kc1174 Posted August 28, 2014 Report Share Posted August 28, 2014 no word from the dealer yet. still hoping its just a new battery to fix it.hope they check it all out though. so i saw in a thread last night there was one of the battery jumper/chargers that was yellow and fits in the under foot storage in rear footwell and plugs into the 12v plug in the rear of car and can jump the battery. can someone link me to this i cant find it for the life of me. i want to buy it asap. thanks!I got this one off Amazon. Fits in the glovebox and works pretty well. Used it I think 3 times without charging inbetween. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00D42AFS8/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=wms_ohs_product Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamisbomb Posted August 29, 2014 Report Share Posted August 29, 2014 thanks for the info. update:dealer states the battery tested ok and was able to hold a charge. he said its a parasidic draw that is causing it. exactly like all the other dealers in this thread. they said they have a number of different tests to run on it tommorow and will call me with the results. i had no luck obtaining a loaner or rental through ford this time, hoping if it becomes even close to monthly issue or so they will provide vehicle. trying not to get too discouraged. not sure how battery goes from not being able to be jumped and showing 25% charge this morning to testing just fine a few hours later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMax-Traveler Posted August 29, 2014 Report Share Posted August 29, 2014 thanks for the info. update:dealer states the battery tested ok and was able to hold a charge. he said its a parasidic draw that is causing it. exactly like all the other dealers in this thread. they said they have a number of different tests to run on it tommorow and will call me with the results. i had no luck obtaining a loaner or rental through ford this time, hoping if it becomes even close to monthly issue or so they will provide vehicle. trying not to get too discouraged. not sure how battery goes from not being able to be jumped and showing 25% charge this morning to testing just fine a few hours later. Adam, your problem sounds a bit different than many of the other problems encountered... yours is the first I've read about where the car didn't die overnight. Which makes me think it's likely a water intrusion problem with the electrical connections, since that would kill the 12v battery quickly and repeatedly, and yet the battery would still test good. Especially since the dealer washed the car shortly before this started happening. If it's a constant parasitic draw, the dealer should be able to trace and find it fairly easily. And... if it is water intrusion, I could in theory see how that would prevent the car from being jumped, since that's essentially a short in the system. The only additional thing I'd be concerned about is, once they find the root cause of your problem... even though the 12v tested good, since it will have died so many times, it's likely that the 12v itself will sooner rather than later fail to hold a charge, and need to be replaced. Keep us posted, good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamisbomb Posted August 29, 2014 Report Share Posted August 29, 2014 thanks for the input. ill mention the water intrusion today and i was already planning to ask for the battery to be replaced when they call. we will see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamisbomb Posted August 29, 2014 Report Share Posted August 29, 2014 Ford dealer called me and said it is done and ready for pickup. They said the battery tested good, so they did not replace it. they ran bunch of tests, checked for anything water related and i beleive called the help line for this. they ended up doing a software update that the tech said should help. he didnt say the number of the update, i assume it will be on the paper work. he said the battery is holding its charge and is good to go. i cannot pick it up until tomorrow, and i am hoping they leave it parked where it is so that if i go in tomorrow morning and its dead they will see its not resolved. but ill have positive thoughts and hope its not an issue going forward. bought a battery jumper on amazon this morning for emergencies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamisbomb Posted August 30, 2014 Report Share Posted August 30, 2014 So I go to dealer to get the car back today. Get my receipt and they did the 14-0155. I waited for them to pull the car up for 15 min. Then they tell me the battery is dead the car wouldn't start. So it'll spend the weekend at the dealer. Getting rental now and considering I bought the c max 6 days ago I am beyond frustrated Max Power 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamisbomb Posted August 30, 2014 Report Share Posted August 30, 2014 So I go to dealer to get the car back today. Get my receipt and they did the 14-0155. I waited for them to pull the car up for 15 min. Then they tell me the battery is dead the car wouldn't start. So it'll spend the weekend at the dealer. Getting rental now and considering I bought the c max 6 days ago I am beyond frustrated Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc1174 Posted August 30, 2014 Report Share Posted August 30, 2014 (edited) So I go to dealer to get the car back today. Get my receipt and they did the 14-0155. I waited for them to pull the car up for 15 min. Then they tell me the battery is dead the car wouldn't start. So it'll spend the weekend at the dealer. Getting rental now and considering I bought the c max 6 days ago I am beyond frustratedMight want to check out 1-d on this page: http://oag.ca.gov/consumers/general/lemon Their definition of a new car might help you out. Did the dealer offer the rental or is this out of your own pocket? IMO, a dead car after they did the reprogram should mean the onus is on them to provide transport, regardless of what it went in for originally. Also, did Ford corporate tell you if there had been the same issue with the car before you bought it, and has the Ford rep on here got back to you? Might also want to check out www.etis.ford.com and enter your VIN under "vehicles" I think it is and see if there are any outstanding items over on the left side of the page. Those wouldn't have been done, and taking your car in for them means you also get a rental. Am assuming the Ford dealer it's at checked for any outstanding TSB's but you never know. Good luck, and sorry you've had such a bad time with the car. It's definitely a great car - when it works. Edited August 30, 2014 by kc1174 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian_L Posted August 30, 2014 Report Share Posted August 30, 2014 So I go to dealer to get the car back today. Get my receipt and they did the 14-0155. I waited for them to pull the car up for 15 min. Then they tell me the battery is dead the car wouldn't start. So it'll spend the weekend at the dealer. Getting rental now and considering I bought the c max 6 days ago I am beyond frustrated I would be beyond angry. Did you speak to the manager? He should lending you his personal car! Don't they have service loaners? I had an awful experience (found an online ad with a price lower than I paid) with my dealer a couple of days after the sale. It definitely took the icing off the new car cake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelleytoons Posted August 30, 2014 Report Share Posted August 30, 2014 On the up side (I tend to look at the positive side of life :>) at least it WAS dead at their place. Imagine if you had brought it home and it died in your garage that night. As others have said here, you have rights that you may need to exercise and be a bit of a prick about it. I wouldn't start off that way, but sometimes getting a little crazy helps. On our Durango we spent almost $2K to get the radiator fixed and in driving it to the vet for an emergency session for our baby two days later it overheated because the radiator they installed leaked and there was ZERO fluid in it. I was stranded for hours (luckily our baby was okay) but I was SO mad that I called the dealer on my cell and used words and tone of voice I wouldn't use as a drill sergeant. To say they took care of me was an understatement, but this incident was the last straw and we started shopping for Maximis that weekend. Durango works fine now (and they have called twice since "just to make sure", one time a month afterwards) so sometimes you do have to be threatening (while I hate as a general rule to invoke this, lawsuits and my lawyer were mentioned). I will never go back to that dealer, nor ever buy anything made by Dodge again (See? This is why poll results are so worthless) but luckily my Ford dealer has made up for that in spades... so far. C-MaxSea 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlsstl Posted August 30, 2014 Report Share Posted August 30, 2014 (edited) As I noted in another thread a month or so ago, the complete randomness of the battery problem and Ford's apparent inability to diagnose it and come up with a solid fix cost them a sale to at least this buyer. (And yes, I've followed the threads on this site closely and seen all of the competing arguments that it is due to this or that, and can be fixed by checking whatever or following a special routine that no other car I've ever owned has needed....) I remain interested in this car but am waiting for the "Aha, we found it!" declaration from Ford. It is very disheartening to know that this issue has been going on since the car was introduced two years ago, and despite the software updates, parts replacement and buy-backs with Ford engineers all the while studying things under a microscope, the whole thing still remains a mystery. I've happily owned Fords before (starting with a '64 1/2 Mustang V8-260) and have no intrinsic problem with buying them in the future. But it is rather sad that they have built such an interesting, fun-to-drive and utilitarian vehicle and that after two years of investigation, it still leaves a lot of owners and potential buyers with no confidence in its reliability. Edited August 30, 2014 by mlsstl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamisbomb Posted August 30, 2014 Report Share Posted August 30, 2014 The dealer did pay for the rental after calling a few companies they got me a shuttle to budget and I was on my way. I am glad I left the c max there over night and that it died on their watch. This thread makes me pessimistic that they will all of the sudden fix it. I have their rental till Tuesday and won't hear anything before that due to the holiday. I have spoken to the Ford rep here and she took all my info. I just bought the car from a Volvo dealer less than a week ago I'll read the lemon law today. At the end of this I really like the c max and want to own it but my faith in the car and Ford is dying quickly. kc1174 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArizonaEnergi Posted August 30, 2014 Report Share Posted August 30, 2014 I hope they do something that fixes the problem for you. I only wish we knew that Ford was flying in their best engineers to diagnose and fix this problem once and for all, or air-freighting the cars to the factory for a complete strip-down and analysis. I just hope these cars haven't gotten too complex that the best we have can't fix them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc1174 Posted August 30, 2014 Report Share Posted August 30, 2014 Happy they sorted out the rental for you and they get you back on the road again. I do have some faith in them fixing this eventually. I'm of the opinion that I've spent so much time learning the car to get a good constant 50+ mpg (ignore the fuelly, I haven't updated it), and so much money on making it mine (backup camera, Lockpick, gaspods, tint, led's all over the place, DRL's) that I'll just have to wait until Ford get their act together on this and I'll deal with jumping it when I need to. Even taking it to the dealer when it is dead which is about 5 times in 1.5 years - I should take it in and have twice, but I'd rather not deal with some poor rental for days on end, and get the car back dirtier than it went in, and my average mpg down knowing it won't be fixed anyway. Had all the TSB's and recalls but still does it. It's been in twice for this but I've just given up. I could go in again, and technically lemon law it after that try, but again, I see this as Ford's problem and not mine. I'd only end up with something worse and likely regret it. The car is great - probably the best I've owned after my '78 Mini.. - but after all this, when it's done in a few years, I probably won't touch Ford again. Also, the argument that this was a new car for Ford - the hybrid is - but this exact car has been on the European market since August 2010 and per Ford UK, they've had no reports of water intrusion in engine bay connectors on theirs, and besides the engine and hybrid components, it's the same car. The problem I see with this is lack of experience in Detroit when they threw these together (and had multiple models on the same line likely causing confusion). Given the recalls for seat back welding, restraints, and the one in the headliner, I don't expect them to have got the wiring exactly right. Maybe that check from Ford was to buy ourselves new a water pump and harness and have someone competent install it, and make everything weatherproof under there ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamisbomb Posted August 31, 2014 Report Share Posted August 31, 2014 I hope they fix it too. I love the car and got two good days out of it. Now my wife is livid and thinks I bought a lemon. I hope we do get to enjoy the car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc1174 Posted August 31, 2014 Report Share Posted August 31, 2014 I hope they fix it too. I love the car and got two good days out of it. Now my wife is livid and thinks I bought a lemon. I hope we do get to enjoy the carNah, you didn't - there's a bunch of us here in the same boat (or rather, car) so it's not just you. One good thing is, getting to use all these hire cars shows us how good the C-Max is :) Btw I think there's a number of members here in the Bay area same as yourself. I'm in the bay area, but it's Tampa Bay sadly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamisbomb Posted August 31, 2014 Report Share Posted August 31, 2014 Yeah the loaner I had from the dealer I bought the cmax at is a Volvo v50 t5 wagon it's nice but plain. Rental Ford got me is a Hyundai Tucson. I just want the car I was so excited to buy a week ago and have it be reliable as I bought it for wife to drive around town and taxi kids to school Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc1174 Posted August 31, 2014 Report Share Posted August 31, 2014 Yeah the loaner I had from the dealer I bought the cmax at is a Volvo v50 t5 wagon it's nice but plain. Rental Ford got me is a Hyundai Tucson. I just want the car I was so excited to buy a week ago and have it be reliable as I bought it for wife to drive around town and taxi kids to schoolI always find it funny my loaners all end up something other than a Ford. Except the first loaner - an F250 or something.. Huge.. Since the dealer said the battery tested ok and connectors to the water coolant pump were okay, they maybe did something on the programming that messed it up. Am sure they'll get it fixed up for you. There are multiple reports on here that seem to point to water in connectors, which is what's going on with mine I think as it always seems to happen after rain, but it's random and doesn't always happen to everyone, and seems related mostly to the SE, but it could be anything. If it might be water intrusion, I find handwashing helps, and avoiding big puddles on the passenger side since that's the side the pump is on, infront of the engine. You shouldn't have to rely on the jump starter on a car you just bought, but it won't leave you stranded. Just don't leave it in the trunk like I did :) Keep us posted how you get on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamisbomb Posted August 31, 2014 Report Share Posted August 31, 2014 Yeah the issues started about an hour after the car was washed and detailed. I told the service advisor it needed to be checked for water intrusion but will tell him again on Tuesday. I want that thing torn apart and checked not just battery charged and tell me it's good. The battery jumper is insurance I don't want to use it. The car was supposed to be my wife's dd to get kids to school and drive around town In. She has no confidence in it now at all. It'll need to run good for awhile before she will trust it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamisbomb Posted September 2, 2014 Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 I'll assume the dealer service department was closed for the holiday today. Hoping they call me tomorrow since they only did rental through tomorrow anyways. I did find out that the dealer where I bought the c max from had a battery dead issue about 2 weeks before I bought it. Ford tested and it passed and they didn't have a other issue till I bought it. Part of me thinks they knew it had battery issue and thats why they did a large price cut and wanted to sell it so bad. We will see what Ford says soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc1174 Posted September 2, 2014 Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 If you got a really good deal on the SEL, I think you'll be happy in the long run. It's obviously a pain now, but I think they'll get it right for you and if it takes a while, you'll have a rental while they do fix it. Since it was Volvo dealership that sold it, they likely just thought it was a bad battery from being sat or something, tested it and thought it was okay. If it had been a Ford dealership that sold it, that would have been worse I think as they would have been aware of the reported 12v issues on the C-Max and other cars. The Volvo dealer was likely just clueless rather than deceptive. If you're under 36k miles though, I think you're still covered by the CA lemon law no matter what happens. Am sure Ford will sort it out. My last car was a Jeep from a Toyota dealer - got it really cheap with something like 8k on it, but they missed recalls and as a result it had all sorts of issues in the first few weeks. I felt like I was in the same place you are now, except it would take more than a jump starter to get me moving. A regular Jeep/Chrysler dealer sorted it all out, and looking back, I made out like a bandit on that deal :) As I said - I know it's a PIA now, but they'll get it right I'm sure. Thanks for keeping us updated and let us know how it goes tomorrow. C-MaxSea 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamisbomb Posted September 2, 2014 Report Share Posted September 2, 2014 Good positive advice. It's only at 27k miles so luckily factory warranty still has some miles and time. I hope 4 months from now I can look back on this as a bad time that passed. We will see. Thanks again for the positive insight. kc1174 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamisbomb Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 so i called to check on the car today and they told me it was ready to pick up. they said they tested the battery and it was now bad. weird that in 3 days it went from ok to bad. anyways i got the car back and drove it a total of about 25 miles since during multiple trips. the battery has been good so far, knock on wood. ill keep monitering it, and i am getting a battery jumper in mail tommorow to put in under floor storage. now i will attempt to learn about the car since ive owned it a week now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc1174 Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 so i called to check on the car today and they told me it was ready to pick up. they said they tested the battery and it was now bad. weird that in 3 days it went from ok to bad. anyways i got the car back and drove it a total of about 25 miles since during multiple trips. the battery has been good so far, knock on wood. ill keep monitering it, and i am getting a battery jumper in mail tommorow to put in under floor storage. now i will attempt to learn about the car since ive owned it a week now.Am up early... Good news they found what appears to have been the issue! Hope it stays like this :) Incase it is water intrusion, I'd watch car washing and driving in rain and see what happens afterwards. Hopefully it's not that, but it's something to be wary of. You never know. As for learning the car - here's where I started out - loads of great info you won't find in the manual. In fact, the whole forum has loads of info including the 600+ and 700+ mpg threads if you're looking to make the most mpg wise :) http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/1751-jus-another-cmax-review/?fromsearch=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrian_L Posted September 3, 2014 Report Share Posted September 3, 2014 so i called to check on the car today and they told me it was ready to pick up. they said they tested the battery and it was now bad. weird that in 3 days it went from ok to bad. anyways i got the car back and drove it a total of about 25 miles since during multiple trips. the battery has been good so far, knock on wood. ill keep monitering it, and i am getting a battery jumper in mail tommorow to put in under floor storage. now i will attempt to learn about the car since ive owned it a week now. Under floor storage? That's some tiny battery jumper! My jumper pack is the size of a very large shoebox or toolbox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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