2017 Focus EV Does Not Start

[Eugene Wilson]

Bought new Focus EV last week. Got car home and immediately having problems with it NOT STARTING. Press the start button and pull it into reverse. All looks normal, but pressing the accelerator pedal does NOTHING. Eventually it gets better and starts.

Then a couple of days later same thing. Stuck at the mall. It's 100 degrees. Get to car. It appears to start and goes into gear, but pressing pedal does nothing. So I have a brand new vehicle towed to dealership. Dealer gets it and it starts and runs fine. Dealer pulls codes and finds no problem.

So I take it back. Go to grocery store on way home. Come out and get in car. It's running. Radio is playing and won't turn off. CAR won't turn off. After multiple times trying to stop the car and restart, it finally starts up normally.

 

[EVA]

The car is a bit different from an ICE. There are a couple of threads where this is discussed in detail.

What you are probably doing is not quite the exact two step dance required to start or stop the car.

Big critical thing - the car is "running" if the green car light with the two ended arrow underneath it is lit up. If that is NOT lit up, the car is not on. You can get in a crazy loop trying to start or stop the car if you sort of mess up that first two step dance.

Here's what you have to do every time you start the car. Get in the car, sit down, make sure the key fob is in the car somewhere (in your pocket or purse is fine). Now step on the brake - hold the brake down. Now press and release the start button. Now fasten your seatbelt (keep your foot on the brake). By this time the car should be ready to run - the green light is on and everything is fine. Put the car in reverse or drive and pull away.

When you stop the car, put the car in P, put your foot on the brake, press and release the start button. The green light will turn off. Now release the brake.

If you mess up either side of the equation - starting or stopping the car - sometimes you have to open and close the driver door to sort of reset everything. Repeated pressing the start button just drives the car crazy, and it won't do what you want the car to do.

I would guess you are either not holding the brake down far enough, or you are releasing the brake too soon. Timing is everything.

Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it. Everybody here has had to figure that out.

 

[jmueller065]

Everything EVA said: Just remember to not be too quick going through the procedure the car needs a few seconds to fully "wake up" and you have to give it that time to ensure that it isn't grumpy.

 

[Smoking_Rubber]

I did not realize electric cars were so finicky. I still can't wait to get mine.

 

[amped]

I don't think it's really all that finicky. You just don't get much feedback from the car to tell you if it's ON or just "on." No starter motor, no engine noise etc. Just a little icon on the dash.

Other EVs may have a more sensible system. IIRC, the Model S starts simply by sitting in the car and depressing the brake pedal (must have key fob with you, of course), which you have to do anyway to shift out of park. Model S also shuts off automatically after the driver parks and exits the vehicle.

 

[kalel14]

All for only $40,000 more.

 

[Bill]

To turn off the car, come to a stop (your foot by default is is on the brake), place selector in park (P), take foot off brake, then press the On/Off button. Opening the door, will turn off the display/radio/etc. The manual doesn't mention having foot on brake during the shutdown sequence. I just rented a Ford Fusion with push button start. Same sequence, foot off brake to shut it off.

 

[triangles]

I did not realize electric cars were so finicky. I still can't wait to get mine.

The FFE really isn't finicky. Most FFE starting issues aren't much different than holding the ignition key in the "start" position on an ICE car for too brief of a time for the ICE to start. You have to hold down the start button for 1/2 to 1 second before releasing it. As already mentioned hitting the start button quickly results in sometimes erratic behavior. Also most ICE cars won't start the engine or let you move the shifter from Park without your foot on the brake. I think the disconnect is that the FFE makes no noise when it's on. All you have to go by is the green "ready to drive" light on the dash that you must wait for before shifting out of Park. It really is as simple as foot on brake, start button press, green light comes on, shift from park and go. I'm 99% sure you don't need to hit the brake to turn it off. I never do. Just press the button. They even idiot proof it so you can't turn it off while driving resulting in a crash.

 

[user 5595]

To turn off the car, come to a stop (your foot by default is is on the brake), place selector in park (P), take foot off brake, then press the On/Off button. Opening the door, will turn off the display/radio/etc. The manual doesn't mention having foot on brake during the shutdown sequence. I just rented a Ford Fusion with push button start. Same sequence, foot off brake to shut it off.

If having a foot on the brake is required during the shutdown sequence, then I must just be in the habit of doing it. I've had my car a month and hadn't noticed that this was necessary.

It did take me a few days to train myself to depress the brake enough when turning the car on. If I was too light on the brake, it would power things up, but not into a drivable state.

I'm quite impressed with myself that I almost always remember to lock this car. I just wish I could always remember to put it into "P" when shutting down. (I come from a manual transmission, so this is kind of a foreign concept.)

If only I had a nickel for every time I panicked when I plugged in and charging wouldn't start! Reaching in and shifting to "P" (without even powering up) always resolves the problem, but it isn't always the first thing I think of.