My almost useless MyFordMobile app

It was one of the last hot days of summer. The car was parked in the shade and it was plugged in in the parking lot of the ZOO and I forgot to crack the windows and open the sunroof.




So while the seals were swimming, I got my phone and tried to cool the car before leaving. All I got was an error message.




I tried to lock the doors. It worked. I tried to set the GoTime and the temperature. No luck.


It’s not the best app on the market. It is sometimes frustrating but it is definitely the only app for the Fusion Energi. It is a little bit confusing and many times all I got was an error message.


This time the error persisted for days.

The coolest feature of the app, the remote cooling was not working. I tried the heater too, but no luck.


I returned to my basic computer experiences determined by the Trinity of ALT-CTRL-DEL.


I updated the app.

I powered down my iPhone and turned it on after half an hour. No luck.

I signed out from the app and signed in again. Nothing.

I deleted the app and installed it and IT WORKED!


Later I learned that as a desperate fourth try I should have been doing the same thing with the car. Power down the car. Disconnect the car battery in the trunk. Seriously. Wait four minutes. Connect it again and reprogram every lost settings. (In case of C-MAX before trying this you can look for the fuse box under the glove compartment. Remove fuse F67. Wait two minutes. Reinsert the fuse and pray.)


Now I’m just wondering whether can we add a RESET button to our computerized cars.

How to prevent charging cable theft?

When I first connected my Ford Fusion Energi to a public charging point with my own cable I started to wonder whether it is safe.

I wasn’t worried about technical safety. I was sure if I got electrocuted by error of the manufacturer, my offsprings would have a comfortable life after the lawsuit and I was also sure that I wouldn’t be electrocuted. I trust technology.

I don’t trust people. At least, I don’t trust anyone with a $600 charger left alone in a dark corner of a parking lot. Dead bodies are found in those places in crime shows. If dead bodies can be found, then chargers can be stolen.

On a Ford Fusion Energi it is pretty simple. You just unplug it on both ends and run. Or drive. I think it is not surprising that you can find dozens of “used” charging cables on eBay. Sellers claim that they had two cables and ran out of lease or sold their cars and they did not need the other one.

Less professional thieves can sell the copper of the cable for around $2 per pound which can buy a lot of beer.

So I wanted some protection for my beloved charger. I googled it and found almost nothing. I found the defunct page of Connector Protector. First I liked the idea and ordered one, but the page seemed to be abandoned and I had no luck in buying the protector or in contacting. Even their phone number belongs to a dentist now.

I was about to try to find them, but I started to think. Park at a public charging place. Get the cable, put the protector on the cable, get in the car, park on the cable and then get out of the car, plug the cable… and doing this pilgrimage again after returning seemed like a hassle. If someone thinks it is not, they can buy a drop over cable protector ramp. 

These are mostly a little bit too long (39”), but you can cut them in two and share the cost or have a replacement or buy a modular corner section which is small and weighs about 5 pounds (ouch). 





Cable protector ramps are sturdy and many of them are designed to support heavy weight. If someone is afraid of theft and is not afraid of a daily ritual of getting in and out of the car, they can protect the charging cable. I wasn’t sure about the getting in and out part.

A tire boot seemed like a better idea. The cable can go between the boot and the tire. Installing it seemed easy, but a booting my own car sounded like a little bit perverted idea.

“Can this prevent being booted by parking enforcement?” I asked myself.

Carrying a big, awkward metal wasn’t appealing. Otherwise, the piece seemed to be good for self defense against sword bearing barbarians.

Also, installing it in winter with all the mud and water and snow seemed to be a dirty job.

I started to think about locking the cable. Ford Fusion Energi had no place to put a lock around the charging port, but sometimes there are poles and signs. These are good to lock one end of a bike lock too. The other one can be attached to the charging unit. If it can be attached. There are some charging units without holes. So you can add an extra lock, to lock the lock to the cable... Otherwise bike locks are a viable solution and the can be attached to the wheel itself.

This led me to the idea of a smaller locking device. Like handcuffs. This can be a viable option for a police officer or a BDSM person, but handcuffing my own cable to a pole or to the wheel of my own car is something surreal. On the other hand it isn’t a good solution because the metal of the handcuffs can scratch the paint, so I need leather handcuffs. No way.

The idea of a small device was still intriguing. Something that I can have in the trunk with the charging cable compartment or in the glove box or in my pocket. I started to look for smaller locks and found my kind of solution. A snowboard lock. It’s a quality lock. It’s inexpensive. It’s small. It can be attached to the front wheel and the cable. It has a combination lock, so no lost keys or cars permanently attached to poles.

 

 It’s not perfect, but it is a good solution.