Ford recalling nearly 24000 EV's and C-max

[Susan]

There goes our peace and quiet.
http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/04/ford-recall-focus-ev-c-max-door-chime/

 

[unplugged]

There goes our peace and quiet.
http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/04/ford-recall-focus-ev-c-max-door-chime/

Odd. Maybe it is supposed to chime when you leave the fob in the car? Because my door chimes as soon as I open it if the car is "running." Otherwise, if I leave the car, the horn honks twice, alerting everyone in the general vicinity that you left your Focus on. So I don't understand what it isn't doing. Maybe by March 2013 they had chimes working? Is it supposed to chime even when it is off and you are in the car? If so, I'll tell them to leave my car alone!

 

[WattsUp]

There goes our peace and quiet.
http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/04/ford-recall-focus-ev-c-max-door-chime/

Odd. Maybe it is supposed to chime when you leave the fob in the car? Because my door chimes as soon as I open it if the car is "running." Otherwise, if I leave the car, the horn honks twice, alerting everyone in the general vicinity that you left your Focus on. So I don't understand what it isn't doing. Maybe by March 2013 they had chimes working? Is it supposed to chime even when it is off and you are in the car? If so, I'll tell them to leave my car alone!

When you walk away from the key fob it honks? Mine doesn't do that. How far do you have to walk?

On the other hand, mine chimes if I open the door while the car is on.

 

[jmueller065]

There was some wild speculation over on inside EVs (in the comments) that this recall is really a way for Ford to get all the FFE's back to the dealership to fix the SSN errors; especially with the recall coming during a government shutdown..

Not sure about that the post read like a bunch of wild conspiracies to me...

 

[unplugged]

When you walk away from the key fob it honks? Mine doesn't do that. How far do you have to walk?

On the other hand, mine chimes if I open the door while the car is on.

I wasn't very clear. If you walk away with the key fob in your pocket and the FFE is running, the horn honks when you get past the bumper. (It would be cool to have it honk when you walk away from the fob, but I don't know how it would know.)

 

[WattsUp]

When you walk away from the key fob it honks? Mine doesn't do that. How far do you have to walk?

I wasn't very clear. If you walk away with the key fob in your pocket and the FFE is running, the horn honks when you get past the bumper.

I understood. I've inadvertently walked away with my key fob and the car running before and it didn't honk. Maybe I'll try it again.

 

[unplugged]

I understood. I've inadvertently walked away with my key fob and the car running before and it didn't honk. Maybe I'll try it again.

What did you find out? On the one hand it is an irritant because the horn is LOUD and it honks twice, but on the other hand, I walked away from the car once and forgot to turn it off. I guess that makes up for all the times that I drop off the mail at the street side mailbox and the car honks at me every. single. time. twice.

 

[unplugged]

There goes our peace and quiet.
http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/04/ford-recall-focus-ev-c-max-door-chime/

Has anyone figured out exactly what chime behavior changes after the "fix" from the recall? I am seriously thinking about not allowing Ford to touch the car because I am happy with the way it works now.

 

[WattsUp]

I understood. I've inadvertently walked away with my key fob and the car running before and it didn't honk. Maybe I'll try it again.

What did you find out?

When I left work today, I turned on my car and then got out, taking the key. I walked about 25 feet away and waited about 30 seconds. No honk. When I got home today, about 15 miles later, I left the car on and did the same thing. Again, no honk.

So, I dunno... does it say in the manual that the honking should occur? Or, did you just discover that it does with your FFE? Is there some way to enable/disable the honking feature? If so, perhaps it is disabled in my FFE?

I actually left my FFE on unintentionally once.... taking my key into work. I didn't try, but I wonder if someone could have driven off in the car?!? So, I would actually like to enable the feature, if possible.

 

[TedMH]

There goes our peace and quiet.
http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/04/ford-recall-focus-ev-c-max-door-chime/

Did this particular recall ever materialize? I don't think I ever saw an actual recall number assigned by ford and I can't recall seeing any email or postcard notices from ford.

 

[WattsUp]

There goes our peace and quiet.
http://www.autoblog.com/2013/10/04/ford-recall-focus-ev-c-max-door-chime/

Did this particular recall ever materialize? I don't think I ever saw an actual recall number assigned by ford and I can't recall seeing any email or postcard notices from ford.

Yes, I received a postcard in the mail about two weeks ago.

The recall is known as 13V-475 with the NHTSA:
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/p...ype=QuickSearch&rcl_ID=13V475000&summary=true

The recall is known as 13C07 with Ford and descrbied as:
RECONFIGURE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER (IPC) MODULE

If you do a Vehicle Health Report, you will probably find the recall (among others) listed for your car in the report.

 

[jmueller065]

When I left work today, I turned on my car and then got out, taking the key. I walked about 25 feet away and waited about 30 seconds. No honk. When I got home today, about 15 miles later, I left the car on and did the same thing. Again, no honk.

So, I dunno... does it say in the manual that the honking should occur? Or, did you just discover that it does with your FFE? Is there some way to enable/disable the honking feature? If so, perhaps it is disabled in my FFE?

The owners manual does NOT say that the car will honk the horn if you walk away with the "engine running" and the key in your pocket (see page 258 of the 2013 guide). It does mention that the dash will indicate such and you'll hear a chime.
I happened to do this yesterday and got the "Ready to Drive" indicator with a chime in the car when I opened the drivers door.

I have had the car honk at me before but that was when I had left the key in the car, got out and closed the door (nobody in the car but the key was left inside).

 

[WindPowered]

I have had the car honk at me before but that was when I had left the key in the car, got out and closed the door (nobody in the car but the key was left inside).

This isn't quite how I experience it. I have no door chime (because I haven't done the recall update), but the car does honk at me. Steps to reproduce.

1) Key in pocket, start car normally.
2) Drive car.*
3) Put car in park, but leave car running.
4) Get out of car (key still in pocket), close door.
5) Horn honks twice.

This is true for any door that is opened and closed at this point. e.g. If you then walked to the back and opened and closed the rear hatch, it would honk twice again when closing the hatch.

* I haven't tested it without doing this, but this may not be necessary.


WP

 

[WattsUp]

Hmm, I didn't close the door when I tried last night... maybe that's the difference.

However, when I left my car on in the parking lot and went into work, I took the key, and definitely closed the door.

 

[unplugged]

Hmm, I didn't close the door when I tried last night... maybe that's the difference.

Yes, you need to close the door for the honk to occur. (Otherwise the FFE thinks you are coming back, so why honk.)

But it isn't a sometimes thing with my FFE. It definitely honks twice whenever I get past a bumper with the car running and my key dongle thingy in my pocket.

Also, and correct me if I am wrong, but I understand that the recall will only add the chime for instances when you leave the car running and open the door. Is this correct, because my FFE already does this.

 

[az erik]

Hmm, I didn't close the door when I tried last night... maybe that's the difference.

Yes, you need to close the door for the honk to occur. (Otherwise the FFE thinks you are coming back, so why honk.)

But it isn't a sometimes thing with my FFE. It definitely honks twice whenever I get past a bumper with the car running and my key dongle thingy in my pocket.

Also, and correct me if I am wrong, but I understand that the recall will only add the chime for instances when you leave the car running and open the door. Is this correct, because my FFE already does this.

Mine chimes and says the car's range and "Ready to drive" or something like that. Same ding as the start up ding. As for the honk I get it when I close the door to get my mail with the key in my pocket. Timing is just right that it's at the front bumper, same happens if I go to the back, it's just timing. I leave the door open, no honk, this is nicer to my neighborhood as I check my mail at 7pm or so and the house next to the boxes has a infant.

 

[WattsUp]

Last night, I tried with the door closed... still no honk. Car left on. In park. Handbrake on. I walked 25 feet away, taking the key.

But, my FFE doesn't chime either, I think, when I open the door with the car on. (Is that what the chime "fix" is supposed to do? I'm not really clear on when the fixed chiming is supposed to occur.)

Perhaps the new chiming and honking feature are related? And, I have neither since I don't have the fix applied yet?

 

[unplugged]

But, my FFE doesn't chime either, I think, when I open the door with the car on. (Is that what the chime "fix" is supposed to do? I'm not really clear on when the fixed chiming is supposed to occur.)

Perhaps the new chiming and honking feature are related? And, I have neither since I don't have the fix applied yet?

Very interesting. It looks like some FFEs were put together correctly, while others were not. Mine seems to react as it should even though it has not had the recall fix.