obob Posted July 12, 2013 Report Share Posted July 12, 2013 (edited) I tried to install a third party license plate back up sensor on my C-MAX SE. It seemed like a very easy install until my plan of unscrewing the back panel of the hatchback door was thwarted because it's not screwed on. The back panel has clips that do not seem to come off, some seem totally inaccessible. So it seems like it is a rip off once removal - then buy a new one(Hope I am wrong). I am disappointed. Attached is a picture of one of the clips. And even bigger disappointment was I tried to pry off the latch to open the hatchback door to look up there. Now it doesn't attach on one side. And I never did get it off to look in there. I am thinking some silicone rubber to give it a more solid feel and keep water out. I am thinking installing the sensors in the bumper may be the way to go. (and perhaps looking into having it done.) Otherwise I will have to drill big hole(s) in the back panel which I could do with a Drummel. I would need a hole to get the wire from the license plate sensor attached to the reverse light. The license plate sensors do not seem to have as good a reputation as the bumper ones. Perhaps even a backup camera would be an easier install. I would appreciate any thoughts, for I find it hard to gauge back of car distance. Edited July 12, 2013 by obob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScubaDadMiami Posted July 12, 2013 Report Share Posted July 12, 2013 Maybe getting a copy of the schematic from the shop manual will help. obob 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obob Posted July 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2013 (edited) Maybe getting a copy of the schematic from the shop manual will help.That's the right way to do it. Thanks. Such a manual would probably also give some advice if it were possible to remove the back panel on the hatchback door. Maybe I will do that but the $170 is pricey and I wish it were downloadable - I don't like waiting, and I don't like that it is only Windows compatible though that is not a show stopper. I found where to rent online service information from a Ford approved site HOWEVER it is NOT AVAILABLE for the CMAX. DAMN. 10.95 for 72 hours, 19.95 for a month (also other options, like to get TSBs) Perhaps in the future it will be available for the CMAX. http://www.helminc.com/helm/ford_osi.asp?Style=helm The manual costs $170. Tempting. http://www.helminc.com/helm/Result.asp?Style=helm&Mfg=FMC&Make=FRD&Model=CMAX&Year=2013&Category=15&Keyword=&Module=&selected_media= Edited July 12, 2013 by obob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plus 3 golfer Posted July 12, 2013 Report Share Posted July 12, 2013 (edited) Several members including myself have subscribed for a short period of time to the shop manual here. But now I can't get the subscription service to work from the motorcraft site. It directs me to the Helm site and for some reason the C-Max is not available but other 2013 manuals are. Just remembered I have to use Internet Explorer to get the popup menus to select manuals from the motorcraft site. In Chrome and Safari the selection menus are not available.. . Edited July 12, 2013 by Plus 3 Golfer obob 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceemax71 Posted July 12, 2013 Report Share Posted July 12, 2013 You can get there by going to http://www.motorcraftservice.com. Then select "Purchase Subscription" on the left side.It should let you select "Workshop Manual / Service Information - Single Vehicle/Single Model Year". obob 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obob Posted July 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2013 You can get there by going to http://www.motorcraftservice.com. Then select "Purchase Subscription" on the left side.It should let you select "Workshop Manual / Service Information - Single Vehicle/Single Model Year". Thanks. That works for me. http://www.motorcraftservice.com/vdirs/retail/default.asp?pageid=cat_1&gutsid=productdetail&kevin=rules By the way, I was unable to get it to display right under linux using chrome or mozilla, under XP I was able to use Internet Explorer, though not under google chrome. Under XP, not linux, I got this popup. "We support browser Internet Explorer version 5.5 and above. Netscape, America On-Line (AOL) or other browsers are not supported by this site." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill-N Posted July 12, 2013 Report Share Posted July 12, 2013 Thanks. That works for me. http://www.motorcraftservice.com/vdirs/retail/default.asp?pageid=cat_1&gutsid=productdetail&kevin=rules By the way, I was unable to get it to display right under linux using chrome or mozilla, under XP I was able to use Internet Explorer, though not under google chrome. Under XP, not linux, I got this popup. "We support browser Internet Explorer version 5.5 and above. Netscape, America On-Line (AOL) or other browsers are not supported by this site." Yep, it only works with IE. Bloody pain in the butt. Compared to contemporary web sites, it really shows its age. obob 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob999 Posted July 13, 2013 Report Share Posted July 13, 2013 I would think that most body shops would know how to remove the panel--certainly the body shop at a Ford Dealer should know how. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obob Posted August 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 (edited) Update: So I decided to get the online manual. Unwittingly, I decided to get frustrated and perhaps burn $10.95. It seems I needed to install SVGviewer, a program unsupported by Adobe since 2009. Well it didn't install so I couldn't view the wiring diagrams. I left a message to be contacted. (No phone number on the contact us.) I wonder when that will happen. They say 24 hours. I may just put the license plate sensor on and run the wire outside and under the edge of the hatchback and up to the port that accesses the reverse light, and just use a volt meter to figure out which wires I need. If and when I do it, I'll provide another update, but so far, I am not pleased with the online manual, or maybe I should say I am not pleased with having to go back into the Microsoft Windows world to read the manual. As I recall, there was one FAQ in the contact us page that had a response about having to uninstall something and it was like fingernails on a slate board. Edited August 8, 2013 by obob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obob Posted August 17, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2013 So it is installed. Here is the story. http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/2793-after-market-back-up-sensor/ I never got the SVGviewer installed. The Ford guy that was giving me email support was nice about refunding my money. And he sent me two pictures of what I wanted which were only somewhat helpful. And I did get a response within 24 hours. So I was happy with Ford on this. I did not want to spend more time on getting it to work but he did say that Adobe Ready 10 also needs to be installed and I didn't do that, though that may or may not have been my problem for the SVGviewer looked like it was installing but never showed up on the installed programs. Thanks again for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noah Harbinger Posted August 21, 2013 Report Share Posted August 21, 2013 (edited) Wait, are you saying Ford's offical shop manual which you must pay loads of money for is still requiring SVG Viewer? Hyundai's free online shop manuals (my favorite thing about my last car, an Elantra, was that unexpected perq - kinda sad when the best thing about a car is help fixing it) used to use SVG Viewer but they moved away from that 2006-ish. (Of course my car was a 2001, so that didn't help me any - but I did manage to get it installed at least). Edited August 21, 2013 by Noah Harbinger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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