Pre-conditioning

[Almondtree]

I have read a number of posts about pre-conditioning and looked at the manual but still don't quite understand why and when and how to do it. I charge at home on a 240V 99% of the time. I would really like to understand this.
Thanks

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[Maquis]

Preconditioning is to optimize battery and cabin temperatures while plugged in. This is done using house power. If you don’t precondition, roughly the same temperature optimization occurs as you start driving, but it uses battery power, thus reducing total range.
I only precondition if I’m going on a long trip and want maximum range before the next charge.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Plug in every night and set a departure time in the morning. Watch the video:

https://www.ford.com/support/vehicl...les/6317283929112?name=cold-weather-charging/

 

[ReverendPete]

There's also the matter of pre-conditioning the battery for fast charging, which, if I understand correctly, is talking about getting your batteries at an optimal temperature for charging. (They'll charge faster if they're warmed up, if it is cold out). And the recent 5.1.1 OTA update was adding to that functionality, so that if you put your charging destination in the navigation, it will start pre-conditioning the battery 20 miles before you reach the charger, so that you hopefully will have optimal charging when you arrive...

 

[PupSideDown]

There's also the matter of pre-conditioning the battery for fast charging, which, if I understand correctly, is talking about getting your batteries at an optimal temperature for charging. (They'll charge faster if they're warmed up, if it is cold out). And the recent 5.1.1 OTA update was adding to that functionality, so that if you put your charging destination in the navigation, it will start pre-conditioning the battery 20 miles before you reach the charger, so that you hopefully will have optimal charging when you arrive...

I recently got this OTA upgrade, which occurred when we happened to be driving across country. I tried using Ford navigation, but it's a bit primitive, so I exclusively use Android Auto for navigation. I was wondering if I enter the charging destination into Ford navigation, then switch over to Android Auto to enter the same destination (which I will actually use for navigation), will the battery pre-condition before I reach the charger, even if I am completely ignoring the Ford navigation, as it is just running in the background? Or does Ford navigation shut off when I switch over to Android Auto navigation?

Does the car give any indication that the battery has preconditioned and is ready for DCFC?

 

[bshaw]

I recently got this OTA upgrade, which occurred when we happened to be driving across country. I tried using Ford navigation, but it's a bit primitive, so I exclusively use Android Auto for navigation. I was wondering if I enter the charging destination into Ford navigation, then switch over to Android Auto to enter the same destination (which I will actually use for navigation), will the battery pre-condition before I reach the charger, even if I am completely ignoring the Ford navigation, as it is just running in the background? Or does Ford navigation shut off when I switch over to Android Auto navigation?

Does the car give any indication that the battery has preconditioned and is ready for DCFC?

I don't know how it works with Android Auto, but with CarPlay, if you start a nav destination in another app, it will cancel the destination in Ford Nav (or vice versa). They won't try and talk over each other.
This is what I do:
Use your preferred app until you are approximately 20 miles from your destination charger. Switch to Ford Nav and pick the charger you are going to, it will take over and precondition on the way. If its highway driving, Ford Nav is not gonna be much different at that distance than other apps.

 

[Almondtree]

thanks for the info. First of all, I live in a very warm climate so the video doesn't help. Secondly, l charge at home about once a week.
I still don't understand HOW to precondition.

 

[AKgrampy]

thanks for the info. First of all, I live in a very warm climate so the video doesn't help. Secondly, l charge at home about once a week.
I still don't understand HOW to precondition.

Car plugged in. You set a departure time on the screen. The car automatically preconditions prior to departure. You have the option to also precondition the cabin. That is basically it. If you are in a warm climate there is little benefit. I keep mine in a heated garage and never have used it. I also just auto start my car to precondition the cabin.

 

[ChasingCoral]

thanks for the info. First of all, I live in a very warm climate so the video doesn't help. Secondly, l charge at home about once a week.
I still don't understand HOW to precondition.

Car plugged in. You set a departure time on the screen. The car automatically preconditions prior to departure. You have the option to also precondition the cabin. That is basically it. If you are in a warm climate there is little benefit. I keep mine in a heated garage and never have used it. I also just auto start my car to precondition the cabin.

If the temperature is between around 70-90 when you leave from your L2 charger, there is normal value to precondition the battery overnight. It will also only apply when you are plugged in, so once a week it might do something.

 

[Almondtree]

What I have been doing is just plug in the car whenever I decide it needs to charge. I usually wait until it gets to 50% and charge to 85%. I don't want to set a time. So it sounds like I don't need to precondition. It's in my garage where temperatures are never less than 70 or 75%. In the summer, temps are in the 100's and sometimes when I turn the car off in the garage, it tells me it's too hot and I should plug in which I do.

 

[AKgrampy]

What I have been doing is just plug in the car whenever I decide it needs to charge. I usually wait until it gets to 50% and charge to 85%. I don't want to set a time. So it sounds like I don't need to precondition. It's in my garage where temperatures are never less than 70 or 75%. In the summer, temps are in the 100's and sometimes when I turn the car off in the garage, it tells me it's too hot and I should plug in which I do.

There it a bit more to it but basically preconditioning works best in colder climates when range matters. Also can improve DCFC charging speeds.

 

[Almondtree]

Thanks all for explaining,.

 

[Mach-Lee]

What I have been doing is just plug in the car whenever I decide it needs to charge. I usually wait until it gets to 50% and charge to 85%. I don't want to set a time. So it sounds like I don't need to precondition. It's in my garage where temperatures are never less than 70 or 75%. In the summer, temps are in the 100's and sometimes when I turn the car off in the garage, it tells me it's too hot and I should plug in which I do.

That’s fine, you only need to precondition if the battery is colder than 40°F or warmer than 95°F.

 

[DevSecOps]

Has anyone noticed that you can't disable departure times anymore unless you clear the schedule out?

For me at least, I can turn it off and then tomorrow it's back on and preconditioning. The only way I can get it to stay off is to remove the schedule.

 

[portlandg]

I recently got this OTA upgrade, which occurred when we happened to be driving across country. I tried using Ford navigation, but it's a bit primitive, so I exclusively use Android Auto for navigation. I was wondering if I enter the charging destination into Ford navigation, then switch over to Android Auto to enter the same destination (which I will actually use for navigation), will the battery pre-condition before I reach the charger, even if I am completely ignoring the Ford navigation, as it is just running in the background? Or does Ford navigation shut off when I switch over to Android Auto navigation?

Does the car give any indication that the battery has preconditioned and is ready for DCFC?

I am like you, I too dislike the built in sat nav and always use AA. However, having said this I have inputted a destination a couple of times and then switched to AA. The nav app tab then goes to the bottom of the screen and when I have opened it during the trip it is on track. So I would conclude that if you open the nav app it still runs in the background until you "swipe down" to clear the tab. I can't tell you if the conditioning works as we in the UK haven't received that OTA update yet, but in theory it should. But then this is Ford we are talking about.

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