Dog Mode

[Nate977p]

Hello all!

Our Lightning is officially signed for and awaiting the recall fix for pickup! Very excited!

That being said, in planning a trip this week, we realized how limited the app is now that we are playing with it. I hate to do another Tesla compare, but I have to here...

We have two dogs and they go everywhere with us, and we drive a lot. For reference, we did a last minute drive this past Friday. Left Boston at noon, got to PA for a big work party at 7 PM, leaving the dogs safely in the car, and left at 10 PM to drive home (stayed night in CT). Without dog mode, we could not have eaten while charging, gone to the party, or enjoyed some stops on the way.

Now I read the threads on here and we are hopeful a Pet Mode is coming (especially with the patent and Rivian releasing it), but we need some solution for now. I was always taught to not leave animals in cars so I am not sure how people normally do without dog mode.

We expected to be able to work around the pet mode manually. We thought the app would let us start the truck and set a temperature but just realized today that we can start it, but cannot set the climate. More than that it doesn't tell us the exterior or interior temperatures. We knew we didn't have dog mode, but assumed these manual settings for clinate were basic app functionality in other EVs; they have been in Tesla since day 1 for us (2018).

So what we are looking at is buying a Waggle (silly waste of money but Ford hasn't given us a mode yet....) To monitor temps, but how do we leave the climate running? It looks like the app shuts down climate after 15 minutes, but we can keep adding 15 minutes? So is our solution to set a temp in the truck, lock it, start it from the app, and set a timer to extend the run time every 15 minutes? Then we have the Waggle as a backup in case this doesn't work and temps rise.

I feel like we are missing something, any input is appreciated! We are feeling some stress on the purchase with the hassel this is right now, especially since we cannot sell it for a year if this becomes an issue.

(Admission: I never planned on being this person, but yes we are marginally crazy dog people who treat them like human kids).

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[Labs4Lightning]

Hello all!

Our Lightning is officially signed for and awaiting the recall fix for pickup! Very excited!

That being said, in planning a trip this week, we realized how limited the app is now that we are playing with it. I hate to do another Tesla compare, but I have to here...

We have two dogs and they go everywhere with us, and we drive a lot. For reference, we did a last minute drive this past Friday. Left Boston at noon, got to PA for a big work party at 7 PM, leaving the dogs safely in the car, and left at 10 PM to drive home (stayed night in CT). Without dog mode, we could not have eaten while charging, gone to the party, or enjoyed some stops on the way.

Now I read the threads on here and we are hopeful a Pet Mode is coming (especially with the patent and Rivian releasing it), but we need some solution for now. I was always taught to not leave animals in cars so I am not sure how people normally do without dog mode.

We expected to be able to work around the pet mode manually. We thought the app would let us start the truck and set a temperature but just realized today that we can start it, but cannot set the climate. More than that it doesn't tell us the exterior or interior temperatures. We knew we didn't have dog mode, but assumed these manual settings for clinate were basic app functionality in other EVs; they have been in Tesla since day 1 for us (2018).

So what we are looking at is buying a Waggle (silly waste of money but Ford hasn't given us a mode yet....) To monitor temps, but how do we leave the climate running? It looks like the app shuts down climate after 15 minutes, but we can keep adding 15 minutes? So is our solution to set a temp in the truck, lock it, start it from the app, and set a timer to extend the run time every 15 minutes? Then we have the Waggle as a backup in case this doesn't work and temps rise.

I feel like we are missing something, any input is appreciated! We are feeling some stress on the purchase with the hassel this is right now, especially since we cannot sell it for a year if this becomes an issue.

(Admission: I never planned on being this person, but yes we are marginally crazy dog people who treat them like human kids).

Nothing wrong with being that person. My dog travels when I can safely keep her in my vehicles.
or I adjust my schedule so she won’t sit in a hot vehicle.

pet mode supporter.

 

[swesson]

Current Tesla owner here that's moving to Lightning within the next month. I, too, want to say that dog mode is a MUST! I am also surprised to learn that I can't turn the A/C and heat on remotely. Is this true? Huge miss by Ford as many ICE cars are even adding this now.

 

[F150ROD]

You could try setting a departure time schedule and set it to cool although I am not sure how long it cools the truck for, I assuming until you open the door.

I am assuming some of these features will be coming when they finally allow PAK

 

[LightningMcqueen]

Just set it and keep truck running when you leave?

inside the truck you can set auto start to use last settings or auto climat with remote start.

 

[SeanOC]

Wait wait.. you can’t turn the climate on from FordPass app? Are you kidding me Ford??!!

 

[RavenYZF-R6]

Just set it and keep truck running when you leave?

inside the truck you can set auto start to use last settings or auto climat with remote start.

This would work fine if you can lock the doors on the way out. My Kia Niro won’t let me lock it if it’s on unless I use the manual key. And then it makes me use the key again to unlock it before my phone or the fob will work on it.

 

[Cape Breton Lightning]

Cape Breton Lightning

Agree totally DOG MODE hopefully will be OTA sooner then later...MY PUG goes every where, he is our last kid...that will Not be moving out !!!

 

[Jalopagosisland]

1. You can leave the vehicle on if you turn it on and lock it with the key or phone and it'll keep the climate you have set.

2. Remote start from FordPass or the key uses the last climate settings the vehicle was set to. But it will not use the full fan speed while it's in remote start mode without the key.

As an aside while Dog Mode is a great feature in other vehicles I just don't like the idea of it. You shouldn't bring you animal in a vehicle with you and leave it unattended for hours on end in a potentially hot metal box. Failures on vehicles can happen at anytime for various reasons. If you're going to a place where you can bring your dog with you and you'll be gone for more than 15 min. You should probably just leave your pet at home where you know they'll be alright.

 

[GoGoGadgetTruck]

1. You can leave the vehicle on if you turn it on and lock it with the key or phone and it'll keep the climate you have set.

what many Mach-E owners do is use the keypad to lock the vehicle - the car will let you do that with a keyfob or PaaK phone (I know we don't have that on a Lightning yet) in the car. Then you can use the keypad to unlock when you come back, but leave the car fully running and locked while you're gone.

I also will use the "sketch" app to put a note on the screen like the Tesla pet mode screen. it's not as "cool" as the Tesla screen but it gets the point across.

The only issue that folks have run into is that there's a long-standing Mach-E bug where the 30-minute timer sometimes reenables and so the car turns off, but if you're leaving the pet in the car for that long, you're back to the question of whether that's a good idea or not in the first place.

but for like a five minute trip into a store or something, it's fine.

 

[Oneand0]

what many Mach-E owners do is use the keypad to lock the vehicle - the car will let you do that with a keyfob or PaaK phone (I know we don't have that on a Lightning yet) in the car. Then you can use the keypad to unlock when you come back, but leave the car fully running and locked while you're gone.

I also will use the "sketch" app to put a note on the screen like the Tesla pet mode screen. it's not as "cool" as the Tesla screen but it gets the point across.

The only issue that folks have run into is that there's a long-standing Mach-E bug where the 30-minute timer sometimes reenables and so the car turns off, but if you're leaving the pet in the car for that long, you're back to the question of whether that's a good idea or not in the first place.

but for like a five minute trip into a store or something, it's fine.

Fifteen minutes max for me in any remote, or dog mode car. I do not trust 100% the mechanics of any of it. Couldn’t live with myself if something went wrong. Bathroom breaks and picking up food is all I normally use that feature for.

 

[saturnschildren]

You can leave the truce "running" by not turning it off when you exit the truck with the key fob in hand (the horn will sound). Just lock it and walk away - I have done this many times during shorter stops when it's especially hot out just for personal comfort, and a couple of times when my dog has been with me in the truck. However there is a time limit on how long it stays running (IIRC 20-30min - check the manual). As somebody else mentioned above using the app to start the truck has options for climate control (which you set ahead of time in the truck) for Auto (heat or cool depending on outside temp), or "Use last settings".

 

[Ruination]

Trucks have always had a dog mode?

It's called a bed.

 

[frautumn]

However there is a time limit on how long it stays running (IIRC 20-30min - check the manual).

See page 195 of the manual: "Vehicle Power Down Timer". It defaults to 30 mins and you can toggle it on/off by going to Settings -> Vehicle Settings --> 30 Min Max Idle. However, it only applies to that vehicle startup, it resets on shutdown.

From the manual: "Note: You cannot permanently switch off the vehicle power down timer. If you switch it off, it turns on each time you switch the vehicle on."

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