This is the same experience for me. My car is booked in at the dealers next Monday to look at this but if the consensus is the only way to get heat in the cabin is using e-heat (which completely decimates my range by the way) then I won't bother taking it in.
Yes, E-Heat is the only way to get a substantial amount of heat in the cabin. There is no heat pump and the amount of heat that can be scavenged from the drive components is negligible. By turning off the resistive heater (E-Heat), you're basically turning off the heat and then expecting to still get heat. It doesn't work that way. That's like turning off your oven and expecting that your food will still cook. Yes, it will greatly reduce your range. That's why you see so many people complain about the lack of a heat pump.
Unless they move to Flagstaff... ??
The battery does not generate enough heat for the cabin, it's too efficient. That's why there's a 5 kW electric heating element in the coolant loop for the cabin heat. So yes, you must turn on E-heat if you want cabin heat, this is by design and is not a flaw. I'm sorry if you didn't realize you need to use the battery to heat the cabin on an EV.
Thanks but apparently Ford engineers didn't realize the same because they've told me and others in this forum, (I have emails from them) to make sure E-Heat is turned off when attempting to heat the cabin. Not just that, I've been called 4 times by the Concierge service attempting to help troubleshoot the issue remotely with me in my car, them on the phone and they've asked me to do the same, turn off E-Heat. Plus my car was booked in at my dealership a month ago and it was there for a full day of diagnostics and the engineers were trying to get it to work without using E-heat. So either the documentation is really bad or a whole lot of people that should know better, don't.
Unfortunately I think it's mostly the latter. As someone with an engineering background who's familiar with the Mach-E's systems I can positively say you need to have E-heat on to get significant cabin heat. I have no idea why they would tell you that because it doesn't make any sense. I've read the service manual. The battery waste heat is not nearly enough to heat a cabin.
Thanks for clarifying. I've canceled my 2nd diagnostics with my dealer
Ford engineers told you to turn off the heat when attempting to heat the cabin? Something is very wrong with that.
E-heat, the
Please note, I was told to disable E-heat , Not turn off the heater . Turns out E-heat is the only source of heat in the car and they obviously thought otherwise . To be fair E-heat as described even in the cars dashboard is misleading . It is described as a ‘supplemental electrical heater used to warm the cabin before the car can make its own heat’ That’s not me paraphrasing that’s what it says when you click on the info for E-heat on the dashboard. If it’s supplemental and before the car can make it’s own heat , then I and others rightfully assumed at some point after switching on the car it will make its own heat. Turns out that’s bullocks .
Where would this heat come from? Maybe you have to drive aggressively and make the batteries get hot before you can have heat? LOL
E-heat is the heater. I can see how Ford's description can be confusing. Technically the car can "make its own heat" by scavenging waste heat from the HV battery and motors. But that heat will never be enough to warm a cold cabin. Ford's documentation should be clearer about that. At least you know now.
