Feature Requests for the F-150 Hybrid

[F-150 Prius]

I'm convinced those kinds of things were "discussed", but were shot down for reasons Ford thinks is valid.

If I had a strong enough reason to do something about it I would probably rig up my own remote receptacles under the the truck near the rear tow hitch. I don't think I'm willing to hack my tailgate up, but I might be willing to create an access hole in the bed of the truck.

Someone mentioned there's a possible route that wouldn't require major cuts. I was thinking of a hole with a grommet just large enough to pass through a wire then a 90 degree connector to the 30A, but I haven't found a right-angle L14-30P.

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[Snakebitten]

I need to apologize to all the folks that I have told that they can enable generator mode with FordPass without putting their robe on to go outside in the cold.

Seems the latest OTA update(s) nixed this capability although I don't think Ford meant to "break" it. FordPass still states that with a Bluetooth connection you ARE supposed to be able to control the ProPower Onboard power modes with a Bluetooth connection, you can't currently do so because after the latest updates to either FordPass OR the truck's OTA update(s), the FordPass App no longer recognizes the connection as a Bluetooth connection.

Here is the explanation for the features that Bluetooth connection supports :

But after the updates, even WITH a Bluetooth connection to the truck, you will notice that the Onboard ProPower only recognizes it as a "cellular" connection :

That's a Bug introduced to my own personal setup and now I realize others here may have been scratching their head over my previous claims.

By the way, I discovered this yesterday during a 10-hour power outage. Lol
The Powerboost saved the day for our second Thanksgiving get together because we had 6 families coming from out of town for a shared meal. My daughters kitchen was dead except for the gas cooktop. Dad's Powerboost to the rescue! Lights, fridge/freezer, internet and TV for about 12 little ones,.......

A bunch of young adults discovered what that old man's fancy pickup truck was all about. A bunch of wives gave a bunch of husband's "that look" too. You know, that don't-get-any-ideas look? Lol

Anyways, hey Ford! Please have your software developers go find the error in their current code that broke the trigger for extended capabilities when Bluetooth is recognized as the connection.

 

[F-150 Prius]

I need to apologize to all the folks that I have told that they can enable generator mode with FordPass without putting their robe on to go outside in the cold.

Seems the latest OTA update(s) nixed this capability
[...]
That's a Bug introduced to my own personal setup and now I realize others here may have been scratching their head over my previous claims.

[...]

A bunch of young adults discovered what that old man's fancy pickup truck was all about. A bunch of wives gave a bunch of husband's "that look" too. You know, that don't-get-any-ideas look? Lol

That does seem like a bug or at least a needless restriction. Seems to me FordPass should simply have a page for every page on the touchscreen (within reason) so that every vehicle function is accessible from the app.
There's so many feature ideas for the app, things like remote view of the cameras (live or video playback of events and notifications) or things like integrating nav waypoints from apps on the phone.

e.g. the calendar app has an appointment with a location and a time, the vehicle nav could keep track of when to leave to arrive on time and present that destination when the driver enters the vehicle or show all destinations for the day and suggest rescheduling to re-sequence the driving for fewer miles total, e.g. starting the day with the nearest appointment location and finishing the day with the least exposure to peak hour traffic bottlenecks. "Little" features like this, used across a million vehicles or even a small fleet of contractor vehicles for AT&T for example, could reduce traffic congestion and reduce fuel consumption.)​

​

The "that look" thing is something that has put the Lightning at the top of the list of "considered EVs" … and not people looking for a pickup or a Ford, but looking for an electric vehicle. Once you've seen it demonstrated, features like onboard power quickly come to mind when you're standing in your home, cursing the dark and fumbling with the flashlight on your phone. I'm sure it's an effective differentiator for Ford, and I'm surprised Toyota didn't copy the idea for their new Tundra. I assume GM will eventually swallow their pride and follow the leader, "yeah, we got onboard power, too."

 

[2mileshigh]

How do we add to the list? I'd like to add correctly program the transmission to the true, smooth shifting 10 spd it has the potential to be, and not a clunky gear skipping 6 spd (with 2 ODs) while in ECO and Normal modes.

I'd also like to add program temporary shift override to start at current gear instead of starting at 10th (without having to select Manual).

Also, why not start Sport mode in 2H? When I need 4wd (auto or otherwise) I'll select it, and enable greater electric drive interface in Sport mode.

Agree strongly that the drive mode should default to last selected. This has been common in other brands for years, and is a complete failure in Ford's drive mode implementation.

BTW, I'm at 3 months of ownership and 2700 miles, and I just started using Sport mode the last few short trips (in 2H exclusively). I'm actually getting the same mileage as ECO and Normal. I wonder if this has to do with the transmission utilizing the full power band, instead of clunking through gears?

 

[Oxford_Powerboost]

How do we add to the list? I'd like to add correctly program the transmission to the true, smooth shifting 10 spd it has the potential to be, and not a clunky gear skipping 6 spd (with 2 ODs) while in ECO and Normal modes.

I'd also like to add program temporary shift override to start at current gear instead of starting at 10th (without having to select Manual).

Also, why not start Sport mode in 2H? When I need 4wd (auto or otherwise) I'll select it, and enable greater electric drive interface in Sport mode.

Agree strongly that the drive mode should default to last selected. This has been common in other brands for years, and is a complete failure in Ford's drive mode implementation.

BTW, I'm at 3 months of ownership and 2700 miles, and I just started using Sport mode the last few short trips (in 2H exclusively). I'm actually getting the same mileage as ECO and Normal. I wonder if this has to do with the transmission utilizing the full power band, instead of clunking through gears?

There is a new service bulletin someone posted here about revised software for Powerboosts with clunky 1-3 shifts. Maybe get your dealer to do that? Also, sport shifts to 4A automatically to get you the best traction/acceleration, kinda as it should. But I do wish that for all modes it would ask before doing. Example: “Sport mode requests shift to 4A. Press OK to confirm” or similar

 

[thudnblunder]

Switch off auto stop/start??? It’s a hybrid, stopping the engine is its biggest asset…

Is the constant stop/start of the engine bad for the turbos? I have a Powerboost on order but in the past I've found auto start/stop in some cars very annoying, it would be nice to be able to turn it off. If the power is coming from the electric motor and the gas engine is idling it shouldn't hurt fuel economy too much, should it?

 

[CaptainAmericaRob]

Separate SPORT Mode button, on the shifter like my 2019 Ranger and my 2015 F150 FX4.
"dialing" thru the modes to get to it...is just STUPID and slow!

 

[Oxford_Powerboost]

Is the constant stop/start of the engine bad for the turbos? I have a Powerboost on order but in the past I've found auto start/stop in some cars very annoying, it would be nice to be able to turn it off. If the power is coming from the electric motor and the gas engine is idling it shouldn't hurt fuel economy too much, should it?

My understanding is that the turbos are water cooled and accessories in a hybrid are electric - so the water pump will continue to run without the engine. And “stop start” isn’t the stop start you know of, it doesn’t use a starter to start the engine, it essentially spins the engine up using the electric motor. This makes for a much smoother start, and you’re not always sitting still when it happen. In normal traffic, I’ll be doing 8-10mph before the engine starts. There’s nothing annoying about it, because you don’t lose heat/air conditioning while the engine is off and you can hardly feel it come on and off.

Idling electric is one of the powerboosts biggest assets and one of the reasons the fuel economy in the city is so much better. That and being able to cruise at 35-40 with the engine off. It’s a fundamental hybrid feature and is why you can’t disable it with a button

 

[TheGoatman]

I agree with the above. Basically powerboost is start/stop done the right way. I would go as far to say that’s the biggest thing in overall experience. If you don’t want stop/start even done properly, the other engines are the way to go, no doubt.

 

[thudnblunder]

My understanding is that the turbos are water cooled and accessories in a hybrid are electric - so the water pump will continue to run without the engine. And “stop start” isn’t the stop start you know of, it doesn’t use a starter to start the engine, it essentially spins the engine up using the electric motor. This makes for a much smoother start, and you’re not always sitting still when it happen. In normal traffic, I’ll be doing 8-10mph before the engine starts. There’s nothing annoying about it, because you don’t lose heat/air conditioning while the engine is off and you can hardly feel it come on and off.

Awesome, this cleared up a lot of things for me. Thanks!

 

[F-150 Prius]

There is a new service bulletin someone posted here about revised software for Powerboosts with clunky 1-3 shifts. Maybe get your dealer to do that? Also, sport shifts to 4A automatically to get you the best traction/acceleration, kinda as it should. But I do wish that for all modes it would ask before doing. Example: “Sport mode requests shift to 4A. Press OK to confirm” or similar

Right; at least make it possible to tap the 2WD button after selecting Sport and pre-empt the the shift to AWD/4WD, and why not group the 2WD modes together so there's no need to quickly click over the 4WD mode between Normal and Eco? They just didn't spend enough time driving the dev mules.

 

[F-150 Prius]

My understanding is that the turbos are water cooled and accessories in a hybrid are electric - so the water pump will continue to run without the engine. And “stop start” isn’t the stop start you know of, it doesn’t use a starter to start the engine, it essentially spins the engine up using the electric motor. This makes for a much smoother start, and you’re not always sitting still when it happen. In normal traffic, I’ll be doing 8-10mph before the engine starts. There’s nothing annoying about it, because you don’t lose heat/air conditioning while the engine is off and you can hardly feel it come on and off.

Idling electric is one of the powerboosts biggest assets and one of the reasons the fuel economy in the city is so much better. That and being able to cruise at 35-40 with the engine off. It’s a fundamental hybrid feature and is why you can’t disable it with a button

turbos definitely have a coolant jacket to keep the bearings happy, and that's one reason to run full synthetic; it's capable of withstanding the heat in turbo bearings.

I assume the truck has both belt drive and electric coolant circulators/pumps (in part because the flow through the battery would be thermostatically regulated separately from the engine and that would require both pressure and volumetric control with the engine off (otherwise the battery can go into thermal runaway like the 180,000 Bolts being recalled for battery fires. I don't think the F-150 Hybrid has this problem. It would be great to get some factory doc on the various cooling systems.

If I recall correctly, the PowerBoost has both a conventional 12V starter motor (on the flywheel, not belt-drive, right?) and uses the so-called traction motor to hand stop-start, torque-fill for gear shifts, and electric-only drive. Again, it would be great to read factory doc on the Hybrid. I seem to recall the conventional starter is there for cold weather starts or when the drive motor or battery condition might not be sufficient to provide normal engine starting.

I'm not sure that the a/c compressor is electric, but I assume it is, though what I've noticed is a/c don't pump cold air when the engine is on but stopped. Again, factory doc on these details would be enjoyable.

 

[Snakebitten]

The previous generation Ecoboost with multiple shifting strategies, which is what a mode primarily is, you could quickly cycle through the buffet as ALL modes were presented simultaneously. Switching the mode selection device to a new mechanism is kinda nice, but the unintended consequence is now the order they are in becomes more important.
As for including the choice of 4A in Sport mode, that's an assumption that I would prefer not to be made on my behalf. However, the same assumption for "Slippery" mode I admittedly agree with. So I won't complain too harshly on that one.

It would be really cool if they allowed the user to create their own profile, so to speak, and change around the order, the combination of shift strategy and 4WD, 2WD, 4A...... Similar to radio station presets, or even the seat memory settings. It's just software. Lol

 

[Snakebitten]

The factory service manual does reveal answers to a lot of questions. There is a conventional starter for the flywheel, but it only comes into play in one of 4 scenarios that the ICE needs to go from off to running status.
There is no alternator, but there is a similar looking device that is called a starter-generator in the service manual and it IS belt driven, and thus can spin the crankshaft up for starting.
And then there is the electric motor in the 10r80 transmission that can engage the crankshaft via a clutch, if the truck already has momentum.

The Air Conditioner Compressor is absolutely electric. So is the vacuum/brake booster.

This truck is absolutely amazing from a mechanical design approach.

 

[TheGoatman]

As for sport mode and awd, I thought that was dumb until I started hammering on it for a few days in sport, 2wd, and tcs set to off.
From a good mph, at full throttle, some body sway would lift the weight off that tire enough for it to spin. not great, so yeah if you have tcs on, it’s pulling back on torque request(throttle) so it may be defeating the purpose of switching to sport anyway.
I think we would be good if they start fitting an E-LSD( some other trucks are getting these) rather than a e-locker so it can load up both rear tires on demand, automatically, at speed. It would then, imo, give sufficient traction and stability to give it the goods in 2wd

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