Why does my Mach-E keep starting a charge outside the preferred times?

[jamesphw]

New owner here trying to charge at home for the first time.

I did a 10 minute charge today to create the "home location" for charging. Then I stopped the charge trough the app. In the car, I set this location to charge overnight only, when rates are 84% cheaper. So I set it for every day, including weekends, from 23->7 (i.e. 11PM -> 7AM).

I've left the car plugged in so that it can start charging later tonight. Multiple times now I have opened the app and the car has started charging again. I have no idea why it keeps doing this.

I have no departure schedule set either.

Any help?

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[AliRafiee]

Is it actually charging or just the app saying that?

 

[jamesphw]

Is it actually charging or just the app saying that?

I am 100% sure it is charging. Not only does the app show that it's charging, but the reason I opened the FordPass app to check is that I have CTs on my main service line to monitor for unusual energy usage (in Home Assistant). It was basically Home Assistant that caught the issue!

Also: it has now happened twice in the last couple of hours. It was not a one-off...

 

[Jgg181]

I set my charge , for the same reason, at the times you see in the attached photos.

The only reason I can think it might charge anytime in your case is if you neglected to press ‘SAVE’, after you set your times.

 

[jamesphw]

I set the charge times on the car, not on the app.

But I can actually see the charge times reflect on the app as well now (I'm aware I actually set 9PM on weekdays, but this is all happening before 9PM...):

 

[hybrid2bev]

New owner here trying to charge at home for the first time.

I did a 10 minute charge today to create the "home location" for charging. Then I stopped the charge trough the app. In the car, I set this location to charge overnight only, when rates are 84% cheaper. So I set it for every day, including weekends, from 23->7 (i.e. 11PM -> 7AM).

I've left the car plugged in so that it can start charging later tonight. Multiple times now I have opened the app and the car has started charging again. I have no idea why it keeps doing this.

I have no departure schedule set either.

Any help?

Preferred charge times are not mandatory. They are preferred.

If you are using the mobile charger in a 120v outlet then the car probably thinks it cannot reach your desired SOC goal so it charges outside of the preferred time frame. The car prioritizes reaching your SOC goal and will ignore the preferred time schedule if it thinks it needs to.

 

[jamesphw]

Preferred charge times are not mandatory. They are preferred.

If you are using the mobile charger in a 120v outlet then the car probably thinks it cannot reach your desired SOC goal so it charges outside of the preferred time frame. The car prioritizes reaching your SOC goal and will ignore the preferred time schedule if it think it needs to.

But I have no departure time set... what on earth is the desired SOC goal? I do have a maximum target charge set at 80%, but that's all.

 

[Maquis]

If the car calculates that your charge target is not achievable in your charge window, it will start early.

 

[hybrid2bev]

But I have no departure time set... what on earth is the desired SOC goal? I do have a maximum target charge set at 80%, but that's all.

Then 80% is your SOC (state of charge) goal. Having a departure time is not relevant in this situation.

L1 charging is super super slow.

 

[jamesphw]

Ok, understood.

Yes, I am using a level 1 charge at the moment. But for now that is plenty for me, if I just charge overnight every day. It's just that the car is at 40% now, I don't need to get it to 80% overnight, I can do that over several nights.

I have to say, this design is awful compared to Tesla and even (gasp!) VW.

 

[Maquis]

If you really want to restrict your L1 charging to a time slot, you can always install a smart outlet.

 

[azerik]

Yep, car trying to be smarter than your logic. Your window of time will yield 1KW per hour on L1 charging. So you'd have to set it to 48%, then tomorrow + another 8%. At L1 you'll only suffer sadly. I have the same issue at my cabin. So I started doing 10% more a day. 1/2 the time that works.

If you really want to restrict your L1 charging to a time slot, you can always install a smart outlet.

You'd need a 20 amp smart outlet. Not to be confused with a 15amp smart plug. You'll melt a smart plug. You need 20% or more over head on anything going though the wire. The L1 will pull 1400 ~1500 watts continuous.

Or just plug in at 9pm or whatever and stop it via the app in the morning and unplug as soon as you can.

 

[Maquis]

Yep, car trying to be smarter than your logic. Your window of time will yield 1KW per hour on L1 charging. So you'd have to set it to 48%, then tomorrow + another 8. At L1 you'll only suffer sadly. I have the same issue at my cabin. So I started doing 10% more a day. 1/2 the time that works.


You'd need a 20 amp smart outlet. Not to be confused with a 15amp smart plug. You'll melt a smart plug. You need 20% or more over head on anything going though the wire. The L1 will pull 1400 ~1500 watts continuous.

50% is the lowest setting possible.

Ford vehicles will not charge over 12A on L1 (1440W). A 15A circuit provides the requisite 25% margin.

 

[AKgrampy]

Ok, understood.

Yes, I am using a level 1 charge at the moment. But for now that is plenty for me, if I just charge overnight every day. It's just that the car is at 40% now, I don't need to get it to 80% overnight, I can do that over several nights.

I have to say, this design is awful compared to Tesla and even (gasp!) VW.

Then you need to manually plug in until you get your car charged up to a higher SOC. Then you can get by with the preferred charging widow as long as you do not drive more than 24 miles a day.

 

[jamesphw]

Then you need to manually plug in until you get your car charged up to a higher SOC. Then you can get by with the preferred charging widow as long as you do not drive more than 24 miles a day.

In practice this issue will mostly go away once I install a 240V charger

Still, this isn't the greatest design by Ford, the app and settings should have these options and be more clear about what they mean. Tesla does this really well.

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