Is there still no way to leave climate control running?

[Surfnturf]

Searching the forum it seems even to this day there is no dog mode or ability to keep the climate control (to a temperature YOU set) running for more than 15 minutes. It's even more frustrating that you can do this with a gas F150 but not the electric one. What's the logic in this? Is Ford ever going to allow us to do what most other EV owners can do (and 100% of the competing EVs)?

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[ctuan13]

Searching the forum it seems even to this day there is no dog mode or ability to keep the climate control (to a temperature YOU set) running for more than 15 minutes. It's even more frustrating that you can do this with a gas F150 but not the electric one. What's the logic in this? Is Ford ever going to allow us to do what most other EV owners can do (and 100% of the competing EVs)?

Do you mean via remote start or just with the truck on? Because if you're just talking with the truck on, just turn off the power down timer in vehicle settings and it will stay on forever.

 

[Runaway Tractor]

No, nothing has changed. Ford has never said they would do it. There is no plan or timeline to implement that change. Nobody should have any expectation that Ford will ever do this and anyone who has that expectation is kidding themselves. If Ford decides to implement it, that will be nice and we'll find out after it is released.

In the meantime, turn off the power down timer.

 

[Monkey]

Farley actually did say they would give us a Dog Mode/ Camp Mode. That was back in '22, not long after the first in-depth Lightning reviews were coming out. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for any of these features. He may have wanted to give us those features at that time... Maybe he still does. But their software team leaves a lot to be desired and the focus is always going to be on the new models. With the '24s already showing up having UI features the current trucks don't have, I'm not feeling all warm and fuzzy about this. Ford did promise that their EVs would continue to get OTA updates and would continue to get new features and functionality. So far that has been a pretty empty promise. Their update system sucks and They have been super slow adding anything new.

 

[Hdscreens]

Years ago someone tried camping in Mach E and left it on all night with climate control. Similar ui so it should be doable. I thought about doing that myself but beach area I would have stayed at didn’t have enough charging infrastructure to get a good charge to attempt.

 

[hturnerfamily]

Do you mean via remote start or just with the truck on? Because if you're just talking with the truck on, just turn off the power down timer in vehicle settings and it will stay on forever.

yes, the 'hidden' PowerDownTimer gives the owner the ability to allow the truck to remain ON and active for all Climate and ProPower needs, indefinitely ...
I've used it extensively to keep the truck ON for ProPower during overnight hours to power our Camper, off-grid, etc... and also many times to keep the truck's Climate ON while shopping or spending more time outside of the vehicle than the timer 'allows'... etc.

I would, though, like to see Ford's software implement a better way to handle the 'timer', as if you don't remember, or don't know WHERE it is located, it takes a while to find it... maybe that is something that could be ASSIGNED to the 'Favorite' button...
(by the way, our new Kia EV9 has TWO 'favorite' star buttons, which are PHYSICAL buttons - one on the steering wheel, one on the 'haptic' row of buttons below the center screen, where you can assign certain 'fav' actions. One of my 'favs' is to turn OFF the darn' center screen!)

 

[solastobann]

Searching the forum it seems even to this day there is no dog mode or ability to keep the climate control (to a temperature YOU set) running for more than 15 minutes. It's even more frustrating that you can do this with a gas F150 but not the electric one. What's the logic in this? Is Ford ever going to allow us to do what most other EV owners can do (and 100% of the competing EVs)?

It doesn't always work, but I have had pretty good luck by having a Pro/Power device being plugged in. In my case, a jump-start unit. As I understand it, if you have something using the truck's AC power, ProPower will keep the truck from going to "sleep."

 

[TaxmanHog]

Pretty simple to locate, Settings > Vehicle > top of the list of controls

Remember to adjust the low power setting for reserve energy so you can drive off the campsite, beach, what ever and reach a charging station!!!

 

[Bandit216]

And don't forget to turn off the headlights and select the calm screen on the center display. It not only saves a tiny bit of battery energy, it makes it less conspicuous to any potential car thieves that there is a running vehicle ripe for easy pickings.

 

[flux capacitor]

A while back I had a power outage over the night till noon. I turned on the truck and used the truck to power everything I needed. It stayed on all night and until I shut it off. This is the first time I heard of a power down timer.

 

[EigenSolver]

And don't forget to turn off the headlights and select the calm screen on the center display. It not only saves a tiny bit of battery energy, it makes it less conspicuous to any potential car thieves that there is a running vehicle ripe for easy pickings.

IIRC, you are not supposed to be able to shift the truck out of park if a key is not inside the vehicle (never tested this myself), so someone should not be able to just drive away. That said - I do occasionally leave the truck ‘running’ while I’m away, and I do put the center screen in calm mode, turn off the lights, and lock the vehicle for this exact reason!

 

[alexose]

IIRC, you are not supposed to be able to shift the truck out of park if a key is not inside the vehicle (never tested this myself), so someone should not be able to just drive away. That said - I do occasionally leave the truck ‘running’ while I’m away, and I do put the center screen in calm mode, turn off the lights, and lock the vehicle for this exact reason!

One of the best things about driving an EV! I leave the heat/AC on while I'm out running errands, and nobody's the wiser.

 

[Labs4Lightning]

Farley actually did say they would give us a Dog Mode/ Camp Mode. That was back in '22, not long after the first in-depth Lightning reviews were coming out. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for any of these features. He may have wanted to give us those features at that time... Maybe he still does. But their software team leaves a lot to be desired and the focus is always going to be on the new models. With the '24s already showing up having UI features the current trucks don't have, I'm not feeling all warm and fuzzy about this. Ford did promise that their EVs would continue to get OTA updates and would continue to get new features and functionality. So far that has been a pretty empty promise. Their update system sucks and They have been super slow adding anything new.

@Monkey

Ford Mo Co did file patent - though that doesn’t translate to happening.

farley must be a dog hater.

 

[Bandit216]

IIRC, you are not supposed to be able to shift the truck out of park if a key is not inside the vehicle (never tested this myself), so someone should not be able to just drive away. That said - I do occasionally leave the truck ‘running’ while I’m away, and I do put the center screen in calm mode, turn off the lights, and lock the vehicle for this exact reason!

Yes, the potential car thief won't be able to shift out of park, but my concern was them breaking the driver's window to get into the vehicle before they can discover that critical fact.

 

[invertedspear]

One of the best things about driving an EV! I leave the heat/AC on while I'm out running errands, and nobody's the wiser.

Heat maybe. I only got the Lightning in November, but my MachE running the AC was louder than a good ICE engine. Of course it was fighting 115F, so likely a bit louder than other areas of the country.

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