Recurrence of battery failure

[marshtex2]

Hey fourfins, check the thread "QUICK RELIEF . . . "

[fourfins]

Took the car in today. Gave them TSB 14-0155 which they performed. The battery failed the test and they replaced it. Sheet says they reprogrammed the modules and inspected the wiring per the TSB as well. 

 

Didn't get a chance to get more information from my service advisor as he had already left for the day. Doubt he would have engaged me in any conversation, he appeared to want to make the minimum amount of talk in the morning.  

[scottwood2]

Same story here except the battery was good.  Close to 9K miles on the car now.  Also noticed that it did some kind of an update.  The MFT displayed this (I purchase this option). I think it might not have loaded correctly?  I am assuming that the update was downloaded through my phone?  This was noticed before I took it to the dealer. 

 

Just wondering if anyone else is seeing this issue at this same time?  Mine happened Saturday night/Sunday morning.  This all started when I went to my car on Sunday morning

 

I did notice now that the climate control is different for Auto mode.  Seems to blow air out the dash vents more now.  Before I think it was more on the floor. 

 

There was a pretty good current draw before I took it to the dealer and I did notice a pump running until the battery quit.  Seems good now.  We will see what happens. 

[Kelleytoons]

The update on MFT was something you needed to initiate (and, yes, it would be loaded from a call through your phone).  Mine updated and didn't affect much other than my background wallpaper is gone.

 

Climate control auto mode, AFAIK, will be affected by how you set it up and then turn it off, so if you've changed the venting to come out from the floor and then turned it off the next time it comes on auto it will be that way.  Mine did this as well until I changed it back to come out from the dash.  It's possible that when you did the MFT update it went back to the defaults.

 

None of that should have affected your battery, though (again, AFAIK).

[FordService]

Welcome to the community, fourfins!  :victory:

 

My name is Tricia, and I’m the U.S. Ford Customer Service Representative. I’ll be here to lend a hand if you have any questions or concerns. 

 

Took the car in today. Gave them TSB 14-0155 which they performed. The battery failed the test and they replaced it. Sheet says they reprogrammed the modules and inspected the wiring per the TSB as well...

Same story here except the battery was good.  Close to 9K miles on the car now.  Also noticed that it did some kind of an update...

Hey guys,

 

Thanks for the update, and please continue to keep an eye on it. If you need further assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’ll be happy to look into available options to assist at that time!  :)

 

Tricia

[scottwood2]

Welcome to the community, fourfins!  :victory:

 

My name is Tricia, and I’m the U.S. Ford Customer Service Representative. I’ll be here to lend a hand if you have any questions or concerns. 

 

Hey guys,

 

Thanks for the update, and please continue to keep an eye on it. If you need further assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’ll be happy to look into available options to assist at that time!  :)

 

Tricia

Thx Tricia

 

Good to know you are out there if needed.  I appreciate the reply. 

[scottwood2]

The update on MFT was something you needed to initiate (and, yes, it would be loaded from a call through your phone).  Mine updated and didn't affect much other than my background wallpaper is gone.

 

Climate control auto mode, AFAIK, will be affected by how you set it up and then turn it off, so if you've changed the venting to come out from the floor and then turned it off the next time it comes on auto it will be that way.  Mine did this as well until I changed it back to come out from the dash.  It's possible that when you did the MFT update it went back to the defaults.

 

None of that should have affected your battery, though (again, AFAIK).

That was what I thought would happen as well.  I did not see anything on my phone about updating.  

 

Thx for the tip on the climate control.  I will try that.  I know I lost a bunch of setting with the dealer update.  To be expected.  I need to reprogram my one button push for opening all the doors again.  I love that feature. 

 

We had to use the Truck on Easter to travel to the in-laws house because of the battery issue.  I like the truck but I could not wait to get back in the C-Max.   I love driving this car. 

 

Thx again

[dhouse1946]

As of yesterday, after approx. 10k miles of no issues, our 2013 C-MAX came up dead in the garage... Called FORD road service, got a jump, drove to the dealer, left it for testing... Got a call with "we found nothing wrong" but no mention this is apparently a larger issue... Did experience abnormal radio (stuck on one station, volume and tuning unresponsive, CD player would not eject or play a CD that was loaded) when driving it a couple of days before Easter and drove to the dealer immediately but had to set up an appt. Went home, parked it in the garage and used other car until we went to drive it into the dealer when we discovered it was dead... Glad to find this forum and to realize this is real issue. Will contact FORD directly to voice my dissatisfaction.

[marshtex2]

Hi dhouse1946, check the thread "QUICK RELIEF FROM DEAD BATTERY SYNDROME". Maybe you can get it going without having to call someone.

Edited April 8, 2015 by marshtex2

[fourfins]

Same story here except the battery was good.  Close to 9K miles on the car now.  Also noticed that it did some kind of an update.  The MFT displayed this (I purchase this option). I think it might not have loaded correctly?  I am assuming that the update was downloaded through my phone?  This was noticed before I took it to the dealer. 

 

Just wondering if anyone else is seeing this issue at this same time?  Mine happened Saturday night/Sunday morning.  This all started when I went to my car on Sunday morning

 

I did notice now that the climate control is different for Auto mode.  Seems to blow air out the dash vents more now.  Before I think it was more on the floor. 

 

There was a pretty good current draw before I took it to the dealer and I did notice a pump running until the battery quit.  Seems good now.  We will see what happens. 

 

Thanks Tricia, appreciate the concern.

[scottwood2]

As of yesterday, after approx. 10k miles of no issues, our 2013 C-MAX came up dead in the garage... Called FORD road service, got a jump, drove to the dealer, left it for testing... Got a call with "we found nothing wrong" but no mention this is apparently a larger issue... Did experience abnormal radio (stuck on one station, volume and tuning unresponsive, CD player would not eject or play a CD that was loaded) when driving it a couple of days before Easter and drove to the dealer immediately but had to set up an appt. Went home, parked it in the garage and used other car until we went to drive it into the dealer when we discovered it was dead... Glad to find this forum and to realize this is real issue. Will contact FORD directly to voice my dissatisfaction.

Just wondering:

 

What model you have (SE or SEL)

If a SE do you have the 8" display (MFT)?

 

Thx

[wab]

Greeting and Welcome dhouse1946

 

Have you seen this thread?

http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/3534-battery-failures-poll/

[blaquetung]

I have a 2013 Ford C-MAX SEL 303A (sunroof, remote start) I purchased May 18, 2013. I ordered it, so it was built a week or two earlier. I live in northwestern Illinois and have amassed 49,500 miles.

 

On March 25, 2014 my car was fixed at the dealer. My remote start had stopped working earlier in the week and when I went to start my car in the morning the engine did not start but all of the electronics did. A tow truck towed it to the dealer where the large battery eventually drained since I couldn't turn the electronics off. The starter battery was switched and the canister purge valve was also replaced.

 

On April 6, 2015 my car was again fixed at the dealer. I had setup an appointment the prior week because my radio was frozen "off". The button to turn the radio registered touching on the screen, but the radio (and all voice commands) would never work. Before my scheduled appointment, the car died one morning and there was no sign of power. I got it jumped after two attempts and brought it to the dealer. The starter battery was still good. I had TSB 14-0115 run (thanks forum) and hopefully this fixes the problem.

 

After the update, it seems that the car powers down more quickly after turning it off.

[stevedebi]

I have a 2013 Ford C-MAX SEL 303A (sunroof, remote start) I purchased May 18, 2013. I ordered it, so it was built a week or two earlier. I live in northwestern Illinois and have amassed 49,500 miles.

 

On March 25, 2014 my car was fixed at the dealer. My remote start had stopped working earlier in the week and when I went to start my car in the morning the engine did not start but all of the electronics did. A tow truck towed it to the dealer where the large battery eventually drained since I couldn't turn the electronics off. The starter battery was switched and the canister purge valve was also replaced.

 

On April 6, 2015 my car was again fixed at the dealer. I had setup an appointment the prior week because my radio was frozen "off". The button to turn the radio registered touching on the screen, but the radio (and all voice commands) would never work. Before my scheduled appointment, the car died one morning and there was no sign of power. I got it jumped after two attempts and brought it to the dealer. The starter battery was still good. I had TSB 14-0115 run (thanks forum) and hopefully this fixes the problem.

 

After the update, it seems that the car powers down more quickly after turning it off.

The radio is run off of the 12v, not the HVB battery. As you note, the replaced the 12v battery, not the big one.

[Tom]

I may have missed it, but has Ford divined the reason(s) for the battery failures?  It seems to me that there must be multiple reasons.  If it were just one, Ford would have identified it and fixed it by now.

 

I have experienced three failures that occurred at widely separated times and under no special conditions. Dealership did the "fix" of the day for me.  Perhaps now it really has been repaired -- or perhaps not?

[Bill-N]

I may have missed it, but has Ford divined the reason(s) for the battery failures?  It seems to me that there must be multiple reasons.  If it were just one, Ford would have identified it and fixed it by now.

 

I have experienced three failures that occurred at widely separated times and under no special conditions. Dealership did the "fix" of the day for me.  Perhaps now it really has been repaired -- or perhaps not?

 

We'll never know for sure, but I suspect not as TSB 14-0155 addresses several possible causes.

 

I had the battery replaced last week after 2.5 years and 30K+ miles of trouble-free driving.  The dealer performed 14-0155 so we'll just have to see how it goes.

 

Now, to a possible early warning: a day or two before the dead car incident, my wife reported that the radio would not turn on.  Perhaps this was a precursor to a failing battery.

[FordService]

First of all, I want to say welcome to the community, blaquetung!  :victory: 

 

My name is Tricia, and I’m the U.S. Ford Customer Service Representative. I’m here to assist with any questions or concerns.

 

Thx Tricia

 

Good to know you are out there if needed.  I appreciate the reply. 

Thanks Tricia, appreciate the concern.

You’re very welcome, scottwood2 and fourfins.

 

I’ll be here if you need me, and enjoy the rest of your day!  ;) 

 

As of yesterday, after approx. 10k miles of no issues, our 2013 C-MAX came up dead in the garage... Called FORD road service, got a jump, drove to the dealer, left it for testing... 

I have a 2013 Ford C-MAX SEL 303A (sunroof, remote start) I purchased May 18, 2013. I ordered it, so it was built a week or two earlier. I live in northwestern Illinois and have amassed 49,500 miles.

On March 25, 2014 my car was fixed at the dealer. My remote start had stopped working earlier in the week and when I went to start my car in the morning the engine did not start but all of the electronics did...

I may have missed it, but has Ford divined the reason(s) for the battery failures?  It seems to me that there must be multiple reasons.  If it were just one, Ford would have identified it and fixed it by now...

We'll never know for sure, but I suspect not as TSB 14-0155 addresses several possible causes.

 

I had the battery replaced last week after 2.5 years and 30K+ miles of trouble-free driving.  The dealer performed 14-0155 so we'll just have to see how it goes...

 

Thanks for the update, guys.

 

Please keep an eye on it. I recommend taking your vehicle back to the dealer to get diagnosed if the symptoms return. Be sure to contact me as well, and I’ll be happy to look into available options to assist at that time.  :) 

 

Tricia

[jamshmi]

Greetings and WELCOME

 

You may have the cmax that Ford has been looking for :worship:.

Your car may be unique, the one that had a real world real time dead battery.

It was on a Ford lot when it failed, they may have never seen one before.

 

As a telecommunications tech my worst fear was to be dispatched on a major problem and there would "no trouble found". Customers just can't understand that high tech seemingly gets well on its own.

 

Again welcome and please give us periodical status reports.

 

Thank you for the gracious welcoming !

 

First status report; 7 months and 10K miles later, the C-Max has had no known battery opportunities !

 

Fyi, I did find this website  http://www.fordproblems.com/C-Max_Hybrid/ about battery dead

 

I am still trying to reach the 600 mile high club, 592/593 miles best to date averaging 44+ MPG, and

considering having tinted windows installed to achieve 2%+ MPG, but not sure the ROI is there ?

 

If the VW owners had only known that they should have purchased a C-Max !

[fbov]

I am still trying to reach the 600 mile high club, ...

There are simple things you can do.

- check tire pressure, and  increase tire pressures to sidewall rating

- grill blocks have been long discussed and shown effective with no downside up here in the rust belt

- use 91E0 fuel, but only for demonstration purposes; you won't save the difference in price.

- drive deeper into the tank; folks see nearly 14gal. capacity.

- drive slower... or take the back way instead of the freeway, and, finally... 

 

(drum roll please)

 

- wait until Spring.

 

Cold weather is the enemy of high mileage, especially in this car. If you have a block heater, USE IT. Many of us wish we did. You can reduce fuel consumption by keeping heat off this Winter, but shivering makes no contribution to moving the car, and the ICE still wants to warm up.

 

Have fun,

Frank

[raadsel]

There are simple things you can do.

- check tire pressure, and  increase tire pressures to sidewall rating

- grill blocks have been long discussed and shown effective with no downside up here in the rust belt

- use 91E0 fuel, but only for demonstration purposes; you won't save the difference in price.

- drive deeper into the tank; folks see nearly 14gal. capacity.

- drive slower... or take the back way instead of the freeway, and, finally... 

 

(drum roll please)

 

- wait until Spring.

 

Cold weather is the enemy of high mileage, especially in this car. If you have a block heater, USE IT. Many of us wish we did. You can reduce fuel consumption by keeping heat off this Winter, but shivering makes no contribution to moving the car, and the ICE still wants to warm up.

 

Have fun,

Frank

 

Actually, depending on where you are, this is a good time of year for mileage, since it isn't cold yet but is no longer hot; much like Spring.

 

Of course, for Houston, we are about to the end of summer. Then we'll get a couple of months of Fall, followed by a week of Winter and a couple of months of Spring. ;)

Edited September 29, 2015 by raadsel

[Kelleytoons]

Winter?  What the heck is THAT?

 

(Oh, yeah, it's that cooler, pleasant time of the year when I can play tennis without sweating my ass off).  And, yes, MUCH better mileage (since I no longer have the A/C on all the time).

[SnowStorm]

Winter?  That's when it snows and, at no cost, you're instantly transported into a magical, romantic world of beauty, wonder, quiet and - - - no alligators!!!

[Kelleytoons]

Hmm, ya know, I don't remember snow being like that at all -- it was just bitterly cold, messy, wet and turned into a dirty gray mess in a few days.

 

I like looking at it on TV though.

[fbov]

Poster lives in Detroit.

 

Your version of Winter arrived today; 40's and rainy. I needed a jacket for the first time since Spring. We've been blessed with a very warm, dry September.

 

Frank

[raadsel]

Poster lives in Detroit.

 

Your version of Winter arrived today; 40's and rainy. I needed a jacket for the first time since Spring. We've been blessed with a very warm, dry September.

 

Frank

 

Fall seems to be hitting here this weekend, highs will only be around 80 and the lows are dropping into the 60s. Oddly, when I lived in Germany, that was summer (not sure about Detroit, or Rochester).