Anyone getting better MPG with the new update?

[armoredsaint]

IIRC it extends the Ev mode from 62 mph to 85 mph.

 

Also it looks like I don't get EV+ anymore when I am in my neighborhood like before...what happened? I checked the settings and it's checked.

 

[JohnnOhio]

Yes

 

Before update

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JimInSeattle]

I seem to be getting a couple of MPG better, so I'm happy with it. Your EV+  locations get lost in the update. They'll come back. The car has to re-learn the EV+ locations and it will. Mine came back after about 2 weeks. It's been discussed many times...

[JohnnOhio]

After update

 

 

 

 

 

[BobJustBob]

 

Also it looks like I don't get EV+ anymore when I am in my neighborhood like before...what happened? I checked the settings and it's checked.

 

You lose your EV+ settings after the update.  If you want to quickly establish a location for EV+, you can start, and then stop, your engine 11 times at that location (while sitting in your driveway, for instance).  I did this following the update in my driveway at home and in the parking lot at work.  Works like a charm.

 

As for the upgrade, it has not made a noticeable difference in my gas mileage.  Only about 40% of my daily commute to the office is on the highway, so I guess I could not expect to see much of an improvement there.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that when the cold winter weather arrives, the changes for the grille shutters will make a noticeable change.  The cold temperatures really killed my gas mileage last winter (I live in Pennsylvania).

[JohnnOhio]

You lose your EV+ settings after the update.  If you want to quickly establish a location for EV+, you can start, and then stop, your engine 11 times at that location (while sitting in your driveway, for instance).  I did this following the update in my driveway at home and in the parking lot at work.  Works like a charm.

 

As for the upgrade, it has not made a noticeable difference in my gas mileage.  Only about 40% of my daily commute to the office is on the highway, so I guess I could not expect to see much of an improvement there.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that when the cold winter weather arrives, the changes for the grille shutters will make a noticeable change.  The cold temperatures really killed my gas mileage last winter (I live in Pennsylvania).

I have to drive 85% freeway to work and have noticed a big difference as you can see above. The car went into EV for a couple miles and then to ICE to charge the battery for a couple of miles and it kept repeating this al the way down the freeway. Almost half of my comute is EV now.

 

 I recieved delivery of my C Max in March with break in and cold at the same time I don't know what to expect in the winter. I'm hoping it will at least get in the low 40's for milage. I would be happy with that.

[HPRifleman]

I guess I don't understand how the new update could improve highway/interstate mileage.

 

Previously, it looks like the best way to drive at higher speeds was to keep the battery as charged as possible by going 65MPH+ and not let the car go into EV. While this keeps the ICE running, after a while the battery gets charged and the instantaneous mileage goes up. In my experience it would rise to about 45MPG or so. If you slow down and the ICE shuts off you can just blip the throttle and turn the ICE back on to keep a charge flowing to the battery.

 

With the new update the upper limit of EV-only running goes from 63MPH to something higher than typical interstate speeds. This means that during a normal highway drive of say 65 or 70MPH the ICE shuts off and you drive in EV for a while. This is confirmed by JohnnOhio's post above.

 

Because of the higher speed doesn't this drain the battery quickly? After only a few miles? Then the ICE has to work harder to propel the car and charge the battery again. I would think this would drop the mileage of the ICE part of the trip to 20MPG. So you are running at 999.9MPG for only a few miles and at 20MPG for many more miles. Doesn't this drop the overall trip mileage to something lower than just running with a high charge on the battery?

 

I have been holding off getting the new update because of this but maybe I am not understanding this correctly.

[armoredsaint]

You lose your EV+ settings after the update.  If you want to quickly establish a location for EV+, you can start, and then stop, your engine 11 times at that location (while sitting in your driveway, for instance).  I did this following the update in my driveway at home and in the parking lot at work.  Works like a charm.

 

As for the upgrade, it has not made a noticeable difference in my gas mileage.  Only about 40% of my daily commute to the office is on the highway, so I guess I could not expect to see much of an improvement there.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that when the cold winter weather arrives, the changes for the grille shutters will make a noticeable change.  The cold temperatures really killed my gas mileage last winter (I live in Pennsylvania).

 

the C-Max has active shutters or is this an upcoming update/model?

[wab]

YES!  :gold_star:  :happy feet:  

 

I almost suspect that the problem some people have after the update happened to our cmax before the update.

 

Pre-update in town I could (with a lot of effort) hit 39.9 MPG.

After the update I have no problem (no effort) at all hitting 45+ MPG.

 

In town highway has also gone up.

 

Out of town highway (75+ MPH) hasn’t changed 34 to 39.

I think the 2014’s will benefit in the 75+ MPH range a lot.

 

wab

 

[fotomoto]

I have been holding off getting the new update because of this but maybe I am not understanding this correctly.

 

 

At 65-85mph, the EV is so weak that anything (a slight rise in the road, headwind, nearly unnoticeable throttle application) will quickly revert it back to ICE mode.  

[DaveofDurham]

the C-Max has active shutters or is this an upcoming update/model?

 

Yes, our 2013 C-Max's have active grille shutters.  We have active grille shutters today!  

 

See    http://www.ford.com/cars/cmax/features/Feature16/#page=Feature16

(you may have to click on Active Grille Shutters on the left side of the page)

[JohnnOhio]

I guess I don't understand how the new update could improve highway/interstate mileage.

 

Previously, it looks like the best way to drive at higher speeds was to keep the battery as charged as possible by going 65MPH+ and not let the car go into EV. While this keeps the ICE running, after a while the battery gets charged and the instantaneous mileage goes up. In my experience it would rise to about 45MPG or so. If you slow down and the ICE shuts off you can just blip the throttle and turn the ICE back on to keep a charge flowing to the battery.

 

With the new update the upper limit of EV-only running goes from 63MPH to something higher than typical interstate speeds. This means that during a normal highway drive of say 65 or 70MPH the ICE shuts off and you drive in EV for a while. This is confirmed by JohnnOhio's post above.

 

Because of the higher speed doesn't this drain the battery quickly? After only a few miles? Then the ICE has to work harder to propel the car and charge the battery again. I would think this would drop the mileage of the ICE part of the trip to 20MPG. So you are running at 999.9MPG for only a few miles and at 20MPG for many more miles. Doesn't this drop the overall trip mileage to something lower than just running with a high charge on the battery?

 

I have been holding off getting the new update because of this but maybe I am not understanding this correctly.

At 70 on the interstate the instant mpg gauge reads 40 or a little above with the ICE running. After I got mine back from Ford I am able to run half and half between ICE and EV on the freeway now. Note the 2nd pic above 57.9mpg on it. For the 33 mile trip on the freeway  at 70 I was in EV 15.5 miles of that.

 

I don't know what they did to fix my car but I like it.

[armoredsaint]

Yes, our 2013 C-Max's have active grille shutters.  We have active grille shutters today!  

 

See    http://www.ford.com/cars/cmax/features/Feature16/#page=Feature16

(you may have to click on Active Grille Shutters on the left side of the page)

 

holy C$%! , ;) i didn't know that...i thought it was an upcoming retrofit or on 2014 models.

 

[catsailor]

going faster on the highway and holding 47/47/47 after 30days and +1400 combined miles in and around Washington DC

 

yes A/C ran.. a lot too in this hot DC beltway traffic.

 

 

 

 

[asb]

Because of the higher speed doesn't this drain the battery quickly? After only a few miles? Then the ICE has to work harder to propel the car and charge the battery again. I would think this would drop the mileage of the ICE part of the trip to 20MPG. So you are running at 999.9MPG for only a few miles and at 20MPG for many more miles. Doesn't this drop the overall trip mileage to something lower than just running with a high charge on the battery?

 

I have been holding off getting the new update because of this but maybe I am not understanding this correctly.

 

I drove my car differently today on the highway.  Speed was between 60 and 70 mph, and my mileage was greatly improved.  I think you have to drive your car on the highway the same way you drive it in the city.  Forget about the way it used to be driven on the highway prior to the update.  We'll see how this tank works out for me.

[mtb9153]

I seem to be getting a couple of MPG better, so I'm happy with it. Your EV+  locations get lost in the update. They'll come back. The car has to re-learn the EV+ locations and it will. Mine came back after about 2 weeks. It's been discussed many times...

I didn't loose my EV+ settings with the upgrade even right from the moment I drove home from the dealer.

[salsaguy]

mtb, if you still had your EV+ locations after your dealer attempted to install the update, it might have not taken as that is a telltale sign the update didn't work. you are still supposed to lose ev+. have you confirmed it goes into EV when driving above 65mph?? if not it needs to be redone by them.

 

best of luck.

[HPRifleman]

So those of you who are doing both city and interstate driving, it sounds like your mileage has gotten better at higher speeds, yes?

 

In addition to the improvement at higher speeds, have you seen improvement in city speeds?

 

Would you still recommend getting the update?

[mtb9153]

mtb, if you still had your EV+ locations after your dealer attempted to install the update, it might have not taken as that is a telltale sign the update didn't work. you are still supposed to lose ev+. have you confirmed it goes into EV when driving above 65mph?? if not it needs to be redone by them.

 

best of luck.

Yup no problem with driving at 65 up to 70 in EV.  Guess I'm lucky I still have my EV+.  They didn't go away after getting the first update done either

[mtb9153]

Yup no problem with driving at 65 up to 70 in EV.  Guess I'm lucky I still have my EV+.  They didn't go away after getting the first update done either

In fact I drive at 65 all the time now on the freeway.

[mlaurence]

I drove my car differently today on the highway.  Speed was between 60 and 70 mph, and my mileage was greatly improved.  I think you have to drive your car on the highway the same way you drive it in the city.  Forget about the way it used to be driven on the highway prior to the update.  We'll see how this tank works out for me.

This is exactly what I was experiencing after I got the update.  On an interstate, now you pulse to a higher speed with the ICE and let the EV gradually cruise to a slightly slower speed, building up those mpg's as you cruise.  It's like a straightaway on a city street or a state highway.  I think it's a little more relaxing to drive the car consistently, instead of having to switch styles once you went over 62mph.  I'm glad not to have to think about the 62mph threshold.

[mtb9153]

My mileage has increased and stabilized as a result of the upgrade.  But I do get better mileage driving in town at the 35-40 range.  Really notice the tenths (.1) of a mile increasing in the 25-30 mph range.

[homestead]

My mileage also continues to increase since the upgrade, was getting about 44.5 mpg pre-upgrade and

am now getting about 48.5 mpg on my 2nd tank since the upgrade.

Edited September 14, 2013 by homestead

[Tom]

So those of you who are doing both city and interstate driving, it sounds like your mileage has gotten better at higher speeds, yes?

 

In addition to the improvement at higher speeds, have you seen improvement in city speeds?

 

Would you still recommend getting the update?

Also, if I may piggyback on this question, any other downside losses such as diminished AC, etc.?

[ScubaDadMiami]

No problem with the A/C.  The car drives a little differently than it did before getting the recalibration, but I have not found a down side to getting the update.  I still need more time to determine if my FE has gone up.