Regarding re-gen behavior during de-cel in drive mode

[Dreaming-in-Focus]

The most interesting thing changed on our car during its week at the dealership for a SSN error. We have been driving it for nearly 6500 miles with the behavior that there is no re-gen while "coasting" with the gear selector in Drive. The battery status indicator would only indicate re-gen when my foot was on the brake pedal lightly, or during a normal stop. This past week, I am seeing the re-gen indicator light up whenever I take my foot off the accelerator at speeds above 15 mph.

Has everyone else's car been showing re-gen while coasting? It definitely is an advantage, since re-gen can start much quicker than I can move my foot over to the brake pedal - and I don't have to rest my foot on the brake pedal all the time while coasting.

Curious to see everyone else's observation on this..

 

[WindPowered]

Has everyone else's car been showing re-gen while coasting? It definitely is an advantage, since re-gen can start much quicker than I can move my foot over to the brake pedal - and I don't have to rest my foot on the brake pedal all the time while coasting.

Your car should have always been doing regen whenever your foot came off the pedal in D. If it didn't, something was really wrong with your vehicle.

However, I heard that actually showing it on the display was a feature of the new 3.5.1 software. Have you checked to see if you got the software upgrade as part of the service? Because that is far more likely the answer to what you're seeing.


WP

 

[Dreaming-in-Focus]

I was hoping for the 3.5.1 update for sure, but it was not installed as part of the fix. It could be that I received an update of the sub-software running the actual drive components instead of a SYNC update. Before this past week, I could never tell if my coasting in "D" was regenerating or not - now, with the indicator on the driver's display I'm certain. Oddly enough, now my driving log within myfordmobile indicates more re-gen miles per trip as well.

Your car should have always been doing regen whenever your foot came off the pedal in D. If it didn't, something was really wrong with your vehicle.

However, I heard that actually showing it on the display was a feature of the new 3.5.1 software. Have you checked to see if you got the software upgrade as part of the service? Because that is far more likely the answer to what you're seeing.


WP

 

[WindPowered]

I was hoping for the 3.5.1 update for sure, but it was not installed as part of the fix. It could be that I received an update of the sub-software running the actual drive components instead of a SYNC update.

That's a good point. Other folks have reported (on the myfordmobile site, IIRC) that the update will be both the SYNC software and the power control module (PCM). Maybe you just got an updated PCM as part of your fix?

Before this past week, I could never tell if my coasting in "D" was regenerating or not - now, with the indicator on the driver's display I'm certain. Oddly enough, now my driving log within myfordmobile indicates more re-gen miles per trip as well.

Well you should have always felt the very distinct and obvious deceleration when you lift your foot off the pedal, vs. what you would feel if you shifted to N. That braking action is the regen.

But the extra regen you're seeing is interesting. I don't trust any of the values reported on myfordmobile (e.g. just look at the actual odometer in the car vs. what myfordmobile reports under "Driving" and you'll see what I mean) but other possibilities include that either your car wasn't working properly, or you did get a new PCM with improved tuning / algorithms for regen that improved its effectiveness.

I'm curious as to what you'll see over the long term.


WP

 

[dmen]

Well you should have always felt the very distinct and obvious deceleration when you lift your foot off the pedal, vs. what you would feel if you shifted to N. That braking action is the regen.

But the extra regen you're seeing is interesting. I don't trust any of the values reported on myfordmobile (e.g. just look at the actual odometer in the car vs. what myfordmobile reports under "Driving" and you'll see what I mean) but other possibilities include that either your car wasn't working properly, or you did get a new PCM with improved tuning / algorithms for regen that improved its effectiveness.

WP

Another way I know coasting in Drive regenerates electricity even though there's no graphic: with the enhanced trip recorder on screen, if I am going highway speed and start coasting right after the kWh number goes up 0.1, the number will go back down after several seconds. So if I had used 3.5 kWh and as I coast the display goes down to 3.4 kWh, that can only happen if the battery is being recharged.

Totally agree on the inaccuracies of myfordmobile data, including miles regenerated. I would rather see how many Wh I'm regenerating rather than how many miles, but whatever.