Letter from ford

Got a note today that my 2013 E450 (2014 PC) manual is wrong.  Supposedly manual says engine will cut off if left idling for more than 30 min.  Not so per letter.  So, did this take 8 years for ford to figure out, or that I’ve only had the unit for 10 months for them to catch up with me?  Don’t know it it covers more than one year model?

I got the same letter from Ford but it was for my 2019 Ford Ranger.

I got the letter concerning my 2015 2552 in the mail today.  Not sure what to make of it all.  I guess I'll just keep driving it as usual. 

Obviously Ford knew it but until some whiner ####### about it they also knew the vast majority were smart enough to know it was a miss print.

EPA ?

Modern convenience of key-less fobs for car operation  has made for a safety problem.  Now the driver doesnt turn the engine on and off, the computer does. And companies dont want to bother us with buzzers and bells......HOW do you stop people from leaving their cars running now that they dont have to turn them off to leave with the "key"?  It used to be that if you didnt turn off the car, you didnt have your keys to get in the house. Now that we dont have to do all that work of putting a key in, turning it, etc Life is SO much better, how could we go back? Especially now that you have trained your customers to 'NEED' a keyless fob that you can sell for hundreds of dollars?  Cant just go offering keys back to them.... how primitive... Be like a car without an infotainment screen!

https://www.kidsandcars.org/2018/03/02/general-motors-quietly-installs-keyless-engine-shutoff/

Because keys were SO hard to use? My wife has been locked out of her running car because of this key fob feature. Car running at our gate, key fob left inside while she checked the mail. Door closes, and LOCKS. Even going up to the house, getting the spare manual key (WHEW!), popping off the cover on the handle, use the manual key...AND IT RELOCKS INSTANTLY.  .  This was a 'feature' that had to be disabled. Somehow, after ~20 min of trying, she got the timing just right to open the door. And we both have the OCD of "WHERE IS THE &^%$^&%$ FOB!  Do not leave the car without the FOB! Used to be you KNEW where the keys were....in the ignition. (duh) NOW... I can press the button to stop the car... and where did the fob go? Cup holder? Fall down between the seats? In Mrs V's bra? All are possible and regular places. 

The car can be in the drive, unlocked. I dont have the FOB, and dont want to walk several hundred feet to get it.  But I wish to secure the car for the night. Easy right? Go to use the electric locks...nope. You cant lock the car manually without key fob present.  Nice feature. Walk upto the house, go in and get the fob, NOW I am allowed to lock the car.

I guess I should enjoy the privilege of shifting my own car.  For now. Sooner or later drivers will be stupid enough that automatic will be the only option.





We used to have 'full time green lights' on the northbound lanes on US1 as it goes along the inter-coastal waterway. You cant turn right into the river, so why not?  Well....

Modern crash avoidance systems couldnt handle it. Drivers arent so trusted as much now, so the cars take over. And the driver has no choice.

So a car going into a left merge and 'seeing' the cars rushing in from the right "panics" and applies the brakes. This causes an accident, and stops traffic. The car does this without the driver wanting or needing it. But it is for the greater good...

The cars 'won'. The drive up the river is now a stop-and-go traffic light fest, instead of a pleasant cruise.



Hey now...for someone just barely into AARP range, I do a pretty good 'Old Man' rant!  GET OFF MY LAWN YOU KIDS!!!   

Volkemon

You know, I have wondered the same myself.   One of my sons has a newer vehicles.  Wife and I went to their place to watch their kids while my son and his wife went off to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary.

He drove to the airport, they got out, got their luggage, he handed me the fob and they go in the terminal and I go to start the car.  Hit the start button... Nothing.   Make sure car is in park... Yup.   Try to start car... Nada.   Run into the terminal, find him, ask him the secret to starting his car.   We go out to the car, he starts it right up... Seems with that system, even with the car parked, you MUST also be stepping on the brake!   Duh!

Like I should know that,   Step on the clutch... Yea, but it's an automatic so ya gotta step on the brake now!   

I totally agree, federal regs trying to be safety conscious have so many darn "safety features" it is a real PITA.

What was wrong with keys, park locks before you could remove the key!

Yea, back in the time, I found out (as about an 8 year old) that I could move my parent's car by just pressing the starter button.   No key needed, engine wouldn't start (no key so ignition is off) but until I ran the battery down, it was fun going up and down the driveway via the starter!   Boy did I get spanked when my dad got home!

Ahhh... the good old days,

Yea, back in the time, I found out (as about an 8 year old) that I could move my parent's car by just pressing the starter button.   No key needed, engine wouldn't start (no key so ignition is off) but until I ran the battery down, it was fun going up and down the driveway via the starter!   Boy did I get spanked when my dad got home!

Ahhh... the good old days,

LOL   

For me, it was flooding the carburetor.

  Whenever Dad would go in to the store and leave me in the car,  I would ALWAYS get in the driver seat and 'race'.  Dad learned that

A) I was gonna do it, no matter how hard he whupped me. I lived to drive ANYTHING as a child.  and
B) he had to ALWAYS start the car like it is flooded...because I had pumped the float bowl dry 'racing' while he was inside. And flooded it. Again.

Mom had to get a few jumpstarts.   

We now return to the thread in progress. RE: Automatic engine shutdown, or lack thereof.   Looks like a programming issue. 

https://ford.oemdtc.com/3920/customer-satisfaction-program-18b21-automatic-engine-idle-shutdown-2018-ford-edge-expedition

As a retired computer programmer, I guess I am now at liberty to reveal the truth about computers:

To really screw something up, you need a computer!

I get it. Some one whining so the co has to send out tens of thousands of letters.  I will say every vehicle I’ve owned that has remote start (The E450 does not ) would shut down between 20 to 30 minutes. My company Escalade did at 20 mins. I think my previous company car , a Denali went a bit longer. 

15 to 20 years ago (before high tech) we met some old friends for church at our mega-church (big parking lot).  Irene and I were walking towards the entrance when we stumbled upon our friends parking their car.  They both get out, we hug, talk, and walk in to church together.  After the service, we stay longer for coffee and catching up on things.  We were there nearly 3 hours.  When finished, we walk out together to their car to find his driver's door wide open, keys in the ignition, engine running, apparently just as he left it.

We still have a good laugh over that story.

High tech would have helped in that case.

Our 2014 Nissan Altima has the keyless thing, push button start thing, etc.  I love it.  It's worked for me since Veterans Day 2013 and 83,000 miles without failure.  Now I get into a regular car and have to think.

I get it. Some one whining so the co has to send out tens of thousands of letters.  I will say every vehicle I’ve owned that has remote start (The E450 does not ) would shut down between 20 to 30 minutes. My company Escalade did at 20 mins. I think my previous company car , a Denali went a bit longer.

If my 2016 Edge did that, I'd never be able to upgrade the "Sync" system that controls the GPS, bluetooth, phone, and entertainment package.  Twice in the past, it's hung and locked up completely while simply typing on the touchscreen, which controls everything.  When it does that, you have to pull over and reboot the entire car (shut it off and back on) to regain control.  The solution both times was 2 hours idling in the carport while the system downloads and installs an upgrade over WIFI.  On our last trip to Missouri, it started doing it again, so I see another upgrade session in my future.

Like I said, in order to really screw up something, you need a computer!  That goes double for automobiles.  I don't ever remember having to reboot my '67 Mustang to regain control over the radio!

blue blaze, I can tell you is GM products shut down after 20-30 minutes when started with remote start. If you return to your vehicle within that time and place the key in the ignition (pre fob) then everything worked and you could drive. With the key fob system once in the car everything worked. If someone broke into the car and attempted to drive off it would not go out of park nor would the instrumentation work etc. The remote start system is designed for the owner to warm up or cool down the vehicle. This is only when started with the remote start and the owner does not go to the vehicle within the designated time frame.  Hence the Manual that came with the car advised this is how the system worked and let you know it will shut down. This has nothing to do with being started under normal circumstances with the operator in the vehicle.