PT-25.11.4 Charge Port Functionality & Cold Weather Performance

[jamelski]

12v battery could still be weak and unable to maintain enough charge, all too common in the Lightnings due to their 12v BMS methodology.

Might (probably is) time for a new battery (warranty claim).

Maybe , possibly , doubt it , my battery’s not even one years old and I ABC

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[Kakaratto]

My truck is also offering this update and it is repeatedly failing due to low battery. I’ve tried trickle charging the 12V battery and regular charging the HV battery to no avail.

One possible solution I did read on the Mach-e forums is that people were setting their level 2 chargers to 8A and then slow charging over night. That apparently will keep the 12V battery at full. Their updates completed successfully. I haven’t had the chance to try this yet.

 

[jamelski]

It’s absurd that a truck purchased in August 2024 needs replacing a LVB. Hopefully the update goes through later. I’ll drive for a little bit and charge the truck.

 

[chl]

I know I sound like a broken record sometimes about the battery and maintainers.
But the Lightnings are developing a pretty bad record in this regard.

Yes it is ridiculous in a way - so much energy in the HVB that could be used to maintain the 12v battery.

As an electrical engineer, I have my ideas about why the 12v's are failing, based on the data and measurements others have made and what I know about lead-acid batteries.

Since Ford is not going to fix the problem, I mean what is it to have a few $200 batteries that they probably pay 1/2 that for, it is obvious to me that we have to take matters into our own hands.

The solution I have chosen is a $40 or so battery maintainer with an AGM mode used every day.

I know that works. I have a 13.25 year old flooded lead acid battery in my 2012 Nissan Leaf that I keep on a maintainer and it still registers about 80% SOH. AGM batteries are supposed to last LONGER than flooded batteries if properly maintained (topped off using reasonable currents).

AGM batteries are supposed to be less sensitive to mechanical jolts and vibrations, so use in a pickup truck should not be the cause of these failures.

It seems to me it has to be electrical, charging with too high a charging current and/or allowing the battery to sit at a low state of charge for too long. Both of these seem to be evident in the way the Lightning BMS handles the 12v batteries.

In case you haven't already seen it, read the posts in these links and consider doing the same. As these trucks approach the 3 year/36kmi b-b warranty date, there will likely be more failures, and more posts about it.

An ounce of prevention, as they say...

-----
This post from 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/


If the details about how AGM battery charging progresses are accurate, the truck will not, on it's own, top off the battery in many cases because of the time it takes. That makes a trickle charger even more important for longevity since it can be on the 12v battery for many hours at a time charging even when the truck HV is not.


And 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]

It’s absurd that a truck purchased in August 2024 needs replacing a LVB. Hopefully the update goes through later. I’ll drive for a little bit and charge the truck.

As I suspected.
Yes, it is pathetic this happens.
My solution was to get a maintainer with an AGM mode and use it daily as insurance against trouble - so far so good into my 2nd year of ownership with fingers crossed!

 

[jamelski]

As I suspected.
Yes, it is pathetic this happens.
My solution was to get a maintainer with an AGM mode and use it daily as insurance against trouble - so far so good into my 2nd year of ownership with fingers crossed!

I had mine on a one amp noco maybe I upgrade to the five amp

 

[jamelski]

I know I sound like a broken record sometimes about the battery and maintainers.
But the Lightnings are developing a pretty bad record in this regard.

Yes it is ridiculous in a way - so much energy in the HVB that could be used to maintain the 12v battery.

As an electrical engineer, I have my ideas about why the 12v's are failing, based on the data and measurements others have made and what I know about lead-acid batteries.

Since Ford is not going to fix the problem, I mean what is it to have a few $200 batteries that they probably pay 1/2 that for, it is obvious to me that we have to take matters into our own hands.

The solution I have chosen is a $40 or so battery maintainer with an AGM mode used every day.

I know that works. I have a 13.25 year old flooded lead acid battery in my 2012 Nissan Leaf that I keep on a maintainer and it still registers about 80% SOH. AGM batteries are supposed to last LONGER than flooded batteries if properly maintained (topped off using reasonable currents).

AGM batteries are supposed to be less sensitive to mechanical jolts and vibrations, so use in a pickup truck should not be the cause of these failures.

It seems to me it has to be electrical, charging with too high a charging current and/or allowing the battery to sit at a low state of charge for too long. Both of these seem to be evident in the way the Lightning BMS handles the 12v batteries.

In case you haven't already seen it, read the posts in these links and consider doing the same. As these trucks approach the 3 year/36kmi b-b warranty date, there will likely be more failures, and more posts about it.

An ounce of prevention, as they say...

-----
This post from 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/


If the details about how AGM battery charging progresses are accurate, the truck will not, on it's own, top off the battery in many cases because of the time it takes. That makes a trickle charger even more important for longevity since it can be on the 12v battery for many hours at a time charging even when the truck HV is not.


And 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/

Which one do you use and amperage?

 

[chl]

Which one do you use and amperage?

NOCO Genius1 which is about 1A I believe.

The idea is to top it off, and do it slowly (low amps) every chance available.
So I plug it in every night and any time I am not using the truck during the day.

The topping off ensures the sulfates are driven off the plates as much as possible,
and the low current ensures there won;t be loss of electrolyte from over heating-venting-leakage.

It's ok to leave it connected during HVB charging, it will just stop charging while the DC-DC converter of the truck is on charging the battery.

Anyway, works for me.

 

[Karlos]

We use AGM batteries in aircraft - my Cessna Cardinal has 35AH battery that I keep on a maintainer when not flying. I usually get 5-6 years out of them before they start sounding tired. I've then taken that battery and put it in my former Lexus 400H hybrid, where it worked faithfully for another 4 years. We now use these old batteries on gates at the ranch. Current one is 7 years old and working fine on a solar panel charger. I will probably use the current aircraft battery in the 2022 LER when it expires.

 

[jamelski]

Well, back to the dealer today was on a maintainer all weekend and still won’t update. Something else is wrong beside the battery. So dumb.

 

[footballfalex]

Well, back to the dealer today was on a maintainer all weekend and still won’t update. Something else is wrong beside the battery. So dumb.

Mine is a server side issue, so just holding out for now

 

[jamelski]

Mine is a server side issue, so just holding out for now

My three year 36 is gonna be expiring soon, so make sure this gets updated before it does. Then Auto updates get shut off since Ford’s over the updates are atrocious.

besides one module going bad and being replaced every issue I’ve had now has been in a software issue if anything I’m just gonna get a mongoose and FDRS because every time it goes to the dealer, they just update software

 

[jamelski]

So it was at dealer for a few days and dealer talked with ford engineers and this OTA is trying to update what the park prawl recall already updated 🫪. Makes no sense but whatever it will supposedly be looked at and OTA re sent

 

[jobofly79]

I still haven't received this update. 2024 Flash

 

[Jfennell55]

I still haven't received this update. 2024 Flash

I have 24 flash and I have not got it yet either

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