Charge Settings Reverting

[Fremont Kid]

Have 2022 MME Premium AWD ER battery. We have learned through several charge setting incidents to ensure that charge settings are in synch between the Ford Pass App on each of our cell phones and inside the MME, i.e. Synch system. Oh also, we have received all the Synch 4 updates. Doing this we thought solved most incidents involving percent charge, departure time and charge window, i.e. 11:00 pm to 7:00 am during cheapest electrical rates.

HOWEVER, we experienced this incident: Changed the charge % from 50% to 80% in all three devices and ensured these settings. All prior to the charge window. During the charge window the system reverted to 50%, thus stopped charging at this level. Ford help is investigating. The incident makes me think that the settings are sent to a central server which the system considers authoritative, and this authoritative server can override our local settings. Any insight?

Now, I think involving a central server is just horrible IT system architecture. No way a remote server should be authoritative and thus overrule local settings. I'm OK with settings being LOGGED to a central server so Ford can see this history. But we are the local users who know our needs best, thus our local settings should be authoritative. Also, this architecture would be dependent on system synching - between either the MME/Synch or Ford Pass App - which itself is dependent on other communication systems and technologies, i.e. telecommunications via TCP/IP and/or LTE. Too many uncontrolled dependencies.

One other option is that Ford's architecture considers the charge 'SCHEDULE' to include both the charge percent and the charging window. Therefore, selecting 'resume schedule' could have caused the system to revert to 50%. However, I think this option supports the authoritative central server theory because the 50% setting could only have existed on a remote server that had not synched with our three devices.

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[Maquis]

Consensus seems to be that making charge settings in the car (never make changes in FordPass) is most reliable. That’s what I do and I’ve never had an issue in 2 years other than the one time my locations got removed in an update.

 

[Fremont Kid]

Consensus seems to be that making charge settings in the car (never make changes in FordPass) is most reliable. That’s what I do and I’ve never had an issue in 2 years other than the one time my locations got removed in an update.

Thanks. I'm considering just not using Ford Pass app for anything. After all, I can always use the transponder to lock, unlock, activate profile, etc. If Ford Pass app can't perform flawlessly, why allow it to frustrate us?

 

[Maquis]

Thanks. I'm considering just not using Ford Pass app for anything. After all, I can always use the transponder to lock, unlock, activate profile, etc. If Ford Pass app can't perform flawlessly, why allow it to frustrate us?

I still use it successfully for remote start.

 

[DanCoon]

My charge settings recently haven't been sticking. I couldn't charge to 100% through the app the one day I needed it, so I turned off charge locations manually in Sync. Now, I can't turn them on again and my Mach-E charges to 100% each day.

 

[Radar00]

2022 California Rte 1 RWD. Can confirm the exact thing here for 3-4 weeks, maybe more - feels like a blur. Found an old post to drive away from network, turn off and reset all connected settings. Even did a sync4 reset. Worked for 1 night and then back to charge reversion settings.

as I need the charge for commute have to wake up at 2-3am to make sure that things are working and within the timelines I set (California power - super off peak).

Even if I confirm in the car and set there, it still reverts. So that has not been a complete solution in my hands.

Last night I found that if I hit "charge to 100%" using app, let it eat power for a minute, set my preferred charge settings and then hit "resume schedule" it kept my settings. Don't like the workaround and have no clue how long it will last.

@Ford, I reached out to my BEV rep via email and crickets.

if you learn anything do share

 

[Fremont Kid]

My charge settings recently haven't been sticking. I couldn't charge to 100% through the app the one day I needed it, so I turned off charge locations manually in Sync. Now, I can't turn them on again and my Mach-E charges to 100% each day.

Sorry to hear. Perhaps the culprit is Microsoft's Synch. I hate to disparage any company unnecessarily, but the evidence seems to point in their direction. Honestly, based on EV software issues I've read on this forum and other internet reports, I would support companies being required to publish their IT architectures and system process flows. Companies can retain proprietary IT coding, but they should be required to let the public know how their software controls vehicles.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Have 2022 MME Premium AWD ER battery. We have learned through several charge setting incidents to ensure that charge settings are in synch between the Ford Pass App on each of our cell phones and inside the MME, i.e. Synch system. Oh also, we have received all the Synch 4 updates. Doing this we thought solved most incidents involving percent charge, departure time and charge window, i.e. 11:00 pm to 7:00 am during cheapest electrical rates.

HOWEVER, we experienced this incident: Changed the charge % from 50% to 80% in all three devices and ensured these settings. All prior to the charge window. During the charge window the system reverted to 50%, thus stopped charging at this level. Ford help is investigating. The incident makes me think that the settings are sent to a central server which the system considers authoritative, and this authoritative server can override our local settings. Any insight?

Now, I think involving a central server is just horrible IT system architecture. No way a remote server should be authoritative and thus overrule local settings. I'm OK with settings being LOGGED to a central server so Ford can see this history. But we are the local users who know our needs best, thus our local settings should be authoritative. Also, this architecture would be dependent on system synching - between either the MME/Synch or Ford Pass App - which itself is dependent on other communication systems and technologies, i.e. telecommunications via TCP/IP and/or LTE. Too many uncontrolled dependencies.

One other option is that Ford's architecture considers the charge 'SCHEDULE' to include both the charge percent and the charging window. Therefore, selecting 'resume schedule' could have caused the system to revert to 50%. However, I think this option supports the authoritative central server theory because the 50% setting could only have existed on a remote server that had not synched with our three devices.

Yeah, that sounds about right. The server sometimes overwrites my settings in the car. When you make a change in the car it doesn’t always get shared with the cloud and may end up getting changed back to a previous setting the next time it talks to the cloud.

They should really use a timestamp system so if there is a discrepancy between the settings in the car and the cloud, it uses the most recently edited setting.

BTW, Ford doesn’t use Microsoft anymore. Ford uses the IBM cloud and SYNC is written in QNX these days (switching to Android soon).

 

[Fremont Kid]

2022 California Rte 1 RWD. Can confirm the exact thing here for 3-4 weeks, maybe more - feels like a blur. Found an old post to drive away from network, turn off and reset all connected settings. Even did a sync4 reset. Worked for 1 night and then back to charge reversion settings.

as I need the charge for commute have to wake up at 2-3am to make sure that things are working and within the timelines I set (California power - super off peak).

Even if I confirm in the car and set there, it still reverts. So that has not been a complete solution in my hands.

Last night I found that if I hit "charge to 100%" using app, let it eat power for a minute, set my preferred charge settings and then hit "resume schedule" it kept my settings. Don't like the workaround and have no clue how long it will last.

@Ford, I reached out to my BEV rep via email and crickets.

if you learn anything do share

Yeah, that sounds about right. The server sometimes overwrites my settings in the car. When you make a change in the car it doesn’t always get shared with the cloud and may end up getting changed back to a previous setting the next time it talks to the cloud.

They should really use a timestamp system so if there is a discrepancy between the settings in the car and the cloud, it uses the most recently edited setting.

BTW, Ford doesn’t use Microsoft anymore. Ford uses the IBM cloud and SYNC is written in QNX these days (switching to Android soon).

Thanks. Also appreciate the Synch info.

 

[Ford Motor Company]

2022 California Rte 1 RWD. Can confirm the exact thing here for 3-4 weeks, maybe more - feels like a blur. Found an old post to drive away from network, turn off and reset all connected settings. Even did a sync4 reset. Worked for 1 night and then back to charge reversion settings.

as I need the charge for commute have to wake up at 2-3am to make sure that things are working and within the timelines I set (California power - super off peak).

Even if I confirm in the car and set there, it still reverts. So that has not been a complete solution in my hands.

Last night I found that if I hit "charge to 100%" using app, let it eat power for a minute, set my preferred charge settings and then hit "resume schedule" it kept my settings. Don't like the workaround and have no clue how long it will last.

@Ford, I reached out to my BEV rep via email and crickets.

if you learn anything do share

Hi there! Will you send us a message with your VIN and your local Ford dealer? I can look into things on my end.

 

[Fremont Kid]

Hi there! Will you send us a message with your VIN and your local Ford dealer? I can look into things on my end.

Your reply indicates you just don't get the point. This is not a one customer here and one customer there type of issue. The entire charging process is not documented and explained adequately to ALL customers. Based on Ford responses seems that Ford is deliberately trying to not disclose how the charging system works.

My dealer is great but whatever their answer would be applies to every other Mustang Mach-e owner. Just disclose how the charging system works, its decision tree, all if-then-else conditions. Really should not be difficult. I'm a retired IT professional. If Ford has not already created these IT artifacts, then Ford has larger problems. My hunch is Ford does have these artifacts.

Quick example of owners confusion: Yesterday at 3:45 p.m. my wife connected our mobile charger to the MME which had about 40% charge. We charge 240V at 32A. The charge settings were to charge to 100% and our charge window set to 11 p.m. - 7 a.m. The car started charging immediately instead of waiting until 11 p.m. Why? Two hours later the charger stopped charging and displayed the message "Waiting to charge during the charging window." Why did charging stop? Why did Ford decide to cause us to spend more $ charging during the afternoon when rates are higher, rather than waiting to begin charging at 11 p.m. and finish by extending charging past 7 a.m. when our rates are second lowest? Personally, I WANT TO BE IN CONTROL OF CHARGE WINDOWS! I don't want an algorithm decided by software developers/system architects to control my vehicle's charging.

I and all other owners want to understand these things.
If you understand, please reply with "I understand." At least then I'll know you received my message. Unfortunately, Ford is letting what should be a very small matter degrade MME owners' confidence.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Quick example of owners confusion: Yesterday at 3:45 p.m. my wife connected our mobile charger to the MME which had about 40% charge. We charge 240V at 32A. The charge settings were to charge to 100% and our charge window set to 11 p.m. - 7 a.m. The car started charging immediately instead of waiting until 11 p.m. Why? Two hours later the charger stopped charging and displayed the message "Waiting to charge during the charging window." Why did charging stop? Why did Ford decide to cause us to spend more $ charging during the afternoon when rates are higher, rather than waiting to begin charging at 11 p.m. and finish by extending charging past 7 a.m. when our rates are second lowest? Personally, I WANT TO BE IN CONTROL OF CHARGE WINDOWS! I don't want an algorithm decided by software developers/system architects to control my vehicle's charging.

It charged early because it calculated that the Mach-E would not be fully charged to 100% by the end of your charging window (7AM). The charging algorithm prioritizes reaching your target % by the end of your scheduled charge window, and may charge early in order to accomplish that.

I suggest you drop your charge limit to 90%, the last 5-10% is very slow so you will run into the early charging issue more easily. If you make that change to 90%, you won't have early charging unless you plug in below 30%. Setting the charge window longer will also mitigate the issue.

A reminder you shouldn't charge to 100% daily, it's bad for the battery. Ford says 90% max for daily charging.

 

[Fremont Kid]

It charged early because it calculated that the Mach-E would not be fully charged to 100% by the end of your charging window (7AM). The charging algorithm prioritizes reaching your target % by the end of your scheduled charge window, and may charge early in order to accomplish that.

I suggest you drop your charge limit to 90%, the last 5-10% is very slow so you will run into the early charging issue more easily. If you make that change to 90%, you won't have early charging unless you plug in below 30%. Setting the charge window longer will also mitigate the issue.

Where is any of this documented so that I can learn it rather than hear it on the forum? I want the documentation.

 

[Mach-Lee]

Where is any of this documented so that I can learn it rather than hear it on the forum? I want the documentation.

It's not documented, we figured it out ourselves.

I'm not disagreeing with you, Ford's lack of customer education does contribute to customer frustration. There should be a message that pops up in FordPass that says "Will charge outside of scheduled charge times to reach target charge level" or something when that occurs.

 

[Fremont Kid]

It's not documented, we figured it out ourselves.

I'm not disagreeing with you, Ford's lack of customer education does contribute to customer frustration. There should be a message that pops up in FordPass that says "Will charge outside of scheduled charge times to reach target charge level" or something when that occurs.

That is my, and many other owners, main point. Even a video explaining it would be helpful.
I failed to mention that I appreciate your other advice. We only charge to 100% when our needs require, otherwise only to 80%. As the weather warms I am anticipating resetting the GOM history data so we can learn how well the MME performs during warmer weather.

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