losing range with no ac or heat

[chevyguygonebad]

When I leave my house I normally have a even ranged of 21 miles. If I turn on vent to look with no ac my range iimmediately drops 4 miles. Does just the fan running out the panel vents with temp on low really use this much power?

[JATR4]

When I leave my house I normally have a even ranged of 21 miles. If I turn on vent to look with no ac my range iimmediately drops 4 miles. Does just the fan running out the panel vents with temp on low really use this much power?

Your AC is still on.  Read this thread and see if you can get vent only:

 

http://www.fordfusionenergiforum.com/topic/2174-using-vent-only-function/?hl=%2Bvent+%2Bfunction

[chevyguygonebad]

I will try that the next time my wife let's me drive. She is loving the car!

Edited December 5, 2014 at 02:02 AM by chevyguygonebad

[jetjam]

I tried and can't seem to get the fan to run without the AC compressor or the heat engaging.   I tried taking it out of auto and just turning on the fan. 

[murphy]

I tried and can't seem to get the fan to run without the AC compressor or the heat engaging.   I tried taking it out of auto and just turning on the fan. 

Press MAX A/C  (sets temperature to LO)

Press A/C (Turns off A/C)

Press Recirculate (Turns recirculate off)

Adjust fan speed as desired.

[chevyguygonebad]

Press MAX A/C  (sets temperature to LO)

Press A/C (Turns off A/C)

Press Recirculate (Turns recirculate off)

Adjust fan speed as desired.

I have tried this without fail. Temp is LO A/C is off and i sill lose about 4 miles. If i turn climate off my range will jump up about 4 to 5 miles every time. I have never gotten over about 18 miles on a full charge and this is even with climate off, and a brake score of 95- 100 and drive score of the same. What am i doing wrong?

[Russael]

What is the average speed of your commute, and what is your current average ambient temperature?

 

Speed kills.  If you consistently travel over 45MPH, it eats range.  EV mode is best used for speeds 40MPH or less... but I use it up to around 60MPH from time to time if I know I won't run out of charge during said commute.

 

Cold eats range too.  For me, when temps start sinking under 60F, I will begin losing estimated range.  I see your in CA, so I suspect you have fairly mild temps.

 

Climate eats range.  I know you indicated that you've tried what Murphy suggested.  If the AUTO indicator is not illuminated and the A/C indicators are also off, dropping your set temp to LO should turn off the A/C compressor and heat.  I experimented with this recently and I can make my range bounce by 4 miles just by switching between 60F and LO.  I did manually select the upper vents (not defrost or floor).

 

Check your tire pressure.  I keep mine at 45PSI (tires are rated for up to 51 max).  I don't think it makes that dramatic of a difference, but it does help.

[chevyguygonebad]

What is the average speed of your commute, and what is your current average ambient temperature?

 

Speed kills.  If you consistently travel over 45MPH, it eats range.  EV mode is best used for speeds 40MPH or less... but I use it up to around 60MPH from time to time if I know I won't run out of charge during said commute.

 

Cold eats range too.  For me, when temps start sinking under 60F, I will begin losing estimated range.  I see your in CA, so I suspect you have fairly mild temps.

 

Climate eats range.  I know you indicated that you've tried what Murphy suggested.  If the AUTO indicator is not illuminated and the A/C indicators are also off, dropping your set temp to LO should turn off the A/C compressor and heat.  I experimented with this recently and I can make my range bounce by 4 miles just by switching between 60F and LO.  I did manually select the upper vents (not defrost or floor).

 

Check your tire pressure.  I keep mine at 45PSI (tires are rated for up to 51 max).  I don't think it makes that dramatic of a difference, but it does help.

Here in central CA the temp is about 50. My top speed is around 45 to 50 as long as no ones on my tail but the speed limit is 55 and i never go over that even with some one behind me. You say milage drops when temps are below 60. Do they drop to were you only get 18 miles on a full charge? I have seen on here were some people claim to get 35 miles per charge! I wish i could get that. The only way i can make my range go back up is to hit the power button for the climate so its 100% off.

[murphy]

What range are you actually getting?  In other words how far can you drive before the car switches to hybrid mode?  The dash display is just an estimate based on several factors.

 

Battery capacity goes down with lower temperatures.  When it gets into the lower 20s where I live the battery capacity is cut in half.  I drive to a meeting once a week that is 10 miles away.  In the summer I can make the entire round trip on battery.  In the winter I make half of the trip on battery and the rest in hybrid mode.  Using GO times to preheat the car helps some but you need a 240 volt charger for GO times to be of much use.

[Russael]

Here in central CA the temp is about 50. My top speed is around 45 to 50 as long as no ones on my tail but the speed limit is 55 and i never go over that even with some one behind me. You say milage drops when temps are below 60. Do they drop to were you only get 18 miles on a full charge? I have seen on here were some people claim to get 35 miles per charge! I wish i could get that. The only way i can make my range go back up is to hit the power button for the climate so its 100% off.

 

Those who receive over 30 miles on a charge travel at speeds under 40MPH for the entire commute in summertime, and if they find a route that doesn't have a lot of stop and go, and not using climate.  I get my best range when temps are greater than 80F.  I very rarely use climate in summer.  If it gets in to the upper 90's, then I will occasionally hit the A/C which eats in to my range.

 

I have received estimated ranges up to 32 miles for a charge, but the best I've gotten was 28.  I utilized the navigation system's Eco Route option and that also helps with range.  Conservative driving significantly helps that too - keeping acceleration nice and easy (2 bars on Engage), getting 100 for brake scores, and keeping top speeds low.

 

For me, temps hover at or below freezing this time of year.  I've been making weekly trips to a cousin's home which is 9.9 miles away.  With preconditioning and at speed limit of 45 for most of the commute, I can make it there on battery while using heat.  On the way home, the car estimates only 4 miles of range.  I have now started leaving the car in EV Auto, which fires the ICE at temps around freezing or lower and if I'm using heat.  I land in hybrid mode about halfway home.

 

If you are receiving 18 miles of range, you're right around the car's EPA estimated range (19 miles per charge).  If you have the navigation system, try the Eco Route and see if it comes up with an alternate route for your commute and drive that a few times.  Leave climate off if you can tolerate it and see if you get better range.

[rbort]

To figure out the climate issue, go into the climate kwh usage meter on the left screen, its one of the options in my Cmax.

 

Turn on the climate vent and see if it shows a kwh usage on that screen.  If it does I do have an AC button I can press it shows AC when its on and not when its off.  If it still shows some draw even with the AC off you can press one of the directional choices for the air, say down to your feet for an example and the climate draw should disappear down to 0.

 

Try than and experiment to see if you find a way to get the vent on with no draw.  However, you can also just crack the windows 1/4 inch gap between the end of the rubber and the edge of the glass on both driver and passenger side front winds.  This keeps the rain out and keeps you ventilated without losing 45 watts to run the climate fan.

 

-=>Raja.

[Russael]

Today, the temps are 50F.  I drove 18 miles @ 45MPH and the car estimates 4 miles remaining.  No climate and kept the windows closed.  Only used the seat warmers and the sound system.  So it seems I might get about 22 miles with low wind and flat ground.  Commute has a lot of stoplights but I had them timed almost perfectly, so there was very little stop and go.

[Hybridbear]

Remember that the eCVT fluid becomes thicker at lower temps. Larryh found that internal transmission resistance increases substantially in cold weather. I believe he found a 30+% increase in energy required compared to summer just due to the transmission fluid temp.

[stevedebi]

I have tried this without fail. Temp is LO A/C is off and i sill lose about 4 miles. If i turn climate off my range will jump up about 4 to 5 miles every time. I have never gotten over about 18 miles on a full charge and this is even with climate off, and a brake score of 95- 100 and drive score of the same. What am i doing wrong?

I had this happen in my C-Max Energi, and found that turning the A/C ON for a second, then OFF, somehow cleared the compressor running. It didn't show on the climate guage, but somehow the draw was there, and it showed up on the range.

 

What others have been saying is also true, about cold, driving speed, eCVT fluid temp, etc. I myself am happy with any fuel savings, and I try and look at it that way.

 

I don't really follow it that much anymore; my daughter just HAS to have her heat these days...