2021 Mach-E User Owners Manual Now Available!

[timbop]

I wonder if aggressiveness of ACC varies with drive mode?

Only when they come out with the "mad max" mode!

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[Badger_Prof]

After reading the document, I am mostly pleased with the warranty.

The major thing that I don't like is that warranty disputes must start with the BBB Auto Line before we may exercise our rights under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act or state lemon laws. That doesn't sound good.

Of interest is that you must accept over-the-air updates within 30 days of availability, or you risk voiding warranty.

In North America, the warranty period on the high voltage battery is the lesser of 8 years or 100,000 miles. The paragraph below suggests that any updates which expand driving range or modify charging curves are not only required (in order to keep warranty active) but are also free.

It says nothing about expanding driving range. The OTA could do the opposite by increasing buffer size. In effect, that is what GM has just done to deal with its fire problem for the Bolt.

 

[macchiaz-o]

It says nothing about expanding driving range. The OTA could do the opposite by increasing buffer size. In effect, that is what GM has just done to deal with its fire problem for the Bolt.

I have to simmer on new information for awhile before I reach all possible conclusions.

I think you are correct, sir.

 

[Badger_Prof]

I have to simmer on new information for awhile before I reach all possible conclusions.

I think you are correct, sir.

But, I hope I am not!

 

[ChasingCoral]

I would really like to have at least one of the electrical outlets (12v, USB or both) on when the car is turned off. I've had this in the past and it is useful for running battery chargers (AA, D, rechargeable packs), etc.

Looks like my wish is granted:

p. 143
To prevent the battery from running out of charge:

• Do not use the power point longer than necessary when the vehicle is off.
• Do not leave devices plugged in overnight or when you park your vehicle for extended periods.

This shouldn't be an issue if the 12v outlets shut off when the car is off, right? This will be great for camping and vacations for charging electronics.

 

[JamieGeek]

Looks like my wish is granted:

p. 143
To prevent the battery from running out of charge:

• Do not use the power point longer than necessary when the vehicle is off.
• Do not leave devices plugged in overnight or when you park your vehicle for extended periods.

This shouldn't be an issue if the 12v outlets shut off when the car is off, right? This will be great for camping and vacations for charging electronics.

Except that the High-Voltage-Batteries will be disconnected so you could easily drain your 12V battery.

It is likely that these are just precautions and the USB ports do shutoff. Ford just may be benig conservative here just in case (e.g. maybe there is a software bug they don't know about that leaves them on).

 

[RyZt]

Reading the supplemental manual - it says not to install now chains or snow cables on the 225/55R19 tires - this standard on AWD /FE. Typically I only need chow chains when driving in winter to say Tahoe area. Chains are required (if I interpret the rules correctly) even on AWD drive vehicles unless they have snow tires or mechanical 4 WD.

Any thoughts on this ? what would be the other options other than just drive without chains or switch to snow tires which is not feasible when driving non snow areas.

To add - my CRV is AWD but was pulled over once for not having chains and told to get chains. I was let off though after being told just try to drive slowly and get chains when you can.

I read that section of the manual as well.

The manual says it's OK to use tire chains that has a diameter of 10mm or below for 225/60r18 (Select, CA Rt1) tire. But it's not OK on 225/55r19 (Premium, FE).

I did some math. The radius of 225/55r19 tire is 1.5mm larger than 225/60r18. There's a tire cable series called "Super Z6" that requires only 6.3mm of clearance. (Search for SZ429 for the size that fits 225/60r18 or 225/55r19.) Unless there exists a reason other than tire clearance that Ford recommends against using tire cable on the larger wheel size, using that particular cable on 225/55r19 is equivalent to using a 8mm cable on 225/60r18, and should be fine?

 

[RyZt]

Looks like my wish is granted:

p. 143
To prevent the battery from running out of charge:

• Do not use the power point longer than necessary when the vehicle is off.
• Do not leave devices plugged in overnight or when you park your vehicle for extended periods.

This shouldn't be an issue if the 12v outlets shut off when the car is off, right? This will be great for camping and vacations for charging electronics.

Except that the High-Voltage-Batteries will be disconnected so you could easily drain your 12V battery.

It is likely that these are just precautions and the USB ports do shutoff. Ford just may be benig conservative here just in case (e.g. maybe there is a software bug they don't know about that leaves them on).

I hope @JamieGeek is correct, and Ford didn't grant the wish of @ChasingCoral.

On my 2013 CMax, the 12V plug (the one next to gear selector) remains powered indefinitely after the car is shut off. If I leave my phone charger plugged in for a few days, the 12V battery dies and I can't start the car. Ford's 5-year complimentary roadside assistance helped 2 or 3 times.

I have made a habit of unplugging the charger as soon as I power off the car. I still forget sometimes, but I always double check before going on a trip so this hasn't been an issue for a while. But I still find it annoying that I have to constantly plug and unplug my phone charger from the 12V plug. I would much prefer that all charge ports shut off when I power off the car, just like most other cars.

With a USB-C PD 18W car charger, I can charge my phone from 0 to 100 in less than an hour even when actively using Google Maps. By the way, you may not even need that if the USB-C port on Mach E can deliver 90W PD. (Phones can still only take 18W, but that would allow charging laptops.)

If you still need to charge at night, a power bank is just more convenient than leaving your devices in the car. If you need a lot of charging every night, there are 30W/45W/87W PD power banks. These can charge up really fast so that your time in the car is enough for filling it up every day (when paired with a fast-enough car charger).

(warning: PD uses more than 5V to achieve more than 12W, and therefore a bad charger has a much higher potential of frying your electronics. Any well known brand should be fine. I recommend Anker PowerDrive PD 2 for 18W PD + 12W non-PD. They also make one for 30W PD + 12W non-PD if you have a device that can take advantage of that and you need the speed, e.g. tablet like iPad Pro.)

 

[ChasingCoral]

I hope @JamieGeek is correct, and Ford didn't grant the wish of @ChasingCoral.

On my 2013 CMax, the 12V plug (the one next to gear selector) remains powered indefinitely after the car is shut off. If I leave my phone charger plugged in for a few days, the 12V battery dies and I can't start the car. Ford's 5-year complimentary roadside assistance helped 2 or 3 times.

I have made a habit of unplugging the charger as soon as I power off the car. I still forget sometimes, but I always double check before going on a trip so this hasn't been an issue for a while. But I still find it annoying that I have to constantly plug and unplug my phone charger from the 12V plug. I would much prefer that all charge ports shut off when I power off the car, just like most other cars.

With a USB-C PD 18W car charger, I can charge my phone from 0 to 100 in less than an hour even when actively using Google Maps. By the way, you may not even need that if the USB-C port on Mach E can deliver 90W PD. (Phones can still only take 18W, but that would allow charging laptops.)

If you still need to charge at night, a power bank is just more convenient than leaving your devices in the car. If you need a lot of charging every night, there are 30W/45W/87W PD power banks. These can charge up really fast so that your time in the car is enough for filling it up every day (when paired with a fast-enough car charger).

(warning: PD uses more than 5V to achieve more than 12W, and therefore a bad charger has a much higher potential of frying your electronics. Any well known brand should be fine. I recommend Anker PowerDrive PD 2 for 18W PD + 12W non-PD. They also make one for 30W PD + 12W non-PD if you have a device that can take advantage of that and you need the speed, e.g. tablet like iPad Pro.)

I'm less concerned about the one in the armrest storage that is more likely to see regular use and cause these problems. However, it would be great to have continual operation of the one back in the cargo area.

 

[SteveJo]

I'd like to see the 12v trickle charge while the EV is plugged in.

 

[Rhynri]

I'd like to see the 12v trickle charge while the EV is plugged in.

Generally speaking, this does happen to an extent. There is a DC/DC converter that powers the 12v system whenever the main battery is connected. It isn't always connected during charging on all EVs (some have two solenoids, one for charging, one for when the car is on) but most will maintenence charge the 12V if the car is plugged in and not just when it's driving. Highly dependent on how it's engineered, though. For example, Hyundai Ioniq's 12V system is actually a lithium one in the HV battery and it will automatically connect to the rest of the HV battery as needed.

 

[JamieGeek]

I'd like to see the 12v trickle charge while the EV is plugged in.

I think it will do a bit more than trickle; at least while the vehicle is charging the HVB. While the HVB is being charged the DC-DC converter will be on.

 

[SteveJo]

I think it will do a bit more than trickle; at least while the vehicle is charging the HVB. While the HVB is being charged the DC-DC converter will be on.

My trickle charging goal is to keep the 12v battery from ever being depleted by anything plugged into hot charging ports as long as the EV is plugged in (whether the HVB itself is charging or not).

 

[Jimrpa]

Wait? What? The car will let you essentially kill it and not do anything to protect itself? There’s no “battery saver mode”? What genius decided it was more important that my Nintendo switch be fully charged than I actually be able to turn on my car and drive the next day? To me, this is a major design flaw that rivals the front trunk fiasco. You know there will be idiots who will go “glamping” and drag along an inverter so they can run their wine cooler, their blu-ray player and their big-screen TV all night so they can “Netflix and chill”, then wake up the next morning wondering why the start button does absolutely nothing.

 

[ajmartineau]

I will reserve my judgement until I have my MME 12v running a device (like my freezer) and see what the dc/dc charger does when it drops in voltage. I’m hoping for ay least an 1800 watt charger.

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