[jyoung]

Hey everyone. I pick up my ‘23 Lariat ER next week and, as a complete newbie, I’m looking for all the help I can get.

Anyone have any quick tips on certain settings for features that they especially like? What are your favorite settings? Any hidden features? What lingo do I need to learn and get familiar with? Any charging tips? Anything I should/shouldn’t do?

Thanks in advance

 

[ChasingCoral]

Welcome!

Start with learning how to charge. This video from Tom Moloughney's State of Charge YouTube channel is the best around on charging a Lightning. Then watch his other videos on the F-150 Lightning.

Think of any question you have and then use the search function on the forum to look it up. Odds are that someone has already asked the question, unless it is something new.

 

[Henry Ford]

How do you anticipate using your truck? What vehicle are you replacing?

I use my truck to go to work, do home projects, tow a boat short distances, etc. In other words, range isn't a major consideration for me as long as I am able to charge at home. I replaced a 2010 F150 and have found I use the Lightning around town much more than the old truck because the cameras make parking so easy. Also, it's just a more comfortable place to be compared to my wife's Honda Odyssey.

As far as features, get familiar with the cameras; they are super useful. I use Android Auto pretty much exclusively. I haven't used Car Play but I'm guessing it's good too. If you are in the android ecosystem you can use the Action Block app to set up a virtual button on your phone to start the truck with one tap. I use it every day this time of year.

When I got the truck I sat in it and went through every screen to get familiar with what's available. The Owner's Manual is on the screen or online. There's a way to disable the seatbelt chime that is spelled out in the Owner's Manual. That's all I have right now.

 

[jyoung]

Thanks for the info. I have a 2020 F150 that I’m replacing. I will mostly be using it to commute to work, which is about 35 miles each way, run quick errands around town, and small home projects. I don’t anticipate towing hardly ever.

I did test drive one a few weeks ago and one immediate thing I noticed and didn’t like was how long the cameras stayed on the screen after shifting from reverse to drive. Is there a way to shorten the delay to get back to the home screen? Also, I use apple car play constantly so I’m looking forward to having a large version of that.

 

[Henry Ford]

Thanks for the info. I have a 2020 F150 that I’m replacing. I will mostly be using it to commute to work, which is about 35 miles each way, run quick errands around town, and small home projects. I don’t anticipate towing hardly ever.

I did test drive one a few weeks ago and one immediate thing I noticed and didn’t like was how long the cameras stayed on the screen after shifting from reverse to drive. Is there a way to shorten the delay to get back to the home screen? Also, I use apple car play constantly so I’m looking forward to having a large version of that.

Settings>Driver Assistance>Rear View Camera Delay

 

[rio]

My first piece of advice would be to set yourself up with L2 charging at home, if you haven't yet.

 

[jyoung]

My first piece of advice would be to set yourself up with L2 charging at home, if you haven't yet.

Yes. We just finished building a house and had the electrician put in a 100a line for it. Unfortunately, I’ve got to have him temporarily install a 240 outlet until the CSP comes, then come back to install that.

Why Ford is delaying the shipment of the CSP, I have no idea. Makes no sense not to include it with the actual truck, in my opinion. I guess it’s maybe because of the SunRun partnership, but they aren’t in my area, thankfully.

 

[ICE No More?]

You have received some very good advise and I agree with most of the comments. I use the Lightning as my daily driver, 40 miles round trip to work, and normal weekend chores. I am using a L2 ChargePoint Charger and have my CSP still in the box. I don't think I will install it here, wait for my new home when I retire. I love the truck and admit to being an early adopter of modern inventions. I also confess to a 2022 F450 in the driveway which is my RV tow vehicle, as well as a 2021 C8. I love the smell of diesel and high octane gasoline! There is a boatload of YouTubers posting content, watch a few and see who you like and if their opinions seem valid. TFL is good, State of Charge is good, EV Dave is old school entertaining. I suspect you will enjoy your Lightning experience as much as most of of have.

 

[Ford_EV_Lightning]

This forum has been amazing. I have gotten all necessary information here just using “search community”. My experience as a new EV owner has just been fantastic. Ford has nailed it with the Lightning in my opinion. Glad to have made history by being one of first 15000 folks to have gotten this flagship gem from Ford.

My Ford Mobile charger, wall mounted gives me 16-17 miles/hr, which easily serves my 60 mile daily drive. My FCSP is still boxed — on my to do list for installation this summer.

 

[lymanwarnock]

Hey everyone. I pick up my ‘23 Lariat ER next week and, as a complete newbie, I’m looking for all the help I can get.

Anyone have any quick tips on certain settings for features that they especially like? What are your favorite settings? Any hidden features? What lingo do I need to learn and get familiar with? Any charging tips? Anything I should/shouldn’t do?

Thanks in advance

Are you buying or leasing?

 

[jyoung]

Are you buying or leasing?

Buying

 

[Henry Ford]

Yes. We just finished building a house and had the electrician put in a 100a line for it. Unfortunately, I’ve got to have him temporarily install a 240 outlet until the CSP comes, then come back to install that.

Why Ford is delaying the shipment of the CSP, I have no idea. Makes no sense not to include it with the actual truck, in my opinion. I guess it’s maybe because of the SunRun partnership, but they aren’t in my area, thankfully.

This is best case scenario for the way Ford does business, assuming you have a way to charge with the outlet you had installed. You'll get to start enjoying your truck from day one.

I'm pretty critical of the way Ford gets chargers to customers but at least they give you a charger.

 

[Ragnus]

There is a lot to go over on the truck, and a lot of it is preference. The settings menu on the 15" screen has a ton of settings you can personalize. These are just the things that I did, and my own preferences, so take them for what they're worth.

• My first stops were to turn off the chime to remind to check the backseats for kids.
• I "hid" my hotspot and modem on the truck so no one could see it by default.
• I set the screen to always be on dark mode set up my profile on the truck and synched my FOB. That was something that is great. The fact the truck actually uses profiles and not just memory settings tied to a FOB is great.
• I set up my Wi-Fi so if there is a large update, like the 4.2.1 that was pushed out the other night (not sure what it did) I didn't have to worry about the truck taking forever to download it because it would just pull from my home internet.
• I played with the cameras so I could figure out how to use them. A couple of notes here, all of the cameras are automatic. I know that is standard on some of the later model ICE trucks, but it was new to me. So, when I pull into the garage the front and 360 cameras turn on automatically when I get within a certain distance. Also, the "crush lines" or whatever cool name the kids are calling them these days, come on if you select that function. For instance, if you are backing up, when you put it in reverse the back camera comes on. If you manually select the back camera after putting it in reverse, it will change the camera to a sensor function that has lines that bend and change color based on more precise parameters. So, when you back into a spot that has a post behind like a handicap spot, you will be able to tell exactly where that pole is and how big it is. Kind of cool. It's the little things in life.
• I tried out one-pedal driving and never went back. I love it. I will say you have to be mindful when you drive your significant other's vehicle afterwards because you may almost coast into the car in front of you waiting for it to break.
• Get used to using the battery percentage instead of the miles of range left. The miles of range (or guess-o-meter (GOM)) is wildly different than reality. I drive 74 miles one way to work, all highways. Understanding that I get less range on the highway, it was telling me that I was using between 95-110 miles of range on GOM. Just get used to using the battery percentage and you'll save yourself a lot of unnecessary worrying.
• DO NOT TRY TO MANUALLY CLOSE YOUR FRUNK. It can cause problems. Use the buttons. On the flip side, the powered tailgate is cool because if it is down and you have stuff in your hand you can just use your leg to lift it a little. Once it gets to about halfway it will close itself.
• My most enthusiastic recommendation: don't use Sun Run to install. They have decent prices for install (in theory I guess), but they want you to sign a contract for installation. The wording on some of the stuff is really questionable, and other parts are just wrong. For example, it says that you must allow Sun Run access to your internet for monitoring the charging system. They obviously mean that you have to connect the charger to the internet so that the data it sends out can be monitored, but that's not what it says. Additionally, there are several clauses at the end where you have to allow Sun Run to use your data, and also allow Sun Run and their partners and other clients to contact you with sales and other offers "even if you are on a national do not call list." It was weird. Hard pass.
• If you don't travel far, you probably don't need to spend the money installing the pro-charger. Like I said, I drive 74 miles one way. I've never had a situation where I was worried about making it to work the next day with the mobile charger so long as I plug in by around 7PM. If I plug in at 7PM with around 25-30% battery, I will be charged back to 90% by 6-7AM. If you aren't traveling on highways or for a long time, it won't be worth it for you to get a bigger charger IMO.
• Lastly, set up your Ford Pass app and set up the charging options. You can do this from the truck too, but I like the app (some people have problems with it, but I haven't yet). In the Charging Locations section, you can set the charge limit for your truck. Ford recommends only charging to 90% unless you are taking a trip. You can set that up in that section so the truck stops charging when it hits a certain percentage. Also, in that same area there is a section where you can set your departure times. I have mine set to 6:30 so the truck turns on the seats and AC/Heat so that the cabin temperature is where I want it when I'm ready to leave. Since you are still plugged in during this time you don't use your battery to get your vehicle to a comfortable temperature, and your range is more accurate.

Sorry for all of possible rambling. Just some things that were either new to me or I find to be useful.

 

[jyoung]

There is a lot to go over on the truck, and a lot of it is preference. The settings menu on the 15" screen has a ton of settings you can personalize. These are just the things that I did, and my own preferences, so take them for what they're worth.

• My first stops were to turn off the chime to remind to check the backseats for kids.
• I "hid" my hotspot and modem on the truck so no one could see it by default.
• I set the screen to always be on dark mode set up my profile on the truck and synched my FOB. That was something that is great. The fact the truck actually uses profiles and not just memory settings tied to a FOB is great.
• I set up my Wi-Fi so if there is a large update, like the 4.2.1 that was pushed out the other night (not sure what it did) I didn't have to worry about the truck taking forever to download it because it would just pull from my home internet.
• I played with the cameras so I could figure out how to use them. A couple of notes here, all of the cameras are automatic. I know that is standard on some of the later model ICE trucks, but it was new to me. So, when I pull into the garage the front and 360 cameras turn on automatically when I get within a certain distance. Also, the "crush lines" or whatever cool name the kids are calling them these days, come on if you select that function. For instance, if you are backing up, when you put it in reverse the back camera comes on. If you manually select the back camera after putting it in reverse, it will change the camera to a sensor function that has lines that bend and change color based on more precise parameters. So, when you back into a spot that has a post behind like a handicap spot, you will be able to tell exactly where that pole is and how big it is. Kind of cool. It's the little things in life.
• I tried out one-pedal driving and never went back. I love it. I will say you have to be mindful when you drive your significant other's vehicle afterwards because you may almost coast into the car in front of you waiting for it to break.
• Get used to using the battery percentage instead of the miles of range left. The miles of range (or guess-o-meter (GOM)) is wildly different than reality. I drive 74 miles one way to work, all highways. Understanding that I get less range on the highway, it was telling me that I was using between 95-110 miles of range on GOM. Just get used to using the battery percentage and you'll save yourself a lot of unnecessary worrying.
• DO NOT TRY TO MANUALLY CLOSE YOUR FRUNK. It can cause problems. Use the buttons. On the flip side, the powered tailgate is cool because if it is down and you have stuff in your hand you can just use your leg to lift it a little. Once it gets to about halfway it will close itself.
• My most enthusiastic recommendation: don't use Sun Run to install. They have decent prices for install (in theory I guess), but they want you to sign a contract for installation. The wording on some of the stuff is really questionable, and other parts are just wrong. For example, it says that you must allow Sun Run access to your internet for monitoring the charging system. They obviously mean that you have to connect the charger to the internet so that the data it sends out can be monitored, but that's not what it says. Additionally, there are several clauses at the end where you have to allow Sun Run to use your data, and also allow Sun Run and their partners and other clients to contact you with sales and other offers "even if you are on a national do not call list." It was weird. Hard pass.
• If you don't travel far, you probably don't need to spend the money installing the pro-charger. Like I said, I drive 74 miles one way. I've never had a situation where I was worried about making it to work the next day with the mobile charger so long as I plug in by around 7PM. If I plug in at 7PM with around 25-30% battery, I will be charged back to 90% by 6-7AM. If you aren't traveling on highways or for a long time, it won't be worth it for you to get a bigger charger IMO.
• Lastly, set up your Ford Pass app and set up the charging options. You can do this from the truck too, but I like the app (some people have problems with it, but I haven't yet). In the Charging Locations section, you can set the charge limit for your truck. Ford recommends only charging to 90% unless you are taking a trip. You can set that up in that section so the truck stops charging when it hits a certain percentage. Also, in that same area there is a section where you can set your departure times. I have mine set to 6:30 so the truck turns on the seats and AC/Heat so that the cabin temperature is where I want it when I'm ready to leave. Since you are still plugged in during this time you don't use your battery to get your vehicle to a comfortable temperature, and your range is more accurate.

Sorry for all of possible rambling. Just some things that were either new to me or I find to be useful.

Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks

 

[Patrick johnson]

do you want to lift it or leave it as it is

Kodi nox​

 

[jyoung]

do you want to lift it or leave it as it is

I plan to leave it stock.

 

[ICE No More?]

Ragnus, great list of tips. I walked out at lunch and hid my hotspot kind of forgot how public that actually is in a parking lot. You also encouraged me to try one-pedal driving. Not 100% there but definitely see slightly better regen. How does everyone feel about the stock General tires? They ride great but just do not look proper on the truck. Leaning toward Cooper Discoverer as replacements but with the cost of tires these days I think I will get some wear on the Generals before making the jump.

 

[Ragnus]

Ragnus, great list of tips. I walked out at lunch and hid my hotspot kind of forgot how public that actually is in a parking lot. You also encouraged me to try one-pedal driving. Not 100% there but definitely see slightly better regen. How does everyone feel about the stock General tires? They ride great but just do not look proper on the truck. Leaning toward Cooper Discoverer as replacements but with the cost of tires these days I think I will get some wear on the Generals before making the jump.

The One-Pedal drive definitely takes some getting used to. For me the biggest learning curve was coming off of cruise control because I was used to just clicking "cancel" and then coasting, but when you click the cancel button the truck starts breaking on one-pedal drive. All-in-all though I like it a lot.

 

[jyoung]

Picked up the truck today. 2023 Lariat ER.
I know the top number means the GOM thinks I have 125 miles before empty.

What is the second number, the 134? I asked the salesman, who owns a ‘22 and he said his didn’t have it so he didn’t know. I’ve tried a few quick searches and haven’t found anything. I drove for 3 hours and it always stayed at 134.

Any help?

 

[ICE No More?]

134 miles to a charger, it comes from the navigation function