Unanswered questions I still have about the Lightning

[PiMatrix]

There are a few nagging things I still do not know about the lightning as I have not seen the answers posted definitively. I thought I'd put them all in the same thread as maybe others have these questions, or some of their own. If anyone has answers on these please chime in.

1) If you are running AC power outlet items in the Lightning, is there a way to prevent the inverter power from turning off. I hear there is some timer in settings but does this work if the car is off or does the AC outlets shut down when you turn off car. For example if you have a frig in frunk and going camping. Do people that have things like frigerators routinely leave the car running? What about screen burn-in or drawing the battery down. Any way around this if you can't keep AC power turned on?

2) Do cigarette lighter or USB work if the car is turned off?

3) Are there real (I've only seen estimates) dimensions published on the size of the FRUNK? For example what would be the maximum height box/frig one could put in the frunk?

4) What's the deal with the infrared that monitors drivers eyes during blue cruise being on all the time showing up on security cameras? Is that a bug or can it be turned off?

5) What are the useful things you can monitor from the ford pass app away from the truck? Can you pre-cool the car down with AC? Start it? check cameras? Does it have a theft alarm system or will it notify you if there is unauthorized entry? Are VIN numbers etched in the glass?

6) Who is the cell carrier, how long is this free with the car?

7) Are people able to register it as a private vehicle or is it a commercial truck in NY? At one point anything over a certain weight in NY that had no middle passenger seat in front was considered commercial. This may have changed recently. Important because many roads like Taconic Interstate Parkway do not allow commercial vehicles.

8) This is my first pickup. I heard something about Maria's law and see many trucks get pulled over by police with stuff in the back. Any best practices. Netting to the four Boxlink? I assume ratchet ties as well for bigger stuff. Any recommended products that are just superior for that?

9) Are products like BackRack.com recommended for carrying long product that don't fit well because they are too long for the bed? BackRack Original looked pretty simple and works with Tonneau x4S rollup covers and others. Anyone have experience with them or recommend another product that is compatible with tonneau rollups for the occasional long item (e.g ladder, long 2x4s, a kayak...). Basically need something above the cab to be able to lean long items vs leave bed door open.

I'm sure there are other questions that may have hidden answer out there so let this be the place for questions that keep you up thinking at night.

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[sotek2345]

There are a few nagging things I still do not know about the lightning as I have not seen the answers posted definitively. I thought I'd put them all in the same thread as maybe others have these questions, or some of their own. If anyone has answers on these please chime in.

1) If you are running AC power outlet items in the Lightning, is there a way to prevent the inverter power from turning off. I hear there is some timer in settings but does this work if the car is off or does the AC outlets shut down when you turn off car. For example if you have a frig in frunk and going camping. Do people that have things like frigerators routinely leave the car running? What about screen burn-in or drawing the battery down. Any way around this if you can't keep AC power turned on?

2) Do cigarette lighter or USB work if the car is turned off?

3) Are there real (I've only seen estimates) dimensions published on the size of the FRUNK? For example what would be the maximum height box/frig one could put in the frunk?

4) What's the deal with the infrared that monitors drivers eyes during blue cruise being on all the time showing up on security cameras? Is that a bug or can it be turned off?

5) What are the useful things you can monitor from the ford pass app away from the truck? Can you pre-cool the car down with AC? Start it? check cameras? Does it have a theft alarm system or will it notify you if there is unauthorized entry? Are VIN numbers etched in the glass?

6) Who is the cell carrier, how long is this free with the car?

7) Are people able to register it as a private vehicle or is it a commercial truck in NY? At one point anything over a certain weight in NY that had no middle passenger seat in front was considered commercial. This may have changed recently. Important because many roads like Taconic Interstate Parkway do not allow commercial vehicles.

8) This is my first pickup. I heard something about Maria's law and see many trucks get pulled over by police with stuff in the back. Any best practices. Netting to the four Boxlink? I assume ratchet ties as well for bigger stuff. Any recommended products that are just superior for that?

9) Are products like BackRack.com recommended for carrying long product that don't fit well because they are too long for the bed? BackRack Original looked pretty simple and works with Tonneau x4S rollup covers and others. Anyone have experience with them or recommend another product that is compatible with tonneau rollups for the occasional long item (e.g ladder, long 2x4s, a kayak...). Basically need something above the cab to be able to lean long items vs leave bed door open.

I'm sure there are other questions that may have hidden answer out there so let this be the place for questions that keep you up thinking at night.

I can help with some answers.

1) as of now, the truck needs to stay in to keep the pro power onboard working. Power drain from the screens is less than minimal.

2) in the Mach-e these work in accessory mode or when the vehicle is on. Not when it is off

3) dunno

4) dunno

5) you can monitor state of charge and location. You can lock and unlock the truck. You can remote start the truck.

6) dunno

7) my dealer is telling me I can register it as a passenger vehicle and others in NY have done so.

8) just strap down anything big and throw a tarp over too if you are carrying loose items. I pretty much just use a tarp when taking a load to the dump. Ratchet straps over the top of the tarp and some bungee cords to hold the corners in.

9) I would worry about a product until you are sure you need it. Just leave the tailgate down and strap it in.

 

[IdeaOfTheDayCom]

I was a bit confused about some of the power related things too when I first got my Mach-E, until I understood some of the reasoning behind them. Just keep in mind the big battery runs the wheels, the A/C and the outlets. Everything else runs on the small 12 volt battery, so when you run something that needs power, you'll keep the truck on.

I can also confirm that I live in NYC and I'm not using commercial plates.

As for the other questions about keeping stuff secure when you drive, I've had 3 pickups and as a rule of thumb it's not hard to keep things from flying out of the bed.

Even if you're a casual driver, you should definitely invest in a few different ways to secure things. I'm not a fan of bungee cords or nets for securing anything other than light packages.

The most common thing I use are ratchet tie-downs. They don't stretch, so they're MUCH stronger and the ratchet will let you make them super tight. I've tied down huge items and they don't budge an inch. I generally keep a set of 4 under the rear seat in zip-lock bags to keep them neat.

For some long items like 2x4s I keep the tailgate UP, so they're 90% in the bed, and just a bit is outside the bed, pointing up. For short (flat) trips they're not likely to fall out because of the angle and most of the weight is inside the bed, but I still like to put some pressure on them to keep them from shifting side to side.

Here's a link I found with some photos of what I'm talking about:
https://www.familyhandyman.com/project/pickup-trucks-how-to-transport-things/

I bought an official Ford Bed Extender for my first truck and I loved the ability to just flip it over when I needed to put large items there, and while it was inverted the other way, it kept things from sliding all the way to the back. I didn't get one for my next 2 trucks because I rarely needed to use it extended and my BedRug keeps most things from sliding around too much.

 

[PiMatrix]

Could someone measure their Frunk height? Trying to figure out the maximum height refrigerator. Does the frunk go higher then the gasket around the rim?

Are there any models of refrig people know definitely fit? Very little info shows up after searching including dimensions of frunk.

 

[SmokingtheMeats]

Could someone measure their Frunk height? Trying to figure out the maximum height refrigerator. Does the frunk go higher then the gasket around the rim?

Are there any models of refrig people know definitely fit? Very little info shows up after searching including dimensions of frunk.

https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...measurements-and-configurations-photos.10550/

 

[cvalue13]

Just keep in mind the big battery runs the wheels, the A/C and the outlets. Everything else runs on the small 12 volt battery, so when you run something that needs power, you'll keep the truck on.

this is a confusing way to state this.

it’s true the big battery runs wheels, A/C and the outlets. It’s also true the 12v runs the other auxiliary power items (dash, usb, etc.).

but those two things being true does not then further necessitate that “when you run something that needs power, you’ll keep the truck on.”

What I’m saying is, while it may be true you have to have the truck “on” to run the outlets, I confused as to how that is explained by what you move written?

 

[Maquis]

this is a confusing way to state this.

it’s true the big battery runs wheels, A/C and the outlets. It’s also true the 12v runs the other auxiliary power items (dash, usb, etc.).

but those two things being true does not then further necessitate that “when you run something that needs power, you’ll keep the truck on.”

What I’m saying is, while it may be true you have to have the truck “on” to run the outlets, I confused as to how that is explained by what you move written?

I think what he means is that due to the smallish 12V battery and the fact that it doesn’t get charged in accessory mode, you‘re better of just leaving the truck on instead of using accessory mode when using 12V accessories. It will avoid the “Powering down to save battery” event when using accessory. Just my guess…

 

[IdeaOfTheDayCom]

I'm not sure if they've changed things compared to the way things were done with my Mustang Mach-E, but I've parked my Mach-E while waiting for people who went shopping, then assumed I could simply use the air conditioner for example while in "Accessory Mode", and it didn't work.

So, my assumption is that A/C and things like Pro Power can't run on Accessory Mode, so you'll likely need to turn the whole truck on.

I could be wrong, but perhaps somebody here can clarify.

 

[cvalue13]

5) What are the useful things you can monitor from the ford pass app away from the truck? Can you pre-cool the car down with AC? Start it? check cameras? Does it have a theft alarm system or will it notify you if there is unauthorized entry? Are VIN numbers etched in the glass?

At the moment, I know of no way to check the cameras. I also do not yet have PAAK capability so someone else would need to chime in on where/how that is reflected in the app interface.

as for other monitoring from the FordPass App, though:

The landing “Home” page of the app provides this:

In the above, while “Start,” and lock/unlock are self-explanatory, the “Horn & Lights” functions like a fob’s “panic” button. The first time it is used, you get this notification.

Moving from the Home Screen instead to the Vehicle screen, you arrive here (the black box is the address location of the vehicle):

The “Vehicle Status no Alerts” button seen on the vehicle landing page above is where, to date, I see notices about available or completed OTA updates; but I suspect other info, like recalls, or who knows what else would also indicate here.

I don’t have “Departure Times” set currently (I don’t have a regular enough schedule for it to make sense), but that “button” initially takes you to a setup page:

From there, the menu headers have a number of sub-sections

At present, in my app, “Status” contains only tire pressure monitor which sub-screen looks as follows:

I won’t go through all the above “Charging” sub-screens, except to say that the “Charge Settings” sub-screen is probably most relevant to your question of what can be controlled from the app:

Otherwise, under the “Charging” sub-screens, the titles are mostly self-explanatory other than that the “Backup Power” takes you to a “welcome to intelligent backup power” intro screen, irl event of course if you don’t have the HIS, “Blue Oval” shows available charge balances and can find/map network chargers, and the logs give per-charge or per-trip details of each charge or driving event.

Moving to the next sub screen, “Features & Settings” is where

In particular, as for your Wi-Fi carrier question, here’s at least the US-based answer:

As for the rest of “Features & Settings” here are screen grabs of the initial sub-pages which generally glimpse at capabilities (if relevant to the truck):

lastly, I’m embarrassed to say I’m not sure if I’m supposed to have smart hitch but don’t, or if instead that’s part of the max tow package I did not get, or instead only part of newer vehicles? I’ve not messed with it, so here’s the screen I get for that

Last, and to your alarm question is the “Security” menu - which does appear to not just send alerts in the case of an alarm, but even just for the vehicle being opened whatsoever (with the ability to scale the times these alarms are sent, say to only nighttime, etc.) - I suppose I might set this up!

 

[cvalue13]

8) This is my first pickup. I heard something about Maria's law and see many trucks get pulled over by police with stuff in the back. Any best practices. Netting to the four Boxlink? I assume ratchet ties as well for bigger stuff. Any recommended products that are just superior for that?

While it ain’t cheap, I recommend Gladiator cargo nets

You’d still want individual ratchet straps for securing certain items in other contexts, but for an all-bed cargo secure option, the Gladiator nets are pretty indestructible and have ratchets at the four corners to hook to the beds cleats or boxlinks (comes in a beefy bag with compartments for other items as well)

I might just check with them on the right size for your intended uses. While the online tool says the “small” is for a 5’5” bed, the photo below I don’t think is a “small” as being used to cover a fairly tall load?

 

[cvalue13]

I think what he means is that due to the smallish 12V battery and the fact that it doesn’t get charged in accessory mode, you‘re better of just leaving the truck on instead of using accessory mode when using 12V accessories. It will avoid the “Powering down to save battery” event when using accessory. Just my guess…

that’s a sensible explanation of the comments and OP’s question #2 RE USB chargers, but the answer seemed confusing since OP was asking specifically about the AC outlets in question #1

 

[PiMatrix]

At the moment, I know of no way to check the cameras. I also do not yet have PAAK capability so someone else would need to chime in on where/how that is reflected in the app interface.

as for other monitoring from the FordPass App, though:

The landing “Home” page of the app provides this:

In the above, while “Start,” and lock/unlock are self-explanatory, the “Horn & Lights” functions like a fob’s “panic” button. The first time it is used, you get this notification.

Moving from the Home Screen instead to the Vehicle screen, you arrive here (the black box is the address location of the vehicle):

The “Vehicle Status no Alerts” button seen on the vehicle landing page above is where, to date, I see notices about available or completed OTA updates; but I suspect other info, like recalls, or who knows what else would also indicate here.

I don’t have “Departure Times” set currently (I don’t have a regular enough schedule for it to make sense), but that “button” initially takes you to a setup page:

From there, the menu headers have a number of sub-sections

At present, in my app, “Status” contains only tire pressure monitor which sub-screen looks as follows:

I won’t go through all the above “Charging” sub-screens, except to say that the “Charge Settings” sub-screen is probably most relevant to your question of what can be controlled from the app:

Otherwise, under the “Charging” sub-screens, the titles are mostly self-explanatory other than that the “Backup Power” takes you to a “welcome to intelligent backup power” intro screen, irl event of course if you don’t have the HIS, “Blue Oval” shows available charge balances and can find/map network chargers, and the logs give per-charge or per-trip details of each charge or driving event.

Moving to the next sub screen, “Features & Settings” is where

In particular, as for your Wi-Fi carrier question, here’s at least the US-based answer:

As for the rest of “Features & Settings” here are screen grabs of the initial sub-pages which generally glimpse at capabilities (if relevant to the truck):

lastly, I’m embarrassed to say I’m not sure if I’m supposed to have smart hitch but don’t, or if instead that’s part of the max tow package I did not get, or instead only part of newer vehicles? I’ve not messed with it, so here’s the screen I get for that

Last, and to your alarm question is the “Security” menu - which does appear to not just send alerts in the case of an alarm, but even just for the vehicle being opened whatsoever (with the ability to scale the times these alarms are sent, say to only nighttime, etc.) - I suppose I might set this up!

Thank you for walking us through the ford pass, very informative!

 

[PiMatrix]

that’s a sensible explanation of the comments and OP’s question #2 RE USB chargers, but the answer seemed confusing since OP was asking specifically about the AC outlets in question #1

I read somewhere that the 12v accessories are not fed by the small 12 battery but by a dc to dc converter from the 400v battery. Or does that feed their 12v as well so if car is off you are running off small battery?

 

[cvalue13]

I read somewhere that the 12v accessories are not fed by the small 12 battery but by a dc to dc converter from the 400v battery. Or does that feed their 12v as well so if car is off you are running off small battery?

I really don’t know what is the case - Iwas only making a distinction/clarification that the 12v battery is not what is running the ProPower inboard AC outlets!

 

[sotek2345]

I read somewhere that the 12v accessories are not fed by the small 12 battery but by a dc to dc converter from the 400v battery. Or does that feed their 12v as well so if car is off you are running off small battery?

Unless the car is on, the HVB contacts are open, so you are running off the small 12V battery. The only reason this would change is if the truck detects that the 12V battery is low, then it will charge it back up.

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