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Thanks Andy! I do not plan to do anything else than look for a loose cable. This can be a matter of extended warranty (due to consumer act in Norway) and if the garage claims that the error is due to a loose cable the error might be pinned on me due to "uncareful moving of the seat, possibly with some object stuck under it". I have been warned ... Other than that, I have several times in the past found it most useful to know what I'm talking about when I discuss a matter with the garage, and this forum has been invaluable. There have been several time in the past that the garage didn't kno

Hi all! My 2003 build C-Max 1.8 petrol now shows the airbag warning light 70% of the time I spend in the car. I understand that this means that the airbags and belt-tighteners are disabled due to an error. I had the seemingly same problem 2 years ago and it was then "fixed" by resetting the error codes. The were 2 error codes, and one of them was B-2856-30-RCM. Form searching the net I see that the Airbag light often has one of these three causes: 1) Loose cables under the seat 2) "The control unit needs resetting" 3) "The driver airbag needs replacement" I have tried to inspect the ca

I have a 1.8 Zetec (petrol) and get between 40 and 48 MPG on long runs driving between 45 and 70 MPH. I have noticed that the MPG is very speed sensitive and I get the best MPG when going below 50 MPH. In 80 MPH the MPG would drop significantly below 40. It also seems like I can add approx. 5% fuel consumption with the aircon on.

Did he turn it back to automatic afterwards? Is there any sign proving that it picks up time from RDS now?

If you're unable to change the time, it's probably because the unit is set to automatic. If I were you I would look up in the radio manual how to switch the setup to manual. When set on manual you will be able to set the time and date. My experience is that once the clock (and date!) is set correctly manually, it will begin to pick up time from the RDS if you turn it back to automatic. The clock time and date seem to reset after each service. Ford's "fix" for the clock problem is to remove the automatic RDS update, leaving the manual update easier to find in the menues.

Sorry, mandarin, my advice will not do you any good, then. I can see your aggrevation: Ford has disabled the automatic update because it doesn't work. It's like removing the ability to watch BBC on your TV because of bad reception. You're then left with a clock which constantly slows and have to set it manually. It's really hi-tec isn't it? I must add that when I complained about the RDS feature on my first service my dealer offered to replace the whole unit under warranty. I declined and offered to wait for a fix. And when I started the car it worked! And all the dealer claimed to have d

I have the CD 6000 also much troubled with RDS clock setting. FORD has issued an interesting fix: To disable the feature (there are several threads on this on this forum). I have done an interesting observation when it comes to the RDS clock setting. On my car it has been working for some period of time and then it has stopped working and then suddenly it's OK again. The pattern in this seems to be: 1) It seems to be unable to pick up RDS-time if the clock date is reset (00-00-2000 or something). The clock date is typically lost during service and not set because it doesn't show on the CD 6

I give my 1.8 Trend (Zetec) 7/10 after almost 2 years of ownership. Upside is driving experience and engine performance (which has become very smooth and hazzlefree). Downside is too many niggles (catalyst, light switch, seat adjustment, noise when braking in reverse, door alignment, radio clock), too cheap interior quality and too much hazzle removing the back seats. I am aslo a bit worried about the depreciation.

When the windscreen is cleared by the heat in the screen it should leave a small area on the edges which is not affected. And, yes: it's fast and effective. It clears a fair amount of ice and snow from my windscreen in a couple of minutes. I'm not sure how fast it works on mist, though as I use the aircon for that.

And Volvo is owned by Ford :?:

I think some of the earlier ones came with engine cover on the 1,6 tdci and the later models don't. Engine cover could explain the difference. I had the 110 BHP 1.6 tdci Focus MK2 as a courtesy car a couple of months ago and did think that the engine sounded less refined than I had expected (but the mpg was excellent).

I think this result is to be expected. Because of the idling the computer will have a very low mpg for the latest distance and it therefore computes few miles until empty.

I can't understand why you would want a Picasso instead of a C-Max. The diesel engines are the same (as are Peugeots) and I hated the drive when I test-drove it. I thought the WV Touran diesel was nice, but a bit on the expensive side for me.

I don't think you should be scared as the most of the niggles seem to be sorted in the new cars now. The diesels seem to have had more than their share of the trouble. I have an 1.8 petrol (september 2003 build) and it has had a lot of minor niggles, but the engine has been faultless. I love the drive and the versatility, so I think you should relax and enjoy. You should also be very happy for this forum as there are several very knowledgable people here who will be happy to help you pinpoint and document your problems when they occur. The forum should be seen as a benefit not a put off.

Thanks Mastertech and ucsman, this info will make the communication with the garage much easier. As always this forum is invaluable - Ford should pay some of you guys for the customer service! (Maybe they do ...) I think most of us love our C-Max and just want problems identified and solved without too much hazzle, and this forum helps a lot. My C-Max is an early build 1.8 Zetec/Trend (great engine) and has had it's share of minor niggles, but Ford and garages has been servicing them ok so far (provided with accurate information).

Just wondering if anyone else has experienced these minor niggles. I've just had the Max in for it's second service and all three of them have survived ... 1) The back support on the driver's seat lowers itself and the seat creaks when the back support reach it's lowest level. It doesn't take more than an hour or so between each time it has to be adjusted, and it annoys me. Garage said that they could find no info on this fault and that obviously made it ok to ignore it. Has anybody else had this problem? 2) The headlight washers have stopped working and no sign of a leak. I didn't notice

This helped a lot. The problem was the back support on the driver's seat. The back support is now constantly lowering itself and the creaking starts when it hits the bottom. I'll have to adjust the back support every day to avoid the noise. I think I'll have a word with Mr Ford before the warranty runs out. Thanks!

With your luck I think you should go for the lottery too! :roll:

Thank you Eidos, it was something like this I wanted to hear. And yes, it creaks a bit during acceleration, braking and on rough roads too. Now I just need to get it fixed under warranty ...

Over the last month or so the driver's seat has started creaking when turning. The sound is frequent and annoying. Has anybody else experienced this? Any fix?

There is a separate thread about the 1.8 petrol and fuel economy; http://www.ffoc.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=87907. I was a bit dissapointed at first myself, but it improved radically between 10.000 and 20.000 km when the engine loosened up. Now it is in the range of 30 mpg (city driving with lots of cold starts and stops) and 50 mpg (long runs with steady speed - not to fast) over a tank. I've never experienced any of the other two problems. I think the 1.8 petrol is very smooth and strong at all speeds, but a bit low geared in 5th. God knows I've had my share of niggles, but not with th

My C-Max was 18 months old when I got the rear brake squeel fixed. But I had been complaining about it for a year ...

I always do this just by wetting the whole area with a damp cloth. When it dries up the water stains are gone. And you're right - there has been lengthy threads on this topic before where you also can find tips for plenty of expensive chemicals!

It' normal as long as the fan switch points upwards (demisting the screen). The aircon dries the air and helps the demisting. Because of this, aircon ON is default when demisting the screen. There are several threads on this elsewhere in this forum as well, so you're not the only one wondering ...

You will risk them beeing bad under your normal driving conditions; dry and wet roads.