A/C Compressor does not turn off

[shaggy314]

Thanks for taking up the torch.  I look forward to your updates.  I'm trying to get in to my service advisor to go over my list of "what the...?" and this one is on it.  I got bothered about it again this morning.

 

All weekend I operated climate as outside vent only and AC off.  I have learned that just turning climate on and off will have it resume my last settings with the exception of the fan speed which always seems to come on as auto.  This morning I decided to shortcut and just hit the fan speed button.  This put the climate on, AC ON and airflow set to Auto.  Though the "Auto" light was not on to indicate full auto.  So I had to hit the airflow for vent and the AC button to get the compressor off.

 

It just shouldn't have to be a multi-step process in my opinion.

 

New from Ford, My Ford Touch Sync MACROS with .NET

[Hewlettk]

Matt from Ford called and said "The vehicle is functioning the way it was designed to function and I (Matt) am sorry it doesn't perform the way you (Hewlett) expect it to function." Matt said he would send this report to the department that writes the Owners Manual. I said I didn't buy a new car to be sorry, I said I want the vehicle to perform the way the Owner's Manual says it is supposed to function, not the way it is functioning. Matt says he will escalate the case to the Regional Customer Service Manager, Mario who will be in contact with me either Tuesday or Wednesday

[rprobst]

Philip told me the reason the driver can't turn off the A/C compressor is because it is needed to "cool the battery pack". I made the observation that if that were true, then turning off the Climate Control system would overheat the battery pack, so this explanation, while plausible, probably isn't 100% accurate. There are fan(s) in the back of the car to cool the charger and battery pack.

 

Hmmm, this kind of makes sense. AIUI, the battery is cooled by ducting air from the cabin, with the assumption that the people in the car will have cooled the cabin for their own comfort if it is really hot outside. So making it hard to turn off the compressor is a reasonable strategy to making it more likely that the battery will be properly cooled.

 

But then, why have a button labelled AC? Could use that button space on the central console to control something else, something that Ford is more willing to let you switch off.

 

All this is just speculation, of course.

[Hewlettk]

Exactly rprobst! When it is 70 degrees in the cabin, why can't we shut off the compressor with the A/C button?

I can understand the A/C compressor coming on when it is 90 in the cabin to protect the battery pack.

But that logic is flawed, because we can turn off the system entirely, open the windows on a dry 95 degree day and unknowingly overheat the battery pack.

Energizers logic is completely illogical.

[Hewlettk]

I just got off the phone with the Ford regional supervisor, Mario, very nice fellow, but as he said in the beginning of our conversation can only talk to the engineering contacts and forward our comments. So here is the crux of our conversation:

A/C not turning off, the people in Ford engineering say the A/C system is working "as engineered". He says there is a new owners manual coming out, but doesn't know if there are changes made in it regarding this issue. I asked "when you turn off the A/C in the car you drive, do you expect the A/C to go off?" He said yes he does, but this [the Fusion Energi] is a new car, and that is the way it was engineered.

Windows malfunctioning, he says take it to the Ford dealership again.

Navigation not always working, there is a new software update out today.

No comment on the stereo "surround" setting going back to "stereo" the next day, or the

Sound system coming on when it was off the last time I shut down the car.

Mario says Ford monitors the forums (sure it is Energized who is the Ford mole since he is the one who defends the A/C not turning off when we want it turned off), and they will see there is an issue.

I don't think that Ford will see there is an issue since Energized so vehemently defends the functioning of the HVAC system.

 

Getting ready to go to CarMax who will give me 34 thousand for the car, which is an awful thought, but I really don't want to own a car from a company who can't acknowledge a fault (A/C button) and work on fixing it. What a shame!

[apm]

Navigation not always working, there is a new software update out today.

 

Hi Hewlettk,

 

Do you know the version number of this software update? I just went to syncmyride and I could not find an update.

 

Thanks,

APM

Edited April 22, 2013 at 03:05 PM by apm

[Hewlettk]

APM,

Mario told me the number and that it came out today. Didn't write it down as he offered to call the dealer and set up the appointment. I said I would call the dealer and set it up. The dealer is looking for the update as I write this. Sorry not to copy down the number!

APM, just wondering, do you like the A/C button to turn off the A/C ? (my biggest concern with the car).

Hewlett

[apm]

APM,

Mario told me the number and that it came out today. Didn't write it down as he offered to call the dealer and set up the appointment. I said I would call the dealer and set it up. The dealer is looking for the update as I write this. Sorry not to copy down the number!

APM, just wondering, do you like the A/C button to turn off the A/C ? (my biggest concern with the car).

Hewlett

Hi Hewlettk,

 

I don't like all that much, but since I already know who to really turn it off, I'm not letting it bother me. I like the car too much to let that worry me.

 

The way I turn it off, whenever AUTO comes on, is that I go onto the MFT screen and hit the FAN button to 2 or 3 bars and then hit the blower button to use the top vents, and then I can turn off the A/C if I want to. I never let it run on Auto as I think it uses too much energy.

 

Regards,

APM 

[shaggy314]

You'd think on a car where power was a concern, if you wanted to have vents and window or sunroof open that you'd be able to power down the rest of the system. IF the battery got too warm, then flash a message saying 'Battery requests cooling, please hit auto temperature' and if nothing happens do it for you... then power it back off when it was ok. As complicated as this car is, that doesn't sound too hard.

Edited April 22, 2013 at 07:59 PM by shaggy314

[Energized]

I just got off the phone with the Ford regional supervisor, Mario, very nice fellow, but as he said in the beginning of our conversation can only talk to the engineering contacts and forward our comments. So here is the crux of our conversation:

A/C not turning off, the people in Ford engineering say the A/C system is working "as engineered". He says there is a new owners manual coming out, but doesn't know if there are changes made in it regarding this issue. I asked "when you turn off the A/C in the car you drive, do you expect the A/C to go off?" He said yes he does, but this [the Fusion Energi] is a new car, and that is the way it was engineered.

Windows malfunctioning, he says take it to the Ford dealership again.

Navigation not always working, there is a new software update out today.

No comment on the stereo "surround" setting going back to "stereo" the next day, or the

Sound system coming on when it was off the last time I shut down the car.

Mario says Ford monitors the forums (sure it is Energized who is the Ford mole since he is the one who defends the A/C not turning off when we want it turned off), and they will see there is an issue.

I don't think that Ford will see there is an issue since Energized so vehemently defends the functioning of the HVAC system.

 

Getting ready to go to CarMax who will give me 34 thousand for the car, which is an awful thought, but I really don't want to own a car from a company who can't acknowledge a fault (A/C button) and work on fixing it. What a shame!

 

LOL, sorry to ruin a perfectly good conspiracy theory, but I'm sad to report that I am not a mole from an international corporation who has surreptitiously burrowed (pun intended) my way into this message board.

 

Thanks though for a humorous start to the week !

[Energized]

Hi Hewlettk,

 

I don't like all that much, but since I already know who to really turn it off, I'm not letting it bother me. I like the car too much to let that worry me.

 

The way I turn it off, whenever AUTO comes on, is that I go onto the MFT screen and hit the FAN button to 2 or 3 bars and then hit the blower button to use the top vents, and then I can turn off the A/C if I want to. I never let it run on Auto as I think it uses too much energy.

 

Regards,

APM 

 

I usually press the Vent symbol or use voice commands to get into Manual mode.

 

<CLIMATE>  wait for tone, then

<VENT>

 

or

 

<CLIMATE>   then

<MANUAL>

 

It stays in Manual mode until you take it out of Manual mode by touching, or saying, AUTO.  

 

In Manual mode I press the A/C button, or use the voice commands to turn on/off the A/C.

 

On a side note, I found out you can use the voice commands for <RECIRULATE> , which I use when following smelly vehicles.

[Hewlettk]

Dear APM,

You are right, it really is an amazing car! Sorry not to get back to you  on the software earlier.

AutoNation Ford got back to me. The update didn't appear for my car on the VIN list. So Mario was incorrect. The update numbered 13A01 is for cars manufactured before 11/27/2012. I didn't think they were making Energi's back then, but the update definitely won't help anyone I have seen on this site, seems everyone's car was manufactured in '13.

Erik from AutoNation said he thinks there will be a 13A02 for cars manufactured later than 11/27/2012.

Thank you for your thoughts on the HVAC system. I am one of those people who don't rest until at least someone acknowledges the system isn't working properly. And I got a little closer to that today.

Sorry for the false hope on a software upgrade, think the gang in customer support spends their days putting out fires, no time to really find out what is really going on. I was disappointed as well.

Can't wait to have a properly operating car! Windows, Nav, HVAC, stereo and all!

Hewlett

[Hewlettk]

LOL, sorry to ruin a perfectly good conspiracy theory, but I'm sad to report that I am not a mole from an international corporation who has surreptitiously burrowed (pun intended) my way into this message board.

 

Thanks though for a humorous start to the week !

Thank you Energized!

I just have a hard time with things that don't work properly, and then have people making excuses instead of fixing them!

Came out of 17 years in the manufacturing business, over 20 million widgets a year. I have no tolerance for suppliers making up excuses for parts and chemicals out of tolerance, and zero tolerance for defective items leaving our shop to our customers!

William Edwards Deming taught the Japanese how to manufacture when US industry turned a deaf ear. Our lunch was eaten by a bombed out little island in the Pacific. Our arrogance quickly turned to humility when we saw Deming was right.

Now Ford Customer Relations suggests changing the Owner's Manual instead of fixing our cars. Completely ludicrous! Ford has terrific engineers and great products. Why let them be undermined by a overwhelmed Customer Relations Department. When the cars are perfect, Ford won't need a customer Relations department.

Just want the A.C to go off when I press the button like every other car except ours (works on the C-Max Energi because their HVAC system comes from a different supplier), really not asking a lot here.

Edited April 23, 2013 at 03:57 AM by Hewlettk