ScubaDadMiami Posted July 23, 2013 Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 Today and tomorrow are the two busiest days of the year for work. So, I only had the chance to post a blurb about this on Saturday. I had the liftgate update done this past Saturday. (My C-MAX came with 3.5.1 already. Nothing other than the liftgate scheduled, and paperwork reflects only liftgate update performed.) When I left the dealership, there was absolutely a change in the EV characteristics of my MAX. In particular, I was now able to go from stopped to as much as 45 mph in all EV, where I used to have to carefully accelerate to about 15 or 20 in EV, when ICE would typically kick in. I drove my usual route today. There are definitely changes in how my C-MAX works. I am not really seeing any changes in overall FE numbers. (Too soon to tell.) It's just that the algorithm of how to drive the car has shifted. It seems to drive more like a normal car while getting about the same FE. It's almost like it is in EV+ all of the time, allowing acceleration in cases where ICE would already have kicked in, previously. I'll do the regular route a few more times before being fully convinced, but I am not crazy. I am NOT crazy. I AM NOT CRAZY! :headspin: Something's up. robertiv 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RachelnLa Posted July 23, 2013 Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 Thanks for posting this. You do a much better job at explaining it. Same thing is happening to me. Love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armoredsaint Posted July 23, 2013 Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 interesting...i will see if mine is the same, or maybe it's butt dyno ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmckinley Posted July 23, 2013 Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 "I am NOT crazy. I AM NOT CRAZY! :headspin: Something's up." Can't say for sure if you're crazy or not, since most people are, but your experience is the same as mine after the 3.5.1 and liftgate updates. Definite change in accelerator pedal response and brake feel. I know of what I speak. I worked in automotive brake design and development for years and we spent a lot of time evaluating brake pedal "feel". It's an elusive quality to quantify and generally ends up being done subjectively with a rating system rather than trying to develop charts and graphs. So, in my humble opinion, I am an expert and I say the pedal feel has changed. erwhitham and RachelnLa 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScubaDadMiami Posted July 23, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 Can't say for sure if you're crazy or not, since most people are, but your experience is the same as mine after the 3.5.1 and liftgate updates.Right, but I didn't have 3.5.1 installed; my C-MAX came with it. So, that's why it seems so strange, since I only got the liftgate update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RachelnLa Posted July 23, 2013 Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 I don't think it's an upgrade, meaning whole system upgrade. I think it's more like tweaking a few things. Look at what we talk about on just this board. Grill covers, EV at higher than 62mph, having to feather the pedal, slow warm ups. Seems somebody has been listening. These are all the things we have complained about or wanted to see improved. Now they are doing just that. It's like my phone. I never updated. Why should I? It works fine. I like it the way it is. There were one or two things I didn't want to see change. After awhile the new apps didn't work. I was unable to do things. I did the update and wow!! Yes I lost a few beloved things. But I gained so much more. I enjoy my phone so much more now. Sometimes change IS good. ScubaDadMiami and robertiv 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wamba2000 Posted July 23, 2013 Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 Scuba, I thought it was just me being "anecdotal" in my opinion, but after the 3.5.1 and liftgate update, I thought the acceleration and engine response felt different too. My lifetime mileage has dropped as well (43.0 with 4000 miles total, it was 43.8 when into the dealer, but they must have run the ICE a bunch doing the updates as it was 43.3 when I picked it up). I expect most of the mileage change is caused by constant A/C running in the Phoenix summer. Interested to see if 3.6 update to MFT fixes any quirks and the Drivability/Fuel Economy updates in August make any changes. My guess it will be subtle, but hopefully an improvement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertiv Posted July 24, 2013 Report Share Posted July 24, 2013 (edited) I got the 3.5 update and the liftgate fix several weeks ago, but did not notice any difference in the feel of the car. It seems if they are applying the new tweaks to the powertrain, they would tell you guys. I wonder what it is? Oh, yeah, wamba2000, my mileage dropped almost a full MPG (well maybe 0.7 or so...) while getting the 3.5 update. Edited July 24, 2013 by robertiv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jus-A-CMax Posted July 24, 2013 Report Share Posted July 24, 2013 (edited) 0 to 45 mph in EV is possible, even with the 3.1.3 assuming you have enough SOC. I suspect what is happening here is the 20mph to 40 mph there is a :airquote: lull in the :airquote: momentum sensation (see my thread about the EV driving) that would cause your instincts to kick in ICE. Its painfully slow in EV to hit that speed from zero (god help that person behind you) though and frankly, not efficient imo. Edited July 24, 2013 by Jus-A-CMax SOMD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScubaDadMiami Posted July 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2013 (edited) :headscratch: The acceleration is not painfully slow. Sure, I can tap out of it, and I can easily kick in ICE, but the MAX will favor EV during acceleration to the equivalent of about a bar or more. Today, was thinking, "I wish I could video this." I just can't take a chance of driving and trying to do that. BTW, it won't favor this with a low SOC. However, it will with about a third of the battery, I think. Some of my statements could be off. This is a new thing, so I will need some more time to test in varying conditions before I can say more precisely IF something is really going on here. Edited July 25, 2013 by ScubaDadMiami Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RachelnLa Posted July 25, 2013 Report Share Posted July 25, 2013 Mine can do it! Since the hatch update that's something I have noticed. This morning when leaving it was in EV. this normally doesn't happen until the car warms up. I can take off from s red light an EV on up to 55 mph with no problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScubaDadMiami Posted July 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2013 Yep, what Rachel said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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