Battery Life

[evenatta]

Hello. I have a 2024 MachE that I bought new last Feb. this past Pctober, they had to repaint the majority of it because of clear coat issues. They took it on October 27. I got it back Dec 20. I sent it to them with a full charge. Had drained to about 160s when I got it back. Since it has returned, my battery life seems very poor. I charged to 100%, reset driving history, etc. I used to be able to make a 144 miler round trip to and from work and have 20-24% battery left. This morning I got home with 8% left. I live on the gulf coast, so it isn’t cold. I drive on the interstate, but set my cruise control to 75. No seat heaters. No wild temperatures. I don’t understand what has happened. I guess I’ll take is back to the dealership. But I literally just got it back!

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[GreaseMonkey]

Emily, there’s nothing that the dealer could have done to reduce the vehicle’s range. It’s a combination of colder weather and the car sitting for two months with battery draining and without accumulating any mileage.

My advice would be to not take it back. Just drive it for a while and collect more data. Even the slightest variation in temps can affect the range. If you have access to a level 2 charger, set the car to precondition before you leave in the morning, and observe your miles per kWh for the first 30 min or so (while the battery is still at ideal temps). If the value is close to 2.7, you are dealing with temp issues. 2.7 is my (and many others) experienced efficiency in the summer while driving at 75 mph.

 

[Maquis]

Reset EV driving history. Nothing will change, other than you’ll see a number that makes you happy.
No need to precondition unless you are going on a trip and need max range on the first leg.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

It sounds like you're doing the same trip as you've done many times before and irrespective of what the range estimate is saying, you're arriving home with significantly less battery state of charge than before.

A sudden change in actual percent remaining after doing the same trip is more than just the unreliable range estimator.

It is likely at least in part due to lower temperatures, but it might be other things too.

Check your tire pressure. The TPMS is a start, but it's not as accurate as it should be, so if you don't have a reliable gauge, stop at a tire shop and ask them to check. The driver door jamb sticker shows the recommended pressure for your vehicle, assuming you still have the original tires on.

 

[joebruin77]

As SpaceEVDriver suggested, I also recommend checking your tire pressure. Even if you live in a relatively warmer climate, your tire pressure can still go down at this time of year.

Because lower tire pressure can significantly affect range, I recommend buying a digital tire inflator such as this Ryobi model from Home depot (see below). You set the desired target tire pressure (for my 2022 MachE it is 39 psi), turn on the inflator, and it will automatically fill the tire and shut off once it reaches the target pressure.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-O...-Tool-Only-PCL001B/327406129#see-more-details

The dealer may have neglected to check the tire pressure before returning the car to you.

 

[Mach-Lee]

I drive on the interstate, but set my cruise control to 75. No seat heaters. No wild temperatures. I don’t understand what has happened.

Your temps in the past week have been down to below freezing at night, with an average around 50ºF. This will definitely affect the range. You will start to see range loss below ~62ºF, and especially if you park the car outside because the battery will cool off at night.

Your HVAC for heat takes way more energy than the seat heaters. Seat heaters are insignificant. Make sure you use the AUTO HVAC setting set to a reasonable temp like 70ºF.

Also if you are short on range you should slow down to 70 MPH or less. That makes a huge difference.

In summary, I don't think anything is wrong, you are just experiencing some winter range loss with the colder temps.

 

[Teslaeata]

Emily, there’s nothing that the dealer could have done to reduce the vehicle’s range. It’s a combination of colder weather and the car sitting for two months with battery draining and without accumulating any mileage.

My advice would be to not take it back. Just drive it for a while and collect more data. Even the slightest variation in temps can affect the range. If you have access to a level 2 charger, set the car to precondition before you leave in the morning, and observe your miles per kWh for the first 30 min or so (while the battery is still at ideal temps). If the value is close to 2.7, you are dealing with temp issues. 2.7 is my (and many others) experienced efficiency in the summer while driving at 75 mph.

……..and reset the driving history

 

[GreaseMonkey]

……..and reset the driving history

She did that already.

 

[Teslaeata]

Burn it out in a lay-by in that case

 

[evenatta]

Thank you. Our average temps have unfortunately been in the 70s the past few days (I wish it was colder down here for the holidays). I will def look at tire pressure. This is a trip I have made so many times over the past year (with my cruise set at 78, even higher than the 75 mph it was set at today and with the auto HVAC set at 72) and have, with only one exception, ever arrived home with less than 20% left on the battery. Arriving at home this morning at 8% was both anxiety inducing and concerning about overall battery health. Hopefully it’s something as simple as tire pressure….

 

[evenatta]

It sounds like you're doing the same trip as you've done many times before and irrespective of what the range estimate is saying, you're arriving home with significantly less battery state of charge than before.

A sudden change in actual percent remaining after doing the same trip is more than just the unreliable range estimator.

It is likely at least in part due to lower temperatures, but it might be other things too.

Check your tire pressure. The TPMS is a start, but it's not as accurate as it should be, so if you don't have a reliable gauge, stop at a tire shop and ask them to check. The driver door jamb sticker shows the recommended pressure for your vehicle, assuming you still have the original tires on.

Yeah. Multiple times making this trip. It’s only a 144 mile round trip. Should be doable without a problem. Ugh. I will check tire pressure for sure. Thank you.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Yeah. Multiple times making this trip. It’s only a 144 mile round trip. Should be doable without a problem. Ugh. I will check tire pressure for sure. Thank you.

You might want to text with a Ford EV advisor and see if they can check for any codes and the high voltage battery health. May or may not be helpful, worth a shot. Sign up here: opt into 24/7 Live Support on the enrollment page

 

[evenatta]

You might want to text with a Ford EV advisor and see if they can check for any codes and the high voltage battery health. May or may not be helpful, worth a shot. Sign up here: opt into 24/7 Live Support on the enrollment page

I did contact them. They said the Bluetooth module has a poor connection and maybe causing a drain according to the codes he can see. She is suspicious because I got several codes during repainting that make her question whether connections were properly replaced. Looks like I will take it back to the dealership.
but thank you SO MUCH for the link. They were very responsive and informative. I really appreciate it!!!!

 

[Teslaeata]

Not sure if you know or have already done this but you can read your own HVB high voltage battery SoH state of health using Car Scanner app and something like an OBDLinkMX+ Bluetooth OBD onboard diagnostic reader at the connection just under the dash where your knees usually are.

You’ll have a better idea whether it’s due to a problem with HVB health or management of expectations depending upon conditions.

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