Ah summer is here in the valley of the sun

[Grumpy2]

Maybe there is something wrong with the coolant temperature reading furnished by Car Scanner

Awhile back Mickey posted: " There are two thermisters (different from a thermocouple) in each module that is read by the BMS."

It will be difficult for any scanner to give a realistic temperature value for the entire "battery" when there are at least 18 thermisters within the pack. It seems the 59 degree number must be wrong if the concrete floor is +20 degrees higher.

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[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?

An update to my update I guess quoted above. Just more data, not complaining but am wondering.

I took a short trip on the freeway, air temp was running about 111. HVB low was 100.2 at the beginning, HVB max and coolant inlet was 102.2. The trip was an out and back to try and mitigate wind, elevation etc. and was about 15 miles one way. HVB max and coolant inlet slowly climbed to 104 then on the return leg, both coolant inlet, min and max started to drop from 104.0 to 100, to 98 to finally reach 89.8 as I took my exit to go home. Max went to 90.5 at the end of the trip as I pulled into my garage. Maybe battery cooler circuit doesn't kick in until approximately 104, don't know, not enough data. I don't know the parameters Ford uses for the temp readings, but to me logically max should have stayed at 104 and coolant inlet and min should have been coming down.
I used an mx+ and car scanner app to monitor all this.

 

[AZT9]

Just did a 500 mile drive out of Phoenix to Big Bear with the family. Highs hit 118*. Battery temps never go outside the “safe zone” but don’t go back to the centerline while driving. Truck has max trailer tow package FWIW. did some “experiments” with the ac controls and found that the battery will cool back to normal when maxing the AC to the feet rather than the main vents. Maybe it’s coincidence but I was able to repeat the results a few times on the trip.

 

[Grumpy2]

both coolant inlet, min and max started to drop from 104.0 to 100, to 98 to finally reach 89.8 as I took my exit to go home.

That is great news. With air temps 110+ the system can actually drop battery temps over 10 degrees while the truck is in operation.
Perhaps that 104 number IS critical. I would assume with it's mass and continuous underbody shade, it would be rare for the battery to exceed 104 without powering the motors. Perhaps that is why the truck doesn't actively cool itself when sitting unplugged ??

Does this theory fit with your experience? Didn't the truck start cooling for you at 110 when plugged in?

 

[invertedspear]

104F feels even more significant when you see that it's 40C, a much "rounder" number to base a decision on for the battery scientists.

 

[TheBigBezo]

I have noticed a few times that a few hours after I get home my truck will aggressively start to condition the batteries (it's loud). Always when plugged in lvl 1 or 2, dash screen mentions conditioning the battery.

My garage is usually mid 90s by the afternoon and I think the truck soaks heat during the day and then radiates it back into the garage. It's always 3 ish hours after I get home and am getting ready for bed I hear it kick on. While I haven't pulled a thermometer out, I would easily wager my garage was >104 by that point.

 

[BSull]

I have noticed a few times that a few hours after I get home my truck will aggressively start to condition the batteries (it's loud). Always when plugged in lvl 1 or 2, dash screen mentions conditioning the battery.

My garage is usually mid 90s by the afternoon and I think the truck soaks heat during the day and then radiates it back into the garage. It's always 3 ish hours after I get home and am getting ready for bed I hear it kick on. While I haven't pulled a thermometer out, I would easily wager my garage was >104 by that point.

I usually plug my truck in when home and I’ve never had the battery cooling system kick in. I do have a thermometer in my garage, it is not calibrated but it indicates better than 100 degrees midday lately and if I park the truck or one of our ICE vehicles after being out and about, it will go above 110 easily. Of course that’s with over 100 outside.

 

[TaxmanHog]

This past Saturday evening, I plugged in for my weekly charge up, the conditioning process began about 30 seconds after plug-in and lasted for about 5 minutes, then stopped while the charging continued. Temps were not extraordinary, maybe low/mid 80's, the drive cycle prior to this was under 15 miles for the day and the last leg was only 2 miles before shutdown.

 

[BSull]

Because of my power companies EV TOU, I am seldom in the garage when the truck is charging. Times are 11 PM to 5 AM. I'll check in the next couple of days to see what the truck does at start of charge time. Even at 11 PM my garage is usually over 100.

 

[TheBigBezo]

This past Saturday evening, I plugged in for my weekly charge up, the conditioning process began about 30 seconds after plug-in and lasted for about 5 minutes, then stopped while the charging continued. Temps were not extraordinary, maybe low/mid 80's, the drive cycle prior to this was under 15 miles for the day and the last leg was only 2 miles before shutdown.

Yep, each time I've heard the AC come on to cool the battery while it's plugged in I was actively charging the battery. So either a mix of hot ambient temps in the garage and heat from AC charging, the truck spools up to full cooling and runs for 5-15 min. It can be quite loud.

 

[invertedspear]

Yep, each time I've heard the AC come on to cool the battery while it's plugged in I was actively charging the battery. So either a mix of hot ambient temps in the garage and heat from AC charging, the truck spools up to full cooling and runs for 5-15 min. It can be quite loud.

It was the same with the MME. It sounds like an ICE idling. It can get pretty loud.

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