Preconditioning for DC Fast Charging

[Jim Lewis]

I have the Max Tow package on my '23 Lightning ER. The data in the following post would seem to show that the coolant loop for the ER battery consumes all the 9 kW the coolant heater is consuming. I presume the Engine Coolant Temperature (A) and (B) readings are for the cabin loop and the battery/engine(?) loop, respectively. The data is not perfect in that it shows my cabin temperature to start with is 0 dec C (whereas the ambient air temperature in the closed garage was 10 to 11 deg C to start). After 23 minutes, the battery temperature increased from 13 C to 19 C and the cabin temperature didn't change much from what it should have read to start (the fan and heat were turned off to the cabin, too). https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...ng-in-cold-while-plugged-in.17980/post-362482

P.S. The linked data show the coolant to warm the battery is actually heated to 45 dec C (113 deg F). It could be that the coolant flow had stopped by the point of that reading (coolant heater power had dropped to 0 kW), and the temperature recorded is just the passive residual heat rise of uncirculated fluid.

Further anecdotal observations on heater behavior while charging LVB in accessory mode. Within 30 sec or so of heater power cutting out, "coolant" temperature is 57 deg C (137 deg F), the HVB coolant inlet temperature 39 deg C (102 deg F). At that point, the pump(s) must still be running as the HVB was 17 deg C and kept rising up to 19 to 20 deg C. The overall environmental starting temps were about the same - garage was around 11 deg C (55 deg F).

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[Keanen]

Charge Assist cannot be used while driving.

Charge Assist does NOT precondition the battery even if you hit the arrow to go into Navigation, and it shows the charger as the end result. You MUST navigate to the charger via the Navigation app on the screen, with the charger showing as the next destination or waypoint.

Thanks for this reply. I was traveling last weekend and used the Charge Assist app (I finally have it) to navigate to a charger and I topped out at 112kw. My trouble with the charger I was trying to use is that it's not in the Ford Nav but is in Charge Assist. Is there any good strategy to work around this other than picking another nearby charger hoping my truck warms the battery at least a bit?

 

[TomB985]

I’m pretty sure we don’t have preconditioning of any kind. The article on the Ford EV site only refers to the MachE.

I monitor my temps with an OBD reader and have never seen any kind of cooling or heating as I route to a DC charger. I tried on a cold January in Minnesota and a hot day in Texas earlier this month and nothing happened. The battery inlet temp never changed and the battery temp didn’t move until after I plugged in.

Either preconditioning is a myth or it’s not working on my truck.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Last night I went out to check my Lightning Lariat ER. I've measured substantial preconditioning on our Mustang Mach-E in the past.

When starting up, I noted that the Lightning's Charge Power Limit was at 147 kW, which indicated it didn't need to be preconditioned. I went ahead and ran the test anyway.

The exterior temperature was 15 ºC, the battery temperature was 18 ºC, as was the inlet coolant temperature.

When I started the truck, punched in a fast charger destination within range and which has triggered preconditioning of the Mustang's battery, I did hear the truck start up a pump.

And the truck started pulling some power from the battery. But it was only 0.75 kW, which is enough to run a pump or fan, but not enough to account for a heater or heat pump.

I left it on for a few minutes, but there was no change. In the Mustang, the heater comes on almost immediately after I tell the car to navigate to the charger.

I went again this morning after a cold soak brought the battery down to 4 ºC and the charge power limit was down to 98 kW. So a loss of about 50 kW charge power limit.

No preconditioning. That's disappointing. I do not have any OTAs applied to the vehicle yet. I might try to convince it to update everything in the next coupe of weeks with FDRS, but we'll see.

 

[TomB985]

Someone suggested the Lightning is supposed to precondition, but it was broken with an update. I’m certain that mine won’t precondition as it sits, but I’ll try again if I get another update before hitting the road next month.

To check, I navigate to a DCFC and keep an eye on max charge speed, battery temp, coolant heater power, and battery inlet coolant temp. If it’s preconditioning, I should see warmer or cooler temps at the battery inlet with a corresponding energy use by the compressor or coolant heater.

Absolutely nothing so far in January and April when I tried. I had reduced speeds in South Texas a few weeks ago, but it was a tolerable 112 kW.

 

[Hammick]

Here is an update on DCFC preconditioning at the end of 2024. Playing around in the garage I can tell when preconditioning starts by the sound it makes. The only way to start preconditioning is to use the truck's built in NAV. CarPlay NAV with Apple Maps or Google Maps does not work. Using the Public Charge app for NAV does not work. The DCFC must be listed in the car's nav as supplying over 100kw to enable preconditioning. For example, navigating to a 60kw Chargepoint does not enable preconditioning.

There is a V2 Supercharger listed in my truck's nav that I cannot use but routing to it does enable preconditioning.

Ford has a lot of work to do and they should just give us the damn manual precondition button we have been asking for.

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