Ford C-MAX - Auto CVT

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Sat 4 Sep 2010 17:49
Ford C-MAX - Auto CVT - Matt1952

Honest John suggests not buying a C-Max CVT Auto due to prolific failure of gear box. I understand it is the same CVT box that is found in the MB B-Class. Does the advice apply to the MB B-Class?

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Sun 5 Sep 2010 08:54
Ford C-MAX - Auto CVT - Matt1952

Is this due to the different MB engine, 2.0 rather than 1.6?

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Sun 5 Sep 2010 10:22
Ford C-MAX - Auto CVT - Ben 10

Are all autos on Fords CVT. How can you tell?

My wife drives a Focus 2 1.6 with an auto box.Is this one?

Edited by Ben 10 on 05/09/2010 at 10:23

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Sun 5 Sep 2010 16:29
Ford C-MAX - Auto CVT - Chris M

Don't know - read the handbook!

But, you'll feel a conventional auto change gear, whereas a CVT doesn't have any gears to change. CVT = Continuously Variable Transmission (I think)

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Sun 5 Sep 2010 17:03
Ford C-MAX - Auto CVT - Matt1952

Yes, but its strange the C-max CVT auto box fails but the same box in other cars e.g MB B-class doesn't seem to have the same failure rate. The new Ford Auto box the Powershift is similar to the VW DSG.

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Sun 5 Sep 2010 17:04
Ford C-MAX - Auto CVT - Ben 10

I've read the section on transmission! It doesn't say! The handbook that is!

So what does a CVT gear change feel like then?

You still haven't answered my query. But thanks for joining in CM.

Edited by Ben 10 on 05/09/2010 at 17:05

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Sun 5 Sep 2010 18:45
Ford C-MAX - Auto CVT - Chris M

It's continuously variable so there is no gear change and so you won't see any sudden drop in revs as you would with a conventional auto. I think the idea is it's smoother.

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Sun 5 Sep 2010 18:57
Ford C-MAX - Auto CVT - Chris M

I've just had a look in the handbook for my manual CMax and, if it were auto, it would have the CVT box. Under transmission, the section starts with "Durashift CVT". If your handbook, under the transmission section, doesn't mention CVT, I imagine it's because it doesn't have it.

Open a beer!

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Mon 6 Sep 2010 10:31
Ford C-MAX - Auto CVT - audi dave

C-Max CVT auto was only fitted to 1.6 TDCI engines. There are one or two Ford Focuses out there with the CVT box as well. Gearbox - Code CF23 was designed and built by Ford and ZF in Joint Venture, with the gearboxes built in the USA. It is NOT the same gearbox fitted to Mercedes cars.

My understanding from having done some web research when I owned one of these cars is the CF23 programme suffered delays due to technical difficulties and also cost overruns. This meant that the gearbox was probably rushed into production and the R&D probably suffered as the result of trying to reduce the overspend.

I got shot of my car - at great cost to myself - after Ford had had 15 attempts at resolving a hesitation and black smoke problem on pullaway - caused by a mismatch in software between the geabox, engine and powertrain control module. The car was only a few weeks out of warranty when I bought it and Ford GB didn't give a stuff. I'll never buy a Ford again as a result.

The total gearbox failure is yet another problem with this gearbox.

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Mon 6 Sep 2010 16:15
Ford C-MAX - Auto CVT - Dutchie

The CVT is used in the Audi under the name of Multitronic Subaru Toyota Fiat BMW Nissan and Honda to name a few car companies.In our Honda Jazz very smooth gear changes (The system uses a belt variable on a pulley the belt can be made of steel.) David Coulthard as a test driver was seconds faster using a autobox CVT.I believe the FIA stopt the use of these boxes claiming unfair competition against normal gearboxes.So the principle of this system is very good.Like the OP mentioned Ford messed up most likely they rushed it .I don't blame the engineers.

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Mon 6 Sep 2010 20:44
Ford C-MAX - Auto CVT - mbah4

As far as I know the petrol engined Focus Mk1 or Mk2 and C Max use the 4F27E auto box which has four speeds and is NOT the CVT box which I undersatand was only fitted to the 1.6 diesel C Max. Yerars ago I drove one of these at a Ford press day when it had done 2000 miles and it was great to drive slowly. I wondered just what it would be like after 50,000 miles and now I know!!

The 4F27E auto box is based on a Mazda design according to the Haynes manuals and the shift controls are different between the Mk 1 Focus and the Mk 2 Focus. The Mk1 in 1.6 form has 1,2 & D indicators whereas both the 1.6 and the 2 litre in Mk 2 form have either auto D or a sequential manual option but this shows 1,2,3,4 on the dashboard indicator as you change gears manually. The C Max also has the sequential shift version but only with the 2 litre petrol engine. All of these also have a button on the shift lever to enable you to cut out a so called overdrive (4th gear!).

I seem to remember that there also some very early auto Mk1 Focus models fitted with an early auto transmission but these were so bad I cannot believe there will still be any on the road. Ford held up production of the auto for some months while they sorted the problems. I'm unsure what happened the unfortunate owners of them though.

Edited by mbah4 on 06/09/2010 at 20:46

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Tue 7 Sep 2010 16:43
Ford C-MAX - Auto CVT - Matt1952

Thanks for all the discussion about the FORD C-Max CVT box, however my initial question was: if the CVT in the C-Max is prone to fail why isn't there the same failure rate in the MB B-Class which uses the same CVT box.

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Sat 2 Oct 2010 15:00
Ford C-MAX - Auto CVT - jimbano

As far as I know the petrol engined Focus Mk1 or Mk2 and C Max use the 4F27E auto box which has four speeds and is NOT the CVT box which I undersatand was only fitted to the 1.6 diesel C Max. Yerars ago I drove one of these at a Ford press day when it had done 2000 miles and it was great to drive slowly. I wondered just what it would be like after 50,000 miles and now I know!!

The 4F27E auto box is based on a Mazda design according to the Haynes manuals and the shift controls are different between the Mk 1 Focus and the Mk 2 Focus. The Mk1 in 1.6 form has 1,2 & D indicators whereas both the 1.6 and the 2 litre in Mk 2 form have either auto D or a sequential manual option but this shows 1,2,3,4 on the dashboard indicator as you change gears manually. The C Max also has the sequential shift version but only with the 2 litre petrol engine. All of these also have a button on the shift lever to enable you to cut out a so called overdrive (4th gear!).

I seem to remember that there also some very early auto Mk1 Focus models fitted with an early auto transmission but these were so bad I cannot believe there will still be any on the road. Ford held up production of the auto for some months while they sorted the problems. I'm unsure what happened the unfortunate owners of them though.

Hi,

i am looking to purchase a 2007 c-max 2.0 petrol automatic, but have read some real horror stories associated with the auto box. By all accounts it seems to have been only diesel autoboxes, as the petrol engine/autobox configuration seem to be fine.

Can anyone clarify if the gearboxes in these newer c-max's still cause problems or have ford sorted the issues.

Many thanks in advance

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Tue 7 Sep 2010 16:45
Ford C-MAX - Auto CVT - Matt1952

Thanks, I was miss informed as I thought the CVT boxes in the C-Max and MB B-Class were the same.

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Sat 11 Sep 2010 16:29
Ford C-MAX - Auto CVT - rjp

According to research posted on the Ford Owners Club site, the CVT box in the C-Max was designed to handle 230 Nm of torque and the 1.6TDCI C-Max engine produces a maximum of 240Nm torque at just 1750 rpm. I don't know the equivalent figures for MB B-Class but if true for the C-Max this seems to me to indicate a fundamental design weakness.

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Tue 14 Sep 2010 21:40
Ford C-MAX - Auto CVT - Matt1952

Thanks, really useful info.

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