disassembly is required to get access. Thank you so much for the help! I suspected that the vertical post might be the negative terminal, but the manual photo isn't nearly as clear as the one you posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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