vitrocmax

Doug, I think the whole point of the Euro figures is so we can compare between different makes and models, on paper, with a completely level playing field; I also think that it is possible that manufacturers can engineer the ECM to allow good performance on the test, so as to get them up to the top of the class. How the real car responds in a real world is not covered in the test, so the manufacturers can get away with it. Maybe the magazines use the readings from the computer? or use the 'official' figures and change them a bit so they don't have to get a calculator out? Just my opin

Hi Harry. I've been away this weekend so I haven been able to respond. If you haven't found out how to get them off, here's a picture clue; If you push from the end opposite the 'ford' logo, you'll be pushing against the sprung part, and then you can release the tabs and the unit pulls out. I use a credit card so I don't scratch the paint, and it does take a bit of force to do it. Gently isn't the word I'd use, careful is more like it. Hope this helps. vitrocmax

Did anyone watch 5th Gear this week? They had a short clip of an 'official' test, with a car on a rolling road hooked up to a monitor and the driver had to make a curser follow a line on screen! Now that's accurate! :lol: They also shot the economy of the test cars by driving them on real roads. There was a Citroen C2, a Toyota Prius and another one I can't remember. They were all supposed to have figures in the 50-60 region and returned 35-40. So that's close? :? That said, I'm happy with the 35(ish) that my 1.8 gives. It's about the same as my wife's Fiesta, which has a 1.25

There is a procedure to allow for automatic locking, but it needs to be enabled by the dealer. Once the feature is enabled you can 'toggle' between on or off by a switching/button pressing routine. I would suggest you ask for this when you next take the car in. :) At 800 miles the rattles won't have started, mine didn't until 2k... :lol: I agree with your door trim comment- everytime the seat belt catch hits it I wonder if the mark will be visible! I have a few dents, it's almost impossible not to. :x Apart from that, I'm happy with mine. :D vitrocmax

Any chance of a pic? If you refer back to my earlier rant here about the cr*p fitted by my dealer, it could be the speaker, as TopScAL says. mine looked like this... ...until I made them hide it behind the panel. :x That's assuming you have got parking sensors.

I've had a play with the trip computer over the last week or so. :wink: I tried my 'trick' suggestion, and got 99.9mpg for about half a mile, when I needed to apply some throttle. It then dropped slowly to about 65 mpg until I then had to go up an incline, when it dropped to about 48. It dropped slightly over a couple of days to 38. I then tried the opposite; I was stuck in a queue so I reset the computer. I got 0.00 mpg for a while until I started to move, then it went up to 2.6, then to 5.8 and when I was moving again it went up a bit more. Now it's at 28, after a couple of days. My

Not Ford's service, but Ford dealers' service. I think that the dealers are supposed to sort out the issues we have, and many don't. :x If they do, sometimes it's only after they have created the issue in the first place, and have to be pestered by us, their customers. That said, Ford probably have some control over what their authorised dealers can and can't do. The dealers are not Ford employees, only their agents. I'm happy with my car, still not 'over the moon' with my dealer. I've just been sent a letter from the third Sales Manager since I got my C-Max, 6 months ago, suggesting I

Good luck, Ian! I'm curious as to why you have had your rooflining changed. Mine was done because it was visible below the rear side windows, but they made a mess of it. It will be going in sometime for them to fix the issues they created when they changed it. The clock still isn't fixed, I think all they did was take the battery off to reset it, because it's still resetting to 0:00 regularly, mostly when the radio is switched on without the ignition being on. I've mentioned the car being returned for the next round of fixes but the truth is we enjoy using it so I haven't made the time t

So which PDI centre was that, then? I understand that PDI now means 'POST delivery inspection' and we have to do it. I suppose that if the dealer does it they might find something we don't notice, and that would mean they've wasted their time! And they might have to wait a long time for the clock to go wrong... :roll: vitrocmax

The trick is to reset the computer at the top of a long incline on a motorway at 70, and coast for a bit. The engine's not using much fuel but the distance is clocking up fast. That's similar to how Ford will test it, the incline cancels out the wind resistance because you don't have a rolling road like they do. :lol: :lol: Or do you want it to show a good figure in normal use? Sorry, can't help you there... :roll: vitrocmax

Another cost saving idea from Ford... :x I hope the 50p they have saved by not putting them in new builds is put to good use. :roll:

Hi Gavin. I suspect that if you only paid £2 then you may have an older version than the Jan 2004 one (V2.7), which is the first to have the C-Max on it. Help/About will tell you. I agree it's not easy to use- sometimes you can double-click and sometimes scroll, but other times you can't. Click on the Screwdriver/spanner symbol, and then click on the pull-down menu arrow on the top of the page. The C-Max should be there, (4th one down on mine) if it isn't you'll need to go back to eBay and make sure you get a Jan 04 one. That's what I've been told by someone I know who has the Jan04

The picture of the supply is here again, so you don't need to search; Pete, if you want to post a link you need to go to the page you want to link to (I usually open it in a new window), and click on the address bar. This will highlight the address, right click and 'copy'. Then go to your reply, click on the URL box, paste the address and click the *URL. Job done! :) vitrocmax

Thanks for the replies, I've been a bit busy (new PC needs sorting, and some other bits so I've not been on the forum). I'll have another look at my spreadsheet and might put a screenshot up so you can see what I'm trying to do. I don't have a value in the cell I want to select, I would like a 'radio button' so that the cell can be selected, and the copying to another done from a look-up list, or something similar. So much to do, so little time... vitrocmax

In an idle moment at work I decided to make a running costs spreadsheet, without the mpg calculator. The idea was to show annual running costs, against a measured mpg and mileage, so that ppm (pence per mile) could be shown. The idea came about when we were discussing mpg variances against Ford's figures. and I put the official figures alongside a row for 'actual' mpg, and the difference was displayed. By adding cells for tax, insurance and services the ppm could be shown. If used together with your mpg spreadsheet they could be very revealing. I don't use Excel for my work, the spreadsh

The silver finish looks to match well, Chris. My radio will have to wait a bit now because I've just spent my pocket money on a new PC and signed up for broadband. I didn't mind the £30 for the adapter but then when I found out I needed another £20 for a cable set I have to start saving again... :cry:

Chris, I tried to post a picture from your album (like the pics, BTW) and it worked for me. The characters after the '.jpg' in the address need to be deleted. I'll let you put them all up. Hope this helps. vitrocmax

The sensors are not shown anywhere on the TIS (that I can find) apart from the wiring diagrams. They are well integrated into the wiring, yours will just tap into the reversing light circuit. :) From what I remember of the ones I've seen, they are evenly spaced across the black bit and there didn't appear to be any angled spacers fitted. That's what appeared odd, as all the aftermarket ones I've seen need to be fitted vertically to work properly. It's why mine are in the bumper, right in the middle. :evil: Have you taken a pic yet, Craig? Just to rub it in how discreet yours are! :D :

The 'creak' on my dash only appears when it's hot, and the car has been standing with the sun on the front. If I book it in for the dealer to fix he might have to keep it for a while, so I'm not going to let him. I've not had a problem with the seats, yet. steamvalve, I agree with disney. I like the car, my problems were with the dealer. I originally intended pestering him with every issue on a regular basis but decided it wouldn't make any difference to him, and so it's now six months since it went in for a fix. There's a list of about 10 minor niggles that I would like to get sorted,

Hi Ortho. I know it's Sunday evening and it's a new car, but the first thing that needs to be done is tell your dealer and see what sort of response you get. I don't think there's a can of worms waiting to be opened (well, maybe not... :roll: ). I don't know how your dealer will react, but there has to be a reason for this 'bubble' and it will be interesting, to say the least, to find out what answer your dealer has. Let us know how you go on (daft statement, of course you will!) vitrocmax

DON'T YOU HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE TYPE IN CAPITALS? I gave up reading it after the first couple of lines, it's hard to read. There's no reserve, and at such a low starting price I might have a go myself and sell my Zetec on... I might get £6000 at this rate!

Here's a link to the Meguiar's gallery; link and the main site is here

Hi alex1 The factory fit sensors are discreetly 'hidden' in the black trim under the rear bumper which slopes quite a bit, but the instructions for aftermarket sensors usually suggest they are fitted vertically. My dealer fitted them in the middle of the bumper :evil: :evil: :evil: so they look cr@p, and they don't work as well as the Ford ones. I don't have a picture (I don't want to show everyone how it's spoiled the bumper) but there's 4 of them evenly spaced across the rear, the outside ones about 200mm in from the side. What do you get for your £50? It seems a bit on the low sid

The radio fascia is available from Ford, this pic is from their accessories brochure. The part number is 1321244 and it costs about £29, but you need a cable kit, there are 2 different ones and I don't have the details of them. Your dealer will be able to find them. How does that compare? I haven't looked at Autoleads for a while. vitrocmax

My logbook says my Vitro is 'green'. They obviously havent seen it... :lol: This pic was taken one evening, and it often looks this colour; It was green for a few minutes yesterday but today it is silver. My avatar has been PSP enhanced to make it green. (edit to add new 'blue' pic)