What is the lvl 2 charging speed of the Mach E? "scheduled charge did not begin" error

[Texas-E]

When I first got my CPHF, I was charging the car at 48A and it was getting pretty hot. The fans were on overdrive and compressor at high speed. The A/C compressor chills the battery coolant. The radiator cools the motor and electronics coolant. Nothing cools the terminals at the J1772 port but it does have temp sensors so I hooked up my scan tool and monitored.

As far as I could tell, the temps were in range even at 48A but summer hadn't arrived yet. There is some language in the shop manual that says the charge port can overheat just due to high ambient temps.

That sentence, along with the limited data I observed up to that point was enough to convince me NOT to charge at 48A. 32A had worked for me up to this point and I believe the car has thanked me for it.

I think the problem most of us have is that it worked fine for a year plus and then became an issue. I'm in a pretty hot area of the country, too. I wonder how much of this is related to the software changes for the loud fan noise complaints in 2021?

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[SnBGC]

I think the problem most of us have is that it worked fine for a year plus and then became an issue. I'm in a pretty hot area of the country, too. I wonder how much of this is related to the software changes for the loud fan noise complaints in 2021?

I don't think any of these charge faults are related to that campaign. The faults seem to have appeared after the HVBJB recall update from what I can tell. Since that particular update....I have had a good half dozen instances of charge faults. Not consistent, just seems to happen from time to time. I have 2 different EVSEs at home and 3 here at work so I know it's not the charging supply units. It's something in the car it appears.

 

[Texas-E]

I don't think any of these charge faults are related to that campaign. The faults seem to have appeared after the HVBJB recall update from what I can tell. Since that particular update....I have had a good half dozen instances of charge faults. Not consistent, just seems to happen from time to time. I have 2 different EVSEs at home and 3 here at work so I know it's not the charging supply units. It's something in the car it appears.

Well, mark me down for it starting well before the HVBJB update.

 

[SnBGC]

Well, mark me down for it starting well before the HVBJB update.

Oh okay. Good info.
I hadn't had any issues until just very recently myself.
These cars are so glitchy....

 

[Texas-E]

Oh okay. Good info.
I hadn't had any issues until just very recently myself.
These cars are so glitchy....

No worries. I do agree that I think a software update caused a change. I'm scheduled to get my charge port changed later this week, but I think it might be a temporary fix.

 

[Fixbear]

Let us not forget that there are 2 parts to charging. The car port is one, but the J1772 and its cord is the other. Anytime there is a mechanical connection that carries electricity there will be some resistance. More current through the resistance, more heat is generated. As the contacts age, their resistance increases. Usually from foreign materials or oxidation. Also, the plug-cord junction causes a tight flex that over time may crack wires inside. Like a 110-lead attached to an appliance. How with use it will crack and fray at the appliance. And like all plugs and receptacles, each manufacturer builds them slightly different. So, the plug quality also comes into play for the number of times it will remain tight and have low resistance. Isolating whether it's the plug or charge port is best done with IR camera.

 

[josh]

FINAL UPDATE: Okay, after 4 trips to the dealer the issues has, supposedly, been corrected. It seems to have been a part failure (charge port) and I don't know if a software update just make the car more sensitive to the issue or if this was a coincidental failure. Either way, it took 3 trips to the dealer PLUS the involvement of Ford engineers to even confirm the problem existed, and a 4th trip to get the part replaced. Please see the tech notes below:

 

[MarkP213]

FINAL UPDATE: Okay, after 4 trips to the dealer the issues has, supposedly, been corrected. It seems to have been a part failure (charge port) and I don't know if a software update just make the car more sensitive to the issue or if this was a coincidental failure. Either way, it took 3 trips to the dealer PLUS the involvement of Ford engineers to even confirm the problem existed, and a 4th trip to get the part replaced. Please see the tech notes below:

Good to know as I have the same issues above 32 amps with the Ford Connected Charger. Charges fine at Electrify America stations at full speed, but not at home. I get no errors on the FCC, just the Mach-E. I can’t get my Ford rep and technicians to understand what‘s goin on, so this helps! Please verify that you can once again charge at 48 amps at home now. Thanks!

 

[dtbaker61]

FINAL UPDATE: Okay, after 4 trips to the dealer the issues has, supposedly, been corrected. It seems to have been a part failure (charge port) and I don't know if a software update just make the car more sensitive to the issue or if this was a coincidental failure. Either way, it took 3 trips to the dealer PLUS the involvement of Ford engineers to even confirm the problem existed, and a 4th trip to get the part replaced. Please see the tech notes below:

this is super interesting....

But, I'm wondering if this error was a part failure of the connector, installation failure to connect securely, or design flaw not cooling enough.... which would not be 'fixed' by replacing harness ?

There are temp sensors right there at the AC and DC charge connectors, which can be monitored 'real-time' if you have ODB2 and a display app like CarScanner running while you are charging.

I took a look the other day, and was surprised to see that the AC charger connection temp sensor registered 154F after an hour of charging at 32a. I was even more surprised to see that the DC connection sensor was pretty hot too.... probably just from conduction thru bus bars.

My concern is that the heavier duty HVBJB contactors may not be the final fix to temperature problems from faster and faster charge currents on either AC or DC ports UNLESS some upgraded cooling hardware is added in or around the HVBJB and connections.

 

[Mach-Lee]

FINAL UPDATE: Okay, after 4 trips to the dealer the issues has, supposedly, been corrected. It seems to have been a part failure (charge port) and I don't know if a software update just make the car more sensitive to the issue or if this was a coincidental failure. Either way, it took 3 trips to the dealer PLUS the involvement of Ford engineers to even confirm the problem existed, and a 4th trip to get the part replaced. Please see the tech notes below:

Glad they finally replaced your charge port.

Yes, you could say the recent update makes the car more prone to overheating if the connection has been marginal.

 

[dtbaker61]

Glad they finally replaced your charge port.

Yes, you could say the recent update makes the car more prone to overheating if the connection has been marginal.

exactly.... my point is that the requests for faster charging (either AC or DCFC) may be counter-productive to the health of the charging system, HVBJB & connectors UNLESS/UNTIL the cooling in that area around the connectors and HVBJB is also improved.

bringing me all the way back to the discussions on whether we are better off keeping a lid on charging to 32amps.... and pushing the boundaries a little at rates faster than that as ambient temps rise.

The followup question I have is just how hot the DC connection would get when DCFC is rocking along at 150kw, since that would be pumping thru closer to 300amps on the DC bus. That makes me wonder what the design limit temp is for all the surrounding components, connectors, and wire insulation....

 

[luckie]

While it really does not matter in this particular situation, does anyone know what level of kW the onboard charger is in the Mach-E? My 2021 had a window sticker that said 10.5 kW BUT others have thought it was 11 or even 11.5 kW. Just curious.

 

[dtbaker61]

While it really does not matter in this particular situation, does anyone know what level of kW the onboard charger is in the Mach-E? My 2021 had a window sticker that said 10.5 kW BUT others have thought it was 11 or even 11.5 kW. Just curious.

The (included) mobile charger is 32a max.... 7.7kw
hardwired charger is 48a max... 11.5kw

 

[Maquis]

While it really does not matter in this particular situation, does anyone know what level of kW the onboard charger is in the Mach-E? My 2021 had a window sticker that said 10.5 kW BUT others have thought it was 11 or even 11.5 kW. Just curious.

The (included) mobile charger is 32a max.... 7.7kw
hardwired charger is 48a max... 11.5kw

He’s asking about the charger, not EVSEs.

According to my charge logs, the average always comes out somewhere between 10.2 and 10.5. 11.5 would be the max input, (48A x 240V) but there are losses in the Charger. I suspect 11.5 input, 10.5 net output is probably correct.

 

[luckie]

He’s asking about the charger, not EVSEs.

According to my charge logs, the average always comes out somewhere between 10.2 and 10.5. 11.5 would be the max input, (48A x 240V) but there are losses in the Charger. I suspect 11.5 input, 10.5 net output is probably correct.

So my window sticker said the 2021 Select had a 10.5kW onboard charger but your data for your 2021 Premium suggest it might have something a bit higher than 10.5kW. That's useful to know, still makes me curious, I predict all MMEs have the same onboard charger in them. Most folx seem to not know what the actual onboard charger specs are but point toward the Ford provided EVSE as definitive proof the onboard must be able to use 100% of the 48amps of the EVSE. I'm not sure that is guaranteed, right?

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