Charger often ignores preferred charging times

[nukeflyboy]

I manually adjust the amperage via the Ford app to be within the capacity of the solar system. I don’t adjust it often. Charging times are set in the app, too.

The explanation is not consistent with my experience. I plug in the charger and nothing happens until the preferred charging window. The Ford app tells me when it will finish charging. This is often a day or more later, finishing inside the charging window. If it was going to march on to 90%, then it would say finishing at 10 PM. This is the way it works most of the time, except when it decides to ignore the charging times. Never entered a departure time.

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[Kamuelaflyer]

I manually adjust the amperage via the Ford app to be within the capacity of the solar system. I don’t adjust it often. Charging times are set in the app, too.

The explanation is not consistent with my experience. I plug in the charger and nothing happens until the preferred charging window. The Ford app tells me when it will finish charging. This is often a day or more later, finishing inside the charging window. If it was going to march on to 90%, then it would say finishing at 10 PM. This is the way it works most of the time, except when it decides to ignore the charging times. Never entered a departure time.

That’s still consistent with what you’re being told. If the car does its calculations and figures out it can’t get to the target charge at all, whether it starts chasing immediately or not, it will wait for the window to charge.

I’ve had the same thing happen for 4 1/2 years now. It’s normal. Target charge is priority over everything else.

 

[nukeflyboy]

I think it is more nuanced. The preferred charging times are tied to a charger location, in my case - home. I just checked location services on my phone and it was checked “while using the app”. Very likely it was checked “always” previously but am not sure. My phone periodically pops that question from time to time when I open an app and my response was likely “while using”. It is now checked always.
Not knowing where the car is could affect how it charges. As I said before, most of the time it cycles on and off consistent with the charging times, regardless of charging amps or SOC.
But then again, location services just tells the app where the phone is? The car may or may not know where it is since it is in a metal and brick garage.

 

[nukeflyboy]

It has been working as expected for 3 years except for the occasional glich. The preferred charge times setting in the Ford app says “your vehicle may charge outside of your preferred charge time due to other settings, such as departure times”. It does not say “your vehicle will charge outside of your preferred charge times to meet your target charge”.

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

It does not say “your vehicle will charge outside of your preferred charge times to meet your target charge”.

Ford won’t list every single parameter that will cause it to charge outside the set timeframe. Such a list would be long, and remain unread, hence the “other settings” catch-all.

It appears to me that you’ve made your mind up about the general cause and are now grasping at straws. There’s nothing more that I can offer you to explain or resolve the car’s charging behavior. I hope you get a satisfactory resolution to your concerns. If you do, update us on what it was. Good luck.

 

[RickMachE]

It has been working as expected for 3 years except for the occasional glich. The preferred charge times setting in the Ford app says “your vehicle may charge outside of your preferred charge time due to other settings, such as departure times”. It does not say “your vehicle will charge outside of your preferred charge times to meet your target charge”.

More semantics. "such as" is one example. You seem to want a list of every condition.

We've explained repeatedly how it works, and that the car doesn't calculate exactly, so if you're doing math and come up with 5.4 hours needed, the car might think it takes 7 hours, and thinks it cannot finish.

 

[Bad Dolphin]

I think you're playing with semantics.

The 90% is what you want to charge to, whether it's a target or limit or a demand, or whatever. When you plug in, the vehicle calculates whether, in the hours you've specified for that location, it can reach the target number. This calculation is not perfect, in fact it's often quite a bit off. If it determines that you cannot reach the targeted 90% in the specified hours, it will start immediately (it doesn't say "I need an extra hour so start an hour early).

To stop this from happening you have 3 options:

1) Don't plug in until your hours begin.
2) Use an intelligent EVSE to prevent charging except during the hours you want (or, for 110v charging, get a WiFi outlet and set the hours).
3) Lower the limit from 90% to a number that it determines CAN be achieved during the specified hours, which of course changes depending on the SOC you start from.

We have a Ford Pro Charger, and we adjust max charge and charging rate through the Ford Pass app. In addition, we've limited the max charge rate to 32 amps on the dial inside the physical charger.

Is there another way to be able to easily vary the charge rate from the Ford App that I'm missing?

 

[ChrisO]

We have a Ford Pro Charger, and we adjust max charge and charging rate through the Ford Pass app. In addition, we've limited the max charge rate to 32 amps on the dial inside the physical charger.

Is there another way to be able to easily vary the charge rate from the Ford App that I'm missing?

There is for the 2025 Mach-Es, but there wasn't in the 2024 Mach-Es.

 

[Bad Dolphin]

There is for the 2025 Mach-Es, but there wasn't in the 2024 Mach-Es.

Thanks. This would be very helpful. Wonder if they'll do an OTA update for 2024 models?

 

[AZBill]

We do have e it set up through the Ford Pass app and it has been working. EXCEPT we often get a failure notice if we plug in before the charging window, and have to go back to the vehicle to unplug and replug. Just happened this morning when I plugged in at 9:30 for a 10a-6p scheduled window.

Since the most recent software updates, I get these messages all the time when plugging in during our peak hours (my EVSE is off during those hours). I just ignore the message and the car charges fine on the correct schedule. It is a software bug that gives the message, but the car will charge without unplugging and re-plugging.

Also, I do not have any departure time set, so there is no case where the car cannot hit the target charge level. Still get the error message.

 

[ChrisO]

Thanks. This would be very helpful. Wonder if they'll do an OTA update for 2024 models?

I don’t know, I was really surprised to see the change just by going from a 2024 to a 2025, the Ford app didn’t even change.

 

[Bad Dolphin]

Since the most recent software updates, I get these messages all the time when plugging in during our peak hours (my EVSE is off during those hours). I just ignore the message and the car charges fine on the correct schedule. It is a software bug that gives the message, but the car will charge without unplugging and re-plugging.

Also, I do not have any departure time set, so there is no case where the car cannot hit the target charge level. Still get the error message.

Lucky you! We've had a different experience. When it says replug me, if we don't, it doesn't charge at all.

 

[Adventureboy]

If you are trying to charge only on Solar, you can accomplish this automatically with the right EVSE and Solar monitoring system. I have an Emporia charger linked to my Emporia Vue Home Energy Monitor. I can set the EVSE to use only excess solar to charge. It will adjust the maximum output to the available excess solar from my solar system, and the MME will adjust its power draw to match. This doesn't even require a schedule in the EVSE, it simply only charges with excess solar.
Need to turn it off on cloudy days if I need a charge, though.

 

[nukeflyboy]

I already have a Ford Connected charger so I am thinking of installing a 240V/40A pool timer, and shutting off power to the charger except during peak solar times. Cost is about $60. Getting to a target charge is low priority for my use and I am trying to avoid daily multiple manual interventions.

 

[E90alex]

I already have a Ford Connected charger so I am thinking of installing a 240V/40A pool timer, and shutting off power to the charger except during peak solar times. Cost is about $60. Getting to a target charge is low priority for my use and I am trying to avoid daily multiple manual interventions.

If you have a connected charger then set the schedule in the charger. Then the car can’t override it. No need for an external timer.

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