Ah summer is here in the valley of the sun

[BSull]

An update: Wife and I went on a 90ish mile drive today from home up around Carefree/Cave Creek and return.
Only 15ish miles around 70, the rest 55 and below. Ambient temperatures in the 108-111 range. Had an OBDlink MX+ plugged in and connected to Car Scanner on my phone. HVB temp slowly over the entire drive climbed to 102.2 at the end of the drive. HVB Coolant inlet was 87.8 at the end of the drive. Used about 27% battery during the drive with AC etc.
Battery temp indicator in the dash display went from the centerline at the start to halfway between centerline and the next tick to the right.
I checked the coolant level in the tank that sits under the drivers side fender cover and it was at the max fill line so I'm not low on coolant.
Question, at what HVB temp will the truck cool the battery when plugged in?

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[Grumpy2]

What we don't know is the temperature of the pouch cells. The bar gauges at the top of the screen is the high voltage battery gauge, and the really high number is the "ambient" temperature according to Ford. Obviously the "ambient" temp sensor is poorly located in the Truck and is creating the problem. Page 137 states "when the temperature is too hot, performance could be reduced to cool the system." If the truck doesn't reduce power, the battery must be cool enough. Your Carefree/Cave Creek run readings certainly sound good.
Just as we learn to take the GOM calmly, I guess the "ambient temp" needs the same attention.
Also there is a warning light on the dash screen:

 

[BSull]

What we don't know is the temperature of the pouch cells. The bar gauges at the top of the screen is the high voltage battery gauge, and the really high number is the "ambient" temperature according to Ford. Obviously the "ambient" temp sensor is poorly located in the Truck and is creating the problem. Page 137 states "when the temperature is too hot, performance could be reduced to cool the system." If the truck doesn't reduce power, the battery must be cool enough. Your Carefree/Cave Creek run readings certainly sound good.
Just as we learn to take the GOM calmly, I guess the "ambient temp" needs the same attention.
Also there is a warning light on the dash screen:

The HVB was not overtemp, it was simply higher than when I started. HVB battery temp at the end of the 90 miles was 102.2F as reported by the truck through an OBD scanner. I did not mean anything was out of tolerance, I stated what things were for me during one 90 mile drive. Ambient temp was the temperature as reported by the truck for the outside/surrounding air temp. You can read that in two place, on the driver display in the lower left and on the center display on the upper right for the 15 inch screen.

 

[Jim Lewis]

On what's best for the truck, living in San Antonio, I was worried about the summer heat. I called Ford last summer and got a rep on the line who seemed to know what she was talking about (I think she said she owned a Mach-E). She recommended the best thing for the truck in summer heat was to keep it in a garage and plugged in. If that wasn't possible, keep it in the shade. IIRC, she claimed whether or not the truck was plugged in, it would protect its battery if it got too hot. (Memory may be faulty here), I think she told me when the battery temperature reached 100 degrees F, the truck would cool the battery. I've read Mach-E posts claiming the thermal trigger is 105 degrees F for the Mach-E. Last summer, in July and August, we had quite a few days where the high was 114 to 116, and the low was in the high 70s. The garage never went over 90 degrees (it's insulated and partly shaded by trees). I never heard the truck cooling itself. I have the Max Tow Technology package, and I've never seen either temperature (battery or motors) off the center line while driving the truck in the summer heat. Based on what other people are writing about in this thread, the Ford rep may have told me too low a thermal trigger limit for the truck cooling its battery. I try to make summer trips early in the day or not stay long in a hot parking lot late in the day. Perhaps the thermal mass of the battery is such it takes a long time to heat up, even if parked over really hot asphalt. I've never come out of a store after a ~1-hour stint inside to find the truck cooling itself or the battery and engines noticeably above the center line when I turn the truck on, but that's a pretty loose observation. I'll pay more careful attention in the future now that this thread has piqued my interest.

 

[BSull]

On what's best for the truck, living in San Antonio, I was worried about the summer heat. I called Ford last summer and got a rep on the line who seemed to know what she was talking about (I think she said she owned a Mach-E). She recommended the best thing for the truck in summer heat was to keep it in a garage and plugged in. If that wasn't possible, keep it in the shade. IIRC, she claimed whether or not the truck was plugged in, it would protect its battery if it got too hot. (Memory may be faulty here), I think she told me when the battery temperature reached 100 degrees F, the truck would cool the battery. I've read Mach-E posts claiming the thermal trigger is 105 degrees F for the Mach-E. Last summer, in July and August, we had quite a few days where the high was 114 to 116, and the low was in the high 70s. The garage never went over 90 degrees (it's insulated and partly shaded by trees). I never heard the truck cooling itself. I have the Max Tow Technology package, and I've never seen either temperature (battery or motors) off the center line while driving the truck in the summer heat. Based on what other people are writing about in this thread, the Ford rep may have told me too low a thermal trigger limit for the truck cooling its battery. I try to make summer trips early in the day or not stay long in a hot parking lot late in the day. Perhaps the thermal mass of the battery is such it takes a long time to heat up, even if parked over really hot asphalt. I've never come out of a store after a ~1-hour stint inside to find the truck cooling itself or the battery and engines noticeably above the center line when I turn the truck on, but that's a pretty loose observation. I'll pay more careful attention in the future now that this thread has piqued my interest.

Since the thermometer (battery temp indicator) was still well below max even though it was right of the center, I believe the battery was warm but not over temp. Last summer the temp was almost always slightly above center. Since temps over 100 are the norm now this year, the temps are starting to run warm.

 

[Zprime29]

Battery temp has been steady to the right for a week now, was 82F at 6am so now I'm running A/C in the morning too. I've never heard the truck's compressor running when leaving work if I didn't have the cabin getting pre-cooled, even on that day it showed 128F when I turned the truck on. I'd like to think Ford knew what temp to keep the battery under to avoid undue degradation, so I'm just going to trust that it's working as intended. Almost 26k miles in and 2nd summer now, I've noticed no significant reduction to my range. Using the same % SOC for my daily commute as when I bought it. I'm still very happy I own this amazing vehicle.

Also to Lightning owners, what do you think of the A/C in the truck? I'm coming from Toyota where the A/C is generally passable, but really struggles in July/August. Thanks!

A/C is decent. Only two complaints, the left side driver vent is pretty weak compared to the right side. No 3rd zone option for the back seat. Kids complained about getting chilled while we had A/C on max yesterday for mom (who gets car sick without cold air constantly blowing on her). Otherwise, it does the job well. I wish the ventilated seats got a little cooler or went farther up the seat back, but they do a good job and at least making it not burn after sitting in the sun.

 

[invertedspear]

Potential future Lightning owner and fellow Valley resident here. I hadn't heard that our heat was this bad on batteries. Should the fact that it doesn't condition the battery when not plugged in be a serious consideration against this truck for Phx? My use-case during the week is driving ~20 miles to and from work and parking out in the sun (with a chance for a solar shaded spot). I don't have a guaranteed plug-in at work. I'd be totally fine keeping the battery topped up daily if the truck performed conditioning during peak summer heat while unplugged, but it sounds like Ford doesn't allow that. Sounds like a good option, Ford. I don't think the use-case is that atypical.

Heat kills rechargeable batteries. The heat in an uncovered parking lot is well hot enough to do some damage. I think during the hottest months, you should do what I'm doing and set a couple departure times to help it wake up and cool itself. Ford may not be making the truck be overly protective of the battery, but we can take some steps using the departures to kind of fake it.

You should keep the battery "topped up" daily anyway by setting the charge limit to 80% and always plugging it in when at home. This advice is from the other threads that detail the temperatures and SOCs that can do the worst to the battery. If you can snag a shaded spot or one near an outlet to charge at, then do so.

Knowing everything I know, I'd still be driving this truck over anything ICE, and honestly the competition in the EV truck space is lacking.

@Jim Lewis I worry the Ford rep confidently gave you bad information. Specifically: "she claimed whether or not the truck was plugged in, it would protect its battery if it got too hot" I drove a MachE the last two summers, and I can hear from my home office when the battery coolers kicked in. I knew on the hot days I forgot to plug it in because it was silent. When I'd go plug it in the shutters on the radiator/cooler were shut. Plugged it in and they immediately opened and it sounded like the AC was going full blast. Updates may have happened since, but I can say that last summer, the battery would not cool itself in the MachE unless it was plugged in, and I don't imagine our trucks are any different.

 

[Jim Lewis]

@Jim Lewis I worry the Ford rep confidently gave you bad information.

Based on what folks are saying in this thread, I'll have to agree with that. As folks suggest, I'll have to experiment with charging windows and scheduled departure times to learn their influence on keeping the battery cool when the temperatures outside are hotter than H---. Interesting that there's an older thread (which I started last year) where other owners in the Southwest have claimed that the truck will cool itself in extremely hot weather, although less frequently than when plugged in.

https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...weather-when-not-plugged-in.15313/post-314147

Would be nice if Ford could offer us an option through OTA updates to cool our truck batteries if not plugged in and not left running. I'll have to park outside in my driveway sometime unplugged, cabin AC off, truck running, and see how frequently the compressors work to keep the motors and the battery cool. Not sure, though, that I want to tempt fate by leaving the truck running and locked while I run in to do some shopping in Costco in the August summer heat...

 

[invertedspear]

Not sure, though, that I want to tempt fate by leaving the truck running and locked while I run in to do some shopping in Costco in the August summer heat...

I do this all the time. Specifically at Costco. Turn the vehicle timer off and let the AC keep the cab cool. Not sure how you'd be tempting fate unless your Costco roundtrip is close to your range limit. If you keep your keys with you it won't shift to drive even if it's running. But I guess that wouldn't stop someone from trying and a broken window might be bad enough.

 

[potato]

You should keep the battery "topped up" daily anyway by setting the charge limit to 80% and always plugging it in when at home. This advice is from the other threads that detail the temperatures and SOCs that can do the worst to the battery. If you can snag a shaded spot or one near an outlet to charge at, then do so.

If I lived in a hot climate, I'd be keeping the state of charge much lower if possible. 30-50% is better in the heat from what I've read, if that's sufficient for your daily driving.

 

[invertedspear]

If I lived in a hot climate, I'd be keeping the state of charge much lower if possible. 30-50% is better in the heat from what I've read, if that's sufficient for your daily driving.

Agreed, if possible. Depending on the day, I may use 5% or 65% of my total capacity, I think the risk of running too low is higher than the risk I take keeping it at 80% and using the departures to condition the battery.

 

[Jim Lewis]

Seems like good advice from the Mach-E forum on coping with hot weather:

https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/heat-wave-coming-battery-health-tips-to-remember.18623/

Mach-Lee emphasizes the importance of staying plugged in as the Mach-E doesn't cool its own battery when unplugged.

 

[BSull]

Some interesting information, or at least I think so.

I drove the truck today, it was an interesting ride. Only went 5.1 miles as you'll see. Two photos, one car scanner screen shot the other of my center display this trip page. Actual temperature was 109 not 115 the truck is displaying. The truck was using an amazing amount of energy to cool the cabin. The percentages are interesting for the amount of time the truck was on. I do have max tow. I don't think the system spends much energy cooling the battery when the battery is "only" 100 or so degrees. The HVB min value was the temp when I started the truck, it had been sitting outside for 5 hours. In shade for the first 2 or 3 then in full sun as it rose over the hangar.

I normally garage the truck when at home and based on some of the conversations in here and other research I've read, I have it plugged in when at home. I don't have the capability to plug in when not at home.

 

[Zprime29]

Some interesting information, or at least I think so.

I drove the truck today, it was an interesting ride. Only went 5.1 miles as you'll see. Two photos, one car scanner screen shot the other of my center display this trip page. Actual temperature was 109 not 115 the truck is displaying. The truck was using an amazing amount of energy to cool the cabin. The percentages are interesting for the amount of time the truck was on. I do have max tow. I don't think the system spends much energy cooling the battery when the battery is "only" 100 or so degrees. The HVB min value was the temp when I started the truck, it had been sitting outside for 5 hours. In shade for the first 2 or 3 then in full sun as it rose over the hangar.

I normally garage the truck when at home and based on some of the conversations in here and other research I've read, I have it plugged in when at home. I don't have the capability to plug in when not at home.

I noticed similar yesterday. After 30mile commute home (took a few detours) I had used almost 30% for the cabin and 9% to exterior temperature. Most I've seen in long time and first time I got home with <2.0 mpk. It's definitely hot outside.

 

[Grumpy2]

I had a similar screen yesterday, after about 400 miles driving in 100 temps. I assume climate is the inside cooling, is it possible the max town compressor is considered an accessory? But what is counted as exterior temp?

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