Lightning High Voltage HV Battery Module Repair Video

Quest · Feb 26, 2023

Found a vid on repairing the HV battery

jerock · Feb 26, 2023

Thanks for the link. That was pretty interesting to see how they replace a module.

Alexsouthcleveland · Feb 26, 2023

Thanks for sharing. I’m curious if all ford certified dealerships will have this equipment to test out our batteries. I’m sure they will have to. Would love to see battery degradation at 50k miles. Even better if ford made service mode like teslas have now

GDN · Feb 26, 2023

Great find and insight. Interesting about the cooling plate and how it has to be replaced too. Wondering why they wouldn't attach that and send it as one unit from the factory. That would ensure proper seating and gluing and save another expensive tool and likely another hour or two of labor in the field for every cell.

Unless they've found a defect and corrected it, the number of cells we are seeing have to be replaced in the field there is going to be huge amounts of labor spent doing this.

GDN · Feb 26, 2023

Alexsouthcleveland said:
Thanks for sharing. I’m curious if all ford certified dealerships will have this equipment to test out our batteries. I’m sure they will have to. Would love to see battery degradation at 50k miles. Even better if ford made service mode like teslas have now

They hooked FDRS up to the truck to see that cell, that means the data is in the truck computers and a code was set. My guess is that code is what is causing Ford to reach out to customers to proactively get this fix done, the codes get uploaded to the cloud/Ford. The sheer number we've already seen is what is concerning for no more trucks than are on the road.

lightspeed · Feb 26, 2023

Even though there is a LOT of overhead in the module system, the fact that they can be replaced is great.

I'm not sure why they didn't build the cooling into the module. He didn't say if they have to drain all of the coolant and replace, but I would assume so.

GDN · Feb 26, 2023

lightspeed said:
Even though there is a LOT of overhead in the module system, the fact that they can be replaced is great.

I'm not sure why they didn't build the cooling into the module. He didn't say if they have to drain all of the coolant and replace, but I would assume so.

That overhead comes with a lot of costs. I know Ford operates old school, but truly they would have been better off in large metro areas like DFW and even more rural areas designating EV repair sites. Let them all sell, let them all do minor work, but the investing in and repairing batteries. Train and give a lot of experience to 5 to 7 employees, then focus on 2 or 3 dealers in a large metro area so that they can make these repairs in a day. Stock 5 to 10 battery modules and cooling plates and make the repairs at one or two per day.

Over time - months to 2 years, other dealers can then join in for the repairs as the learning improves by spending a week rotation at the initial dealers.

Current techs at every Ford dealer learning to do this - no wonder it is taking many days for the repairs.

Of course my guess is Ford didn't expect this high rate of failure.

Lightning Rod · Feb 26, 2023

So, if I'm guessing right, the whole body has to be removed from the chassis to do this job, right?

ctuan13 · Feb 26, 2023

Lightning Rod said:
So, if I'm guessing right, the whole body has to be removed from the chassis to do this job, right?

I could be wrong, but if I remember correctly, neither the bed nor cab have to come off. The entire battery housing simply drops down from below.

Lucky Larry · Feb 26, 2023

I believe you are correct. The battery pack can be lowered from the frame for servicing.

Grumpy2 · Feb 26, 2023

That is a great video, thanks for posting. I am not a fan of disposable parts, especially if they are expensive like the Tesla structural battery. Too much lost when a single cell can't be fixed or updated.
I assume this failed Lightning module will be disassembled at a specialty shop, that one pouch replaced, and that repaired module will be put to use in some way.

GDN · Feb 26, 2023

Grumpy2 said:
That is a great video, thanks for posting. I am not a fan of disposable parts, especially if they are expensive like the Tesla structural battery. Too much lost when a single cell can't be fixed or updated.
I assume this failed Lightning module will be disassembled at a specialty shop, that one pouch replaced, and that repaired module will be put to use in some way.

I can't disagree with what you say at all - shouldn't have a waste, but I don't think you'll see this kind of bad cell from Tesla, and truly I know SK and Ford don't want or think they'd see this many bad cells either. The key is they have to find the problem and get it solved.

The rate of failure we are seeing is not a good sign for us.

metroshot · Feb 27, 2023

GDN said:
....
The rate of failure we are seeing is not a good sign for us.

What rate of failure ?

'22 or '23 ?

ssmegapunish · Feb 27, 2023

Munro live did a teardown….their other videos are interesting too…

Link

GDN · Feb 27, 2023

metroshot said:
What rate of failure ?

'22 or '23 ?

Referring to the other threads here with owners that have been contacted and asked to have their trucks brought in for repair. I'm thinking it was approaching 100.

Lightning High Voltage HV Battery Module Repair Video

Quest

New member

jerock

Well-known member

Alexsouthcleveland

Well-known member

GDN

Well-known member

GDN

Well-known member

lightspeed

Well-known member

GDN

Well-known member

Lightning Rod

Well-known member

ctuan13

Well-known member

Lucky Larry

Well-known member

Grumpy2

Well-known member

GDN

Well-known member

metroshot

Well-known member

ssmegapunish

Member

GDN

Well-known member

Similar threads