No preferred charge time, -14F and car shows preparing for drive!?

[Chitown]

I realized recently that when I remote start my car (2023 GTPE) even if it's on my L2 EVSE, it uses the battery only to remote start. I had preferred charging times set so my theory was that if outside of a preferred charging time, it would remote start from the battery. Interestingly, preconditioning still uses the EVSE power. I could see this when my stupid Jukebox was working (currently not connecting - garbage software) based on the kw draw at that time.

So:

• Outside preferred charge time, precondition works off of EVSE power but remote start uses battery
• Inside preferred charge time, both use EVSE

I removed my preferred charging times completely since it was so cold lately (-14F this morning) and my garage is ~+14F - but now my car shows preparing for drive even though the next drive is tomorrow at 0800!

Adding back in my preferred charge time stops the preparing for drive.

Is this the car "preparing for drive" - which in my experience is preconditioning the battery - because it's so cold?

I also noticed when I unplugged this morning that it showed ~146kw added!!!

I have since added my preferred charge time back since I have an 0800 daily precondition (per the Mach-E Lee suggestions!)

So my questions:

1. Is it still worth it to remote start on battery? I'm assuming yes to warm the cabin.
2. Should I let the car keep trying to precondition the battery by removing preferred charging times when it's this cold or does it not matter as long as I precondition before a drive?

Thanks!

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[n2585722]

This is the car keeping the battery above the low temp limit. It is a good thing for it to do that since it keeps the battery from getting too cold. It does use about the same amount of energy as charging on mine but I use a 30 amp outlet so my max is lower. I have a SplitVolt switch which shows the wattage being used and the voltage and current going to the charger. I got a photo of the screen during one of the preparing for drive events and one when it was idle, Even at idle the car is using some electricity. My guess it is to keep the functions on that are needed to control battery temp. The first one is during the preparing for drive and the second one is when it is idle.

 

[Mach-Lee]

If your garage is at 14ºF then the battery heating will run occasionally and you'll see "Preparing for drive" in FordPass. This is good because it means it's keeping the battery warm.

If you have the car set to charge anytime, then it will heat as needed. If you have a preferred charging time, then it will wait to heat the battery during that window.

In this weather, I would definitely remote start 15 mins at a minimum. And use Departure time for trips longer than 20 minutes. Your charging window is up to you.

I don't think 146 kWh added is possible, that's a glitch.

 

[n2585722]

If your garage is at 14ºF then the battery heating will run occasionally and you'll see "Preparing for drive" in FordPass. This is good because it means it's keeping the battery warm.

If you have the car set to charge anytime, then it will heat as needed. If you have a preferred charging time, then it will wait to heat the battery during that window.

In this weather, I would definitely remote start 15 mins at a minimum. And use Departure time for trips longer than 20 minutes. Your charging window is up to you.

I don't think 146 kWh added is possible, that's a glitch.

Mine has a high KWH added too but I think anything used whether it is for charging or for heating the battery will add to the KWH amount as long as it is plugged in. Mine have been high during the cold weather we have had but I have been keeping it plugged in if it is at home which it has been except for a few errands and I did not go very far each time only a couple of miles at a time.

 

[Chitown]

If your garage is at 14ºF then the battery heating will run occasionally and you'll see "Preparing for drive" in FordPass. This is good because it means it's keeping the battery warm.

If you have the car set to charge anytime, then it will heat as needed. If you have a preferred charging time, then it will wait to heat the battery during that window.

In this weather, I would definitely remote start 15 mins at a minimum. And use Departure time for trips longer than 20 minutes. Your charging window is up to you.

I don't think 146 kWh added is possible, that's a glitch.

I was thinking the same - that it was a glitch. Wish the stupid juice box were working because it would be incredibly obvious.

So it will “prepare for drive” automatically to maintain minimum battery temp and only inside charging times. Is that correct?

Mine has a high KWH added too but I think anything used whether it is for charging or for heating the battery will add to the KWH amount as long as it is plugged in. Mine have been high during the cold weather we have had but I have been keeping it plugged in if it is at home which it has been except for a few errands and I did not go very far each time only a couple of miles at a time.

Do you know if your stupid high low is actual or a glitch? ComEd takes a few days to show use online. I will check yesterday’s use in a day or two and report back.

 

[n2585722]

I was thinking the same - that it was a glitch. Wish the stupid juice box were working because it would be incredibly obvious.

So it will “prepare for drive” automatically to maintain minimum battery temp and only inside charging times. Is that correct?


Do you know if your stupid high low is actual or a glitch? ComEd takes a few days to show use online. I will check yesterday’s use in a day or two and report back.

There is a KWH meter on the SplitVolt. During the time when I too the photo it was at 392.263kwh. When I too the second photo it was at 395.301kwh so it used quite a bit between the photos. It was not that long between them. I do not have a set charge time or a schedule departure time setup, but when it is not doing the preparing for drive it is using very little current.

 

[Mach-Lee]

So it will “prepare for drive” automatically to maintain minimum battery temp and only inside charging times. Is that correct?

Yes.

 

[n2585722]

I forgot to add this. I unplugged long enough to get some lunch today and that dropped it from 80% to 78%. I plugged it back in when I got home and here is the current usage on Ford pass. So according to that it has used 32.4kwh to add 2% of charge. It is currently 22 degrees. I don't normally leave it plugged in unless I am charging it but since I have the 12v battery has gone up to 99%. It is usually the low nineties or high eighties. So I might have to start leaving it on overnight when I do plug it in to charge. I was just leaving it plugged in while we were having temps below freezing.

 

[Chitown]

I forgot to add this. I unplugged long enough to get some lunch today and that dropped it from 80% to 78%. I plugged it back in when I got home and here is the current usage on Ford pass. So according to that it has used 32.4kwh to add 2% of charge. It is currently 22 degrees. I don't normally leave it plugged in unless I am charging it but since I have the 12v battery has gone up to 99%. It is usually the low nineties or high eighties. So I might have to start leaving it on overnight when I do plug it in to charge. I was just leaving it plugged in while we were having temps below freezing.

What year / model and did you get the latest update they pulled? I am wondering if this is new behavior as I don’t recall seeing this last year but it wasn’t nearly as cold then.

 

[n2585722]

Mine is a 2023 GTPE and I got it on 12/6/23 so I have not had it very long. I have not left it plugged in when I was not charging just in case that was an issue but it looks it does not use too much energy when idle sine it is only drawing 600ma of current. I will have to recheck it when we start having higher temps and leave it plugged in after it completes the charging and see how much it goes up then.

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