Update on Mach-E launch progress from engineering friends in Mexico

[JellyBelly]

Not according to the owners manual. If the car comes with the divider, electronic methods for opening the frunk are disabled.

My guess is that there's some safety regulation that's required to prevent the frunk from opening while driving and the electronic opening mechanisms don't currently meet that regulation, so they're disabled. The only reason they added the divider was that this also disabled the emergency release inside the frunk (which is also electronic) so they need to make sure a kid can't climb into there.

makes sense that the divider is a interim mitigation

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[Gimme_my_MME]

Awesome report!

When you get a chance, would you mind translating this from Ford-ese to English?

The gist of it is that the Explorer was switching power train architectures so the plant kept running making the old model as long as possible so the first time any new models were built on the production tooling was job 1, which is very late in the timeline. What the other launches are doing and what is normally done is the plant is built up with production tooling and a tooling trial is done with prototype vehicles. This necessitates a plant shutting down to switch over, which is the reasoning it was pushed so late in the Explorer, so they could keep making vehicles.

All those prototype vehicles get driven and put through rigorous testing by the time launch starts so that bugs can be found and worked out. Because Explorer prototypes were so late they didn't complete their planned mileage accumulation before launch.

The Explorer launch didn't follow the playbook and was a huge risk. If it had worked, months of plant downtime would've been eliminated meaning tons more Explorers would've been built and sold. Instead, it was poorly executed leading to massive quality problems and was reported to be the sole reason Joe Hinrichs was 'retired' and is a main contributor to why Ford dropped in the latest quality metrics

 

[mattsaradan]

Here’s my theory on the divider: in the US, you have to have an illuminated emergency release inside luggage compartments in case people get stuck inside. The one in the front trunk is a push button, electric release. Someone realized, at the last minute “what happens if the battery dies?” Well, the koi aren’t going to be able to escape, but neither are any kids stuck in there. Hence the divider. They disabled all the electrical methods of opening it to maintain the fiction that it’s a compartment too small for a person, so it doesn’t need an emergency release. In fact, I’m surprised they didn’t remove the glow in the dark decal.

Is the MME trunk that much larger than Tesla, iPace, etc? Do we think the regulation about an escape button doesn't apply to other EVs because they are too small for anyone to get trapped in the first place?

 

[ChasingCoral]

After removing non-US and non-GT, member reported Premiums are at 79%.

Picky, picky!

 

[SnBGC]

Is the MME trunk that much larger than Tesla, iPace, etc? Do we think the regulation about an escape button doesn't apply to other EVs because they are too small for anyone to get trapped in the first place?

A certain size doll has to fit to trigger the requirement. Our friend in Hawaii found the regulation for us to read.
I dont think that doll fits in the iPace....not sure about Tesla. Will definately be a problem for Rivian and F-150 because both of those vehicles can get several dolls into their front compartment. The Rivian can also hold a few in the space behind the cab....

 

[Ron Bonifas]

A certain size doll has to fit to trigger the requirement. Our friend in Hawaii found the regulation for us to read.
I dont think that doll fits in the iPace....not sure about Tesla. Will definately be a problem for Rivian and F-150 because both of those vehicles can get several dolls into their front compartment. The Rivian can also hold a few in the space behind the cab....

service manuals and wiring diagrams were on technician web site today at noon front luggage compartment has dedicated release module showing 20 amp power and ground, 2 communication wires to module network, 2 wires to a release switch likely inside 'frunk' as it is in same connector with interior lamp

 

[SnBGC]

service manuals and wiring diagrams were on technician web site today at noon front luggage compartment has dedicated release module showing 20 amp power and ground, 2 communication wires to module network, 2 wires to a release switch likely inside 'frunk' as it is in same connector with interior lamp

What about the two leads behind the secret door in the front bumper? Were those on the diagram? How many solenoids operate the latch?

 

[kennelh]

service manuals and wiring diagrams were on technician web site today

Links?

 

[Ron Bonifas]

Links?

 

[Ron Bonifas]

As far as I know only available to current Ford technicians sign on and password t the front trunk release relay module it's also the pass-through for the exterior jump Post in the event no switch will open the hood. the release solenoid is capable of double pull to release front latch

 

[Ron Bonifas]

As far as I know only available to current Ford technicians sign on and password t the front trunk release relay module it's also the pass-through for the exterior jump Post in the event no switch will open the hood. the release solenoid is capable of double pull to release front latch

the second pull will not occur above 2 mile per hour

 

[SnBGC]

As far as I know only available to current Ford technicians sign on and password t the front trunk release relay module it's also the pass-through for the exterior jump Post in the event no switch will open the hood. the release solenoid is capable of double pull to release front latch

I wonder if power needs to be applied two separate times to get the double pull action on the release mechanism? Does the lever in the cabin signal the release module?

No cable?
I am guessing not.....or there would be a pull release in the front compartment vs a push button.

 

[Jimrpa]

Well with how much Tesla is worth, they can just buyout Ford and VW straight up and still have plenty of beer money. I wonder if this could actually happen or there will be anti-trust issues.

Ok. People have to stop drinking the TSLA Koolaid. Look at TSLA’s balance sheet. They have a total of $12B in cash and short-term assets. Ford has $17B in free cash alone sitting on their balance sheet
If you make the (stupid) assumption that the acquisition price of F is only the free cash on the balance sheet, TSLA would have to do a 34M share offering on the open market at a $500/share price to raise the capital to buy F. That’s not taking into account the expenses of acquiring an entity the size of F and the regulatory hurdles, etc. it’s a nonsensical idea. The only reason TSLA doesn’t get acquired is they have a stupid share price driven by emotion.

 

[Redundant]

I would actually kill for that yellow.

In NYC you’d be hailed for a lift to the opera. Post COVID of course.

 

[Ron Bonifas]

I wonder if power needs to be applied two separate times to get the double pull action on the release mechanism? Does the lever in the cabin signal the release module?

No cable?
I am guessing not.....or there would be a pull release in the front compartment vs a push button.

I think we have to all stop worrying about re-engineering anything I believe someone else has already laid awake thinking of all the possible scenarios such as being able to open someone's front compartment with a 12-volt battery I am guessing there can be no other voltage present in the vehicle for the front jump wires to activate the release solenoid and I'm sure there will be some type of electronic release that will be convenient for all if not when delivered then later by over the air update

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