Two weird things changed without an OTA. Anyone else know what’s happened?

[G.O.C.]

Wednesday returned from a trip into the Rocky Mtns and put the car on L2 charger (we live near Boulder CO). We use the Mobile Power Cord and a preexisting 30A 240 outlet in the garage. Car set to charge to 95%. Got a notice Thursday morning from FordPass that charging was complete at about the time it predicted it would be complete and went to un plug the car. It was actually charging. I looked in the FordPass app and it said “Charging to 100%” so I used the app to stop the charge and I was at 95%. Unplugged the charger and checked the charger for error light but no error on charger or in FordPass.
weird thing 1 - why did that happen? in the past it has successfully stopped at the target charge.

Thursday just on an errand around town noticed I now only had 10 radio/Sirius presets and some weren’t what the first 10 had been. From the day we bought the MME in May until Wednesday we had 25 presets available. My wife’s profile also lost 15 preset locations and had some rando stations added to the 10 remaining.
Wierd thing 2 - WTF happened to the stereo?

Our last OTA was almost 2 weeks ago. So it wasn’t that, right?

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[AliRafiee]

For the radio, there is a setting somewhere that lets you pick if you want more or less presets displayed.

 

[electric-in-the-desert]

I’ve periodically had that charging issue (maybe 2 or 3 times in 1.5 years). It seems to be that the car doesn’t recognize that it’s at a location with a target charge set.

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

Other have covered the questions you asked, so I'll cover an issue you didn't. The Ford mobile charger that came with your Mach E is a 32A charger. It is very dangerous to plug it into a 30A circuit. The fact that the circuit breaker (presumably) isn't tripping is not a sign that it's ok. Actually it make things even worse - it means that the circuit breaker isn't properly tripping when too much current is being drawn. If you plan to continue to use the 30A outlet for charging your Mach E, you need get an EVSE that will charge at a maximum of 24A. (The maximum current you can safely draw for extended periods, such as charging an EV, from a circuit is 80% of the rated maximum for that circuit. In fact even if you have a Lightning mobile charger which does only 30A, it would still be dangerous to use it on your 30A circuit, but because of the 80% rule.) You should have an electrician look at the existing circuit and check if everything is ok. I wouldn't be surprised if there is some damage to the circuit. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this is important. (Other's have had their outlets burn, melt, etc.)

 

[Stanmckinney]

I would like to know how to increase the number of radio presets.

 

[G.O.C.]

Other have covered the questions you asked, so I'll cover an issue you didn't. The Ford mobile charger that came with your Mach E is a 32A charger. It is very dangerous to plug it into a 30A circuit. The fact that the circuit breaker (presumably) isn't tripping is not a sign that it's ok. Actually it make things even worse - …….
…..wouldn't be surprised if there is some damage to the circuit. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this is important. (Other's have had their outlets burn, melt, etc.)

Well I searched ‘overcharge’ and “charge overrun” before posting and found it had happened to others, but not why it happened or how to prevent it. Whar keywords did you use? Or the link to stop this from happening?

For my 30 amp circuit I was concerned the first time I charged because I couldn’t find the setting in FordPass to set a charge rate even though the Ford website said it’s there. The ”fact” stated on the website that I could limit rate was part of my decision to get the MME rather than something else. Even called Ford BEV team when I went to charge the first time, because I couldn’t find the setting. They told me it wasn’t a feature until I showed them the statement on their website.… then they made something up about how it didn’t apply to the mobile cord.
But my max kW shown while charging is 6.8 ( one time I saw 6.9 for 30 seconds or so) so somehow it knows not to exceed 30 amps, but yes, it is more than 24. Can’t say I’ve ever run across the 80% rule before. My cord and charger get warm but not hot, <100 degF except for 1 silver dollar sized portion in the center of the charger that jut reaches 100. I’m using my handheld laser thermometer.

 

[4sallypat]

It's safe to charge to 100% on L2. I do that at home.

For travels, I always charge to 100% on L3 (DCFC) as I don't know if I will need the extra charge on distances.

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

Well I searched ‘overcharge’ and “charge overrun” before posting and found it had happened to others, but not why it happened or how to prevent it. Whar keywords did you use? Or the link to stop this from happening?

It is possible that you accidentally tapped on the Start "button" in the FordPass app which would restart the charging. If that didn't happen, then it's likely that for some reason the car thought it wasn't at your home. Check in FP to see what address the car thinks is its current location. Sadly there is no universal charge limit in FP.

For my 30 amp circuit I was concerned the first time I charged because I couldn’t find the setting in FordPass to set a charge rate even though the Ford website said it’s there. The ”fact” stated on the website that I could limit rate was part of my decision to get the MME rather than something else. Even called Ford BEV team when I went to charge the first time, because I couldn’t find the setting. They told me it wasn’t a feature until I showed them the statement on their website.… then they made something up about how it didn’t apply to the mobile cord.

They are correct. That feature is only available on the Ford Connected Charge Station.

But my max kW shown while charging is 6.8 ( one time I saw 6.9 for 30 seconds or so) so somehow it knows not to exceed 30 amps, but yes, it is more than 24. Can’t say I’ve ever run across the 80% rule before. My cord and charger get warm but not hot, <100 degF except for 1 silver dollar sized portion in the center of the charger that jut reaches 100. I’m using my handheld laser thermometer.

Note that the energy shown in FP while charging is what the battery is receiving, not what is being output from the charger. There are typically losses of about 10% just within the charging circuitry of the car. So 6.8kW into the battery means that the mobile charger is drawing very close to 32A total. As for things not getting very hot, what you need to check is the outlet the charger is plugged into, not the charger cord or plug. But the simple fact is that your 30A circuit breaker should trip and it is not. If I were you, I'd call an electrician.

The choice is yours as to whether or not to take action. I'm just trying to help you prevent potentially catastrophic failure.

 

[dtbaker61]

It is possible that you accidentally tapped on the Start "button" in the FordPass app which would restart the charging. If that didn't happen, then it's likely that for some reason the car thought it wasn't at your home. Check in FP to see what address the car thinks is its current location. Sadly there is no universal charge limit in FP.

They are correct. That feature is only available on the Ford Connected Charge Station.

Note that the energy shown in FP while charging is what the battery is receiving, not what is being output from the charger. There are typically losses of about 10% just within the charging circuitry of the car. So 6.8kW into the battery means that the mobile charger is drawing very close to 32A total. As for things not getting very hot, what you need to check is the outlet the charger is plugged into, not the charger cord or plug. But the simple fact is that your 30A circuit breaker should trip and it is not. If I were you, I'd call an electrician.

The choice is yours as to whether or not to take action. I'm just trying to help you prevent potentially catastrophic failure.

just because you CAN, does not mean SHOULD, unless you understand and accept the risks.

pulling 32a thru a 30amp breaker, probably wired with 8awg conductors to the outlet if it were wired to code originally, will *probably* be ok for an hour or so, and maybe two..... but the risk is fire, possibly inside a wall, or melting the outlet receptacle.

for 'continuous load' for more than 3 hours, you really should use wire&breaker rated for 20% more than your expected load.

for the 32a mobile charger, which cannot be dialed down, you *REALLY SHOULD* be sure your breaker and wire to the outlet are rated for 50a. That means 6AWG conductors, and 8awg ground.

 

[JohnFoxeSheets]

just because you CAN, does not mean SHOULD, unless you understand and accept the risks.

pulling 32a thru a 30amp breaker, probably wired with 8awg conductors to the outlet if it were wired to code originally, will *probably* be ok for an hour or so, and maybe two..... but the risk is fire, possibly inside a wall, or melting the outlet receptacle.

for 'continuous load' for more than 3 hours, you really should use wire&breaker rated for 20% more than your expected load.

for the 32a mobile charger, which cannot be dialed down, you *REALLY SHOULD* be sure your breaker and wire to the outlet are rated for 50a. That means 6AWG conductors, and 8awg ground.

Exactly.

 

[cheerioboy26]

I would like to know how to increase the number of radio presets.

In the radio press the icon with the people, it should be in there... Up to 6 rows of presets

 

[corradoborg]

Can’t say I’ve ever run across the 80% rule before. My cord and charger get warm but not hot, <100 degF except for 1 silver dollar sized portion in the center of the charger that jut reaches 100. I’m using my handheld laser thermometer.

Most people who aren’t electricians and are new to EVs have never heard of the 80% rule. I hadn’t either. That’s because very few appliances outside of industrial situations and EVs will pull a continuous high amp load for hours on end. But I assure you, the 80% rule for continuous loads is real, it’s code, and it’s VERY important.
As others have said, the concern is not about your EV or the EVSE you use to charge it. The concern is that your home’s wiring or receptacle will melt and possibly catch fire. You could lose everything, including lives.
You need an electrician. You already know that your 30 amp breaker is failing to trip when the EVSE is pulling slightly more than 30 amps. Get that breaker checked.
After that, you need either an EVSE that can throttle down to 24 amps or a new circuit and breaker that can handle a higher load. I have a 60 amp circuit for my Emporia EVSE that can pull up to 48 amps.
The Mach-E cannot throttle its own charge rate. It will always accept the highest rate being offered by the EVSE (up to its maximum of 48 amps). Do you have a link to the page that claimed it can be throttled from the car?

 

[G.O.C.]

. Do you have a link to the page that claimed it can be throttled from the car?

Never saw one that said the car could throttle, but that would be a nice feature.

The link I had from Ford website said that the Ford chargers rate could be set from the Ford Pass app. https://www.ford.com/support/how-to...ge-the-charge-rate-of-my-ford-charge-station/
This page has changed slightly since my conversation with BEV team in May. It used to have screenshots of the screens as it walked through setting the charge rate.

 

[G.O.C.]

Note that the energy shown in FP while charging is what the battery is receiving, not what is being output from the charger. There are typically losses of about 10% just within the charging circuitry of the car. So 6.8kW into the battery means that the mobile charger is drawing very close to 32A total. As for things not getting very hot, what you need to check is the outlet the charger is plugged into, not the charger cord or plug. But the simple fact is that your 30A circuit breaker should trip and it is not. If I were you, I'd call an electrician.

Huh, didn't know that 6.8 wasn't what I was drawing, so now I'm concerned.

We have a couple bids to remodel the garage which include upgrading the insulation so it stays more in the 60 - 80 degree range, adding a heat pump for when it isn't 60- 80, and adding a 60A EV charging circuit plus better storage and lighting - generally making it into a man cave for me and my small collection of vintage Fords (57 T-bird, Cougar XR7 convertible, '04 Mustang Cobra, etc). But honestly it hadn't been a priority. (or, maybe more accurately, wasn't my wife's priority).

So you're saying I can get my man cave with the justification of safely charging my wife's new car? LOVE IT!!

 

[G.O.C.]

In the radio press the icon with the people, it should be in there... Up to 6 rows of presets

My icon was different, more like graphic depicting equalizer settings, but I found the preset rows setting and I'm back to 5 rows. Thanks to you and @AliRafiee Still I have no clue as to why it changed by itself...

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