My Lightning burned to the ground

[majorgearhead]

So very thankful it was on the road home from work and not in my garage.

Did you have anything out of the ordinary going on up front? Did you have a stock LVB or an aftermarket LiFePO4 one?

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[davehu]

I think ev fires are more dramatic because of how slow they are
A full gas tank has ten times the energy of a full battery

ICE cars don't just burn, they explode!

 

[Ned B]

Sadly my truck burned to the ground tonight. Felt a pop under my feet. There was a loud pop followed two smaller ones. We had barely enough time to get a few things out of the back seat before it was fully engulfed in flames. Scary night.

oh wow! That’s horrible!
Glad you’re safe. Truck & contents can be replaced, you can’t. Deep breath, hang in there!

 

[Sealevel]

Wow only 3 weeks? Envious! I thought the delay was much longer for most people. My truck was built in Feb 2023 I think? I didn't get it until July.

But on the same topic, I'm curious if maybe OP's truck was missed somehow from that battery recall since they had a '23 model? Real glad you had the foresight to abandon ship OP and that you and yours are safe.

My truck was less than 150 miles away, so it was emotionally painful.

 

[rugedraw]

@b.go Obviously, I'm sorry to hear this happened and also happy to hear no one was hurt.

It would be intereting to see if it reported any codes before it went offline due to the fire. If your Fordpass was connected at the time it happened and you don't mind, message me the VIN. My curiosity is piqued.

 

[chl]

Looking back at the issues the OP had with his truck, he replace the battery with a Ohmmu and he was also apparently having 12v battery issue (the beeps changed) and issue with climate control through the APP.

I think I read about some issue with the Ohmmu batteries recently.

12V batteries and the 12v system has been the cause of many a vehicle fire over the years - not long ago a Ranger caught fire down the street from my daughter and son-in-law's house due to a shot circuit, and there have been other electrical issue that resulting in fires and fire risk:

Improper Starter Cable Attachment: 2020-2021 F-150s may have a faulty nut connecting the positive battery cable (B+) to the starter motor, causing electrical arcing and heat.

Battery Junction Box Defect: A defect in the battery junction box can lead to spontaneous fires in 2021-2022 Expedition and Navigator SUVs.

Engine Block Heater Failure: Over 100,000 vehicles, including 2013–2019 Escape, Focus, and Lincoln MKC, were recalled for engine block heaters that can crack, leak coolant, and cause a short circuit.

Stuck Starter: Low battery voltage can cause the solenoid to stick, keeping the starter engaged, which can lead to overheating and fire

So the OPs fire could be/probably is, unrelated to it being an EV.

The pop/bang noise he heard could easily have been a short in the 12v system cause the 12v battery to basically explode due to thermal runaway.

------

Lately, the beeps in my '23 Lightning have sounded different... why?

This has been happening to me as well, and my 12V is only two month old. It's an Ohmmu that wasn't exactly cheap.
-----
Issues with climate control via the app

This has been ticking me off for the last few weeks. It's freezing cold out and I can't remote start the heat. My 12V battery is two-months old.
-----
Issues with climate control via the app

Even when my truck is plugged in at home it doesn't work lately. I have to go out and open and close the drivers side door first. Then it beeps at me and fires up the heat. So odd.
-----

 

[Dave70]

Looking back at the issues the OP had with his truck, he replace the battery with a Ohmmu and he was also apparently having 12v battery issue (the beeps changed) and issue with climate control through the APP.

I think I read about some issue with the Ohmmu batteries recently.

12V batteries and the 12v system has been the cause of many a vehicle fire over the years - not long ago a Ranger caught fire down the street from my daughter and son-in-law's house due to a shot circuit, and there have been other electrical issue that resulting in fires and fire risk:

Improper Starter Cable Attachment: 2020-2021 F-150s may have a faulty nut connecting the positive battery cable (B+) to the starter motor, causing electrical arcing and heat.

Battery Junction Box Defect: A defect in the battery junction box can lead to spontaneous fires in 2021-2022 Expedition and Navigator SUVs.

Engine Block Heater Failure: Over 100,000 vehicles, including 2013–2019 Escape, Focus, and Lincoln MKC, were recalled for engine block heaters that can crack, leak coolant, and cause a short circuit.

Stuck Starter: Low battery voltage can cause the solenoid to stick, keeping the starter engaged, which can lead to overheating and fire

So the OPs fire could be/probably is, unrelated to it being an EV.

The pop/bang noise he heard could easily have been a short in the 12v system cause the 12v battery to basically explode due to thermal runaway.

------

Lately, the beeps in my '23 Lightning have sounded different... why?

This has been happening to me as well, and my 12V is only two month old. It's an Ohmmu that wasn't exactly cheap.
-----
Issues with climate control via the app

This has been ticking me off for the last few weeks. It's freezing cold out and I can't remote start the heat. My 12V battery is two-months old.
-----
Issues with climate control via the app

Even when my truck is plugged in at home it doesn't work lately. I have to go out and open and close the drivers side door first. Then it beeps at me and fires up the heat. So odd.
-----

Yes, I read about another lightning owners truck almost going up in flames from one of those Ohmmu batteries on reddit.

https://www.reddit.com/r/F150Lightning/s/K1qtrWkQks

 

[MaintGrl]

@b.go Obviously, I'm sorry to hear this happened and also happy to hear no one was hurt.

It would be intereting to see if it reported any codes before it went offline due to the fire. If your Fordpass was connected at the time it happened and you don't mind, message me the VIN. My curiosity is piqued.

Thank you Javier, our inquiring minds ARE curious...also

 

[RickLightning]

That 12v replacement is going to be a big stumbling block in getting Ford to accept any responsibility.

 

[majorgearhead]

I just needed to replace my LVB and was considering one of these but canceled my order last week and got the OEM one from my dealer. Just charged it up, installed it, and reset BMS this morning. Reading this thread, I am so glad I didn’t go with OHMMU. Also I can rest a little easier knowing it was likely not a Ford pack fault that caused this.

 

[Basis0439]

Those Ohmmus should be removed from shelves. That's how many now that have caught fire?

 

[chl]

Yes, I read about another lightning owners truck almost going up in flames from one of those Ohmmu batteries on reddit.

https://www.reddit.com/r/F150Lightning/s/K1qtrWkQks

I saw that and there was one on "X" as well that I did not read.

 

[The Weatherman]

Yes, I read about another lightning owners truck almost going up in flames from one of those Ohmmu batteries on reddit.

https://www.reddit.com/r/F150Lightning/s/K1qtrWkQks

That incident was caused by force charging the OHMMU battery in the truck while still connected to the truck.

Again not just general use.

 

[chl]

I just needed to replace my LVB and was considering one of these but canceled my order last week and got the OEM one from my dealer. Just charged it up, installed it, and reset BMS this morning. Reading this thread, I am so glad I didn’t go with OHMMU. Also I can rest a little easier knowing it was likely not a Ford pack fault that caused this.

I'd recommend you rig it up to be trickle charge/maintained so it'll last longer than the one you replaced.

The problem we have with the OEM 12v battery is not the battery itself I believe, it's how the battery is managed/mangled by the truck's BMS.

I've kept my 2012 Nissan Leaf 12V AGM alive and well to this day by keeping it on a maintainer when not in use.

FYI:

This post form the Mach-e forum goes into depth about these 12v AGM batteries:
https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/how-to-recondition-service-your-12v-battery.11069/

This one is about the different ways to charge up the battery to get OTAs:
https://www.macheforum.com/site/threads/how-to-get-failed-otas-to-install.29749/

Also several threads here about putting trickle chargers on the battery and how to make it easier by adding a trickle charger wire:
https://www.f150lightningforum.com/forum/threads/charging-12v-battery.16979/

 

[chl]

To be clear, my GUESS is it was the 12v battery that made the pop/bang and cause the fire.

I'd also note however, there are fuses on the HVB that blow when there is trouble to cut it off from the electrical system, and they would make a big pop/bang as well.

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