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Remote Start - Plug In Battery or ICE?


Johnny Mo
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I have a question I was hoping you guys could answer - mainly to help troubleshoot an issue I think I have with my remote start.  Not sure when the issue started, but definitely feel that in colder weather 40-50 my remote start has not been operational.  I expect the ICE to turn on during remote start where heat/defroster is required (below 50 F) but I don't know if that is the case.

 

Does anyone know if the Remote Start uses the Plug in battery or ICE or combo of both.  Reason I ask is because even when Plugin Battery is fully depleted, I'd expect ICE to turn on from the beginning and it hasn't.  So trying to get a sense for how "should" remote start operate.

 

J Mo

2015 Fusion Energi 

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Are you trying to remote start while still being plugged in?  Car will not start if that is the case.  You should use go times for that.  If car isn't plugged in, make sure you have your settings correct.  For some reason mine all greyed out and wasn't working.  Needed to bring it in and have a TSB applied.

 

Regards,

 

DK

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The remote start uses a combo of the ice (even while plugged in) and the hvb as power demands. Generally the hvb will supply enough power to meet remote start climate demands until near freezing.

 

If your ice isn't running during a remote start that requires defrosting there is likely something wrong. Check that climate settings are correct for remote start (use last won't work if you're in the habit of turning off the climate nearing your destination) in the settings on the left lcd of the cluster.

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Oi.

 

Remote starting your car CAN use all THREE sources of power at once - Wall, Battery, and the ICE.  Depending on temperature and if the defrost is needed, it may fire the ICE, so never remote start your car in an enclosed space.  The threshold for starting the ICE also varies on the mode you left your car in when you got out.  Auto/EV Later mode is more likely to fire the ICE in cooler weather.  EV Now drops that threshold about 15 - 20 degrees or so before it'll fire.  It is most likely to start when the temperature gets under 40 in Auto, and somewhere around 20 in EV Now.

 

Set your remote start duration to 15 minutes and then go out there within that period and your car should be nice 'n warm.  Also, make sure your remote start climate setting is set to "auto" and not "last setting".  Auto makes it warm up/cool down no matter what you left your center stack at.  "Last setting" may not run your climate at all if you left it off when you powered the car down.

 

Go Times uses power ONLY from the wall.  If you're on 120v, expect a barely warm car.  240v works much better, but in below freezing weather (like 20 or so), even that won't keep up.

Edited by Russael
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Thanks guys - that helps...so my settings were greyed out a week or so ago and then they did an ssm 45143 and it fixed that but I lost my plug in mileage indicator on the battery icon.  Before that my charging ring was replaced and the dealer said that is what most likely triggered the grey out condition.

 

When my remote start was working - settings in the left menu were all on AUTO, and never when plugged in - use GO-Times for that year round.  Problem is I am not plugged in at work, so I generally remote start from my window when I cna see my car and validate the response, or from the app.  THe last several times when it was in the mid 40's F, I did not feel the same level of warmth (didn't feel any actually) when I would get out to my car - whereas in the past it was nice and toasty - seats and defroster.  So I am pretty certain at this point that my RS is not working so back to the dealership we go.

 

BTW - all of this started once I noticed my charge port ring had 1st quadrant out - then a check engine light - the trip to the dealer pointed the check engine light at the charge port ring fault, and then when I got it back - RS options fro climate were greyed out.   I think that gets us all up to date ;)

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Depending on temperature and if the defrost is needed, it may fire the ICE, so never remote start your car in an enclosed space.

Setting the Front Defrost setting to Off for remote start will keep the ICE off. We've never had remote start turn on the ICE, except once where I let it run too long & depleted the HVB down so there was no energy left in the HVB. It's been as cold as about -5 F when I've been remote starting.

 

Also, make sure your remote start climate setting is set to "auto" and not "last setting".  Auto makes it warm up/cool down no matter what you left your center stack at.  "Last setting" may not run your climate at all if you left it off when you powered the car down.

Auto is the equivalent of 72 F. We usually use Last Settings because we want more heat than what Auto will provide. We just have to remember to set the HVAC to Auto at a higher temp then before powering down the car.

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Setting the Front Defrost setting to Off for remote start will keep the ICE off. We've never had remote start turn on the ICE, except once where I let it run too long & depleted the HVB down so there was no energy left in the HVB. It's been as cold as about -5 F when I've been remote starting.

 

Auto is the equivalent of 72 F. We usually use Last Settings because we want more heat than what Auto will provide. We just have to remember to set the HVAC to Auto at a higher temp then before powering down the car.

 

I thought it interesting to turn off front defrost to keep the ICE off during a remote start.  I turned it off... remote started today, and the ICE was running.  I did leave the car in Hybrid mode when I got out last night though.  Perhaps it won't start at all if I leave it in EV Now and remote start.

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Remote start will be less likely to start the ICE when in EV now mode.  However, when temperatures are close to 0 F, the ICE will start.

 

I usually do leave it in EV Now, but I ran out of energy last night.  Hybridbear's argument says that the ICE won't start if you leave front defrost turned off (and likely leaving it in EV Now).

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I usually do leave it in EV Now, but I ran out of energy last night.  Hybridbear's argument says that the ICE won't start if you leave front defrost turned off (and likely leaving it in EV Now).

I had this same thing happen once. I had ran out of energy & was in hybrid mode when I plugged in. I then remote started while plugged in & the ICE started, even though Front Defrost was turned off in the remote start settings. You have to be in EV Now when you turn off the car to keep the ICE off.

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