howardbc

It's nice to "talk" to everyone again. And I really am an old-timer. I got my first Tesla at age 73. I remember asking the saleswoman if I was her oldest customer and she laughed and said "Oh, no, I had a couple in their 90s!" That was 5+ years ago. But I have to say that I still get a little bit of a lump in my throat when I see an Energi, although they are very rare. I have always gotten emotionally attached to all my cars. But I am never going back to a gas car. I will be watching Ford unveil their Lightning electric truck. I hope it's a big success.

Hi, Russael. First off, my thoughts go out to your amazing wife as she is on the frontlines of the battle against Covid. I hope she stays safe and well. On the solar panels, I don't have a power wall/battery or a generator. My panels cover at least 90% of my monthly power bills and outages are extremely rare. Your Expedition is 22 years old?? That's amazing. I'd say that whatever works for you and for your wife, that's what you should be doing. It's the old "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" system. Wishing you all the best.

Good for you for getting off the dinosaur juice! Where I am (central Arizona), I don't need a lawnmower and certainly not a snow blower. I had solar panels put on my roof in 2006 and then the rest in 2014, so my EV is literally powered by the sun.

Thanks, Murphy! I remember your name now. I'm so glad to hear that you have tried other cars. I drove my 2016 Model S 70 from Arizona to central Florida and back with no problems in 2018. The range on it was only 230 miles but I didn't mind since I wanted to stop frequently. But the S I have now will go 400+ miles on a charge. But Covid has kept me homebound. So excited about your Mach-E Premium! I really don't care which EV people drive. I just want to see more TVs out there. Have a friend who just started a job at Lucid. Wishing you all the best.

Neil, I am so sorry you’re having these serious issues with your car. If I could, I would snap my fingers and put you in a true 100% electric car. I traded my 2013 Energi for a 2016 Tesla Model S and I will NEVER go back to anything that runs even partially on gas. Buy a Mach-E if you like Fords. Or buy a Chevy Bolt or a Tesla or another EV. I think the Tesla Model 3 starts at around $37k but after that you have zero gas expenses. And no oil changes, no maintenance except for tires. The torque on a Tesla is something you have to experience to understand. There are so many lies about Teslas and EVs in general. I meant to quit this forum but just never got around to it. I expect to now be kicked off and that’s okay. Wishing you all the best.

So you are not considering getting into a true EV? The Ford Fusion Energi is a plugin hybrid. It has a gas engine and uses oil too. The Honda Civic would be less complicated but a car that runs on electricity only is the simplest. An electric motor has only between 1 and 4 moving parts. Compare that to a gas engine. I loved my Fusion Energi and got great mileage with it but I will never go back to a gas car again. I wish you all the best.

Neil, I wish you all the best but it sounds like you need to get a new car. I hope you will seriously look at something that is 100% electric. I traded my 2013 for a new EV (not sure if I’m allowed to say what brand) and it has honestly been an incredibly wonderful experience. No more oil changes or belts and hoses, etc. I haven’t bought any gasoline since early 2016. I charge the car in my garage. I have driven from Arizona to Florida and back in it. Never a serious problem. Just do a lot of research, but the best information will come from EV owners themselves. If you don’t know where to start, contact Plugin America, a non-profit who can help. Maybe find a Facebook page for EVs and ask a lot of questions. Over 10 years ago, I joined a local group of people who were interested in converting their gas cars to EVs. I learned so much - mainly that I would have to wait and buy a car that was already an EV. Good luck to you.

Hi, jeff_h. That is so funny! I too felt like a voyeur but then also deleted my MyFordMobile account and app after my 2013 FFET appeared to have been finally sold. I was curious too and also felt some sadness and hoped it would go to a good home. Silly, I know. But I'm kind of surprised that Ford doesn't immediately delete the account for cars that have been sold. I could have sounded the horn or done other things. (I didn't but I suppose it was possible.) I would love to know who bought the car and how they're doing with it but I guess that's not possible.

'Wishing you all the best, rowekmr. After my 2013 FFET was sold to the wholesaler, I was able to "follow" it (via the MyFordMobile app) to a car lot Chicago where it sat for a long time. Then it went to the Denver area where it appeared to be in a residential area. It was a "cream puff." Low mileage, excellent condition. The 12v battery did die on me but that was the only problem I ever had with it. After 3 years I was averaging 97MPG. I only used the 120 wall outlet in my garage to charge it. Let us know what you get.

HI. I am helping someone to set up MFM on her 2016 FFE. I downloaded/installed the app on her iPhone. She received the confirming email from MFM. I entered her car's VIN#, etc. Then it said to continue the setup on the display in her car but didn't say exactly what to do. What is she supposed to do on the display at this point? Where on the display is she supposed to go? I know it takes 24 hours after the next step is done. I had a 2013 FFET but the salesperson set up MFM for me and I don't remember the steps. So simple step-by-step instructions would be appreciated. Thanks so much.

Thanks, flyingcheesehead, and everyone, for the kind words. Yes, I am enjoying my Tesla Model S very much. The whole leasing and delivery process was so different from your typical dealership - I'm sorry to say. The car drives/rides so smoothly, the regenerative braking is very strong, and even my 70 kw has unbelievable power and torque. I have met so many very nice fellow Tesla owners since I got the S in March. Have gone on road trips. Lots of fun and camaraderie. Then there's the whole thing of NEVER having to stop at a gas station or for an oil change. The emissions sticker is good for 5 years. Car-pool lane access. I charge using the 30-amp outlet for my clothes dryer. My solar panels take care of the electricity. The batteries will charge up to 230 miles but I normally keep it at around 190. That's more than enough just for running around town. But for longer trips the SuperCharger system is fantastic. Still, when I look at a Ford Fusion, I feel a sense of sadness because THAT could have been Ford's "Tesla Model 3." It's the right size. But the corporate commitment just wasn't there. Hopefully Ford will catch up. Thanks again.

I'm assuming you are getting good info on all that. If not, talk to someone at Tesla. I could have gotten the AP for a 30-day trial but didn't do it because didn't want to spend the money later on. Everything is sent wirelessly. No dealership visits. Hoping it all works out for you.

Hi, Hybridbear. I was reluctant to say what EV I got because it isn't a Ford and I didn't want to appear to "diss" Ford. But what I got is a 2016 Tesla Model S with the 70kwh batteries. No, I'm not rich but was very surprised that I could afford to lease it even on my mostly-Social Security income. I got the least expensive model at the time but they just came out with one that is even less. Of course I traded my 2013 FFET and got a very good price for it since it was in mint condition. I never in a million years thought I'd be able to even sniff a Tesla but I just had to go for it. My heart still skips a beat every time I see a Fusion and I visualize that car with the battery pack under the floor board but that just wasn't in Ford's plans. Thanks.

After almost 3 years, I traded my 2013 Ford Fusion Energi . I really want to thank the members of this forum for all their help and feedback for the time I had the car. The car was in mint condition when I traded it. 16,466 miles. I truly loved my FFE but found out I could afford an EV. I started with a hybrid (a Prius), then bought the plugin hybrid FFE, but my ultimate goal was always to get a true EV. I'm at the age where one has "Bucket Lists" and an EV was a dream of mine. I always felt sad that Ford didn't enthusiastically "sell" the great things about the FFE, and that the general public isn't educated well enough to appreciate the technology behind the FFE. I really hope the new owner gets good information from a club or someone who really understands the car. I had absolutely no problems with the car except for the 12V battery dying right before I traded it. Oddly, I can still follow my car on MFM so I know roughly where it is. Thank you again, everyone, for all your feedback.

Good idea to just remove all the glued-on logos! That makes your car different.

Yes, I had the logo letters fall off my 2013 several times. The first time it was the "F," so for a while I was driving a "usion." I figured it was because of the intense heat here. But evidently it is just bad glue or something, so I would definitely take it to the dealer since it is a known problem. If Ford won't fix it, threaten to have a "Chevrolet" logo put on!

Yes, unfortunately there has been a problem with the 12V battery in the Fusion Energis for a long time. There has never been a formal recall (that I know of), but if you search through the posts on this forum you should find a LOT of posts about the 12v battery dying. I know it's too late now, but there is a way to jump-start your car. On the right side under the hood. Maybe a red something? Sorry. I'm mechanically-challenged but I know one of the very helpful regulars on this forum may be able to explain it better. But other than the 12V, the car has been a joy for me.

I agree with Murphy. My 2013 died very suddenly at only 16k miles. I got it jump-started via a battery connection under the hood and went to my local Ford dealer and the 12V was replaced under warranty. Wishing you the best.

Well, Ford sure changed its tune within a very short time, because the last thing I read was that Ford was quite happy with the 100-mile (maybe) range on the Focus and had no interest in going to 200 miles of range on any Ford vehicle. But it is welcome news.

Yes. I'm sorry to say that I have to echo all of the comments about Ford not really being committed to selling non-ICE cars. Starting with the salesperson who knew less than me and really wasn't that interested, to no advertising, to no charging, to trying to sell me on oil changes I didn't need, and just a general lack of enthusiasm for any car that has a battery other than just a 12-volt. But it's not just Ford. I hear complaints from Chevy Volt owners that their cars are not being promoted. And Nissan Leaf owners who find the charging stations blocked or ICEd. Of course it doesn't help when the media and the politicians either ignore or deny climate change. I believe that some executives at Ford really are trying to promote plugins but they are not being supported by the higher-ups. Hopefully Tesla has awakened enough people to where there will now start to be some genuine interest in plugin cars across the board.

That's exciting news but I still wish Ford had made the Fusion into an EV. If they had, it would be Ford selling 300+ instead of Tesla.

Thank you, Ford Doctor! I will try that if she has an iPhone. And the fact that you have a 2016 FFE makes me more confident that it will work for her. Thanks again.

Thanks so much, Murphy! Yes, I'd forgotten that I needed to set up the app on the website on my PC first. I have printed out your instructions and will try to set things up for her. She doesn't think she needs it but when I told her it would help if her car is ever stolen, she became more interested. Thanks again.

Hi. I am going to try to help someone who has a 2016 FFE to install the MFM app on their phone. I have a 2013 FFE and the MFM has worked most of the time for me, but it has been 3 years since I installed the MFM app and I don't remember what kind of info it needed. Obviously a username and password, but what other info does the app need in order to set up MFM for a 2016 FFE? The person with the 2016 FFE is a little overwhelmed with technology and has severe arthritis, so I'm trying to help her out. I don't remember what kind of phone she has but I know it's fairly new. Not sure if it is an iPhone or an Android. I have had problems with MFM not working for many days from time to time, so I hope the version for the 2016 FFE works better. I will try to set up the 4-digit passcode for her. Any guidance is appreciated. Thanks.

Well, my MFM finally started working (after 33 days?) this afternoon. I took the car back to the Ford dealer because the 12v battery died this morning and at the same time told them that the MFM still wasn't working. They threw up their hands and gave me a phone number to call. They said it was AT&T's fault, but I think they must do something sometimes when they're servicing my car that causes it to make MFM re-start. Or maybe it was disconnecting/reconnecting the 12v battery. Who knows?? By the way, my car had 16,430 miles on it when the 12v battery died. That's way too soon. Something is obviously not right. I hadn't left the lights or anything else on, plus I don't think you can.