Vacation Routine For Leaving Mach-E in Garage?

[Up and Over]

if you leave it unplugged, will the 12v battery drain down?

Yeah but what happens when you get a massive thunderstorm with lightening strikes around your house? Does it destroy your car? I don't know the answer, but certainly it could be bad.

My area gets thunderstorms in the summer, so I definitely would not leave it plugged in while being gone for 4 weeks. If you never get thunderstorms, then I agree - leave it plugged in.

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[generaltso]

if you leave it unplugged, will the 12v battery drain down?

No. The DC/DC converter will kick on to transfer energy from the HVB to the 12V battery if it gets low.

 

[mep1952]

I plan on being out of the country for 4 1/2 months, traveling in Europe. Will the HVB keep the 12V from dying for that length of time? I'd prefer not to return to a dead 12V. Any other suggestions that would be beneficial?

 

[generaltso]

I plan on being out of the country for 4 1/2 months, traveling in Europe. Will the HVB keep the 12V from dying for that length of time? I'd prefer not to return to a dead 12V. Any other suggestions that would be beneficial?

It should, but Ford recommends disconnecting the 12V battery for extended storage.

 

[AZBill]

Yeah but what happens when you get a massive thunderstorm with lightening strikes around your house? Does it destroy your car? I don't know the answer, but certainly it could be bad.

My area gets thunderstorms in the summer, so I definitely would not leave it plugged in while being gone for 4 weeks. If you never get thunderstorms, then I agree - leave it plugged in.

I live in Phoenix, where thunderstorms occur very often in the summer. I have had plug-in vehicles since 2013, and never unplug them or anything else in my house during thunderstorms. Those storms sometimes take out power line transformers and I end up with no power for a couple of hours, even that is very rare.

I have insurance to take care of events that will be extremely rare.

 

[macchiaz-o]

I live in Phoenix, where thunderstorms occur very often in the summer. I have had plug-in vehicles since 2013, and never unplug them or anything else in my house during thunderstorms. Those storms sometimes take out power line transformers and I end up with no power for a couple of hours, even that is very rare.

OK, but we aren't ever in the top 10 for lightning strike related insurance claims.

https://www.iii.org/table-archive/23862

If I were in the Tampa Bay area and was leaving the vehicle for several weeks, I'm pretty sure I'd want to keep it garaged and unplugged.

In Phoenix, our lightning is mostly cloud flashes, or at least it seems that way to me.

https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/lightning/types/

 

[mkhuffman]

OK, but we aren't ever in the top 10 for lightning strike related insurance claims.

https://www.iii.org/table-archive/23862

If I were in the Tampa Bay area and was leaving the vehicle for several weeks, I'm pretty sure I'd want to keep it garaged and unplugged.

In Phoenix, our lightning is mostly cloud flashes, or at least it seems that way to me.

https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/lightning/types/

In addition, I have read that the soil type can make areas even more susceptible to electrical surge damage. The lightening hits the ground, and it spreads out into buried electrical lines. If there is a lot of metal in the soil it can travel farther. Of course lightening can hit polls as well.

It isn't a daily occurrence, but lightening has caused lots of damage to electrical equipment in homes over the years, blowing out TVs, phones, etc.

Personally I would not leave my $62k car plugged in if thunderstorms are possible. But if people want to count on insurance to pay for it and get their car working again, that's fine I guess. But the car will be safer unplugged.

 

[Ajp247]

 

[ARK]

I live in Phoenix, where thunderstorms occur very often in the summer. I have had plug-in vehicles since 2013, and never unplug them or anything else in my house during thunderstorms. Those storms sometimes take out power line transformers and I end up with no power for a couple of hours, even that is very rare.

I have insurance to take care of events that will be extremely rare.

But why specifically leave the vehicle plugged in for a multi-week vacation? That's not Ford's recommendation.

High-voltage battery will keep the low-voltage battery topped off.

No one is losing 50% battery charge per month from the vehicle just sitting there, might not even be a tenth of that.

 

[AZBill]

But why specifically leave the vehicle plugged in for a multi-week vacation? That's not Ford's recommendation.

High-voltage battery will keep the low-voltage battery topped off.

No one is losing 50% battery charge per month from the vehicle just sitting there, might not even be a tenth of that.

My garage gets very hot and I want it to keep the battery conditioned. hot weather is normal lightning strikes are very rare.

 

[ARK]

My garage gets very hot and I want it to keep the battery conditioned. hot weather is normal lightning strikes are very rare.

Ah, that makes sense. That is a definite oversight by Ford where the battery will not cool itself if not plugged in.

 

[AZBill]

Ah, that makes sense. That is a definite oversight by Ford where the battery will not cool itself if not plugged in.

When I go to the airport, I take my Bolt, park it in a shaded garage and leave with it at about 60%. The Bolt will condition the battery even when unplugged, but overall it does not use up very much battery.

If the weather is not extreme, hot or cold, then it does not make much difference.

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