Software Updates from Ford to improve MPGs

[hermans]

 

?

Next he will be complaining about his car vibrating.

[Fastronaut]

 

ok, thanks.

if I might ask, why did you need to return the first Fusion you had?

It was due to a newly discovered factory manufacturing problem that took so long to rectify that the car was repurchased under the State Lemon Law. Ford and my dealer worked well together to arrange the swap.

[jeff_h]

Next he will be complaining about his car vibrating.

 

Hopefully they were proactive and changed out the winter air for summer air in the tires, that should help the MPG.

[Fastronaut]

Mine is done, both MFT and PCM, picking it up later. Also had the tires squared and the oil changed.

OK, so I'm thinkin' "What the heck is squared off tires"?

[Fastronaut]

 

Hopefully they were proactive and changed out the winter air for summer air in the tires, that should help the MPG.

Yeah, that Winter air in the Summer can be awful for performance.

[rjent]

Well I got it updated to day as well ... finally LOL. I am impressed. My dealership is 150 miles away, so I knew it would be a good test coming back. We did a loop which included I25 to make sure it goes "electric" above 65 and sure enough it does/did. We then filled the tank and came home. Not a completely honest test because we had some headwind on 30 miles of the trip home, but I can guarantee you we are seeing from 3 to 5 MPG more that we were. That is surface streets of 35 and 45, State Fed Highways at 55 and 65, and interstate at 65.

 

I am very pleased with the result! :) (for whatever that is worth LOL)

[corerwh]

 

I receive the following message but I don't know what it means, it also says it is a "transit connect" which isn't right obviously, engine is correct though.

 

Transit Connect 2002-, 2.0 4V DOHC PFI Gas/Electric, Ingot Silver Metallic

 

Outstanding Field Service Actions

12M02 - SYNC WITH MYFORD/MYLINCOLN TOUCH - WARRANTY EXTENSION COVERING ACCESSORY PROTOCO L INTERFACE MODULE (APIM)

 

 

Here is the letter to the dealerships that will or have gone out explaining what this service action is about

 

R12M02 11 thru 13 Models with Sync and MyFord Touch.pdf

[hermans]

Ya, that letter went to the dealers months ago.

[corerwh]

Ya, that letter went to the dealers months ago.

 

So why did it just show up in the field service action list on Etis? Plus, spicedsp03 was wondering what it was about and I thought the letter could explain that.

[acdii]

Well I can say it didn't HURT the car. I do think its neat to be cruising at 70 on EV though. Still too soon to tell if the MPG will improve with this update, but I can tell you that I did get over 47 today on my trip from Countryside to my office, which included about 50% Interstate at 65+, with the AC on, and on the way there I got 45 with it off, windows down, but I was also NOT trying to get good mileage, I was more pressed for time than anything. Even got a lousy brake score too thanks to morons who cant merge at 53 and 90.

 

[spicedsp03]

Did you do a reset? Mine came from the factory with an average of about 18 mpg. They must have been trying for a new record going around the test track. If you haven't, do a reset so you can get more accurate results.

 

Dumb question...

How do you do a reset?

[corncobs]

 

Dumb question...

How do you do a reset?

Depends on what you wanna reset? Lifetime would be in a setting under the left screen. The avg. MPG you see on all screens you just need to hold the OK button down. Edited August 8, 2013 by corncobs

[SteveB_TX]

Well, I am scheduled to get the upgrade next Weds the 14th at my trusted Ford dealer. I will be the dealerships first attempt at this update. Oh joy #1! I asked to talk with the Hybrid Specialist, but they don't have one. The dealership sells so few hybrids, and works on them even less, that it was not cost effective to have a dedicated hybrid dude. Oh joy #2! My other choice of dealers is the Lincoln dealer on the other side of town. I don't trust those yahoos, nor will I ever give them any of my business. Besides, they sell even fewer hybrids than the Ford dealer at the end of my street. I guess I could take it back to the selling dealer, 3 hours away... NOT! Wish me luck! ;)

[MaineFusion]

Has anyone actually received a letter from Ford regarding this update?

I got a letter in the mail today from Ford in regards to this update. However, I already had it installed this past Friday.

[MaineFusion]

Not only do I not have faith in this dealerships expertise, but I'm stuck with the 2011 Lincoln Town Car loaner that is getting 16mpg for another day.

Let's see what happens tomorrow.

Heh...

 

When my wife and I were shopping for a new car, we had just finished working up the exact specs and pricing for the FFH we were thinking about ordering and were going to head home for lunch and to think it over for an hour before committing to the order. Just as we were getting to leave the dealership, one of the salesman backed into our car (a 2006 Hundyi Elantra we were planning on keeping) doing minor damage to the rear passenger side 1/4 panel. They promised to make good and fix our car as well as provide a loaner.

 

Now mind you, the car they hit was a compact car that gets pretty good mph, the car we were ordering was an ultra efficient FFH and they knew my daily commute was almost 100mi/day. So when I go into the dealer's bodyshop, what kind of loaner did they give me? A Ford F-150 club cab. I was like you've got to be kidding. So upon leaving the body shop I put in $50 worth of gas then drive home. Upon getting home realized it was too big to even fit in our garage. When I got to work the next day, its antenna kept dinging against every cross beam in the parking garage and I was convinced I was going to catch the truck's roof on one of the cross beams. Being it was a club cab with full sized bed, the truck turned like a barge.

 

During the two days I had to drive that truck, the best I could squeeze of it was about 18.5mpg and it sucked down all of the $50 worth of gas I had put in it. $50 in gas would last me for over two weeks in my FFH.

[LASooner]

I got a letter in the mail today from Ford in regards to this update. However, I already had it installed this past Friday.

 

I got mine today, I haven't had time to do it, but I will when I'm done with work.

[Fastronaut]

Heh...

 

When my wife and I were shopping for a new car, we had just finished working up the exact specs and pricing for the FFH we were thinking about ordering and were going to head home for lunch and to think it over for an hour before committing to the order. Just as we were getting to leave the dealership, one of the salesman backed into our car (a 2006 Hundyi Elantra we were planning on keeping) doing minor damage to the rear passenger side 1/4 panel. They promised to make good and fix our car as well as provide a loaner.

 

Now mind you, the car they hit was a compact car that gets pretty good mph, the car we were ordering was an ultra efficient FFH and they knew my daily commute was almost 100mi/day. So when I go into the dealer's bodyshop, what kind of loaner did they give me? A Ford F-150 club cab. I was like you've got to be kidding. So upon leaving the body shop I put in $50 worth of gas then drive home. Upon getting home realized it was too big to even fit in our garage. When I got to work the next day, its antenna kept dinging against every cross beam in the parking garage and I was convinced I was going to catch the truck's roof on one of the cross beams. Being it was a club cab with full sized bed, the truck turned like a barge.

 

During the two days I had to drive that truck, the best I could squeeze of it was about 18.5mpg and it sucked down all of the $50 worth of gas I had put in it. $50 in gas would last me for over two weeks in my FFH.

Talk about adding insult to injury ...

[corerwh]

So I just picked my car up from getting the recall done. I looked at the lifetime summary and nothing looked reset. The regen miles, ev miles, mpg, and break score were not reset. I took it out on the freeway for a test run since the dealership is just a block away. I was only able to kick it into EV mode at max speed of 70. Speed of 75 with about 90% charge level and even with ECO cruse on it never went into EV mode. So I'm not sure whether the update took or not. So confused!

 

Edit: I looked at the pic that I took when I got to the dealership this morning and the Regen miles and Break Score had been reset. The dealership must have taken it for a test drive themselves after doing the update. I still don't know why I can only go into EV mode up to 70mph. Do I have to have a full charge to go higher than 70mph?

Edited August 9, 2013 by corerwh

[corncobs]

You can be pretty certain that the update did not work!

 

If you go 70 MPH and you take your foot of the gas it has to go into EV mode.

Another clue is the EV treashold (blue frame in Empower) never disappears like it did at 63 MPH before the update.

 

Edited August 9, 2013 by corncobs

[corerwh]

You can be pretty certain that the update did not work!

 

If you go 70 MPH and you take your foot of the gas it has to go into EV mode.

Another clue is the EV treashold (blue frame in Empower) never disappears like it did at 63 MPH before the update.

 

 

Thanks corncobs...I'll look for that blue bar disappearing when I drive home today. This Sat. I'm going on a more extensive drive where I can go above 70 mph which should give me a good indication what is happening.

[corncobs]

 

Thanks corncobs...I'll look for that blue bar disappearing when I drive home today. This Sat. I'm going on a more extensive drive where I can go above 70 mph which should give me a good indication what is happening.

You are welcome!

Don't expect it to go into EV mode on a flat stretch of road @ 70 however you can force it by either reducing your ECC set speed or slightly lift your foot.

It should also go into EV going downhill since there is no or less power demand than going flat or uphill.

[Sleddog]

I filled up today, reset trip 1 and instant MPG.

 

Here's my going to work numbers.

 

 

And here's my coming home numbers running the A/C

 

Edited August 9, 2013 by Sleddog

[djminfll]

WELL DONE!

[corerwh]

So my results from my drive home yesterday:

 

I was able to set my ECC to 70 mph the whole way home. The stretch of highway that I drive has a hill (they are more like mule hills) every couple miles. Just like corncobs said, I was only able to kick it into EV mode going downhill. Going uphill there is too many kWs being drawn, just like before the update, for the car to use the electric engine. It appears that this is true for flat stretches. Unfortunately the ICE stays running on those flat stretches unless you have just come down a hill. As you come down the hill then the kWs decrease the car will kick into EV mode and will stay in EV mode until the battery is depleted or you go up another hill. Here are a few pics of what it looked like on the dash display:

 

This is a flat stretch...before the update this same kW level and battery level would kick the car into EV mode

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7w6jns6dnshb0jc/2013-08-09%2017.08.22_edit.jpg

 

 

This is going uphill (notice the kW level)

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/y89ppdo58ntjug0/2013-08-09%2017.09.48_edit.jpg

 

 

This is 70 mph in EV mode downhill and entering flat stretch

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/k8vubapq7zkoc0h/2013-08-09%2017.10.19_edit.jpg

 

Also, notice that the blue bar does exist like corncobs said it should. So I'm 90% sure the software update worked for me. Later today I have a 68 mile drive that is mostly interstate and so I will be able to test speeds higher than 70 mph. After that then I'll be 100% confident. I have been recording my trips to and from work this last week before I got the update and will be doing the same thing this coming week. I will be posting my results in the guinea pig testers thread if anyone is interested. Thanks for all the help. This forum is a wealth of information!

 

[dunkwmiller]

Got my letter on Friday (yesterday) and got it done today. Cruised home on the freeway at 70 in EV mode. For me at nearly 1,500 miles per week to/from work at highway speeds I hope to see an increase in my avg mpg (in the car showing 42.2 after 30K miles).